There are many accessories and add-ons for the Wii. Here is information on which ones are worth your time.
What is it that is so appealing about making our Wii remotes look like ping pong paddles when we play table tennis or attaching a blade when we go sword fighting? My job isn’t to explain, but simply to tell you how much satisfaction can be derived from Penguin United’s Sports Resort Bundle, a set of Wii attachments designed specifically for Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort.
I’ve always liked the idea of having a walking stick that turns into a sword, but the closest I’ve come so far is Nyko’s Wand Action Pack, a Wii remote that turns into a pistol.
Recently I raved on and on about how Nyko finally succeeded in creating an almost perfect Wii remote induction charger after so many others had fallen short. It took years from the Wii console’s release for someone to make a really great charger, but it has taken only a few weeks for a second to appear: Energizer’s Flat Panel Induction Charger.
The Wii remote, a long, slender object held with one hand with your forefinger on a trigger, is more gun-like than other game controllers, but using it still feels a lot more like operating your television remote than firing a glock. This explains the appeal of gun shells that allow you to turn your remote into a plastic gun. What is interesting about Penguin United’s Wii Pistol is that it is…
There are a good number systems that let you use rechargeable battery packs to power your Wii remote. If you're not sure which one to get, here's a comparison chart.
All I wanted was the perfect induction charger for my Wii remotes. Was that so unreasonable? Yet every charger I tried was flawed. Then I tried the Nyko Wii Charge Base IC, and while it may not be perfect, it comes so close that it makes me wonder; why could no one do this before?
Any charger is an improvement over dealing with batteries, but inductive chargers, make your life easiest, since you can recharge without removing the remote’s silicone sleeve or add-ons like the MotionPlus. The latest inductive charger on the market is Penguin United’s new ElectroFLow Charger. It’s not perfect, but it is arguably the best inductive charger to date.
As a professional reviewer, my job is to evaluate the pros and cons of a product and come to a reasonable judgment as to its merits. This proved somewhat difficult when I picked up Komodo’s Buckshot Lock and Load light gun peripheral for the Wii remote; it’s hard to consider something reasonably when your brain keeps yelling, “Woah! This thing is freaking awesome!”
The MotionPlus gives us the Wii we were expecting years ago.
A beautifully designed device from a well known company, Energizer’s charger has only one flaw; it doesn’t work very well.
DreamGear’s Quad
Dock Plus, which can make up to 4 Wii remotes rechargeable, worked
great for five days. Then it died. Normally my response would be to
contact the manufacturer and ask for a second review unit, but based
on my past experiences with DreamGear, I’m not even going to
bother.
DreamGear’s Twin
Star Sabers, a pair of Wii remote add-ons that turn your remote into
a light saber, fulfill the first basic necessity of gifts for kids:
they look cool when you open them up.
Nyko has two solutions for players looking for a wireless nunchuk. One, the Nyko Wireless Adapter for the Wii Nunchuk, is simply a wireless sheath for Nintendo’s nunchuk. The other is a wireless version of Nyko’s own nunchuk design, known as the Kama.
The first time you
connected the Wii nunchuk to the Wii remote, you may have had the
same thought I did: “Shouldn’t this nunchuk be wireless,
like the remote?” Apparently the folks at Nyko thought so too.
Their Wireless Adapter for the Wii Nunchuk turns the standard
Nintendo nunchuk into a wireless device.
Behind my entertainment
center, which contains a TV, DVR, receiver, turntable and 6 game
consoles, there is a twisted mass of cords that is formed into a
great Gordian knot. Perhaps that is why I am so fond of cordless
devices like Nyko’s Wireless Sensor Bar for the Wii.
A Review of DreamGear's Rumble Blaster Light Gun Add-On for the Wii Remote
A review of Penguin's Wii Soft Sports Pack, an add-on accessory for the Nintendo Wii
A review of NERF Sports Pack, a set of Wii remote add-ons to emulate sports equipment.
Review of Tekno Creations' Wii InCharge Dual Charge Station, a remote inductive charger
A review of Energizer’s Power & Play Recharge Station, a charger accessory for the Wii game console remote.
Product review of the Logitech Cordless Keyboard for the Wii game console.
DreamGear Wii Racing Wheel
A review of the Nyko Charge Station for the Wii
Apparently I'm not the only one who was underwhelmed by Nintendo's attempt at turning the Wii remote into a light gun.
I suspect this was written before the advent of Wii remote chargers, since they only recommend rechargeable batteries, but this is still a good list of extras you'll probably want to get.
One of these guns is shaped like a shark. Seriously.
