The Wii Zapper (pictured above) is the first perihperal device for the system and is at the center of some very exciting news today. It will be available on November 19th and come pre-packaged with a new Zelda based game called Links Crossbow Training. Some have called this device a "gimmick" because it is just a casing which the regular Wii mote and nunchuk sit in, however both devices have a motion sensor, so attaching them together inline can increase the sensitivity and precision of the controller in a way specifically needed for a good shooting game.

George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications said ""Both veteran and first-time players will find it brings a whole new dimension to games where targeting is key and provides even more exciting game-play experiences."

Links Crossbow Training is a game designed to teach players to use the device and get some skill at aiming and shooting it. Future plans are very exciting, with third party publishers tripping over themselves to develop software for it. No one wants to make the same mistake EA did by under developing for the Wii, costing them their number 1 spot in the industry. Taken from Nintendos offical site is this list of current projects already announced for the Wii Zapper. "EA's Medal of Honor Heroes™ 2 with an all-new Wii-exclusive Arcade Mode, a full single-player campaign, and support for up to 32 players in multiplayer. Capcom's Resident Evil®: The Umbrella Chronicles reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as new never-before-seen locations like Umbrella's stronghold. One or two players use the Wii Zapper to take aim against a horde of zombies in first-person perspective. SEGA's Ghost Squad™ lets players replicate the arcade light-gun experience at home with the Wii Zapper."

That all sounds pretty cool to me. This is one "gimmick" I would not miss out on if I were any of you!