Your ultimate Wii launch guide
Everything you need to know about Nintendo's revolution
Wii Remote and Nunchuk
It's not often that a console's controller is as important as the console itself butWii is no ordinary console. This is because the Wii-mote's motion-sensitivity allows gamers to interact with on-screen action by pointing and moving the remote.
On top of the remote is a D-pad, the A button (which is the main action button), a home button that takes you immediately to the Wii channel page, and the + and - buttons that take you forward and back through the menu screens. Near the base of the Wii-mote are the 1 and 2 buttons which become the main action buttons when the remote is turned sideways.
The blue LEDS at the base indicate which player the remote is controlling: players one to four. Also, when the remote is switched on, it indicates how much battery power is left.
On the base of the Wii-mote is the trigger-like B button and the battery flap where you put the two AA batteries - these should provide over 30 hours of playing time. The Wii-mote also has a rumblefunction and built-in speaker.
Above: The Wii-mote is motion-sensitive and has a speaker and rumble function
You may have heard stories about gamers damaging themself or their TV while swinging their Wii-motes around. Well, there're some obvious ways to prevent this from happening: firstly check you've enough room in front of the TV to swing around; and secondly, use the wrist strap attached to the Wii-mote so, if you lose your grip, it won't fly into the screen.
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We can't move on until we've mentioned the Nunchuk. This is the second part of the Wii controller and is used in tandem with the Wii-mote for some of the more complicated games. It consists of an analogue stick and two action buttons: the smaller C button and the trigger-like Z button. Just like the Wii-mote it is motion-sensitive, as can be seen in the Wii Sports boxing game where it enables you to punch and block with both hands.