Nyko Control Pak Review (Peripheral)

Nyko has made a wide range of accessories for a large number of consoles. Now, the manufacturer is adding to the list of different controllers you can use on Wii with a Control Pak, which comes bundled with a nunchuck and Nyko's version of the classic controller.

First up, the Nunchuk: It's slightly larger than the first party Nunchuk. The handle itself feels the same and probably is so that it will fit onto the Zapper. The upper part is the part that feels slightly larger and the back of the controller has a rubber grip to help avoid slippage. The C button is a rectangle now, rather than the circle on the first party controller. The Z button is also slightly larger and has a lip on the bottom similar to the B trigger on the Wii Remote. The lip on the Z trigger gives your finger a place to rest a bit. The analog stick does not have the octagonal shape that the Nintendo controller has; you get a smoother feel while moving characters on a screen, and you're not clicking into places as you rotate the stick.

If you're curious about the nunchuk'ss motion detection, it does not feel diminished in any way: it's just as responsive as the Wii Nunchuk. Granted, it doesn't feel any more responsive, but it also doesn't feel any less.

Now, the Classic Controller: This is the bigger departure from first party versions of Nyko's two controllers. Nyko's Classic Controller has a more modern wing shape rather than the more rounded shape of Nintendo's Classic Controller. Nyko's gives your hands a place to grab onto while holding the controller. It seems to be about the same size as the classic controller, so you'll feel comfortable no matter what size your hands are. The buttons are raised a bit more off the face of the controller and they're spaced almost the same distance apart. The D-pad has raised directional arrows on each of its compass points, and it is also raised slightly higher. Overall, Nyko's d-pad feels as solid as the first party version, and it doesn't wiggle any. The analog sticks have the same rounded hub as the nunchuk. This will be very handy for any twin-stick games like Geometry Wars or fighting games, if you prefer to use the sticks rather than the D-Pad.

Regardless, Nyko's controllers are definitely a bit more colorful than the first party versions. The A/B buttons are a bright blue, the X/Y buttons are red. The shoulder buttons are both labeled on the top and the side so you would be able to see them without having to move the controller. The L, R, ZL, and ZR buttons all have an audible click when depressed so you know when they have been fully depressed.

Both controllers are very light. They feel like there is not much inside them, but they are sturdy. They're not going to fall apart on you or break if you drop them onto a hard surface. They were tested out on a variety of different games types and found to perform just as well as any other controllers. Unfortunately, like any other controller alternative, you cannot re-map the buttons, so it will be fairly useless on NES games, but works very well for SNES games and Wii games that use the Classic Controller. Both controllers are a great alternative, especially if you're looking to save a little money and want a full complement of 4 Nunchuks (Nunchi?) and Classic Controllers. With that many needed, you'll will save about over a full complement of first party controllers.

Final Score: 3.5/5