Nintendo Wii Fanboy

There are a lot of different Wii accessories out there. You've got recharge docks, light gun shells and wireless nunchuk adapters, just to name a few. There are plenty of accessories available for Wii gamers to plunk down cash for.

So what accessories do you have? Do you own a Classic Controller? Plan on loving the Wii Wheel or Balance Board when they release? Tell us about your accessories or what accessories you have an eye on!

Up until the death of what we hoped would be the accessory to end all accessories, there hasn't been much in the way of docks or storage solutions for the person with 4 Wiimotes. Now, thanks to the React Recharge Dock, we can charge up four Wiimotes simultaneously and still keep the clean aesthetic of the Wii.

With a fitting color scheme and its space-saving design, React's rechargeable solution for your Wiimote needs is not only shaping up to be the best solution for those who want a rechargeable pack for their Wiimotes that matches their Wii, but also about the most expensive choice for gamers. This accessory demands a hefty $50 entrance fee before you can enjoy it. However, the pack does include four 550 mAh batteries for your Wiimotes, so in the end, it just might not be such a bad deal after all.

What do you all think?

[Via Joystiq]

Third-party accessory manufacturers aren't the only ones coming up with ridiculous things to attach your Wii remote onto! A recent patent application posted at the European Patent Office's site reveals some of the crazy peripherals Nintendo dreamed up to explain the controller's potential, like the goggles shown above. ThinkGeek's Wii Helm seems like a respectable, thought-out product, compared to this silly idea. Wouldn't that unbalanced weight give you a sore neck after a minute of wearing this headpiece?

And there are much zanier diagrams in the application document -- Wii remotes in racing helmets, bike pedals, skateboard wheels, and teddy bears! How would this stuff even work? There are also drafts for a docking station and the old shotgun-design Zapper (the GameCube and wireless receiver demonstrating the Zapper shows the artwork's age). You can check them all out in our gallery below!


[Via 22Hundred]

Aside from charging a Wiimote dock or utilization the limited keyboard support, you might not think the USB ports on the back of that sexy Wii of yours are useful in regards to much else. In this day and age, lots of things can charge or run on USB. Heck, we know we charge our cell phone on USB more often than whipping out the AC adapter and plugging it into an outlet.

Considering that, we wanted to know how you're making use of the Wii's USB ports. If you leave your console in standby, you can charge this or that through your Wii. So, how do you make use of the USB ports?

We've had some laughs over Dragon Electronics' ill-conceived accessories in the past, but the Chinese manufacturer really seemed to hit all the right notes with its latest charging dock. Taking more into account than just bundling battery covers and rechargeable AAA batteries, the cradle has every feature we're looking for in a budget solution -- USB adapter, unobtrusive design, room to charge two controllers simultaneously, and LED status indicators.

Play-Asia has the charging station listed for $14.90 ($6.70 s/h), while eBay auctions have it priced a few dollars higher. To compare, Nyko's dock sells for about $30. Check past the post break for the full fact sheet.

We didn't even know that acessories manufacturer Intec was working on a Wii remote charging station until we saw one listed for sale earlier today. Much like Nyko's cradle, Intec's dock comes with two rechargeable battery packs and a base that lights up to signal when it's in use. That's about where the similarities between the two end.

Intec's dock does away with the AC plug and allows you to conveniently charge the battery packs via USB instead. Adding onto its appeal, at $25.00, the dock comes in $5.00 cheaper than Nyko's. Sounds like an easy choice between the two, right?

Where Intec's dock fails is its inability to charge both battery packs at the same time. You can't even charge the packs while they're in locked in the controllers! Those two slots for the remotes? Just for display! If you want to recharge a battery pack, you have to remove it from the controller and plant it into the dock.

This sort of half-assed setup might have flown back in November, but months after competitors have already put out more advanced solutions? Even with the five-dollar savings, you'd be wise to avoid this dock. That said, jump past the post break anyway, and check out the strange blurb we spotted on Intec's packaging.

[Via DCEmu]

Fire Bird's rechargeable grip combines the functions of a Wii remote charging dock and a controller frame accessory. The product seemed silly to us at first, but we suppose that something like this could be useful when we're playing Virtual Console releases or games that require us to hold the remote sideways like Excite Truck. Having a convenient way to recharge the battery via USB will also come in handy for future marathon sessions with Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn when Nintendo brings the time-consuming SRPG stateside.

SuccessHK no longer has the rechargeable controller grip in stock, but there are still a few listed on eBay for about $9.99 ($8.00 shipping). One strange thing to note about the packaging is its Wii Sports branding. Having your remote locked into the plastic frame would make playing any of the Wii Sports' games awkward. Check out that Wii logo too! The last two letters look more like a u-umlaut than lowercase i's. Head past the post break for a larger shot of the grip!

[Via DCEmu]

And charging the small sum of $17 USD, it's probably going to be the cheapest solution for your Wiimote-battery-charging needs. In this package, you get an extra battery, the cradle (pictured) and ... well, nothing else. Still though. this is the kind of no-frills setup any frugal gamer can appreciate.

[Via Engadget]