When the Wii was first launched, I found it puzzling that Nintendo would attach a wire to the second part of their controller. Why their first party controller isn’t wireless in the first place is one solid question to ask. But just like always, Nyko has stepped in to fill any gaps within the gaming market, hence the Cord-Free Wii Nunchuk.
The biggest misconception about this product may be that it is not a stand-alone unit. This means that you still need a Nintendo brand nunchuk in order for this device to work. To sum up, you snap the nunchuk into a plastic casing, wrap the cord around the base of the unit, and plug it into itself. Then, attach the wireless dongle into the bottom of the Wii-mote, sync up both units, and you are good to go, wirefree.
Using a wireless nunchuk feels a little awkward at first, simply because players have probably become used to gaming with a wire attached to their Wii-motes and nunchuks. While there is no longer restriction between the two units, this piece still contains minor flaws. First, my connection did cut out on me. But it was not all bad because my Wii was smart enough to automatically pause my game and wait for me to re-plug in my nunchuk…or in this case, re-sync. Secondly, there is no wrist strap option available for this unit. Although I am a fairly tame Wii-moter, I can see younger or sweaty palmed gamers accidentally losing their grip resulting in flying nunchuks.
Negative aspect aside, this unit is a great alternative for those looking into going completely wireless. The base of the unit does make holding this cordfree ‘chuk a little bottom heavy, but it is nothing that should hinder gameplay. Wrapping the cord around the rubber flaps is a little tricky the first time you use it, but once you get the cord set up, you will never have to adjust it again. And the 60 hour battery life of the two AA batteries (included) is more than you can ask for.
Storing this cord-free unit is also very easy. In fact, it works better than the nun-chuk by itself. Because this Nyko produced unit comes with a base, it sits firmly on any surface, giving your nun-chuk a trophy-like display. You didn’t think your nun-chuk could contain a bold look until you mount it in this cord-free plastic casing.
While I never felt that using a tethered nun-chuk was restricting, I can see where the freedom would have its benefits. Perhaps the biggest benefit is for something with a lot of hand movement, such as Wii Sports Boxing. In addition, games like Red Steel or Metroid Prime 3 could give the player a little bit of extra comfort when playing, but you won’t really feel a difference when playing games like Super Mario Galaxy. Either way, if you crave a completely wireless environment, then Nyko has once again hit the nail on the head. For about $20, you really could not ask for a better product.
Positives:
-Decent price point
-Works well (only lost signal once)
-Long battery life
-Easy storage and bold display
-Rubber lips hide cord well
-Clear access to all buttons
Negatives:
-Is a little bottom heavy
-No wrist strap option