The Wand Action Pak is basically a Wii remote made by Nyko that comes with a gun-shaped battery cover.

The battery cover has a trigger which, when pressed, sends the same signal that the “A” button sends. The bottom of the gun’s handle includes a socket for a nunchuk.

This interesting piece of hardware allows you to select things, shoot things and anything else you would normally do with the “A” button by pulling the trigger. It’s also able to synch with other Wii peripherals. One of its best features, naturally, is that it allows for more realistic shooting games.

There are a few problems, though. Some shooting games require the “B” button to shoot instead of the “A,” in which case the handle of the gun does more harm than good by getting in the way.

Even worse, the instructions included are not at all descriptive or helpful, and leave you to figure out the assembly on your own. This can possibly result in accidentally breaking a tiny, fragile piece on the gun. Also, if you don’t have steady hands, this gun will be a problem for you — sometimes it can be a little shaky.

We tested the Wand Action Pak with Wii Play, namely, the shooting range mini-game. The gun doesn’t exactly help your aim, but it does give some average realism, to make the game a little more interesting.

Editor’s note: Jake and Max, ages 16 and 13, respectively, are the sons of Life editor Jim McGaw.

Wand Action Pak

Score 6 out of 10

Why? Offers more realistic action in shooting games, but the design isn’t perfect and the instructions aren’t helpful.

Made by Nyko