Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Whenever accessory manufacturer Thrustmaster comes up in conversation -- and it often does -- we can't help but imagine the Simpsons' Duff Man character stabbing the air with his pelvis. So, if you hear us suddenly yell out, "Oh yeah!" now you understand what provoked our involuntary impulse.

Despite the distracting nature of its company name, Thrustmaster successfully put together an acceptable alternative to Nintendo's Classic Controller and WaveBird with several advantages over its first-party competition:

1. Togglable rumble via switch
2. Doesn't depend on a Wii remote hookup for wireless functionality, using a GameCube port dongle instead
   
3. Xbox-like shoulder button layout
4. Turbo and slow modes
5. Mappable buttons

Best of all, Dell's online shop is currently selling Thrustmaster's T-Wireless NW Gamepad for only $13.59 ($19.99 MSRP) until December 13th! Check out more photos from IGN's favorable review past the break. Oh yeah!

[Thanks, BPM!]

Nintendo including wireless capabilities seemed like a boon for many ... similar add-ons for other systems can cost upwards of a hundred dollars. Still, for those not quite on the send-information-zipping-on-airwaves bandwagon, the lack of an ethernet port on the system meant either buying a router or one of Nintendo's silly USB dongles. Even if wireless is available, many users prefer the stability of a wired network anyway, and those USB ports on the back of the Wii have as of yet been unused. Until...

Through some sort of electronic melding procedure, an unofficial ethernet-to-USB adapter (KINAMAX USB 2.0 to RJ45 Fast Ethernet 10/100 Base-T Network Adapter, found for sale at NewEgg here for $20) seems to send all the necessary 1's and 0's to the Wii. Why this adapter works and others not, we have no idea. Still, it's best not to look a gift horse in the mouth; if you wanted a wired connection, you've got one. Check after the break for a video demonstration.

The Wii is gloriously Wi-Fi enabled right out of the box, a lovely addition to the console. But, alas, not all of us are high tech money-throwers with advanced router setups in our third floor libraries. Well, we are (though it's in the fourth floor media-viewing room), but for everyone else, Nintendo has announced an Ethernet kit that will (presumably) take a standard ethernet cord and run it through one of the two USB slots on the back of the console.

Another option is the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB dongle, an option made available for DS users without a router. However, the limited availability and relatively high price have been a bit of a barrier, so it's nice to see that Nintendo is offering a hardwired option. Plus, wired speeds and connection stability are still generally superior to any wireless network, so some of us you rich boys might want to pick one up regardless.

[Thanks, Probot!]

Matt Cassa-however-you-spell-it over at IGN has posted a rather interesting blog post about the assumed nature of DVD playback for the Nintendo Wii. At E3 2005, it was announced that there would be a "dongle adapter" for optional included DVD playback, and there were rumors over the next year that it would simply be built-in. However, while Nintendo loves to reiterate time and time again the capabilities of its critical darling, any and all mention of DVD playback has been completely removed.

DVD playback is a feature we've come to expect not only in next-generation machines, but last generation as well. Since Wii discs are DVDs anyway, would this feature be so difficult to add on? Check out Matt's blog for a slightly more in-depth analysis, and let's hope that Nintendo doesn't take their "games only" stance a bit too far.