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Wii

Wii Zapper To Have Zelda Pack-In Title 104

Posted by Zonk from the shoot-the-navi-or-tingle-game-would-be-ideal dept.
The Wii Zapper, announced during Nintendo's keynote at this year's E3 Media event, will be released with a Zelda-themed pack-in title. Called Link's Crossbow Training, it will train up players on skills with the add-on before big-league titles aimed at the device are released. "Nintendo also announced that the Zapper will work with EA's Medal of Honor Heroes, which will feature an 'arcade mode' to make the game accessible to all age groups and skill levels, as well as 32-player multiplayer. Nintendo also dropped a reminder that the upcoming Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles will take advantage of the Zapper, as will Sega's Ghost Squad. The Zapper looks like it will have quite a selection of strong franchises to grab gamer interest when it launches."
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Wii Zapper To Have Zelda Pack-In Title More

Wii Zapper To Have Zelda Pack-In Title

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  • ... But what an awesome gimmick. I wants me one.

    I have to say, the Zapper does look to be a gimmick, but WHO CARES? It looks to me like it'll be fun. I'll get one.

    I also do like the idea of an FPS having an "arcade" mode. That could add a lot of replay value.

    • Re:It's just a gimmick! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by tomstdenis ( 446163 ) <tomstdenis@gma[ ]com ['il.' in gap]> on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @10:38AM (#20553375) Homepage
      Speaking of replay value, what I'd want more than anything out of an FPS, is dynamic levels. I mean we pack these things with uber-fast processors and tons of ram, can't they resolve a BSP tree or two. I mean it wouldn't have to be a very intricate random level designer, just something that can place walls, doors, windows, obstacles. Even if the levels were linear, having a random map to play on would be cool.

      Not saying it would be a trivial task though, just that it would be really kickass.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Pojut ( 1027544 )
        Check out Hellgate: London. It has what you just asked for.
        • Is it out yet? Doesn't seem so. At anyrate I only own a Wii and a PS2 so I doubt it will be for me :-( hehehe

          But if I got caught up on my bills a game like that [with the random level designer thingy] might persuade me to buy a new console...
        • I actually remember hearing somewhere that Hellgate was going to be a turnbased title. Has that changed? Diablo was originally going to be turnbased as well....
      • It's definitely not an easy thing to do. There is a lot of balance and atmosphere that can be lost unless painstaking work is done to perfect a random FPS map generator. Most FPS designers lean towards multiplayer to provide a dynamic experience.
        • Like I said, it wouldn't have to be super detailed, just something you haven't seen yet. And not all FPS fans are fans of multiplayer [well online play]. Would be nice to kick up the console and play on a map I haven't seen yet.

          Heck, could make it a compute task, e.g. before you head to work [or bed] get the box to compute a new map [with BSP trees, light maps] then when you get back you have a new map.

          I think it's definitely doable with the right clever developers.
          • Soldier of Fortune 2 did this, and it pretty much sucked.

            The problem is really that map making is more a creative skill than anything else. Look at how many bad third party maps there are out there for games-- These were made by people actually playing the game who should know better. I doubt a random number generator could do that much better.

            I get tired of the repetition as much as anyone, but I'd probably get just as tired of playing yet another randomly generated unbalanced map.

            A better alternative is a

      • I mean we pack these things with uber-fast processors and tons of ram
        Uhm, this article is about the Wii. Are you in the right thread?
        • Talking about consoles in general. Though, even a Wii could generate BSP trees. it might not be something you'd want to do while sitting there. The problem with the Wii is storage. Where do you put the map data? I suppose if USB drives became the norm with the Wii you could just have the user plug in a USB drive [or stick] and store the data there.

          I wouldn't mind the Wii crunching overnight to generate a new map for some FPS if it meant I'd have a new map to play on that I haven't seen before.

      • what I'd want more than anything out of an FPS, is dynamic levels. I mean we pack these things with uber-fast processors and tons of ram, can't they resolve a BSP tree or two.
        Better yet, indoor games can use an engine that doesn't need a BSP because its room-to-room visibility is based on sectors linked by "portals". One of the first popular 3D engines like this was the Build engine, which powered Duke Nukem 3D. Even a Wii could handle this.
        • Eitherway, remember we were designing levels on Pentiums and P2's back in the 90s. It should be possible for a Wii to do as much as a damn Pentium.

          Wants me random levels damn it... hehehe

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Gogo0 ( 877020 )
        Not to say it wouldnt shred your cheese, but randomly generated levels in games like RPGs are pretty bad.

        Its very obvious when a level is randomly generated, it has none of the thought and planning that a level designer puts into a map.
        Plus, you know that youre just running through a maze that the CPU made, and for some people that trivializes it.

        Then again, there are a lot of people who buy dungeon crawlers and other games that consist solely of randomly generated mazes, so it certainly appeals to s
        • FPS not RPG. FPS == run around and shoot things. Get the blue skull key, open the door, get the red skull key, etc...

      • You could boot up Doom II and type in IDCLIP [neoseeker.com], but somehow I don't think that would quite have the effect you were looking for.
      • Dungeon createNewDoom4Dungeon() {
        Room r;
        ListOfRooms list = new ListOfRooms();
        for(int i=0;iMAX_ROOMS;i++) {
        r = new Room();
        r.getDoor().placeObjectBehindAsPlayerEnters(new Demon());
        list.add(r);
        }
        return list;
        }

        You know, on second thought, maybe that is what generated their levels in the first place...

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      by mwvdlee ( 775178 )
      The whole Wii is basically a gimmick.
      But who really cares?
      It's a toy, to play games with, why should it be anything but a gimmick?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by seebs ( 15766 )
        I'd have to disagree with that. A gimmick, by nature, has no substantive value; it doesn't really change anything.

        The Wii remote changes things hugely. The Wii Zapper doesn't.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mwvdlee ( 775178 )
          It's still a bit too soon to call the Wii remote a huge change.
          Wait a few more years and see if it'll stick.
          It might just be a fad or it might be the future.
          We'll see when the novelty value of it is worn off.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by seebs ( 15766 )
            Even if everyone loses interest, it is still a big change. Not everyone likes every big change, and some fail in the market.

            Your comment about the novelty value is precisely backwards. The thing that makes the Wii remote awesome isn't that it takes a long time to get used to it; it's that you're used to it instantly. It's the opposite of novelty value.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by mwvdlee ( 775178 )
              Since when does being a "novelty" preclude a near-zero learning time?
              The only thing "novelty" says is that it's something new. You seem to claim that something that is easy to learn can, by definition, not be a novelty?

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by seebs ( 15766 )
                Novelty value is the value-of-newness. Something that you learn quickly has very little novelty value.

                While the term "novelty" could in theory be used to refer to anything new, in practice, the word has overwhelmingly strong connotations of having nothing to contribute BUT that it is new. Something which actually turns out to be useful is not a novelty, even when it's new.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Nossie ( 753694 )
            if sony copies it... it was a success :)

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Knuckles ( 8964 )
            Wait a few more years and see if it'll stick.

            How long are we going to have to wait? How many years did you wait after you first had a N64 controller in hand, until you decided that the analog stick will stay? Sony, in any case, did not wait long.

            I can tell you right now (after having played Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition*) that I will never again go back to shooting stuff on consoles without some motion-sensing controller.

            * Metroid Prime not yet out in my area
    • Didn't everyone rush on the "wiimote is a gimmick, and the wii will never sell" bandwagon before? Now the wii has outsold the xBox360...
    • And the Wiimote itself isn't a gimmick? But I guess people seem to like it.
  • Yes, yes--all that is fine and well. But it's all meaningless until they release the Zapper's TRUE killer-app: a next-gen version of Duck Hunt. Preferably with the option of shooting your hunting companion. (They could call it the secret "Cheney" mode.)
    • There is already a "rendition" of duck hunt on WiiPlay, also worth the money because of the extra remote it comes with.
      • Yeah but to me the play time is way to short , i want the old 99 level duck hunt back with some updates ! Who could not love the dog coming out jumping into the brush to scare up the ducks. Hell this game started me on my love of the outdoors and even my fetish for hunting duck and quail !

        • Yeah but to me the play time is way to short , i want the old 99 level duck hunt back with some updates ! Who could not love the dog coming out jumping into the brush to scare up the ducks. Hell this game started me on my love of the outdoors and even my fetish for hunting duck and quail !
          I think it ended with Animal Crossing. If a duck is your next door neighbor, you really don't want to think about shooting more of her kind.
          • Depends on if you want the next Animal Crossing rated M.
          • Next year, on the Wii:Animal Crossing: ARMAGEDDON

            Rated M for mature audiences. Requires Nintendo Wii Zapper.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by rjung2k ( 576317 )
            "If a duck is your next door neighbor, you really don't want to think about shooting more of her kind."

            You can shoot the ducks in Wii Play.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by VTMarik ( 880085 )
      That, and a next-gen revamp/sequel to the Battle Clash/Metal Combat series.

  • I love the name of the zapper. (Score:3, Funny)

    by zsouthboy ( 1136757 ) on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @10:39AM (#20553383)
    Because I can do this.

    "If we can hit that bull's-eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards...Checkmate."

  • On my list to buy. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by dada21 ( 163177 ) <adam.dada@gmail.com> on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @10:52AM (#20553641) Homepage Journal
    As the wifey and I got older, our response on regular gaming systems has fallen quite a bit. It may also have to do with the fact that we don't play for hours on end, so our skills have depreciated because of the lack of regular play, too.

    Since we purhcased our Wiis (two of them, one for the home, one for travel), our relationship is stronger, we have more fun with friends, and we're just as likely to play a game versus watch TV.

    We both are awaiting this because, while it is a gimmick, it adds another level of fun to the games, especially for 30-somethings. It's a great form of exercise, already, but each new "controller" option just adds that much more interest for us in the Wii. Our PS3 and X360 are only used for high def stuff, I can't remember if we even have any games left. But our Wii game purchases are consistent (used, usually, to save a few bucks), and we still get a good hour or two of gaming in a day when we don't have a lot on our plates.

    Even if we don't give the new add-on two thumbs up, I'm sure it'll have a place and time in our gaming. Big props to Nintendo for keeping us involved with gaming, and still keep us competitive even against our teenage nieces and nephews who stay over on occasion.
  • I swear I read that as "Wii Zipper To Have Zelda Pack". I think I may have some issues.

  • Will work with... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by MagicM ( 85041 ) on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @11:08AM (#20553989)
    Of course the Wii Zapper will "work with" those games. The Wii Zapper is nothing but a molded shell to hold your actual controller(s).

    The real question to ask is whether a game will work with the Wii Zapper. Some games may require independent movement of the nunchuck and remote (think: pumping the nunchuck to reload a shotgun while still keeping perfect aim), which would not be possible with the two tied together in the same cradle.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by tzhuge ( 1031302 )
      If you're pumping a shotgun... chances are you aren't firing that shotgun. Your point is certainly valid, but I think your specific example is a poor one. If anything, the Zapper would make for a more realistic experience in the shotgun example.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by colesw ( 951825 )
        Maybe he explained it wrong. Think of looking at someone and the pumping a shot gun, with the zapper you you go to pump the shotgun you'll also changing where your looking. At least thats how I read it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fozzyuw ( 950608 )

      The Wii Zapper is nothing but a molded shell to hold your actual controller(s).

      I was just talking to a Gamestop employee about this. I've seen the "mold holder" that just holds the controllers, but the employee mentioned something about the 'official' zapper having extra buttons or something. I don't know if that's true or what, but, there might be an actual difference.

      Cheers,
      Fozzy

    • Wait, I'm not too familiar with the wii, only having played with it once, but my impression was that the wiimote used motion-sensitive technology. If that's true, and the zapper is merely a holder for the wiimote, then aiming with it is no different than aiming with a mouse, isn't it? You move it until the onscreen reticle is over the target and push the trigger, instead of actually lining up a shot as you would with, say, a light gun. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
  • I don't know about in Japan but all the weapons I have fired through my army training always have the trigger in the rear. It may be a little odd to have the controls reversed especially for the majority populus being right handed.

    I guess it would be difficult to arrange otherwise though, the nunchuk would have to be placed in the front and grip and the trigger extended rearwards.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by dkuntz ( 220364 )
      Well, that goes with the bullpup design, though, having it double gripped is wierd. The UK SA80, the Steyr AUG all have the same design, grip/trigger assembly in the front, ammo behind. Makes the weapon able to have a longer barrel without making the actual length extremely long.
      • But it's still the hand in the rear that pulls the trigger. I believe grenade launcher attachments to M16s have a front handed trigger.
      • Like the previous responce noted that both these weapons, as well as the israeli TAR-21 the ammo is located in behind but the ammo is not the primary function nor a handgrip.

        The main differences between these and the 'standard' rifles like the m16/c7 are that the but is replaced with the firing assembly making it shorter. They are still made to be right had fired with the left hand on the forstock or grip.

        Anyhow I am getting off topic here. The primary function is the trigger and it 'should' generally be pl
    • Yeah I was thinking the same way too.. funny.. due to my army training also!

      Anyway, I'm hoping that most shooters will let you reassign primary fire to either the C or Z button, and use the B button for secondary fire.
      If not, the Zapper is going to feel really really weird..

    • The design with the nunchuck in the back is awful. I think I would have a really hard time using this. I can't think of a single real gun with a grip behind the trigger hand. I don't think it has anything to do with ambidexterity. There are plenty of real-world examples of firearms that are ambidexterous (something like the grips on the StyerAUG).

      I hope someone comes out with a third-party peripheral that has a better form-factor.

  • When did Link use a crossbow?

    I'm not saying he didn't use one in at least one Zelda game, just that I only remember him using a regular bow.

    And for the Duck Hunt whiners, how about if one of the levels was a duck hunt. Of course PETA would probably have a shit fit. (in which case Nintendo can counter-sue for them using Mario a few months ago) And they could make Tingle be the dog, so it would be more fun to shoot him.

  • I really needed to have the cosplay image of a very stupid looking link with a cheesy slingshot burned into my retina this morning. Absolutely necessary to the whole Wii Zapper thing.

  • Wii-Mote blows for FPS... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sherriw ( 794536 ) on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @11:56AM (#20554933)
    I sincerely hope that Wii FPS and other shooter games like the upcoming resident evil will support the gamecube controller in addition to the remote.

    Why?

    The remote blows for shooters. Say you are holding the remote in your right hand- index finger on the trigger, thumb on the A button. Left hand has the nunchuck.

    Ok, your left hand can move you, and access 2 buttons.

    Your right hand can access the trigger, a button, and down arrow on the pad without moving. but if you want to hit the (+), (-) or other arrow buttons you have to shift your hand up the remote- screwing up your aim and taking you out of the game immersion. This is not good at all. So, with your limited access to weapons, how are you supposed to: jump, crouch, change weapons, bring up binoculars, flashlight, menu, throw a grenade/punch/knife/alternate weapon, etc, etc. Games these days needs lots of controls. Even the GC controller was pushing it.

    I like the Wii, and I love Nintendo, but the wii mote is not my first choice for shooters. Others may love it. That's why I want CHOICE.

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      The remote blows for shooters

      Maybe the shooters you've played just don't use it properly, because Metroid Prime 3 uses it magnificently.

      you have to shift your hand up the remote- screwing up your aim and taking you out of the game immersion

      Because everybody knows that in real life, you can hold your aim perfectly steady while you rifle through half a dozen different weapons or use accessories. Right.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by archen ( 447353 )
        Metroid Prime is an exclusive though, so not necessarily 100% apples to apples. Having recently purchased Resident Evil 4 for the Wii, I think there is no comparison that the wimote is superior for such games. My wife rented RE4 for the PS2 and I played it for an hour or so. It's good game to be sure, but it was just so freaking clunky using a controller. On the Wii, after a slightly awkward start at figuring out how to move the character with the nunchuck while aiming with the wiimote I was blasting t

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ADRA ( 37398 )
      All your points are true enough, but after playing Metriod from start to finish and absolutely loving the freedom of control, I don't think I'll ever play another dual analog piece of crap again.

    • I sincerely hope that Wii FPS and other shooter games like the upcoming resident evil will support the gamecube controller in addition to the remote.

      I never got in to FPS shooters for precisely the reason of controllers. How many d*mn buttons are really necessary, and how much is the result of uncreative control schemes? Metroid got it mostly right in my opinion but I had a few qualms (primarilly, the grapple beam was a little awkward, I found myself having to yank back the nunchuck several times to get

    • What?
      That's a load of nonsense. Due to my noobiness I was unable to finish the original version of Resident Evil 4, on the Wii version I finished easily, to the excellent controls. I think all you've been playing is Red Steel. I can't wait for Metroid Prime 3 to come out in the UK.

    • Re:Wii-Mote blows for FPS... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Chris Burke ( 6130 ) on Tuesday September 11, 2007 @12:26PM (#20555479) Homepage
      I sincerely hope that Wii FPS and other shooter games like the upcoming resident evil will support the gamecube controller in addition to the remote.

      After playing Metroid, I hope I never have to play another FPS with craptacular double-analog-stick controls again. It's FPS gaming how it should be. I'd say it's even superior to Ye Olde Mouse, at least for aiming. It doesn't allow the speedy 180s of the mouse, so the overall nod has to go to the mouse, but as far as speed, ease, and feel of aiming it's debatably better than the mouse and a billion times better than an analog thumb stick.

      Your right hand can access the trigger, a button, and down arrow on the pad without moving. but if you want to hit the (+), (-) or other arrow buttons you have to shift your hand up the remote- screwing up your aim and taking you out of the game immersion. This is not good at all.

      But thankfully because you're using the wiimote you can instantly re-acquire your target. This isn't like the craptastic analog aiming, where you have to try to keep the reticle over your target all the time because it takes so long to move it back so losing your aim just to switch weapons would be disastrous.

      Others may love it. That's why I want CHOICE.

      Having to balance a game both for slow analog control and free-form Wii aiming sounds problematic to me. If they can do it, and you insist on using the old control scheme, more power to you. I personally hope they spend any time they would have spent implementing the old scheme to instead further perfect the wiimote controls.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Khuffie ( 818093 )
      One wonders if you've played Metroid Prime. Also, I've never had hitting the + or - buttons shift my aim.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Deaney ( 1014409 )
      No - the worst thing about the wiimote in an FPS is when you an itchy nose.

      Suddenly your character is in stuck in a head spin for a couple of seconds leaving me feeling like I'm going to puke.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
      You have to change your grip on a dual analog controller too if you want to access more than 4 buttons (unless you count those horrible clickable analog sticks as buttons). Good thing you aren't going to use things like a flashlight or binoculars in the middle of a battle. In fact you can use gestures to map even more functions to the Wii input than a regular controller in dual analog mode. E.g. flipping the nunchuk left or right could be used to cycle through weapons or slashing with your melee weapon/thro
  • The thing I don't like about the Wiimote for aiming in shooting games is that you are never actually aiming with the gun. You are just looking at the cursor on screen and aiming with that. In the duck-hunt-esque game on Wii Play this gets to be very confusing with 2 players because it is difficult to tell your cursors apart in the heat of battle. Plus it feels a bit 'disconnected' from your actions, where as simply pointing and shooting feels more real. With the old Zapper on NES it had the advantage of
    • You don't need the on screen cursor. I played Call of Duty without it and I did fine. Even if you do use the cursor, you shouldn't be watching it. Keep your eyes on what you want to shoot and your hand will learn to follow. It's just like a real gun. With a real gun you never use the sight unless you're shooting a stationary target. It's just a matter of observing the trajectory of your target and learning where to point the gun to intercept that target.
      • But the point is that you're not pointing the wiimote/zapper at a the target on the screen, are you? You're just moving it until your shots start hitting the target, even if the angle is 15 degrees away from where the controller is actually pointing. Unless I'm misunderstanding somethign about the technology. FPS's like Call of Duty are fine because you always shoot at the same spot on the screen, the controller just moves the view itself (I'm assuming that's what the Wii version of CoD is like.) But tr
        • I haven't played Call of Duty for about a month so I just put it back in to double check that I'm not exaggerating my talents. I have crosshairs off and it took me a minute to find my bearings, but it's pretty much like I said, "point, shoot, kill". Your view only starts to turn once you approach the edge of the screen and you can aim freely within the center 80% of the screen. I prefer to use the non-repeating weapons because a shot to the head or torso is sufficient for a kill. I'm averaging about 5 bulle
    • Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I have long advocated such an addition. (So long ago, I'm not going to dig up my Dec '06 posts...) It would be pretty simple to have a calibration process so that the cursor location more closely tracks where you're really pointing. Otherwise, shooter games have to show your cursor on the screen -- which takes out a lot of the challenge and realism. Heck, the Wiimote by itself is enough to port House of the Dead 4 to the Wii (it requires you to reload by shaking the gun)
  • "the Zapper will work with EA's Medal of Honor Heroes, which will feature an 'arcade mode' to make the game accessible to all age groups and skill levels,"

    Should "all age groups" be exposed to a game that's rated T by the ESRB?

    Nintendo should phrase things more carefully in light of recent scandals and Congressional interest.
  • Bestow apon us the Silent Scope series... only correctly done, unlike the XBox version.
  • I just got a sudden urge to go play Duck Hunt. Can't think of why.

    There was also a mini-game in Wii Play that seemed oddly familer. I was shooting at balloons, clay discs and a few ducks. Of course, Nintendo is always on the leading edge of technology, they wouldn't dare to bundle something they came out with 20 years ago with their new system. This has got to be a whole new concept.

    To think, I can actually use a gun to shoot at people. Take that, Wild Gunmen. Take that, Area 51. Take that, Night of the Liv

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