IGN's Misinformation about the Wii Zapper
I don't like calling out people on their reviews, but sometimes a review is so egregious that I have to speak out. In this case it's IGN's review of the Nyko Perfect Shot peripheral where a whole lot of misinformation is thrown around about the Wii Zapper. I know there's a lot of Zapper hate going around, but it shouldn't result in such factually wrong statements in a "pro" review.
They start by calling the Zapper's trigger "a squishy tactile experience that makes shooting rapidly with the Zapper difficult". In their video review they go on to say that the "trigger is a major problem," again reiterating how it's "squishy" but also adding that it's "inaccurate".
The video I made above demonstrates how wrong IGN's description of the Zapper's trigger really is. The clicking sound you hear is the trigger returning to its depressed position, and you can clearly see how quick and responsive it is.
IGN seems to be hung up on the fact that the Nyko gun has a spring, but they need to realize that it NEEDS a spring because it wouldn't be able to function without it. Like the Pega gun (which is horrible), the Nyko mechanically pulls on the B button. This pulling action does not feel like a real trigger and depending on how far you have to pull to register a button press it's rather tiresome. The Zapper trigger, on the other hand, sits right on the B button acting as an extension instead of a lever. This makes the trigger pull quick, easy, responsive and instantaneous.
If things weren't bad enough already, IGN goes on to insinuate that the Nyko gun is more accurate than the Wii Zapper because it "allows users to aim via the fixed sights rather than shooting from the hip as with the Zapper."
The fact is that neither the Zapper or the Nyko peripheral have anything to do with how accurate they are. The only thing that determines accuracy is the wiimote setup and any calibration a game may have. To act like the Zapper is incapable of the same accuracy is not only wrong, but completely ignores how these peripherals work in the first place. They also happen to omit how only one game to date has any decent form of calibration so you will be shooting "from the hip" in all the other games with any type of Wii gun you use let alone the Nyko.
I think this is a clear cut case of hate getting in the way of objectivity. I also think they need to be careful as their "review" at times sounds more like an advertisement, and the fact that it's an exclusive review doesn't help their credibility any. Clearly IGN does not like the Zapper, and they have that right, but they need to really check what they say because their dislike has caused them to ignore the truth.
