Memorex Game Controller Combo Pack Review (Wii Controller Set)

Nintendo’s ’Wiimote’ has generally proven itself a versatile and worthwhile controller, well suited to most of its users. Memorex’s Game Controller Combo Pack retails for around $40 USD, offering near-clones of the first-party Wiimote and Nunchuk designs with various subtle improvements or trade-offs. The end result is a controller pair that will appeal to certain audiences, ones wanting specific tweaks to Nintendo’s design.

The most obvious change is that Memorex’s Wiimote-clone is about the same size as the original, yet has an octagon-shaped d-pad and larger buttons. The Classic Controller and other attachments work fine with it, and many accessories built to fit Nintendo’s Wiimote also work with Memorex’s design. While I won’t be as bold as to say absolutely everything works (so please research it if you need to be 100% sure this controller fits a specific accessory), a wide variety of items did. Among them were some InCharge lithium ion battery packs (the controller otherwise needs two AA batteries), typical Wiimote jackets, the Nyko Perfect Shot (a pistol-shaped ’controller shell’), and most racing wheel shells. In other words, it seems to be able to almost perfectly substitute for Nintendo’s Wiimote in most cases.

Memorex’s Nunchuk replacement similarly copies Nintendo’s design, but makes two interesting changes. It is wireless, operating by connecting a receiver to the Wiimote’s accessory slot; it stays in pretty well once secured but getting it in or out does take some work. The other major change is that Memorex’s Nunchuk uses a USB cable to recharge it, though said cable is included and can simply connect to your Wii’s USB ports. It has to be noted that the cord’s length is far too short for playing while charging, so it’s best used when you won’t be in a game. Beyond these changes, it is nearly identical to Nintendo’s design and works great.

Setup is pretty simple, mirroring the typical controller sync process with one exception: you must also sync Memorex’s wireless Nunchuk to its receiver, though the manual and my experiences are at odds on how this works. The manual suggests it is a case of simply pressing the sync button one time after the receiver is attached to a Wiimote, but my experiences suggest this process has to be repeated at the start of each session; either the manual is omitting information or I’m making a mistake, but it’s not a huge problem in any case. If re-syncing the wireless Nunchuk to its receiver actually does need to be done each time, then it’s a minor annoyance at worst that only takes a few seconds to do.

The buttons do exactly what they should, being easy to press due to their increased size. The d-pad looks absurd, but it’s actually fine both for basic menu navigation in relevant games and playing them; Mega Man 10 was perfectly playable after just a minute to adjust to how ’floaty’ the d-pad is. Everything else works fine too; the Nunchuk’s buttons, analog stick, and motion controls work as well as Nintendo’s design does, meaning this controller combo can be used to play most Wii titles just as well as the first-party controllers can.

At $40 USD, is it worth your money? It certainly can be. Depending on where you shop, the Memorex Game Controller Combo Pack may compare favorably to Nintendo’s first party controllers in price or be equal to it, bearing in mind you need to buy both the Wii Remote Plus and Nintendo’s Nunchuk to complete the same controller set this product offers. If the combo pack ends up being less expensive, this can fill a real niche for some players. If equal in price, it offers a trade-off; you lose MotionPlus integration in favor of larger buttons. Alternatively, Memorex also offers a MotionPlus integrated version of this product for about $10 USD more in MSRP (which will be reviewed on GDN in the near future). The great thing about all this is you can shop around to determine which product meets your needs and budget, and this ’non-MotionPlus-integrated’ version can fill certain niches well.