Official Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training

by Nintendo

• Wii Zapper comes with Link's Cross Bow Training Game
• Wii Remote and Nunchuk are sold seperately

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000W5Y49G
• Product Dimensions: 13 x 5.8 x 2.8 inches ; 1 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 20, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (335 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,978 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #12 in Video Games > Wii > Accessories > Controllers > Remotes

Product Description

The Wii Zapper is a gun peripheral that allows the user to insert a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, both sold separately, into either end and play a compatible game. The control stick on the Nunchuk controls player movement (on stages that allow player movement), while aiming the Wii Zapper moves the targeting reticule on the screen. The Zapper comes with Link's Crossbow Training, which helps to familiarize the player with the Zapper in a shooting gallery style game. Link's Crossbow Training contains three game styles: target shooting, defender and ranger.

Features:

• Target Shooting: In target-shooting rounds, players shoot bull's-eyes as they pop up on the screen. In early stages, targets are stationary. As the game difficulty increases in later levels, the targets move. Hitting the center of the bull's-eye nets more points, and hitting targets in succession without missing earns combo multipliers. Link can aim anywhere on the screen.
• Defender: In defender rounds, players remain stationary but can look and aim in all directions by aiming off screen. Hordes of enemies assault Link, and he must fight them off. These battles have a great deal of variety, from fighting off skeletons in a desert to defending a wagon from boar-riding Bokoblins.
• Ranger: In ranger rounds, players can move throughout the level using the control stick and aim anywhere they want by aiming the Wii Zapper wherever they want to look. In these missions, Link storms enemy encampments, fights his way through a forest and seeks out his foes while exploring the environments.
• The Wii Remote and Nunchuk are sold separately

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 120 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Link's Crossbow Training is Great; Zapper Ergonomics are OK! November 20, 2007

By IMO666

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

The combination of the Zapper and Link's Crossbow Training is well worth the $20 I paid. The Zapper (which is only a plastic shell for the Wiimote and the Nunchuck) is very sturdy and amazingly well-conceived. The instructions are quite clear on how to insert the Wiimote and the Nunchuck into the Zapper.

Of course the ergonomics of the Zapper are odd, with the trigger (the Wiimote B button) being forward vs to the rear like a rifle or shotgun trigger. However, it's a compromise that Nintendo decided it had to make based on its tests on prototypes. That, and the fact that the infrared component of the Wiimote must be to the front.

The bundled game, "Link's Crossbow Training" is multifaceted and exactly what's needed to give the player practice using the Zapper. AND, the game is a lot of fun all by itself.

The bottom line on this is that the combo of the Zapper plus the game Link's Crossbow Training is a must-have (at least for me) and worth the price. Highly recommended.

157 of 173 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Future Collector Item November 23, 2007

By E. A. Montgomery TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I was skeptical when i saw the box. "We don't need to turn the wii-motes into a gun. How good can the pack-in be?" But then I had second thoughts and bought it. We've been playing it all night. I was a Duck Hunt fan and the rail shooting levels are fantastic - like the first time you played Mrs. PacMan after being a PacMan fan but so much better. There's a mix of scrolling, rail and 1st person shooting levels set in the Twilight Princess world that can be played in order or on their own. If you get a Wii for the holidays, pick this up as well. I can tell there's no point in even taking the wii-mote out of the zapper. The family will be playing this just about everyday, despite our having about a dozen other Wii titles. My 3 year old was delighted when she beat my high score. In my defense it would have been higher but I hit a live chicken. My 8 year old informed me "Mom! You can't shoot LIVE things!!!" Who knew? It was so much fun blasting the fruit balloons.... and the skeletons.... I'd defend my record, but my husband and brother have been playing for the last four hours and I can't get near it. Well worth the $20 - if they'd sold the game alone I would have paid more.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Game included but the Zapper is not too confortable December 22, 2007

By MA

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I been playing with the Zapper for a few days (Umbrella and Link's Crossbow) and the first thing I noticed is that the right hand goes in front and the left hand in the back of the Zapper. For most of us that are right handed this can be awkward as with any type of gun/shotgun peripheral I feel compelled to have my right hand in the back and the left hand in front (If you don't believe me, pretend that you are holding a shotgun and see where your arms end up). I'm no expert but this just seems to feel more natural. I found the only decent way to play with the Zapper is to use the nunchuck detached from the Zapper (held with your left hand) leaving a bulky unused piece of plastic hitting your right forearm. This makes me wonder if I should have bought just a plain wii gun.

I found that the Link game was a lot fun and that's why I gave the Zapper a higher rating. The Zapper alone would have probably gotten 2 stars at most. If you don't care for Link Crossbow training, you might want to try other alternatives.

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Link's Crossbow training will make you a Zapper convert November 28, 2007

By P. Webb

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is what I expected it to be, a non essential peripheral that only adds to the feeling of shooting (this gun controls excellently off the hip), but Nintendo has included a first class Zelda style shooting game that is just as fun as any light gun game I have ever played as well. The 27 levels will go by fast and if you combo your shots you should be medalling fairly quickly which means that it is technically only about an hour and 1/2 of gameplay till the end, but there are boss battles and free roaming sections on the levels that make it feel like more than some software designed to get gamers used to the Zapper and its mechanics. The instructions are clear and should be read to put it together properly as the cord just fits into the handle, the nunchuck cord does wrap around the handle at the top which will annoy those with BIG hands. I tried it out with COD 3 and RES EV4 and if you can get your index finger on the A button and shoot with your middle finger both are playable but the vehicle/ combat levels in COD3 make it essentially unplayable with this setup same goes for Metroid 3. I can't wait to get my hands on copies of MEDAL OF HONOR HEROES 2-GHOST SQUAD-UMBRELLA CHRONICLES to get some shooting action in that is specifically designed for the zapper, until then I will keep shooting up the landscape in Links terrific if somewhat short pack in game and dream about a COD4 zapper adaptation.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Please read this first! November 29, 2007

By B. Inoue

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

Okay so obviously some people do NOT know how to use the Wii Zapper nor do they know WHY you should buy the Zapper.

First and foremost the Zapper is solidly built with only one part of it that seems fragile (the connector that holds the cord down in the back) however all fears are put to rest once you actually find out it's supposed to come off and on easily so you can switch up.

When playing with the Zapper there are actually 2 positions to play from. One is with the nunchuck on the back (as in Link's Crossbow training) or the nunchuck goes in the other hand (as in the case with Umbrella Chronicles). I recommend that you brace this device against your shoulder for more stable shooting when the nunchuck is in the other hand. Children might also like this position better because it won't feel so heavy.

IMPORTANT:
When playing games that can use the wii zapper you have to remember... turn the control options to Zapper. If you don't do that in Umbrella chronicles your gameplay goes downhill fast. Instead of using the inaccessible "A" button on top, the highly accessible "Z" button on the nunchuk becomes the grenade, knife, and pickup button. If you DO NOT change the options to the right setting, you will be faced with some bad situations in this and many other games.

That being said, Nintendo has had some VERY GOOD things come of their accessories. Rumble pack, the original light gun, and the Wiimote itself. However, there are a few things we'd rather not mention such as the Virtual Boy, the stacking robot (Just because it wasn't popular), and the overhyped powerglove which made it's way into coolness due to its appearance on The Wizard.... If you ask me, for every bad accessory nintendo makes, there are a hundred other companies making worse ones for the same purpose. I've owned a lot of them.

Get this Zapper if you want to have better control over your shooting games. The Zelda game that comes with it should be worth at least most of the $20 you spend on it. In addition, think of it as a future investment. This doesn't seem like a peripheral that Nintendo will just leave out in the rain after it has two games under its belt at launch. Who know? Nintendo just might make the next big first person shooter.

I bought it and have no problems with it. It's a simple piece of plastic that does its job and actually makes Umbrella Chronicles more fun to play. Especially as Hunk. Be weary of copycats because so far they haven't made one as good as the official. However, I'm sure that will change in the future. If they manage to come out with a handgun-like zapper then I'd be game for it. It would definitely make the RE series a little more authentic in its experience.

The only knock on the device is this.
If you're expecting a gun like the one that comes with Time Crisis for PS3 then you're dreaming. That is the only reason why it's not 5 star in my book. If Nintendo wanted to invest into the innovation they could make a pretty pricey arcade style Guncon knockoff that has a kickback function whenever you press the trigger. However, that will probably never happen but if it did, I'd pay $50 for it.

All in all, it's a nice little innovation with a solid game attached to it. Configure your options on your game right and you will be rewarded. Buy it if you're into shooting games or just want to play as Link for some post Twilight Princess fun. Don't get it if you're not into shooting games and it can't hurt to get it if you're curious because it really doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Read more ›