Posts from the Peripherals Category at Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Game Informer reveals Guitar Hero IV drum kit [update]

Posted May 14th 2008 11:00AM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Well now, it looks like the June 2008 issue of Game Informer has a little surprise up its sleeve. You got it, this is none other than the drum kit that will be utilized in Guitar Hero IV. Looks kind of weird, if you ask us. But, hey, maybe the thing looks goofy, yet has a great feel to it? We'll have to wait and see.

As you can tell, it's different from the Rock Band drum kit in several ways. For one, it would appear the kit only has 3 face drums, with two weird high hat-looking things above the main drums, along with the requisite bass pedal. Will this be an easier drum kit to manage than the one bundled with Rock Band?

Update: Whoops, fixed some oversight on our part. Sorry for the mistake.

[Via Joystiq]

Apple comes up with their own Wiimote

Posted May 9th 2008 8:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Apple apparently has a Wiimote-like remote in the works for their Apple TV. At least, that's our best guess regarding this patent from November of 2006, as we can't imagine what else Apple would have this planned for. Apple's version of the Wiimote even has an accelerometer, as well as a rather specific purpose detailed that relates to gaming.

Of course, it's only just a patent. We've no idea about the possibility of this device actually becoming a product on retail shelves.

[Via Engadget]

Nyko reveals Energy Pak for Wii Fit [update]

Posted May 9th 2008 1:30PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Update: Sorry, got our dates confused. The post has been fixed.

Nyko wants you to know they've come up with a solution for the Balance Board's power consumption, making sure they get in on the cash cow others think it will be. It's a rechargeable battery pack that will release on May 19th, for a MSRP of $19.99. The cool thing about this rechargeable battery pack is that, in order to recharge it, you won't even need to unplug it from the Balance Board. You can charge and play at the same time.

Hit up the gallery below for some screens of the accessory at work.

Gallery: Nyko Energy Pak for Wii Fit

[Via press release]

Amazon sells out of Wii Fit preorders

Posted May 7th 2008 3:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: News, Peripherals

For those of you who did not preorder Wii Fit and think it won't be a problem picking the bundle up on release date through walk-in at your local retail spot, know this: Amazon has cleared through their entire preorder stock in less than a month. It comes out to about 2.5 units sold every minute, according to an Amazon representative that spoke with Joystiq.

It looks like the grim picture painted by Michael Pachter is coming true. Wii Fit fever has caught on, thanks in part to the software and Balance Board, as well as the mainstream media coverage and marketing push from Nintendo. Our advice? If you haven't planned on how you're going to get Wii Fit by now, there's a good chance you won't be able to nab one on release day.

Gallery: Wii Fit

[Via Joystiq]

Wii Fanboy hands-on: Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk

Posted May 7th 2008 12:45PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Reviews, Peripherals, Controller, Features

When we received our Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk, we thought about what games would be the most appropriate to use the nunchuk with. As such, pretty much all of our games qualified as good candidates, so we went with Super Mario Galaxy, No More Heroes and Wii Sports. How did the Kama stack up against Nintendo's nunchuk? Read on to find out!

Gallery: Nyko's Kama wireless nunchuks

Continue reading Wii Fanboy hands-on: Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk

British magazine giving away free Wii Wheel

Posted Apr 30th 2008 3:00PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Here's something: despite our initial skepticism, we actually really like the Wii Wheel -- in fact, it's all we use now for Mario Kart Wii. The only downside? At $10 per wheel (or £7 in the UK), buying enough for four-player matches can get kind of pricey.

So the way we see it, you have two choices:

Go with one of our totally awesome (and totally free) homemade Wii Wheels (the option we'd recommend) or:
Pick up the latest issue of NGamer, which comes with the above "free" wheel packed in. It's not technically free, obviously, because you'll have to pony up the £4.99 for the magazine, which optimistically suggests that the free gift is worth £7, meaning somebody in NGamer's accounting department may well be clearing their desk later this month.

Incidentally, while NGamer is a UK publication, some of my U.S-based colleagues think they may have spotted copies in Barnes & Noble, so keep your eyes peeled and you too might save hundreds of cents.

Update: Corrected U.S. price.

Gallery: Reinventing the Wii Wheel

Gallery: The Evolution of the Wii Wheel

[Via Go Nintendo]

Wii Warm Up: Taking the wheel

Posted Apr 28th 2008 9:00AM by Alisha Karabinus
Filed under: Peripherals, Wii Warm Up

Many of us have been hating on the Wii Wheel since it was first announced, and yet, since yesterday, we've spoken to tons of Wii owners who actually tried it ... and liked it. It was a mixed bag around here; some players (even longtime gamers!) loved it, and some found it less useful than some of the other control options. All we want to know is: did you at least try it, if you picked up Mario Kart, or did you skip it without even bothering?

If it's a hit in your house, are you going to buy extra wheels (or possibly look for other solutions)?

Revolutionary: Wii can has hard drive?

Posted Apr 23rd 2008 4:00PM by Mike Sylvester
Filed under: Virtual Console, Peripherals, Tech stuff, Features, WiiWare, Revolutionary

Every other week, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

If you're smitten with the Virtual Console, one thing we're sure you aren't in love with is having to swap games between an SD card and your Wii's internal memory, or even worse -- deleting games to be re-downloaded later. WiiWare is on its way and it's hard to imagine My Life as a King demeaning itself to share its estate with less noble games. And certainly not with it bringing microtransactions to the royal ball. And wouldn't it be dandy if some of our multiplatform ports had somewhere to store that downloadable content that everyone is raving about on other consoles?

We ~~want~~ need more storage, and some of you have gathered to plead with Nintendo to sell a Wii Hard Drive. It appears that your cries just fall on deaf ears because they seem hardly driven to provide one. In this edition of Revolutionary, we'll examine why Wii can't have a hard drive.

Continue reading Revolutionary: Wii can has hard drive?

Guitar Hero rumored to add peripherals

Posted Apr 23rd 2008 3:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Rumors, Peripherals

There are rumors abound that Activision will be adding new instrument peripherals and a microphone to Guitar Hero IV, because of statements made by Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick in a recent interview with Conde Nast Portfolio. Should these bode true, though, we think this is a questionable move by the company. Although Rock Band is widely hailed as the better game, it seems lazy for Activision to turn its franchise into exactly (or at least, almost exactly) the same thing.

Let's think of the other negatives. Since Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars are incompatible with the competing game (thanks to Activision), we can assume that if drums become a part of the GHIV experience, they will be, too. This means that people who want to own both will not only have to deal with a mountain of guitars (supposing they enjoy a good bout of local multiplayer), but also two drum sets cluttering up their homes. Moreover, this blogger has come to think of Guitar Hero as "the poor man's Rock Band," meaning that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg (just an arm) to get it. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper. Should the series turn into Rock Band, however, that will take away its economic edge.

Now, there could be good things about this rumored change. If Activision added some unique instruments (maybe a keyboard?), the game could offer something that Rock Band can't. Should it turn into nothing but a clone, though, we can't say we support that.

Kotick also mentioned that the game will include a feature that utilizes local bands, but what the CEO meant by this has yet to be clarified.

[Via Joystiq]

A rainbow of Nunchuks [Update]

Posted Apr 23rd 2008 1:30PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: News, Peripherals, Controller

A fairly dreary, rubbish "rainbow," admittedly, but a rainbow of sorts. These 'chuks are all part of Nyko's new Kama range of wireless nunchuks, and are classified as gray, black, pink, and gold (the one on the right, apparently). They also happen to be limited edition, and that's probably why Nyko is happy to charge us $35 per nunchuk, a considerable mark-up on the $20 you'd pay for a standard wired Nunchuck (how passé!). The gray ones are up for sale now (there's 300 of them to go round), and the other colors will follow in the coming days (the black and gold are the rarest, numbering only 150).

Nyko already has a wireless nunchuck out on the market previously released a wireless Nunchuck adapter, so we don't doubt that these would also do the job nicely. However, unlike the adapter, this is a standalone wireless Nunchuck. No messy cords to bundle up. But $35 for a peripheral that will clash with our lovely white Wiimotes? We'll pass on this one.

Gallery: Nyko's Kama wireless nunchuks

[Via Siliconera]

[Update: Update: Corrected a few errors in the article. $35 is the standard price for all of Nyko's Kama wireless nunchucks: the limited edition Kama line of nunchucks cost the same as Nyko's standard Kama Wireless Nunchucks soon to be released.]

The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Posted Apr 17th 2008 9:00PM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: Peripherals, Controller

Third-party accessory manufacturers have been putting out steering wheel attachments for the Wii remote long before Nintendo pulled the curtain on its Wii Wheel, but, like the Wii Wheel, they're simple models, plastic molded into circular shapes with an open slot for the controller.

Brando's Wii Multi-Axis Racing System has a more traditional design with an attachable steering column and suction cups at the bottom to keep it in place. It really looks more expensive than the $18 Brando is asking for it, but you'll have to remember that there are no actual electronic or complex parts.

Mounting the wheel to the column should keep the Wii remote angled correctly while you race around Mario Kart's tracks, but, then again, that might also make it tough to pull off waggle stunts. Drift past the post break for more photos of the Wii Multi-Axis Racing System.

Continue reading The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Don King Presents: Another game that uses the Balance Board

Posted Apr 16th 2008 10:30AM by JC Fletcher
Filed under: News, Peripherals

Only in America! And probably Europe as well! The new boxing game Don King Presents: Prizefighter is going to have a lovely feature that will be welcome among Wii Fit owners: Balance Board compatibility. Unfortunately, you won't be wobbling on the board to bob and weave -- it's limited to training modes only.

Those training modes do seem to be carefully considered, however, being designed under the guidance of a boxing instructor and intended to offer an actual challenge: "It's a workout - even the silly Wii Sports one is a workout. We intend to give you a real one with the Balance Board." The example included a jump rope game done on the board with the Wiimote in your back pocket -- though we hope it doesn't involve actual, Balance Board-crunching jumps.

[Via NeoGAF]

GHSkinz adds style to your fake instruments

Posted Apr 15th 2008 8:00PM by David Hinkle
Filed under: Fan stuff, Peripherals

Folks looking to jazz up their plastic Les Pauls for Guitar Hero or instruments they'll be jamming with in Rock Band, take note. Website GHSkinz is looking to offer you skins and other accessories for your fake instruments.

The skins themselves look like they're high quality, but with that comes the problem of price. It won't be cheap to outfit your instruments. But, then again, when your guitar looks as badass as this, we're not sure you're going to care about how much you spent to make sure it looks this way.

See also: Give your Rock Band drums some extra lives

Unboxing the Super Famicom Classic Controller

Posted Apr 15th 2008 10:30AM by Eric Caoili
Filed under: Imports, Peripherals, Controller

Have you put in your preorder for the Super Famicom Classic Controller yet? No? Well, you better do it quick, as the limited edition controller is a Japan-only Club Nintendo exclusive, and you likely won't be able to buy one months from now without spending some serious money on eBay. And by serious money, we mean wacky dollars.

Inside Games has received its SFC controller, and so far, it looks faithful to the original, with the added bonus of a wireless experience via hookup to the Wii remote. Alright, so it's not completely wireless, technically, but you should be used to the setup with the Wii Classic Controller. Hit the link below for unpackaging photos of the retro pad.

You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

Posted Apr 11th 2008 2:15PM by Chris Greenhough
Filed under: Fan stuff, Peripherals

Being nothing more than a chunky, round slab of plastic with a convenient slot for your Wiimote to slide into, the Wii Wheel is fairly easily imitated. As if to illustrate this fact, one Japanese blogger fashioned the DIY Wii Wheel you see above, using only a saucepan lid and a strip of parcel tape. We suppose it's a cheaper alternative to shelling out cash to equip another three players, but doesn't this make the B button inaccessible? Steer past the break for another (considerably more wheel-like) homemade example.

Gallery: The Evolution of the Wii Wheel

Continue reading You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

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Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Game Informer reveals Guitar Hero IV drum kit [update]

Apple comes up with their own Wiimote

Nyko reveals Energy Pak for Wii Fit [update]

Amazon sells out of Wii Fit preorders

Wii Fanboy hands-on: Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk

British magazine giving away free Wii Wheel

Wii Warm Up: Taking the wheel

Revolutionary: Wii can has hard drive?

Guitar Hero rumored to add peripherals

A rainbow of Nunchuks [Update]

The first (somewhat) decent Wii Wheel clone

Don King Presents: Another game that uses the Balance Board

GHSkinz adds style to your fake instruments

Unboxing the Super Famicom Classic Controller

You already have a Wii Wheel in your own home

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