FlingSmash bundle: Best way to buy a new Wii Remote

Chances are, if you own a Wii, you're going to need an extra controller sooner or later. Now's an excellent time to get one, since Nintendo has revamped its lineup of Wii Remotes to integrate MotionPlus inside. The new controllers, called Wii Remote Plus, look exactly like the old Wii remotes (check the box to make sure it's the new version), doing away with the annoying plastic plug-on that MotionPlus used to require.

The Wii Remote Plus comes in two retail packages: on its own in four different colors for $39.99, or packed with the game FlingSmash for $49.99. Whether the game bundle's worth your extra consideration comes down to whether you feel like the game is worth $10. In our opinion, it is.

FlingSmash is a 2D, retro arcade-influenced hybrid of Super Mario, pinball, and Breakout, involving the smacking of adorable little puffball mascots into bricks across eight different worlds. It's no Wii Sports Resort, but the game's production values and co-op play make it a more solidly produced pack-in than efforts such as Link's Crossbow Training or Wii Play. It's also a good way to demo the capabilities of MotionPlus.

Though the gyroscopic technology inside MotionPlus adds accuracy to the Wii controls, very few Wii games actually make use of it. Wii Sports Resort and Tiger Woods are among the few notables, along with a forthcoming Zelda sequel in 2011. Older Wii owners can live without it unless they're playing one of the aforementioned games, but considering it's ubiquitous in all Wii hardware currently sold, there's a chance more games will use it in the future.

The decision is a no-brainer if you're already in the market for a controller, especially since older Wii Remotes are effectively discontinued. It also happens to be the best version of the Wii Remote yet.

Read our full review of the Wii Remote Plus.