Important - Product Resembles Predecessor: The MotionPlus-integrated version of this combo pack looks virtually identical to the version without MotionPlus built in, and they perform very similarly (aside from MotionPlus support) as well. Therefore, please pay special attention if you’re shopping for this product. The previous version’s box reads "Game Controller Combo Pack", while this version reads "Game Controller Plus Combo Pack". The only other way to tell them apart is to look on the right side of the controller; the MotionPlus integrated version will have the words "Controller Plus" there.
Nintendo’s first-party Wii Remote and Nunchuk designs are very good, but there is always room to modify the design to fit other users. Memorex seems to think they have a good variation in mind, offering a Wiimote (with integrated MotionPlus) and Nunchuk equivalent that keep the general size and shape of the originals while making a few tweaks. If you’d like larger Wiimote buttons or a softer d-pad, or perhaps a wireless Nunchuk, then this combo pack may have much to recommend itself. The combo pack, as its name suggests, provides both of these controllers in one product package with a price comparable to Nintendo’s offerings, and similar quality as well.
The Wiimote is the main part of the package, since virtually every game on the system requires one to play in some way or another. Memorex’s version has a nearly identical size and shape to Nintendo’s, with the major difference being the buttons are a little larger on Memorex’s controller. The d-pad has also been changed, replacing the cross-shape d-pad with a softer octagon one. The shape looks strange but it actually works fine with most games, including ones where the d-pad is your primary way of moving such as Mega Man 9. Additionally, various accessories that fit Nintendo’s Wiimote usually work fine with this one; I had success using InCharge lithium ion battery packs (which replace the normal battery panel/cover outright), Nyko’s Sure Shot gun controller shell, and a few racing wheels. While that isn’t a guarantee that Memorex’s controller will fit any specific item you used with the first-party Wiimote, there is a very good chance it will.
Memorex’s Nunchuk replacement is also similar to Nintendo’s design, with a mix of significant and trivial changes. The buttons are virtually the same on both, though Memorex’s analog stick is slightly more stiff. Its biggest difference is the inclusion of a wireless receiver that plugs in to the Wiimote’s expansion port, at which point players sync the Nunchuk to that and play as usual. Since it’s wireless, Memorex’s Nunchuk variant is powered by an internal battery that is recharged through an included USB cable. The cable is too short to use while playing, but this isn’t a big problem since that would defeat the entire point of it being wireless. The receiver can work with a Wiimote jacket in place, but it doesn’t fit all that well and I have to recommend removing the jacket in most cases.
So far, nearly everything in this review has matched the statements made about the previous design. This is for the simple reason that the Plus version of this combo pack is almost exactly the same as its predecessor, with only one big change: MotionPlus support is built into the main controller, offering a viable competitor to Nintendo’s Wii Remote Plus that likewise has MotionPlus sensors integrated. The MotionPlus support in Memorex’s Wiimote is just fine, working just as well in games like Red Steel 2 and Wii Sports Resort as a first-party MotionPlus sensor would. This addition brings the combo pack in line with its direct competition, and offers a ’complete controller’ for most Wii games in a single product.
Ultimately, the contents of the Memorex Game Controller Plus Combo Pack are very good ones and may meet your needs. I cannot outright say that they are outright better than Nintendo’s controllers, but they are equally good and offer some interesting features at a comparable price. Depending on where you shop, this combo pack will tend to cost you about $40 to $50 USD, while the equivalent Nintendo Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk will cost about $30 to $40 (Wiimote) and another $10 to $20 (Nunchuk) for a total of $40 to $60, so the prices are about the same. Thus, your purchasing decision can be narrowed down to several questions: Do you want Memorex’s larger buttons, or Nintendo’s smaller ones? A softer octagon-shaped d-pad (Memorex), or a harder cross-shape one (Nintendo)? A wireless Nunchuk that needs recharging and a brief syncing process (Memorex), or a wired one that always works immediately (Nintendo)? If what Memorex is offering interests you, then rest assured the controllers in this combo pack are of good quality and worth picking up.
