Blade-FX Wireless (Nunchuk) Controller

A few weeks ago I posted about the Nyko Wireless Nunchuk and its shortcomings, which were largely a problem working with the Wii Motion Plus.

I picked up the Blade-FX Wireless Controller (another nunchuk) this morning in the hopes that it would work where the Nyko accessory failed.

Here's a pic of the item from the Best Buy site:

And here's the version I bought:

The version I have is the exact same model number, with two differences that I can see:

1) 'FX' button remains, 'Classic' button has been removed.

2) The version I bought has a skinny transmitter - which fits neatly into the pass-through port on the bottom of the Wii Motion Plus, even with the rubber jacket in place.

I tested the transmitter with several different games - Lego Batman (works fine) Mario Cart (works fine) Wii Sports (works fine) and Wii Sports Resort (no workie).

Wii Sports Resort did not detect the wireless nunchuk, and prompted me to plug it in. I tried fooling the game by starting out with the real nunchuk plugged in, only to swap for the wireless version once in gameplay - but no luck, it knew.

You can't blame compatibility problems on third party accessory makers when the problem lies with newly released hardware from the console maker.

It depends on which games you spend your time playing - and if you're okay with an accessory working with some/most of your games but not all.

For me, an accessory needs to work with all games - I can't be bothered to swap controllers based on the game.

Nintendo really needs to release a new first party remote with Wii Motion Plus built in, and with a first party wireless nunchuk as well - having to repeatedly add on to the end of the current remote makes it more unwieldy, more likely to catch on your clothes as you wave it around - and waving it around is the whole point, right?

Wireless Nunchuk and Wii Motion Plus

I love the Wii as a console, but the fact that the nunchuk is wired to the remote always annoyed me no end.

I find myself avoiding games or sports that require the nunchuk to be used - especially something like boxing, where you're supposed to be flailing around - I don't want to be tethered in these moments of wild action.

I know, right? You thought I was so quiet and mild-mannered.

I picked up the Nyko Wireless Nunchuk this morning - typically I'll research a product for at least a few minutes online before buying a 3rd Party Accessory, but I decided to wing it for once.
It works well, (though I managed to cut my thumb opening the blister pack - not with a knife or scissors, but with the plastic itself) it synced up right away and seems to function just like a wired nunchuk.

I tried out Wii Sports (Boxing), Mario Cart (I won 2 out of 3 races) and last of all, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rental from GameFly).

The wireless nunchuk works well as long as you're playing games that do not require the 'Wii Motion Plus' attachment to the Wii Remote.

I don't know how many games use Wii Motion Plus, but lately spending all my Wii time playing Wii Sports Resort, which requires the WMP.

There's a handy pass-through port on the bottom of the WMP. Unfortunately, the wireless nunchuk transmitter does not have a pass-through - if it did, I wouldn't be returning it.

It's not possible to plug in the wireless nunchuk transmitter for 2 reasons:

1) The shape of the nunchuk transmitter is designed and contoured for the bottom of the Wii Remote, which has a rounded bottom.

The bottom of the WMP is far different - it flares out instead of curving in, and even has little feet which would allow you to stand the remote on its end (for some reason).

You could choose to grind or cut the WMP feet or remove the up-curving edges of the nunchuk transmitter, but this would likely lead to cracks in the plastic.

2) The rubber jacket of the Wii remote would interfere with a solid connection - you could discard the rubber jacket or trim it, I suppose.

I'm sure Nyko or another accessories company will develop a transmitter to work with the WMP, but this one does not.