The Nintendo Wii has resurrected the old ‘light gun’ gameplay of yesteryear. The formula has worked so well that several companies (including Nintendo) have unleashed specialized gun grips for the Wii controllers. Some of these controllers are better than others, depending on the features of the game, but gun grips do increase the fun in certain shooters.
Until now, consumers have had to deal with grips that feel similar to pistols or crossbows, but what about a shotgun or machine gun? Eagle Technology has released their Neptor Shotgun grip for the Nintendo Wii, which lets you hold your controllers like a Tommygun-wielding mobster.
General Information
- Manufacturer: Eagle Technology, Inc
- Manufacturer Part Number: ET-NPWGU100
- Product Name: Laser guided shotgun for Wii shooting games
- Product Type: Not Applicable
- Product Model: ET-NPWGU100
- Brand Name: Eagle Technology
Physical Characteristics
- Color: White
- Dimensions: 1.89″ Height x 8.11″ Length x 17.76
This grip is essentially a plastic shell that holds your Wiimote and Nunchuck, but has a few extra features… namely a laser scope and foldable handle. The handle allows you to hold the gun similar to a Tommy Gun or WWII-era machine gun. Unfortunately the handle is not robust at all, and is easily broken (as happened to our review sample).
The laser sight is merely a laser pointer. There is no power LED, so we weren’t able to tell if the unit was on or broken. It doesn’t appear that the unit has replaceable batteries, as there is no obvious battery compartment, and it feels solidly sealed. If you have a vice grip, you can pull the endcap off, which allows you access to batteries. Once we placed in new batteries then the laser pointer started working. The laser sight snaps onto the top of the gun and is easily removed.
Installing your Nintendo controller into this gun grip is rather easy. All you do is insert the Wiimote into the front of the gun grip, and attach the Nunchuck to the rear of the grip (note that third-party Nunchucks can be larger, and will not fit in this grip). You then must thread the Nunchuck’s cable through the gun’s cavity to meet the Nunchuck. This installation method can take a few minutes and can be easily disassembled, but disassembly isn’t nearly as involved as Nintendo’s gun grip. Nyko’s PerfectShot pistol grip (reviewed here) has a much simpler installation.
As with other gun grips, the playability of this device totally depends on the game you’re playing. As long as you can shoot with the Nunchuck trigger, then you should be fine. Accessing other buttons on the Wiimote can feel a bit awkward, so games that require a buttonpress to reload or alternate fire will be frustrating.
The Neptor ET-NPWG100 WiiPal Infrared Shotgun is a decent product, although it is rather cheaply made. Fortunately, this unit can be found for $10 to $15, which makes it almost an impulse buy and worth trying out. The laser pointer does help once you get used to it, and the gun does increase the fun by delivering a more “arcade-like” feel.
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