Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders SWAP Force Pro Pack Mini Controller Set for Nintendo WiiU

What: PowerA Pro Pack Mini Controller Set for Wii and WiiU
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:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=24143136&cp=&parentPage=search

Green Pro Pack Mini Controller Set:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28345066&cp=&parentPage=search

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!

Unboxing PowerA's Skylanders Giants Pro Pack Mini

What? PowerA Pro Pack Mini featuring Skylanders Giants
Where Did You Get It?  E3 direct from PowerA! Thanks!!
What Did It Cost?  Retail is $39.99

Unboxing and Review of PowerA's Skylander Giants Pro Pack Mini

In addition to getting to see the current product line and future releases PowerA went above and beyond loading us down with freebies...



You have already seen the GamePack and Travel Tote...Once you get your Skylanders where you are going, you need a way to play with them...Why not bring the characters you love into your controller?

PowerA set up the Pro Pack Mini with a lot of "little things."

First off, we have a selection between Blue and Orange...Both Giants sets feature Bouncer on the MiniRemote and Fright Rider on the secondary controller.

Second, on the functional end of the spectrum there is what is called a "Soft Touch" grip...It is hard to explain, but it feels good and provides slip resistance.  This controller is slightly smaller than a regular Wiimote and that bodes well for kids and those with smaller hands...

The Action Buttons (A-1-2) have all been enlarged for easier control and precision...On top of that, they light up!  This was  very cool feature, and something I was unaware of...They actually illuminate quite well.  In the video I showed this by highlighting Fright Rider, but I also used the light to flip the lights back on and not the fan!  I think it is a great pairing for those that enjoy playing with the GITD Portal with the lights out!  It is almost as if it is a bridged connection between you and the Giant or LightCore Skylander!

While the video rendered, I played around with it on WiiU and despite being really hot and humid my hand never sweat...The crispness and quick return of the buttons and control stick on the nunchuck are indicative of quality.

All-in-all I am very impressed and stoked to have what will serve as a stand alone controller for the WiiU!  This will save me from having to sync and re-sync controllers every time I switch consoles...Plus with the unique artwork and textured grip I will be able to keep the controllers straight.

If you are in the market for a quality and exciting Wiimote and Nunchuck replacement, or additional controllers I highly suggest you consider this set from PowerA!

I can also tell you the SwapForce controllers are coming and look awesome!  Be sure to skim back a few posts to catch them in the E3 video!

iCon Green Wiimote and Nunchuck: Unboxing and Overview

Unboxing and Review of iCon Green Wiimote & Nunchuck

What?iCon Green Wiimote & Nunchuck

Where Did You Get It?  Target

What Did It Cost?  $29.99 plus tax

Stock?  Getting harder to find, but still attainable

Compatibility? Works with Motion Plus and on Wii and Wii U, Will not work with Wii Wheel

Power Supply?  (2) AAA Batteries (Note, this uses Triple A, not Double A Batteries)

Conclusion

If you are in the market for another Wiimote and Nunchuck to enjoy multiplayer games this is a nice option.  While not an official Nintendo product, my initial impression is that the iCon set up is well built and should provide a nice life span.  Similarly, if you have children, or just smaller hands, this will be much appreciated.  The other big draw of course is the color combo...

I'm partial to the original Wiimote, but I have fairly large hands.  This iCon Wiimote and Nunchuck are affordable and come in a variety of colors to please most anyone.  At roughly half the price of most offerings they are also a good deal.