Ever since the first teaser trailer for the Nintendo “Revolution” console, it’s been clear that shooters benefit from the unique design of the Wii Remote. The perfect combination of IR and a solid B trigger made the controller ideal. In 2007, Nintendo themselves announced the Wii Zapper, a shell that houses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in an attempt to offer an even better solution for shooters on Wii. Now, PDP has released what is easily the finest Wii Remote shooting peripheral, hands down; the Nerf N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3.
The Nerf N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3 is actually two toys in one. First, a Nerf dart blaster that can be used in an attack against your little brother, and second a blaster peripheral for use on any Wii shooting game. EA has even created the Nerf N-Strike Elite video game, designed specifically with the blaster in mind.
Switching between toy and Wii peripheral is as simple as removing the center barrel. The barrel contains the mechanism that actually launches the Nerf darts when pulling the gun’s trigger. If you’re using the blaster for a video game, simply remove the center barrel and insert the Wii Remote in its place. Now you’ve got yourself the coolest looking Wii blaster on the market.
The Nerf N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3 is a solidly constructed piece of gaming (and non-gaming) equipment. Featuring a blue and orange paint job, and nicely constructed details along the exterior of the device, the EX-3 is quite an attractive peripheral. Outside of video games, the blaster really does work great in launching darts, as if you had any doubts that a Nerf blaster wouldn’t be the best on the market. Within the barrel you can house one dart at a time to fire. Simply insert the dart, pull back on the orange triangle-shaped extender until it locks into place (this prepares your gun to fire) and pull the trigger. Underneath the barrel you can house two additional darts for easy access. Ironically, those darts are the only pieces of Nerf material on the blaster.
Now onto the gameplay. I used the blaster in a variety of shooting titles, and found it to offer a near perfect shooting experience. The EX-3′s trigger works great, and offers a firmer and more satisfying feel compared to the squishiness of the Wii Zapper’s trigger. The trigger presses against the Wii Remote’s B button, which is the only button directly used from the device. All buttons on the top Wii Remote are fully accessible, if your game of choice requires using them. The remote’s rumble feature can be fully felt throughout the entire body of the EX-3, which is fantastic.
Like mentioned, the blaster can be used with any shooting game, including the title Nerf N-Strike Elite. That game in particular benefits from one aspect of the blaster that other game’s haven’t taken advantage of; the Red Reveal. On the back end of your blaster is a red lens that can be raised or lowered depending on its importance to your game of choice. The red lens is used to detect hidden enemy weak points and find in-game unlockables, such as new blasters. It’s a similar mechanic to what you may have seen in the Wii board game Cranium Kabookii. Its inclusion is truly appreciated and should be applauded. Adding a new dimension to the device is a bonus and definitely something kids will love, even if it’s only usable in a game or two.
The EX-3 doesn’t house the Nunchuk controller, although it does support attaching it to the Wii Remote. After using both the EX-3 and Wii Zapper, I found that I actually prefer the controllers separated. With the Nunchuk in one hand and the blaster in the other, it offers a freer feeling, rather than being confined like the Wii Zapper. That however, does come with a small price., since it results in a more front heavy peripheral.
When using the blaster in games with the Wii Remote only, both hands can be placed on the device perfectly, offering a great feel, accuracy, and unmatched coolness. In games that require using the Nunchuk, you’re naturally not able to hold the Nerf N-Strike with two hands. I found my shooting arm often got tired after a while because of this. The perfect solution is using the Wii Remote’s wrist strap, as it will take some of the strain off your hand by offering greater support. Theoretically, if the Nunchuk was connected to the back like the Wii Zapper, it would balance out the weight, but then you’d lose the freedom. Overall, the weight is more of an observation than a drawback, but younger kids may find that the weight will tip the blaster forward here and there out of tiredness.
The bottom line: If you’re a fan of shooting games on the Wii and you’re looking to extending the experience through a peripheral, by all means the Nerf N-Strike Switch Shot EX-3 is the best on the market. Stylish, well constructed, and usable outside of your Wii console, the EX-3 is by far the coolest peripheral you’re going to find, and highly recommended.
*This product review was written based off the product supplied by PDP for review purposes, with over 10 hours of gameplay using Wii software titles ‘House of the Dead: Overkill,’ ‘Ghost Squad’ and ‘Link’s Crossbow Training.’
