What Does It Cost? $39.99 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Pretty easy to find
Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Pro Pack Mini Controller Set
(ie WiiMote and Nunchuck)
One thing you can never have enough of is game controllers. Whether you have friends over all the time, or just go hot and heavy with your favorite games, they are much needed. With the WiiU on the market, something a lot of folks (like myself) ran into is the inconvenience of having to pull a jacket/sleeve, pop a cover, hit the sync button, and reverse the process just to swap from Wii to Wii U. This is something that haunts me all the time...I like to keep the two separate so if I want to use a save file on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but my Nephew and I last played New Super Mario Bros. U we have to re-sync at least one of the Wiimotes...
If you are in that position, you at least want 4 WiiMotes on tap to keep 2 dedicated to each system and save you precious time. If you are new to the Wii U, or replacing a worn out Wiimote, this is a hot ticket. Clearly, as a Skylander fan this is a desirable item...
Back in June PowerA was nice enough to give out some controllers at E3...That light blue Skylanders Giants Wiimote has been my Nephew's staple since shortly after and it has served quite well. With that background, you will get a feel for where the review is coming from...
The first thing to note is that these are "Mini." If you have smaller hands, or are shopping for younger gamers, this is perfect. I've seen a lot of kids struggle with the regular sized Wiimote, let alone when you'd strap on the Motion Plus Accessory. This "Mini" controller downsizes things just slightly to make a difference, yet maintain functionality for those with big hands (like me).
There is no "jacket" but the WiiMote and Nunchuck both sport a Soft-touch finish that kind of takes its place. This is a soft, smooth textured finish that kind of doubles as a slip resistant finish. It is very nice and doesn't "sweat" as much as your typical sleeved WiiMote.
The other great thing for kids is the oversized buttons...Smaller dimensions on the controller with larger buttons makes for the perfect package. For anyone else, the illuminated buttons are a very cool touch and look awesome with the lights out (just watch the video to see for yourself!).
The WiiMote includes a quick clasp strap and the Nunchuck sports a 3' cord which is plenty long for even the craziest Wii Fit activity.
If you are in the market for new, or additional controllers for your Wii or Wii U, this is perfect. The price is right, the quality is great, and the added features and character artwork (Bouncer and MagnaCharge in this case) really stand out.
My Nephew actually likes this one so much he has already called dibs...guess I'll go back to the Giants Light Blue version!
You can find these pretty much anywhere games are sold as well as online at Amazon, who usually has the best price.
We've had close to 6 months of service out of the E3 Pro Pack Mini and it has yet to let us down...including the battery!
If you are in the market for new controllers, or need a good stocking stuffer be sure to check out PowerA's Pro Pack Mini Controller Set! In addition to this Navy Blue, there is also a pretty sleek Sublime offering:
BONUS!
As of making this post and video LIVE, Toys'R'Us still has their Black Friday/Cyber Monday pricing of 50% off on the PowerA line! That means you can get either controller set for abou $17...Sweet!
Here are the links:
Blue Pro Pack Mini Controller Set:
Green Pro Pack Mini Controller Set:
Note that the production shots both feature Blast Zone on the WiiMote and Wash Buckler on the Nunchuck...The one we unboxed has Magna Charge on the Nunchuck. I have not seen the Green Set, but will check out the Blue Set more closely at my local store and see if it is Magna Charge or Wash Buckler...If you have, or have seen the green set and can vouch for the character, let me know!
