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Pro Pack Mini review

For anyone who finds the standard Wiimote clunkier than it needs to be, a company called Power A has brought a smaller version to market in the Pro Pack Mini. They were kind enough to send me one of these for review, along with a bag of fish-shaped sweets (not sure what the connection is, but they're delicious). There was also a loveletter from my Wii telling me we'd become estranged and that Power A had the answer for a blissful reunion.

Included in the retail package is a Mini Remote, a Mini Nunchuk and a wrist-strap. I've got the purple one, but it also comes in black. After wrestling it out of the plastic bubble, I was hit with a drawback. The battery compartment on the Mini Remote is smaller than standard, meaning if you use a charger accessory (Nyko or similar) then you won't be able to use your battery packs because they won't fit the slot. After fishing out some AA batteries from a drawer I proceeded.

Mini Remote size comparisonThe main body of the Mini Remote is made from some kind of plastic, but it's matt instead of shiny. It almost feels like there's some rubber in the mix, it has a nice warmth. The build quality is good, but not quite up there with Big N's version. Specifically the D-pad feels a little squidgier and the buttons on the Mini-Chuk are looser, but it's still more than fit for purpose.

Glowing Mini RemoteButtons aside, the Mini Remote has a great "feel factor", the edges are contoured and the smaller size makes it feel sleeker than the official Wiimote. I imagine that kids in particular would have a much better time handling the Mini, as it has a smaller girth and enlarged buttons (which glow in the dark for superfun times!). The Mini-Chuk also features a rubber grip, making slips and slides less likely.

I tested out my purple Mini on several games, Wii Sports (tennis and boxing), De Blob and Kororinpa. It performed well on all of them and I've got no complaints.

Summary

    Happies :)
  • Feels natural to use, less bulbous than standard remote.
  • Easier for kids to hold onto.
  • Compatible with MotionPlus.
    Sads :(
  • Can't use battery packs from Wii charger accessories.
  • Only $10 cheaper than Nintendo remote + nunchuk.

The Pro Pack Mini was released in the US on August 2nd 2010, so it's already up on Amazon and similar stores. If it suits your needs I'd say it's a pretty solid buy.

Pro Pack Mini on Amazon.

Wii accessories

Posts

monkeylemur
Lol quite a style those devs got.

Chris
Can I fit a motion plus to a pro pack mini?

WW
Yea it's MotionPlus compatible.

Elisha
Does it fit with the perfect shot?

Si
Don't you mean AAA batteries.

SM
Doesn't sync right, no matter how many times I resync. I even had someone else try and sync it too. Does not work with several of our games.

ZeDo
SM I agree mine does not Sync either. Very poor product! Kids are very disappointed and they only had a month of use.

real person
Had mine for about 3mos now, works great. Agree with reviewer, lack of rechargeable accessories is disappointing.

Alex Sinclair
Does not work correctly with the Classic Controller as it does not acknowledge input from the Classic Controller as "Activity" so when playing a game using the Classic only, the MiniRemote inactivity timeout occurs after 5 minutes of game play. You could always ensure that you press at least one button of the main controller at least once every 5 minutes to keep it alive.

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