The real uniqueness of the Wii gaming device lies in its wireless remote control. As shown in Figure 8, it looks more like a television remote than a gaming remote. Accelerometers measure the movement of the remote in all directions and at all speeds. So the remote is used in many different ways. When playing tennis, it becomes the racket. In driving games it serves as a steering wheel. In baseball it can be either the bat or the ball depending on whether you are pitching or batting.

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Figure 8: The Wii remote.

The remote also has a force feedback feature that provides a tactile “rumble” effect. As shown in Figure 8, the remote has several buttons as well as a 4-way button. These buttons are used in various ways depending on the game.  Figure 9 shows the back of the remote which has another button and the door for the batteries.

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Figure 9: The back of the remote.

As shown in Figure 10, the bottom of the remote has an expansion port for use with accessories, like the nunchuck and the Wii Motionplus adapter.

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Figure 10: The bottom of the remote.

Figure 11 shows the nunchuck attached to the remote. For games that use it, you hold the remote in one hand and the nunchuck in the other for added functionality.

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Figure 11: The nunchuck attached to the remote.

A shown in Figure 12, the nunchuck has an analog thumbstick on one side and 2 trigger buttons on the other. It is shaped to fit snugly in your hand and is used for games like boxing.

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Figure 12: The nunchuck.

The Wii system allows for up to four remotes and nunchucks to be used at the same time, but only one of each is included with the console. The others must be purchased separately.