Customer Reviews

Wii Crossfire Integrated Remote Pistol

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Length:: 2:44 Mins

*****UPDATE****
I just uploaded a short demo of me playing Goldeneye with the Crossfire Wii and Nunchuk with DRAX setting and tweaking the bounding box and look sensitivity to my taste. As you notice I do not crouch or throw grenades often as the button placement does NOT make it easy to do those 2 things. Otherwise I think you can do pretty decent without using those, and I feel like it's quicker for me to ADS (aim down site) because the A button is on my thumb. Also, it feels more natural using a gun peripheral and it seems like I have a little more aiming control. It take a number of games and fine tuning the controls to get it to where I was comfortable and even confident using it in a multiplayer setting.

The written review is below if you want to read on....

This review is for the Crossfire Wii Version 2 which comes with a Wii Motion + adapter piece for the gun (not the Wii Motion+ itself) and it says it is "Wii Motion Plus compatible" on the back.

Packaging: C (cheap plastic clam shell packaging, simple instructions)

The Crossifre comes in a clear plastic packaging with card backing. It is easier to open as the plastic isn't too thick. But I hate these types of packaging. They are a pain to open and make the product look cheap. Save these types of packaging for SD cards please.

Build quality and Aesthetics: B+ (quality look and feel, blue LED lights, very good ergonomics, adapter for wii motion plus included)

Aside from the cheap plastic packaging, the Crossfire does not feel cheap. It is similar in build quality to the Guncon 2 (namco). I was actually surprised that it did not come with the Nintendo quality seal on it, as it very well could pass for one of those peripherals. The gun feels light but not flimsy in your hand and it can be used for left handed and right handed players because the A button is found on both sides of the gun. The trigger feels sturdy and isn't a chore to use like the Buckshot. The direction pad and the 1,2 buttons are on the handle of the gun. The blue LED lights, Home, +/- are on the left side of the gun. The Nunchuk and the Wii Motion+ adapter port is the bottom of the handle where it should be. It is Wii Motion+ compatible with use with the included adapter, a nice bonus actually. There is also a hole where the wrist strap tether can be looped through.

Set-up and basic function: B- (syncs immediately, no drop outs, good battery life, well placed button and pad layout. Below average speaker quality and high pitched sound game dependant)

The Crossfire synced right away. I purchased 3 and all were readily recognized by the Wii and never dropped out during play. It worked exactly as a Wii mote should, all the buttons worked as they should. It vibrates and has the speaker built in. The speaker quality is not as good as the Wiimote's, but it does function adequately. Blue LED lights show the battery life and will blink when buttons are pressed. It will show the number controller as it should as well.
The sound effects that come through the speakers are tinny and rough, not like the Wiimote. Also I've noticed on some games, mainly HOD:Overkill and The Conduit a high pitch sound comes out of the speaker, while on other games it does not; like RE:UC.
It is quite soft and you will not notice once you start playing the game.
One reviewer mentioned battery life was short, I did not find this to be the case in the 3 that I own. I find the battery life about equal to that of the Wiimote.

Function and Game use: B (versatile, compatible with non Wii Zapper games, broader range of games played, "A" button placement allows dual wield on some games, cross hairs are off, calibration corrects problem but not needed, menus and in game function are all accessible)

***IMPORTANT** note about the crosshairs being off. As other reviews have mentioned, the crosshairs are OFF. This does NOT, however, affect game play as much as one might think. They are only off relative to you looking down the barrel of the gun; in fact, I didn't notice they were off until I actually looked down the barrel of the gun. I played the games as I would if I were using the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo and didn't notice any performance difference in targeting at all. It's because when you play, for example, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (RE: UC) even though the crosshairs are completely off the barrel of the gun you actually are using the reticle on screen to shoot and not actually looking down the gun itself. This is why I played a few hours without noticing that they were even off. This might bother some people, and yeah, I wish they were true to the gun sites but when you use the Wii Zapper or Buckshot, you are not looking down the gun either. You are mostly targeting with the reticle on screen. I do it, my spouse does it and even my nieces and nephews, no one actually looked down the gun sights to target. I used RE: UC as an example because you CAN NOT calibrate the reticle so they remain off center when you play. Another game that you can not calibrate the Wiimote and Nunchuk combo is Dead Space Extraction (DSE). I finished both of these games not even aware that the crosshairs were off center. With that said, if a game has the option to calibrate the crosshairs/reticle by all means do so; it will accurately put it on center. Even so, you will find yourself still targeting with the on screen reticle and not actually looking down the gun sites.

With the crosshair issue addressed. The Crossfire is hands down the best peripheral for on-rail shooters and FPSs on the Wii. The key thing to remember is that the Crossfire is not a Wii mote/Zapper type peripheral, as the Buckshot or Wii zapper and it's million clone knock offs. A game does not have to be specifically designed with the Wii Zapper in mind for it to work. Also, it is way better than those plastic gun type holders like the Nyko Perfect Shot, because the buttons are not limited to the original Wii mote. You certainly can not access the A button, directional pad, or the 1,2 buttons naturally with one hand with the Wiimote is sitting in one of Perfect Shot type holders. Does something like the Nyko Perfect Shot work, yes, but it's not suited to be entirely used as a "true" gun peripheral. With the directional pad, 1 and 2 buttons located at the hilt of the gun and the A button located on both sides where your thumb is, the Crossfire can be with the majority of shooters. The other advantage of the "A" button placement is that you can dual wield (by playing player 2) on games like HOD:Overkill, this enables you to reload each gun with one hand right or left. Now try dual wielding with the Buckshot. It's impossible because you have to reload by pumping the Buckshot (which presses A), and the Buckshot is far too heavy to do so anyways even if you choose to shake the controller to reload. You can dual wield with the Nyko, but constantly shaking your Wiimote to reload gets annoying and makes targeting difficult. On to playing and testing.
I played a couple of on-rail shooters with it first. I figured this would be a much easier test to run than on a FPS. HOD: Overkill, Ghost Squad, Resident Evil: UC and Dead Space Extraction were some the games I played. Calibration was easy; however, one does have to remember the Wii mote DOES NOT work like a Guncon 2. It functions more like a pointer than a "look down the gun site to TV type gun" like the Guncon 2. But once you get it calibrated it does function fairly accurately and if you can't or don't as mentioned, it does not detract from the overall experience. In fact, after a few minutes you will feel like you are using a Guncon. Just remember it's NOT like a Guncon type experience where you can actually look down the sites of the Guncon to the screen and accurately target the objects calibrated or not. A correctly calibrated Wiimote or Wiimote with Zapper is not entirely accurate either. The reticle maybe more centered initially than the Crossfire, but after in game calibration they all are centered the same and work just as effectively.
Just as important as the calibration and reticle alignment, is button layout. All the buttons were easily accessible and work with all in game functions and menus as well. You can't say this when using the Buckshot, since all the top buttons on the Wiimote are covered up when inserted into the Buckshot. Besides the realistic pump action and weight of the buckshot, it really pales in comparison with the Crossfire as far as versatility and compatibility across all the games, Wii Zapper compatible and non-compatible games.

This brings me to the test on The Conduit, a Wii FPS. The Conduit is not Wii Zapper compatible and is not an on rail shooter. This is where the Crossfire separates itself from the rest of the gun holder/zapper peripherals. A game does NOT have to be a rail shooter or Wii Zapper compatible to use this. Keep in mind; it basically is a Wii mote in a gun form with the buttons rearranged so that it is most accessible with one hand, right or left. Therefore, I was able to use the wiimote and nunchuk configuration on this game and any game that features it that combo as if I were using a wiimote. I was able use every in-game function without much tweaking or customizing the control scheme much. The only reason I customized it was preference but it wasn't necessary. I could've used the default settings as well. I finished the campaign flawlessly, in fact, afterwards I did a short play through with the Wiimote/nunchuk and it felt very unnatural. The reticle was just as a far above the Wiimote as the Crossfire, however, it was a little more on center. Without saying you couldn't look down the Wii mote and expect the reticle to line up, because it did not. The only advantage is that the Wiimote's speaker was better.
I will actually test this on the upcoming Goldeneye, and Red Steel 2 which uses a Wii-Motion+. Stay tuned. With the other gun peripherals you couldn't even attempt this. This alone makes the Crossfire a cut above all the other gun peripherals aside from the shortcomings mentioned.

Overall: B

In conclusion, since there are no other truly integrated Wii Pistols or light guns, this is the best thing available. It beats the Wii zapper in build quality, looks, and function. It is versatile, and can be used in many more games than the Wii Zapper, Buckshot or Nyko's Perfect Shot. It truly enhances your on rail shooter and FPS experience on the Wii, in ways that other consoles just can't compare with right now. I love my 360 and PS3, but it's nice to whip out the Crossfire and do some old school rail shooting every once in a while.

I bought this item, even though there were bad reviews. It was a mistake. The concept of the gun is great. The buttons are layed out well, and it feels great in your hand, but like some others have said. the accuracy is way way off. If you play House of the dead overkill. the gun reloads after every shot for some reason. You cannot even recalibrate the gun in the game like you can with the wii remote it does not work. There is something about the camera being zoomed in too far. If you are seriously considering buying this item wait until after christmas to do so. I contacted Penguin United on 12/15/09. They told me they would be more than willing to exchange my gun for the newer version which would be out in 2 weeks. So save your money for now, and wait for the updated version to come out.

Thanks
Matt

I am reviewing version 2 of this gun. The newest version is Wii motionplus compatible (it comes with an adapter) and is more closely calibrated to the regular Wii mote. This gun feels great, the trigger is nice and doesn't take too much force to fire off shots. The button layout is perfect for most FPS or Rail Shooters. You may have to set up several games to your liking, but I am honestly not sure what more they could have done with these buttons. The directional pad and the 1 & 2 buttons are on the rear of the weapon, the A button is on both sides for either left or right-handed and the B button is of course the trigger. The + and - are located on the left side of the gun.

The handle feels nice to the touch, very ergonomic and the weight of the gun is very even. No top heavy weapon here. This gun works AMAZING for Wii Sports Resort, Ghost Squad, Resident Evil 4, Link's Crossbow Training, and any other rail shooter. Most FPS can be set up to allow the gun to work effectively. Playing with this gun/wiimote is just fun! I would recommend heading over to [...] to purchase this item to ensure you get the latest version. You will know you have the latest version because on the back of the packaging it will say it is Wii Motionplus compatible. If it says it is not I would return the item unopened ASAP.

Don't forget to buy 2 AA batteries and to sync the gunmote to your Wii before using. Do not hesitate to buy this amazing integrated remote pistol, VERSION 2! Why waste your money on the cheap plastic casing when you can have a real wii mote shaped like a gun? Off to kill more zombies and bad guys.

I was excited to get this product because I really wanted more than just a shell for my Wiimote when I played light gun games. I put the batteries in and it took awhile for me to sync the gun to my Wii. For some reason when I hit the sync buttons it wouldn't connect but after about 4 attempts it worked. I put in and tested a couple of games and it worked great but I had problems where the Wii Gun would lose connection to the Wii and I would have to power on the Wii gun again, I did have full batteries so that wasn't the problem. Every game I tried I would eventually lose my connection. I really like the gun butmay have gotten a bad one so I am returning this one and waiting for
a revision to be made.

This gun is great, I love how its all inclusive. I am accustomed to the plastic attachments where you have to put your Wii Remote inside. The Wii Crossfire gun has an integrated Wii Remote already inside and the repositioned buttons makes it a lot easier to play shooting games then the current Wii plastic guns out there! Great item!

Let me say first that I did not buy the Crossfire from Amazon - but I thought it deserved a ratings boost because it's such a great controller.

The issue here is that Penguin United released a half-baked version of this gun back in 2009, then released a greatly improved version in 2010. But they did not change the name, packaging, or anything else about the product. The only visible change was the inclusion of an adapter for Wii Motion Plus (not an actual Wii Motion Plus accessory, just an adapter that allows it to fit the gun in the correct orientation).

I'm not sure if this seller is currently supplying the 2009 or 2010 version of the controller. I would assume it is the 2010 version, but to be safe I bought from a seller on eBay that specifically guaranteed it.

I think most of the negative reviews are referencing the older controller, which had inaccurate aiming (among other issues). My experience with this controller has been excellent - the gun accuracy is good, and all buttons except for + and - are within easy reach. As long as you can map those 2 buttons to less critical functions, this may be the most fun controller you can get for playing FPS. It feels solid, and the trigger is much more responsive than the regular Wiimote B button. Obviously the ease of access to all the other buttons blows away "snap-in" products like the Nyko Perfect Shot (which I previously owned). I've been using it with the new Goldeneye 007, and it's a blast.

Sad that this seller does not state which version of the controller is being sold - maybe someone else can confirm in another review.

Remember the ole Duck Hunt days with the Light Zapper for the NES? This Crossfire is today's answer to the Light Zapper! This gun controller looks like a real pistol. I really like where Penguin United placed the buttons. Tactfully designed, the B button is the trigger and the A button is placed where your thumb naturally sits on the pistol grip. There are 2 A buttons, one on each side of the pistol grip, which made me happy since I am a lefty! I'm surprised that Nintendo hasn't made an official gun controller like this, like its famed Light Zapper. Even though its made by a third party brand, its a great alternative to the plastic gun casing accessories.

Don't waste your money. After waiting three weeks for delivery I received this useless piece of plastic. The concept is excellent. It's pratical use is DISMAL. Took too many times to count to sync with Wii console. Then I realized that it was connected. All it would do any reliability was turn the system on and off. I purchased the gun for use with Resident Evil. I initially tried it with the target phase of Wii Play. My experience in one word, FRUSTRATION. The gun has to be pointed at least 30 degrees away from where you are actually aiming. I haven't bothered to try it with any other game. I purchased this product partilly based on reviews I saw here. Maybe I just got a defective one. I have contacted Penguin United about the problem. Will update my review IF I get a response. For now let, "Caveat emptor" be my suggestion to prospective buyers.

I'm a huge Wii gun nut, so when I saw this, I knew I had to have it. It's a great idea, and as far as I know, it was the first of, at present, only two integrated pistol remotes for the Wii (the other being the Scorpion, which I actually just ordered a couple of days ago and will review when it arrives.) When it came, though, I was a bit disappointed to discover that it is very limited in its usefulness.

First off, I will say that it is very well built and feels very solid. It feels a little lighter than would be comfortable, even with the batteries, but I got used to it quickly and it wasn't a distraction during gameplay. The trigger/B-button should be a bit firmer, but it does have a nice rate of fire to it. The A-buttons on either side of the grip are comfortable and easy to press, and located perfectly for my thumbs, though a person with smaller hands might struggle a little. The D-pad and 1 and 2 buttons on the back are situated very nicely and are quite easily accessible.

My only real complaint about this gun is the Plus and Minus buttons. They are located on the right side of the barrel and are completely inaccessible when using the gun one-handed, even for people who use it left-handed. It use these buttons requires the use of another hand, which is extremely awkward no matter which hand with which you hold the gun; if you're left-handed you have to reach either over the top or around the bottom to use them, and if you're right-handed it really throws off your aim when pressing these buttons. It is even worse when playing a game that requires the Nunchuk.

One very nice feature of this, though, is that the version I got came with an adapter which allows the use of the Wii MotionPlus. This adapter is a bit bulky at about twice the size of the MotionPlus itself, but it definitely works. I tested this with Red Steel 2, and it read my motions perfectly, with no difference from using an actual Wiimote. Of course, to reload in that game requires pressing the Minus button, so this gun is not a practice choice for that game.

I also tested this with Ghost Squad, with much better results. With the A-button set as the Action Button, this setup worked perfectly. It was also very nice having the D-pad easily accessible to switch firing modes. I found that I was able to much more easily and quickly complete Action Events such as releasing hostages, disarming bombs, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat than I was using just the Wiimote or Wiimote/Nunchuk combo. I have yet to test it with any other games due to its limited accessibility of other buttons.

Overall, I would say this is a really good product with a few flaws. Definitely consider the sort of games you will be playing before purchasing this. If you're going to play a lot of games that use the Plus or Minus buttons, such as Metroid Prime Trilogy or Red Steel 2, I would not recommend this gun. If you're going for more simple games like Ghost Squad or a hunting game, this is a very excellent choice in my opinion. Find the gun which suits your needs. As an avid Wii gun accessory collector, I am glad to have this in my collection despite its limited use.

I stumbled upon the Crossfire gun when trying to figure out a way to enhance my Goldeneye experience beyond the Wii Zapper. With the Wii nearing the end of its life-cycle, I also purchased several light-gun shooters through Amazon for cheap money.

PLEASE NOTE: I purchased (2) Crossfire guns directly from Amazon, and was sent the newer Motion (+) compatible versions that include an adapter you plug the Nunchuk into.

These are the games I purchased and tested this gun peripheral with:

1.) House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return
2.) Dead Space Extraction
3.) Goldeneye
4.) Metroid Trilogy (Prime series)
5.) Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
6.) Ghost Squad
7.) Arcade Hits Pack: NY Gunblade and LA Machineguns
8.) Link's Crossbow

The POSITIVES:
-----------------
1.) Most Buttons are much more accessible than other gun controllers. D-pad is responsive albeit slightly stiff.

2.) When working properly and calibrated within the game, the gun is fun to use and adds to the experience.

3.) Battery Life is LONG. I used the gun for about 10 hours without switching batteries (2000mah Eneloop) and had the speaker on high. This is a bit longer than normal.

4.) Speaker seems to be about the same quality as the Wiimote (which means it is still cheap sounding), but slightly higher in volume.

5.) Vibration seems a little more heavy hitting than the Wiimote, but not as refined (think off-road truck vs. sports car)

6.) LED lights are the same color blue as official controllers, which looks pretty good.

7.) Gun doesn't feel very cheap, although still not quite the quality of something like the PS3 sharpshooter plastic.

8.) Motion (+) adapters are included for free, although there really aren't any games that will utilize it aside from Wii Sports Resort Archery.

9.) Trigger has a good spring back to it, although the "click" (which activates the button as you pull) can slow down rapid fire shots just a bit.

The NEGATIVES:
-----------------
1.) The A button "clicks" into place slightly, and doesn't feel as responsive as the Wiimote. This made the Screw Attack in Metroid Prime MUCH more difficult than the original controller scheme. It is also at an odd angle for larger hands, although can still be used if you adjust your grip. (You have to hold it differently than a real gun to access both the A and B buttons easily)

2.) The negative button is VERY close to the Power button. (Power off button is slightly higher to the left) I once went to change my visor in Metroid Prime and shut off the system. All of buttons are very small, and of the same size and depth. It would be much harder to do this on the original remote.

3.) The gun handle is weirdly angled. I don't understand the concept behind this design. You end up holding your hands differently than with a real gun and aiming slightly up towards center.

4.) The sensor is OFF. I know other reviewers have commented on this, and it is indeed an issue. My sensor was about 3 inches to the right of what I was pointing the gun at onscreen (I have a 32" tv for reference). The Wiimote does NOT have this issue, and it is not a problem with the sensor bar sensitivity or placement. The sensitivity is set to 3 for both. Some games like House of the Dead and Links Crossbow will let you calibrate the gun, which fixes the problem once those settings are saved in the system. HOWEVER, Umbrella Chronicles and Dead Space will not let you change the position and was a HUGE annoyance for me. Another reviewer noted it didn't affect his playthrough, but for me it definitely had an impact.

Goldeneye was fine because you aim with the entire gun, which is not centered to your Wiimote either (James Bond's hands always start from center, even though you may be aiming from an angle). Metroid was so-so, because I was able to adjust the way I aimed at enemies. NY Gunblade provided a constant stream of bullets that felt more like "aiming a hose" at the enemies than pinpoint shooting. However, any game that requires precise shooting and extended reload time really throws you off. Carefully aiming in Dead Space and Resident Evil while trying to concentrate "only" on the onscreen reticule and not shooting from the hip detracted a LOT from the fun.

Games that Utilize the plus/minus buttons are difficult. I found a decent controller scheme on Goldeneye, but it required me mapping grenades and melee to the +/-. Thereafter, I rarely utilized those buttons because it meant taking my hand off the nunchuk and spinning my view towards the ground in the process. For both Metroid and Goldeneye I found that the Crossfire was easier to aim, but much more cumbersome than just using the Wiimote which didn't limit easy access to buttons.

5.) The DEAL BREAKER! As a 3rd party peripheral, the Wii has trouble recognizing this remote at times. If you power up the system and press A to turn on the Crossfire before the home menu is on, the sensor will not register. However, all of the gun's buttons will. You can hit the menu button in an attempt to reconnect the controller, but without a sensor you cant access it! You either have to remove the batteries (as I would do), restart the system, or use an official controller to hit the reconnect. This would also happen from time to time if you paused your game and the remote would turn itself off (like the official ones do). When you power the Crossfire back on, it may not register with your Wii sensor bar, and you will have to go back through the process. Once in a while the sensor will also spasm around the screen like crazy when you turn it on. When you turn the controller off and back on again (once again by removing batteries or carefully trying to control the wild remote through the menu) the problem is fixed and the sensor will properly register.

6.) The sensor is still "slightly" more sensitive than the official remote, so if you play too close to your screen it will make short jumps. Playing about 7-8 ft away on a 32" tv seemed to be the sweet spot with the sensitivity on 3 (normal). Changing the settings to something different than 3 only seemed to decrease functionality, rather than alleviate problems.

7.) Battery life readout is not as reliable as in official remotes. At times it would show 4/4 power after being played for 4 hours. When I would turn it off then back on at a later time it would give the correct readout at 2/4. Sometimes the better indication of low power is when the sensor starts to drift and the controller shuts itself on/off during gameplay.

8.) Several of the above games caused the gun's speaker to emit a constant high pitched tone between in-game sounds. It can be quite annoying if your tv speakers or headphones are not loud enough to drown out the noise.


OVERALL
-----------------

I'd give the Version 2 Crossfire a 3.5/5

When it works properly and isn't having sync issues or calibration problems it can be quite fun to use. If Penguin United had made a straight handle, mapped the A button slightly lower in a better indentation, corrected the targeting issues to put it on center, worked on system power-on compatibility quirks, and moved the power button further out this could have been a phenomenal product.

I find that it adds to the experience with some games (Gunblade NY, House of the Dead, Links Crossbow, Ghost Squad), but detracts from others (Umbrella Chronicles, Metroid, Dead Space).

I'm actually contemplating returning this right now. $70 for both guns is a lot of money to experience odd issues. The Wiimote doesn't "get you in the game" like a gun peripheral would, but having all of the buttons readily accessible and not worrying about adjusting the sensor position or having sync issues is a convenience I overlooked. I'm interested in how the Scorpion Vii compares to this gun.

In all, this is both better and worse than the Zapper depending on the game. Considering that most shooting games i own are on rails, for $35 (x 2) I think I'm leaning more towards a return to try out something else. If you can look past the negatives, give it a try. If (like me) you find them an issue, you might look at that original Wiimote a little more fondly.

*** FOR MY REVIEW OF THE Wii BUCKSHOT SHOTGUN Buckshot with Integrated Analog Controller - Chrome Red PLEASE SEE MY FULL LIST OF REVIEWS