# Nintendo Wii accessories **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 23, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587 "2008-04-23T19:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/1 "2008-04-23T19:45:53Z")
I just picked up a Wii console today, and Super Smash Bros Brawl. Short term, what additional accessories should I consider? The box contains: - Wii Remote (1) - Nunchuk (1) - Sensor Bar (1) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/2 "2008-04-23T19:52:40Z")
There are way too god-damned many of these accessories. Thanks for nickel-and-diming me into poverty, Nintendo. Mercifully the Game Cube controller works for most of these games. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/3 "2008-04-23T19:58:33Z")
Get a rechargeable battery and charger. A decent one is only $15-20, with a two-remote charger not costing much more. Not putting a rechargeable battery in the remote is the biggest glaring oversight on Nintendo’s part, IMO. The remote can chew through batteries like nothing; not having to supply them makes up for the initial investment on the battery and charger pretty darn quick. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/4 "2008-04-23T20:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone] Get a rechargeable battery and charger. A decent one is only $15-20, with a two-remote charger not costing much more. Not putting a rechargeable battery in the remote is the biggest glaring oversight on Nintendo’s part, IMO. The remote can chew through batteries like nothing; not having to supply them makes up for the initial investment on the battery and charger pretty darn quick. [/QUOTE] Agreed. It’s the number one accessory you need. We bought one, along with a second Wii Remote. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/5 "2008-04-23T20:10:12Z")
I’d go for one of those wireless sensor bars. Anything to reduce the number of wires that run behind my TV. Plus, it makes it a little easier to place the bar. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/6 "2008-04-23T20:15:32Z")
What type of batteries, AA or AAA. Want to buy them on the way home. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/7 "2008-04-23T20:16:32Z")
[QUOTE=Hamlet] Agreed. It’s the number one accessory you need. We bought one, along with a second Wii Remote. [/QUOTE] Thirded. We did exactly the same. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/8 "2008-04-23T20:19:46Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] What type of batteries, AA or AAA. Want to buy them on the way home. [/QUOTE] AA batteries. You’ll want a second wiimote and nunchuk. Wii is best played with at least two people. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/9 "2008-04-23T20:21:06Z")
[QUOTE=ShadowFacts] Thirded. We did exactly the same. [/QUOTE] Fourthed. I know it’s saved me money on my 360. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/10 "2008-04-23T20:21:58Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/11 "2008-04-23T20:58:19Z")
You’ll want to pick up Wii Play, it’s a cheesy minigame collection that includes a Wii Remote. It’s $50 (versus $40 for a standalone Remote), but the minigames provide $10 worth of fun easy. You’ll also want to pick up another Nunchuk and if maybe two more Wii Remotes (if there are more than 2 Wii players in your house). Most four player Wii games only use of the Remote. But you can check the top right of the back of every game box to find out what controller configs the game supports. Also, if you’re going to be downloading Virtual Console games, you’ll want a Classic Controller, the GameCube pad is subpar for VC games. Finally, if you like light gun games, pick up a Wii Zapper. Only $20 and it comes with Link’s Crossbow Training, a pretty nifty timewaster for only $20. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/12 "2008-04-23T22:45:45Z")
After getting my Wii, I bought Wii Play (mainly for the 2nd Wiimote, but I like the games on it too) and an additional Nunchuk. I had to order them on Amazon, since every store I tried was sold out of both, but the two together only cost about $75 with shipping. I also recently bought the Wiimote charging station, which comes with rechargeable batteries. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/13 "2008-04-24T03:47:03Z")
In my opinion, all you’ll really need is a second remote and nunchuck and a couple sets of rechargible AAs. I don’t buy into the special Wii remote rechargible battery packs. I use good old rechargible energizers. They do the job in Wii remotes and do other jobs too. Anything else and you can just pick it up as you go. (Though if you don’t have any Gamecube controlers you might want to pick some up. I’d recommend them for Brawl.) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/14 "2008-04-24T15:16:10Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] In my opinion, all you’ll really need is a second remote and nunchuck and a couple sets of rechargible AAs. I don’t buy into the special Wii remote rechargible battery packs. [/QUOTE] The main bonus to the battery packs is that you can charge them right in the wiimotes. Just put them back in the station when you’re done playing and you’ll never have dead batteries again. (I do have regular AA rechargeable batteries for other things. The damn things are always dead when I want them.) The only downside I’ve found is that they don’t work with the rubber sleeves for the wiimotes. You can fix that with a knife, but even that isn’t a great answer. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/15 "2008-04-24T15:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=Jayn\_Newell] The main bonus to the battery packs is that you can charge them right in the wiimotes. Just put them back in the station when you’re done playing and you’ll never have dead batteries again. [/QUOTE] This is why I like the battery packs. Keeping the remote charged and ready to play is as simple as keeping a wireless phone charged. With normal rechargeable AAs, you’re either having to insert and remove them often to keep them charged, or if you leave them in the remote until they need charging, there’s a strong chance the batteries will be dead when you want to play. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/16 "2008-04-24T17:04:01Z")
We got Wii Play for the second remote, the rechargable battery packs, and then my wife (who was picking up the stuff on the way home) messed up and bought a wireless nunchuck adapter versus a second nunchuk controller. How does the Wii Zapper compare to the other light guns? Is the trigger placement on the Wii Zapper an issue? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/17 "2008-04-24T17:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] How does the Wii Zapper compare to the other light guns? Is the trigger placement on the Wii Zapper an issue? [/QUOTE] The Wii Zapper is meant to be held two handed and the trigger is an extended B button on the front handle. It’s actually pretty comfortable to hold. I haven’t tried any of the other light guns though. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/18 "2008-04-24T23:21:00Z")
If you get a Gamecube controller, either get a genuine Nintendo one, or make sure it says it’s compatible. We have a “Gamer’s edge” gamecube controller, and it will not work in SSB:Brawl (it does work for Gamecube games). A more recently purchased MadCatz gamecube controller had a sticker that said it was Wii compatible. I snickered at that when I bought it a few months ago, but it does work with Brawl. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nintendo-wii-accessories/446587/19 "2008-04-24T23:52:11Z")
I am a huge Classic Controller fan. It’s passable for Brawl and excellent for pretty much any other game that allows it as a control scheme.