I liked the older one more… its just more… Robust…

It looks okay but I feel that there is just something about it that just doesn’t seem right.

It has to be big, bulky, and weird-looking, so that Nintendo can come up with a Wii Zapper Lite next year.

i think it looks comfortable to hold, but it sho be ugly!!

The new one by far.

Think of it… You can’t point it directly at the screen, the only way to really hold it is at your side like a 1930s gangster would a Tommy Gun. The shape makes sense because who the hell holds a pistol that low?

It pretty much goes against real world weapon design. Instead of strong hand on the trigger and behind the weak hand supporting the “barrel” you either have to have the strong hand in front of the weak hand or the trigger controlled by the weak hand.

This could feel weird when you see characters holding weapons the opposite of how you actually are holding the controller.

I liked the look of the original Zapper far more than this new one.
The new one looks way too big.

I preffered the fact that one could hold it with one hand or two as opposed to forcing both hands to hold it. It makes things more fucntional I suppose but makes it feel like a machine gun instead of a pistol.

As much as people complain though, the guncon for Time Crisis is just as bad (if not uglier and harder to handle). So it’s not like anyone else has done this better for the time being.

Looks and prefferences aside, my only real beef is that it’s $20. I’d either only take it as a pack-in or at $10 tops. $20 for a white chunk of plastic is just too much to ask of the “hardcore”.

The old Zapper looks bigger in comparison to the new one, but the new one is by far better than the ones already on the market now.

i really dont know what is with the new style. Nintendo talked about making the games feel more realistic by being able to actually control games with movement and then they go and mess it up by not keeping their products realistic. the old one they showed looks much easier to hold because it lets you keep your dominant hand on the controls and the trigger at all times while using your other hand to help aim. the new style just looks awkward.

What does it add to the gaming experience? It looks like molded plastic that is just going to get in the way of trying to play a game. Having played The Godfather: Black Hand I can clearly say I don’t need some 20 USD piece of junk. I’ll get it just for the “Duckhunt 2″ or whatever comes with it but I’m not going to pick up a whole set.

The new one looks modeled after a Super Soaker. I don’t like it.

Looks shit, but it looks as functional as a gun would get.

the old one didn’t take into consideration that the B-button often shoots.

It looks okay. I think people are going to have to get their hands on it to form a proper opinion. I remember thinking the DreamCast light gun looked crap and uncomfortable when Sega first showed it off, but I thought it was fine once I got it in my hands.

Because the zapper has to hold the nunchuk and the Wii remote, any design is gonna be a bit chunky. As for single handed play, I’m pretty sure the original design would’ve made your arm ache after holding it single handedly for too long.

It could’ve looked a bit sleeker, but overall it’s okay.

I can see why people like the old one more. But allow me to post a redemption for the new Zapper design. First, the number one reason for the redesign is obviously cost. The new model appears to have NO electronics at all and instead, relies on the Nunchuk to provide the analog stick. This surely cuts Nintendo’s production costs for the device in HALF. (Which means it probably cuts OUR cost by about a third.) Instead of being a full blown ‘attachment’ for the Wii remote, the new Zapper is more of a ‘cradle’ used to hold the [more costly] attachments that every Wii owner already has.

Regarding functionality, I happen to think that the vertical, forward grip of the new model will make the Zapper much easier to use. Many (most?) Wii-owners usually play from a seated-position, in which the height of their hands/controller is less than (or equal to) the height of their screen (unless they are standing up to demo Wii Sports to a non-gamer, or trying to beat their bowling record). Because of the inclusion of the vertical fore-grip, the new Zapper model allows players to keep both of their hands at practically the same elevation and rotation angle and still aim directly at the screen, even while seated. The same can not be said for the (perhaps sleeker-looking) old Zapper, the front of which must be essentially “propped” up into a horizontal firing position by the player holding it, palm up, with his front hand in a higher position than his rear hand. In addition to adding another grip, Nintendo has moved the main trigger to the front hand. Essentially, the design metaphor has shifted from “sawed-off shotgun” to “sub-machinegun”. And because the new Zapper leaves the rear hand gripping the Nunchuk, the player can easily reach three buttons (instead of just two) without changing hand positions. Surely this broadens the variety and depth of control schemes that developers can implement.

Personally, I did not like the look of the new Zapper at first. But when juxtaposed, I think the old Zapper looks like a semi-cheap, ten-year=old prototype and the new Zapper looks like a slick, well-designed product for today.

reminds me of the dual pistols from halo.

not that ugly guys, id be more concerned with the fact that it doesn’t aim like an actual gun.

i’m probebly not going to buy this. to me its some pointless piece of plastic. i would invest in a new attachement for the wiimote, which is what the old zapper looks like it is.
i would spend $50 easy on a badass electronic attachment for the wiimote, separate from the nunchuck.
you know what i mean?

I personally think it’s ridiculous. I have no problem with light guns, in fact I love them. But this isn’t a light gun. It’s a plastic shell that fits over my remote. As we’re all aware the Wii remote bases itself on the sensor bar, not the screen specifically.

So basically, what the hell do I need a gun for if I can’t even use the sight?

I pretty much see myself just playing the new gun games without this silly shell, if I ever play the new gun games at all.

But I’d count on Mad Catz or someone to put out a Nunchuk replacement in the form factor of the original one. Yeah, still not too good for the games that use the Wiimote buttons to fire, but with the release of the Zapper, I think we’ll see more of that functionality moving to the Nunchuk.

The Sega Menacer returns.

Of these two I prefer the older one, but even it could use some work.

It totally reminds me of the Super Scope. That thing was WAY too big.
It looks like it could be fun to use, but what’s really the point if it doesn’t add any new functionality on top of plain-jane wiimote/nunchuck action?

I don’t really care
Both look fine to me, I still wouldn’t get either though.

SUPER SCOPE REMIX!

mmm… I think you got it wrong. you pull the trigger and point the wiimote with your left hand and move the stick with your right hand. The prototype would probably feel very heavy for one hand.

Nintendo could release a light gun but that would get them in hot water and lawsuits would jump at whatever $$$ they can nail them for. They are very brave since I’m sure even this cradle will be frown upon by the media once school shootings start again when everyone goes back to school. Namco had this problem years ago, and most new shooters have been avoided by most arcades… thanks America for blaming video games for your gun problem!

It’s clearly a good thing no additional hardware is added - it’s just a bulk shell where you place your wiimote. If you don’t feel like using one, just point with a bare wiimote like you used to.

It’s hard to say how it really works before trying, but I have a feeling that it may be better than lot of people here seem to think. Two hands makes a steadier aim after all. I’ve seen this already with Wii Play and the Shooting gallery game in it - you get tired with shooting with one hand after a while.

I likes the new one muchly better. It looks alot more comfortable, not to mention cooler.

It looks like a bad Sci-Fi laser gun. I LOVE IT!!! Reminds me of my childhood.

It rocks.

It looks pretty cool, but really it’s just a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist as it’s just a fancy cradle for the controllers. That said, I’ still love it if they made a small pistol grip for the remote, the old e3 zappe ris too long for my taste.

looks cool, but they should have kept the nunchuck covered

I don’t know, I like this new look.

From what I can see, the original pistol must of had some electronics inside to make it function. Because the only buttons I see are the joystick, and the trigger. Both of which aren’t connected to the wiimote.

I guess Nintendo just figured that this new design looks a bit cooler, and that instead of making the attachment super expensive, you’d just use the technology you already had to replace it. Effectively making the new design cheaper.

It would make it easier for game developers as well, because you could just program it for the original Wiimote design, and if you could use the plain wiimote/nunchuk combo, you wouldn’t need to pay for the attachment separately. Sure, it would probably make the game play harder, but then people won’t be deterred from buying your game, because you have to have something to go with it.

And either way, I’m interested to see how this is going to turn out.

The new one is better. The submachine or bullpup feel looks fun.

The first gun would be a pain in the arse to use. You would want to cup your hand under the wiimote at the front of the gun, this would make pulling the trigger very annoying.

The new gun addresses that issue. You have a handle in the front so your hand is in a standard position to pull a trigger.

Also, if the game designers want to, they could make the z or c button a trigger if they wished.

These are not light guns so you can’t treat them as such. I believe most people would switch to the new design if they could play with both. The first design was not thought out very well.

To everyone saying it has no electronics: Hello, what’s that trigger at the front? Decoration?

That trigger is just a kind of extension for the B trigger. Its just a hinged piece of plastic that changes the angle for the B trigger.

It looks ok to me, I’ll wait until I can actually play with one before forming an opinion.

Me? I’m loving this thing! Everybody complaining that you hold it with your wrong hand: I’m a lefty, this is awesome.

I like the trigger, too. I can’t really say why, though.

Check out this other Wii Blaster from Gamestop:

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=802669

Looks OK, but not as good as the old one…

The design looks like a paint ball gun

A friend and I were actually debating this the other night. And I can see why some people prefer the new to the old. Admittingly, it is kinda cool looking. Sorta like one them confangled Time Crisis light guns. And as pointed out by both my friend and other 4CRs, it does bear a strong resemblance to a certain awesome Nintendo add-on from yesteryears called the Super Scope.

However…

In my opinion, it lacks the super and obviously lacks the scope. In addition, while the shell is cheaped and somewhat cool looking, it looks a bit harder to control and manuever (as said in the RE:UC hands on from Wireless) as opposed to simply using the Wiimote or the original proto type. In addition, while the Machine gun look is growing on me, I think I still prefered the pistol look.

SO…where do I stand? I’m willing to give it a chance, but I remain hesitant and skeptical.

I wasn’t gonna get either. If this comes in a Pack-in, sweet. Otherwise its an unnessecary expense for me. I do prefer new to the old, by far.

Hurry up and put up a “What other games would you want on the Balance Board?” thread. I got some doosies.

I think it’s brilliant.

One of the big problem with home light gun games was that on a standard lightgun, it’s hard to do anything other than shoot. The Playstation Guncon tried to solve that by putting a d-pad on the back, but it was really awkward to get to. The result was a lot of games that were just too shallow for home play, or ridiculously hard to control.

The nifty thing about the new zapper is that it gives you easy access to the joystick, and more buttons, while still keeping a gun-like feel (it’s a tommy gun instead of a pistol, but that’s okay, ’cause tommy guns are totally cooler—I’d much rather be a ’30’s gangster than a ’90’s gangsta). I predict that after the initial growing pains, we’ll start seeing some really interesting changes on the light gun formula—maybe even Resident Evil: Dead Aim: The Good Edition.

It’s the Power Glove of this Gen.
And I think it looks easier to use than the old, but also not as sleek.

I love the new Zapper! It looks just like the Sega Menacer!

We need to make a petition. how are you going to get a regular gun feel with this? and how am I going to hold it if my tv is just a bit too high? Big no. I hope UC comes with its own zapper.

Yeah, the old one was way cooler. The new one looks a bit complex, kinda out of line with Nintendo’s whole strategy atm. But it’s not a massive deal anyway.

It’s a piece of plastic.

It’s shaped like an AK! I wanted a SHOTGUN! ZOMG.

Now I have to hold it close to my body to shoot. I can’t hold it like a pistol for accuracy. SUCKS.

I like it. Only problem, aiming with the wiimote doesn’t work. The Wiimote is a cursor moving device. It can’t see where you’re pointing. As in, the sensor bar doesn’t know if you’re playing on a 14″ portable or using a projector screen. It’s like a mouse. I still like it though and will get it.

“I like it. Only problem, aiming with the wiimote doesn’t work. The Wiimote is a cursor moving device. It can’t see where you’re pointing.”

I think it works. at least aiming in Resident Evil 4 works like that. I don’t understand what kind of aiming you are talking about…

I think some of you guys haven’t seen the old one correctly.

If you look at the old model carefully you should note that it also uses both the Wiimote and nunchuk, but the nunchuc is being covered, look carefully.

The old model would be VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, since you should have to hold both controllers in opne hand and it would be troublesome to shoot.

Also the new model can be used either by rigthies or lefties, so the new one is a better option IMO.

This looks all 1930’s mobster machine gun, and I totally love the look. I only hope the feel / control is just as good as the look.

Eh…the only problem I have with it is how it is going to be held. It looks awkward to have both my index and middle finger on top of plastic, separating it from the rest of the fingers. That would feel really weird.

I think the new one is more practical in design. The old one puts an analog stick and the Wiimote on one hand. That said, I think the other third-party version with the nunchuk accessible separately on the left hand made the most sense.

A lot of people complained about using the Wii-Remote to aim in earlier FPSs. I can see their point. The Zapper was made to address this issue. It can be used in existing FPSs, as well. (With the obvious exception of double-wield FPSs.) It looks like the Wii-Remote is easier to place into and remove from the new Zapper than the old one. Besides, it fits with the color scheme better. The old Zapper looks cooler, but honestly, the blue/gray color just clashes with the polar white of the Wii-Remote.

Two words… hard. core.

Looks awesome to me. We should know by now that Nintendo tends to know what they’re doing.

““I like it. Only problem, aiming with the wiimote doesn’t work. The Wiimote is a cursor moving device. It can’t see where you’re pointing.”

I think it works. at least aiming in Resident Evil 4 works like that. I don’t understand what kind of aiming you are talking about… ”

If you were to ‘aim’ the ‘zapper’ by eye, it wouldn’t line up correctly. The gun is a holder for a cursor moving device. Basically, ‘Duck hunt’ wont be Duck Hunt.

However, it is still cool, and I will still get one.

Looks awkward =\ Thats all I can really say. Hopefully it wont feel awkward when I actually hold it.

The old version seems to be for one handed use and this new model has you working with both of your hands. If you think about it, the top heavy original gun would leave you worn out in the middle of playing a game. This new gun balances the weight, has you holding it closer to your body, and separates the functions on the gun at a greater distance so there isn’t any confusion of what to do first. It seems like you would know, but in the midst of battle I’m sure your hands would get mixed up in the fighting frenzy

this zapper is better than it’s original in everyway. i love the feeling of holding a TMP. a great idea.

God you people are picky. The new one is better by far, and the obviously added the extra handle because think about it (And this is for all the people whining about how they cant hold it with one hand anymore), if you were using the old one, because of the weight of the wiimote in the front of it, and the handle at the back, it would be really hard to hold it straight, so you would have to put your other hand under the “barrel” of it. They obviously realized this, and added the extra handle. This new version looks way better anyway.

You see, I never liked the look of the prototype zapper. It was too long to be a pistol and too short to be a shotgun and looked aquard to hold. The new one has a much better, much more natural feel. It reminds me of a close combat type weapon. I’d love playing Ghost Recon with this in fact. HEAR THAT UBISOFT? GRAW:3 for Wii!

New one looks awesome. The first one is just too…plain. It’s gotta’ have some more detail. I’m not really a simplistic guy anywhoo.

I like the new design. Imagine a Time Crisis-esque game that would use the Wii Zapper in tandem with the balance board, where you lean around cover.

post above me:
if they did that, It would definatley fuel my interest in on rail shooters again. You sir, are a genius.

I feel a little short-changed by this $20 piece of plastic, if they made a real zapper that you can “aim by the eye” I would buy it, but not this.

in response to the below, ever heard of a bullpup?

It pretty much goes against real world weapon design. Instead of strong hand on the trigger and behind the weak hand supporting the “barrel” you either have to have the strong hand in front of the weak hand or the trigger controlled by the weak hand.

This could feel weird when you see characters holding weapons the opposite of how you actually are holding the controller.

Steelangel - 07.12.07 11:38 pm

I’ll be waiting for a superior 3rd party gun shell, that’s for sure. The Gamestop one linked above is a step in the right direction.