drmoze

I think the Wii "light gun" games and accessories deserve a thread. So here goes.

Zapper - Many people don't like it. I do, and I have large hands to boot. The forward B-button 'trigger' feels fine.Some games let you remap the trigger to the rear Z-button on the nunchuk as well. I've even switched hands (left hand forward) and surprisingly that felt fine too. It adds stability to aiming, etc., reducing fatigue. You do have to (preferably) wrap the nunchuk cable inside the body, but for only $20 with the Zelda game included, it's a no-brainer imo.

Link's Crossbow - Freebie game included with the Zapper. Haven't played it much, but there is a nice set of pop-up target shooting and "advancing bad guy" games. Lots of levels to remain challenging, increasing difficulty, records to set, etc. Nice-looking background scenery too. Simple, but lots of shooting fun. Only $20 with the Zapper included. Good pick-up-and-play entertainment.

Ghost Squad - I love this game, a slightly enhanced port of the classic 'rail' arcade shooter genre. Perfect for the Zapper. Many reviews say it is very short, and that you can 'finish' it in an hour or so. Not true. Yes, there are three main locales (enemy camp, president's plane, and forest/river) There is a good amount of branching options, opened up both by on-screen selections and as you increase the difficulty level based on experience. The game isn't huge, but varied enough to keep you replaying over and over with solid light-gun fun. A simple 2-corner calibration helps, although precise aiming using gun sights doesn't really work. There are some good modes (thermal vision, sniper mode) to keep it interesting. Plus a local multiplayer mode for up to 4 players (or 1 or 2 2-fisted players). Best of all, replays don't eat quarters! Solid shooting fun, and a bargain title ($30 msrp).

Medal of Honor:Heroes 2 - This WWII shooter is a triple threat: Campaign mode with several long modes incl.main and minor objectives; a 'rail shooter' arcade mode which takes you through the same campaign scenarios on rails (but you can duck); and an online mode for up to 32 players (deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag). Graphics are decent and in widescreen (no one buys the Wii to be blown away by the graphics), motion is smooth--even online. Enemies are a bit repetitive, but the environments are varied. There are a few cool weapon modes too--bazooka, machine gun, scope rifle, etc. The arcade mode can get tough on the harder levels, and the missions are longer than in Ghost Squad. Campaign mode is fun and requires some stealth and patience. Online is tough (for me--I get fragged constantly!). All 3 gameplay modes are great, making this a real bargain. It also works great with the Zapper--adjust the sensitivity and view speeds to max, and it is really responsive. All controls in campaign mode are readily accessible with the Zapper, except for the occasional weapon change using the d-pad on top (not used in arcade/multiplayer modes).

Resident Evil:Umbrella Chronicles - Another rail shooter that should be a lot offun. It's ordered and hasn't arrived yet!

Other Wii Guns - As a Zapper alternative, the Nyko Perfect Shot has gotten favorable reviews. It's basically a gun-shaped holder for the wiimote, with a tighter trigger than the Zapper. The Nunchuk plugs into the base of the handle, soyou can hold it separately for games that require separate nunchuk motion control. Retails for about $15. I've seen a similar gun on some Asian sites which has a bracket for the nunchuk that clips onto the rear of the wiimote gun for a Zapper-like config, and easily unclips for a Perfect Shot config. Haven't tried one yet.

Misc. Wii Gun Stuff - Some games make good use of the speaker and vibrator on the wiimote such as reload sounds, firing vibrations, pulses when your health is low/critical, etc. These small touches really make the experience a lot cooler than it may sound.

Haven't tried the duck hunting or other hunting games yet. Any other thoughts or info on good Wii shooting games?

CreatureX

Yeah I love the Wii Zapper as well. I also find it comfortable to play with. Plus $20 for the zapper and Link game is perfect. I'm looking forward to some new Nintendo developed zapper games. Hopefully we'll see new Yoshi's Safari, Duck Hunt and Battleclash games!

I'm also looking forward to House of the Dead 2+3.

drmoze

Yeah,HotD 2/3 will be cool. Been a long time since I played HotD2 on my Dreamcast!

RVP

I have heard some talk about a new Virtua cop or a compilation of the old ones, but all I can find online are rumours from a few years ago. Has anyone seen anything on this?

Ocelot

I still have HotD on the DC and the light gun too (still got the MadCatz box).

I probably double dip again... However, definitely gonna wait till the price go down (by a lot, or at least some kind of promotion going on). I got tons of game to play right now.

thanks for the synopsis drmoze, MoH sounds pretty interesting...

Ocelot

Again, using the d-pad on top of the wiimote is not an issue if you hold the pistol with two hands. If the barrel got something attached or just bulkier, you can hold it Jack Bauer or Solid Snake style (pressing the A button is a bit annoying if it needs to be done constantly, like in RE:UC). Sorry, Tomb Raider and John Woo style won't do, unless you're really that good

Krayzie

I didn't like using the zapper for RE: UC or ghost squad. RE UC needs the nunchuk seperated from the zapper for a better experience and ghost squad doesn't even use the nunchuk. I think I need to try out one of the pistol shaped accessories instead. I don't like holding the zapper with one hand.

fujishig

Doesn't RE UC have a zapper control configuration so you don't have to fiddle with the buttons on-top?

Ocelot

yes it does and it's not really a configuration, i.e. if you're using the nunchuck the buttons are already setup to go...

you can use the nunchuck to switch weapons as that of the d-pad on the wiimote. The only advantage of using the nunchuck is to look around while railing, i believe you'll need to do this to complete 100% or something like that....

anyway, the nunchuck is awkward...

drmoze

If you're using the Zapper in Ghost Squad, you can re-map the trigger to the Z Button on the Nunchuk. This makes it more like a 'conventional' gun config. (I believe it's option 3, with Zapper config being option 4.) They Joystick is also used in GS, and it's pretty handy with the Zapper.

Why do you need the nunchuk separate in RE:UC? I didn't think it uses separate motion control, which is the only reason not to have it installed in the Zapper. The nunchuk buttons and joystick are very accessible in the Zapper. (Haven't received RE:UC yet, but it's on the way!)

Krayzie

You can set RE: UC to use zapper controls so you shake the nunchuk to reload. It's much easier to shake when it's not attached the zapper.

fumanstan

So are these games pretty fun without the zapper or other pistol accessory? Ghost Squad has me intrigued and its cheap, so I really want to play a mindless light gun style game. Time Crisis 4 on PS3 is just too expensive and i've heard too many negatives.

drmoze

Ah. I can see that. Reloading would be quicker and not mess up your aim.

@fumanstan: Ghost Squad is playable and fun with just the Wiimote. I prefer gripping the Zapper with 2 hands though. It has 3 fairly short scenarios to play through, although there are new variations and branching options as you progress. It is addictive.

I would probably recommend Medal of Honor Heroes 2 over GS. It has a *much* longer "mindless light gun" game (the arcade mode) which takes you through many long scenarios of duck-and-shoot, with a few varied weapons thrown in for certain scenes (sniper rifle, machine gun, mortar, bazooka). Plus, it also has campaign mode (where you control the character's motion and have to make certain objectives as you run through the various scenarios), PLUS an online mode for up to 32 players (deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture-the-flag) which only needs a free registration with EA to play. Although Ghost Squad is still fun and feels more like the classic arcade game that it is.

fujishig

I finally got my copy of Ghost Squad and the nyko perfect shot, and opened both them and the zapper.

I like the perfect shot a lot... the handle is a little too big for my hands, which does cause fatigue, and after a while I need to drop the nunchuk and use both hands to shoot on Ghost Squad, picking up the nunchuk for those rare action sequences... but otherwise it's about as good as a pistol wiimote gun is going to get. Sold construction, everything fits snugly, etc.

The zapper felt much less comfortable, but I did try it out after trying out the perfect shot, so it may just take some getting used to. Either one is much more fun playing Ghost Squad with than just the wiimote itself.

drmoze

I got very used to the zapper. I hold it in front of me, with right hand on B trigger, left hand on nunchuk. Works fine for me.

Ocelot

am i the only one likes to hold the gun with two hands? i don't think it's a problem of fatigue, but accuracy... You aim better with two hands, no? i can never play the game the way drmoze plays... unless the gun is in unlimited ammo machine gun mode...

fumanstan

I hold my guns sideways like a gangster. I can't hit shit, but I sure look cool doing it!

Ocelot

Yeap, looks cool In that case, you can pick up another wiimote and double the coolness. I tried that once with the light guns (HotD on DC), man, i can't even reload right...

fumanstan

BTW, I read over on CAG that Ghost Squad is on clearence at Target for about 12 bucks. I found one at my nearby Target but it wouldn't scan and didn't have a clearence tag, so one of the employees just gave it to me for $15.

Ocelot

WOW, awesome find fumanstan, thanks for the info... hmmm, gonna hit Target tonight, if i can bear the cold weather.

Between now, for the Wii shooters (zapper), can you disable the cross hair? Can you even do that?

Groucho

Ghost Squad allows this. None of the other shooters I've played have this feature, though.

Krayzie

All the targets near me have a pricetag of $29.99. Never tried scanning it though as I already own the game.

Lastblade

I don't like the look/feel of the zapper, so I got Nyko's Perfect Shot. It works really really well (only gun game I have is Ghost Squad). I was able to improve my accuracy alot within GS and I plan to play the game without the cross hair. I highly recommend this accessory.

fujishig

The Ghost Squad/Target thing seems to be because it was originally supposed to be a target.com-only game, but got shipped to stores and did not make it into their systems. The Endcaps that they are on all have a pricetag on the shelf of 29.99, but they just don't scan.

I wouldn't recommend playing without the crosshairs. You soon find out just how poor the calibration of this thing is... you can't just aim with the sites on the gun (probably why most of the other games don't offer this feature). You'll find yourself having to take an initial shot just to see where you're really aiming, before gunning down the enemy.

fumanstan

I'm thinking about getting it too. Are there any B&M stores carrying it?