Who asked for a smaller Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and were they right in doing so?
The Pro Pack Mini consists of a Wii Remote and a Nunchuk that are 35 percent smaller than the standard Wii Remote and Nunchuk. It's a peculiar concept at first glance. However, once you hold the little guys in your hands, it's clear that these smaller devices are a worthwhile substitution for the standard controllers, though they aren't quite superior to them.
The Wii Remote feels great thanks to its nice rubber grip that serves a similar purpose as the Wii Remote jacket, except it can't be removed. The A button is much bigger, and the Plus, Minus, and Home buttons are lower than on the Wii Remote. For games that use those buttons heavily, it is initially awkward when you have to reach a little bit lower to use them, but it becomes easy to compensate for in a short amount of time. The smaller remote works very well for the most part, even when it's held sideways like an NES controller. Unfortunately, the buttons can be sticky at times. You might have to press the D-pad in a direction twice to get it to register on occasion.
The smaller Nunchuk was also comfortable in my hand, but the analog stick was difficult to use. It is very hard to get a grip on the stick, making precision-heavy moments, such as the ones in Super Mario Galaxy 2, quite difficult. The buttons on the Nunchuk were fine, though. Nearly every button has a backlight, which is a bit superfluous, but it's nice if you ever play games in the dark.
The battery life on the Wii Remote seemed to be quite good as two standard AAA batteries last about six or seven hours. The controller is also compatible with Wii MotionPlus, though it looks a little goofy with the wider peripheral attached.
The Pro Pack Mini is a good third-party controller that is technically sound outside of the sticky buttons and hard-to-use analog stick. The controllers are more comfortable than the standard Nintendo-made controllers, and the battery life is great. If you're looking to save a little money or you'd like to experiment with a smaller controller, then the Pro Pack Mini is a wise choice. If you're happy with your Nintendo-issued Wii Remote and Nunchuk, there isn't much reason to rush out and pick a pack up.
