Little White Magic Box (Nintendo Wii Motion Plus Accessory)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Nintendo Wii Motion Plus Accessory
Date:	19/07/09 (253 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It really works!

Disadvantages: Needs to be reset occasionally, uses battery more quickly

When the Nintendo Wii was first announced, I (like many others) was incredibly excited about the concept of a console with such a revolutionary control system. The prospect of being able to play a game of virtual tennis or golf by replicating the action of the actual sport fascinated me, and I was quick to purchase the pioneering new machine when it was released. When the novelty wore off however, it became apparent that the Wii control system can be a little flawed at times. Take for example the 'Wii Sports' game which comes as standard with each new console - here you 'play' sports as you would in real life, but the controls lack a certain finesse and realism... step forth 'Motion Plus' - a clever little device which is designed to rectify the problem.


What is Motion Plus?
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Motion Plus is a small white box which neatly clips onto the underside of the Wii controller. Utilising an internal gyroscope, it is designed to track player's movements in a much finer detail and accuracy than was possible before - now, each slight turn of the wrist is perfectly replicated on-screen resulting in a much more enjoyable and immersive experience.

if you want to know the real science behind how the device works, it apparently "incorporates a dual-axis tuning fork angular rate sensor, which can determine rotational motion... the information captured by the angular rate sensor can then be used to distinguish true linear motion from the accelerometer readings" - if you've got the technical knowledge to decipher that last sentence, then good for you, but let's just say 'it's clever stuff'!

The product comes with a silicon 'jacket' which covers both the Motion Plus and the Wii remote, making sure that it is comfortable to hold, and secured firmly in place. The jacket can be taken off the Motion Plus device if you wish, but I see no real reason to remove it, unless you are changing the Wii remote's batteries.


Will the Motion Plus make older Wii games better?
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No, the true benefit of Motion Plus will only be seen with the newer games which have been designed specifically for the new system. For example, if you were to load up 'Wii Sports', it would play exactly the same as it did before. However, there is a new Wii Sports game out this month, entitled 'Wii Sports Resort' which takes advantage of the new controls, and will probably be a lot of fun.

The full list of upcoming games which work with Motion Plus are as follows;
Virtua Tennis 2009, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Grand Slam Tennis, Wii Sports Resort, and Red Steel 2.


Where can I buy Motion Plus?
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Amazon are currently selling the device for £17.59, although I would expect that price to drop to around £10 by the end of the year. The best deal at the moment is to buy the product with Tiger Woods '10, which works out at £44 for both the game and the accessory.

You can also buy the device fairly cheaply on eBay, although this should be done with caution, as many sellers are selling used products as new items.


How well does Motion Plus work?
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...Extremely well - whilst playing the new Tiger Woods game, it really is apparent how much more control you have over the golf swing, and that makes the gaming experience a lot more entertaining. You can do a little wiggle of the wrists and see the golfer do the same thing - it's really responsive. You can also now play in 1:1 time, meaning that as you swing in real life, the onscreen golfer swings simultaneously.

The added length and weight which the Motion Plus adds to the Wii controller is minimal, and pretty much unnoticeable in the heat of intense gaming - so no problems there.


Any downsides?
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There are a couple of downsides to the Motion Plus device. Firstly it will drain the batteries of your Wii Remote a little bit quicker, and secondly it can go a little hay-wire from time to time and need to be 'reset'. To reset the device, all you need to do is place it face down on a flat surface for a couple of seconds, and it will return to normality. It is a shame that it needs to be reset every so often, but to be fair, in the time I've owned the Motion Plus device, I've only needed to undertake the procedure twice.


Final Thoughts
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Nintendo's Motion Plus is a fantastic little device which really works. It has taken the Nintendo Wii one step further in becoming the ultimate sports gaming machine, although it is something which should have been incorporated into the Wii Remote from the off.

I would whole heartedly recommend buying a Motion Plus device, although you may want to wait until a later date, when more games are released which utilise its potential. Nevertheless, for the most accurate representation of sports ever seen in video games - I would suggest going out and getting one of these little magic boxes straight away.


Summary of the device
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Cost: £17.59
Material: Plastic
Attachment: Clips on to Wii Remote
Power: Uses battery in Wii Remote
Compatible with the Wii Nunchuck controller

Summary: More accurate controls for the Wii