Nintendo’s new game console, the Wii, is finally here. Nintendo has chosen to go in a completely different direction then that of Sony and Microsoft. Instead of focusing all their attention and resources on graphics, Nintendo has instead chosen to focus on game play. This is a risky move by Nintendo. Their intent is to not only capture the core gaming audience, but to reach out to casual and non-gamers as well. So how are they trying to accomplish this? By creating an innovative way to control and interact with the games.

Nintendo’s new control scheme starts with its remote, or as many people in the gaming industry have dubbed it, the “Wii-mote”. This is not your typical gaming controller. It does not have a plethora of different buttons. Instead, it only has a handful of buttons. You may be wondering how a game controller with so few buttons actually works. That is where the beauty and innovation comes in. The Wii remote works similarly to a computer mouse. You simply point it at the screen to control various objects. The innovation does not end there however. The Wii-mote has built-in motion sensing technology. Your movements are recorded and translated on screen in the game. For example if you were playing a game of tennis, you simply make a swinging motion to hit the ball. There are many sensors that determine how hard you swing, your timing, etc. Tennis games are no longer simply clicking buttons. The Wii-mote puts you directly in the action.

Although the Wii controller is innovative and has many uses, it does lack functionality for more complex games. This is why Nintendo also made available a special attachment for its Wii-mote, called the “nun-chuk”. This attachment plugs into the bottom of the standard Wii remote. The nun-chuk has the same motion sensing technology as the Wii-mote. It contains two trigger buttons and an analog stick. With the two remotes, the potential for different combinations far surpasses any other gaming controller.

As if two remotes weren’t enough, Nintendo has also released a special controller to play games on its Virtual Console. Although these particular games can be played with a Nintendo GameCube controller, the “Classic” or “Retro” controller is for people who don’t have GameCube remotes. This controller does not have any motion sensing technology, and can only be used for games on the Virtual Console.

As is the case with any new technology, there are some kinks and adjustments that need to be taken care of. Some games have some strange control schemes that don’t use the remotes to their full potential. This may seem like the remotes lack in functionality; however this is not really the fault of Nintendo. It is the responsibility of the third-party game developers. The launch titles released by Nintendo have no control issues whatsoever. It is just a matter of the game developers getting used to how the controls work best.
Included in the box when you buy a Wii are both the Wii-mote and nun-chuk attachment. The “Classic” controller is sold separately for $19.99. Additional Wii-motes retail for $39.99 and the nun-chuk attachments are sold separately for $19.99.

The Nintendo Wii’s crop of controllers is very impressive. After the third-party developers make their control adjustments for future games, there will be nothing to complain about!