In case you missed this yesterday, Nintendo revealed that its Zapper peripheral - a plastic gun-shaped object designed to securely house the Wiimote and Nunchuk, opening up new gameplay possibilities - would be shipped in the US on November the 19th, bundled with one game, Link's Crossbow Training. It's a Point Blank/Duck Shoot-style marksmanship title, pitting the player against a series of targets, starting out with stationary objects and eventually moving on to enemies from the Zelda titles. Other games with confirmed Zapper functionality are Resident Evil: Umbrellas Chronicles, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 and Sega's Ghost Squad.
Of course, this is not the only example of focused peripheral design for the Wii - it's become something of a cottage industry, with accessory manufacturers bringing out their own gun controllers, classic controllers, sports accessories and steering wheels. By bundling games with the official (more expensive) kit, Nintendo is ensuring that your spare Wii cash goes into its own coffers. Conversely, Mari Kart Wii will apparently be bundling with a free Wii Wheel when it arrives next year - adding extra value to the software package. Considering this piece of plastic probably costs pennies to produce it's an obvious move.
Now we just need a glowing plastic rod to convert the Wiimote into a proper lightsabre for the release of Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
