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Penguin United Component Cable (Premium)
Manufacturer: Penguin United
Site: Buy from Penguin United
Price: $26.99

Overview : Wii component video cable enables 480P (progressive) video display resolution between the Wii console and your Television. The cable has 24K gold plating for enhanced data transmission rate and durable outer nylon braid. Cable is to be used for Nintendo Wii Console only, comes with 1 year manufacturer's warranty. Cable Length 6 feet or 1.8M.

Features :

• Braided high-density copper, foil, and ferrite triple-shielded internal shielding against RF interference and provide high-quality audio and video output.
• Nitrogen-injected foam dielectric.
• Cable Length 6 feet or 1.8M
• Premium 24K gold connectors for maximum connectivity
• Durable outer nylon braid
• Resistant to temperature extremes
• Comes in Original Retail Package

Quality/Usability : (excerpt from our Wii Component Review)

This is Penguin United's third component cable. The other two iare Regular Component Cable and Gold Plated Component Cable. Is there a difference at all between the three? I personally do see a difference between the three. I honestly have to say, the Premium Component Cable is up there with the high-end cables. This is actually on par with Nintendo's own component cable.

The clarity and colors are a lot clearer. Objects are more defined, colors are more vibrant, just all around its better. I tried the cables on multiple TV sets and each TV set displayed nice images.

The quality of the cables are top notch and look professional. Like the Gold Plated component cables, the Premium component cable also has a nylon mesh on the cables. The cables are white.

Conclusion : Overall, the Penguin United Component Cable (Premium) is a excellent substitute to the Official Nintendo Component Cable. The quality is on par with the Nintendo brand. If you have the few extra bucks to burn, I suggest picking up the Premium cables.

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Talismoon Wii Component Cable
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo US / Buy from Divineo China
Price: $19.99

Overview : Now you can be sure to maximize everything the Nintendo® Wii™ has to offer with the Talismoon Wii™ component cable. Become in awe of tremendously enhanced visuals and super crisp textures! Immerse yourself in the digital gaming world and get closer to the game with another premium quality product by Talismoon. Live every jump, shot, and twist and turn to the fullest thanks to the highest quality image displayed on your TV set. Experience the benefits of premium quality gaming for one third less of the retail cost in relation to the official counterpart.

Features :

• Ideal for standard or HD TV’s
• Supports screen resolutions up to 480p
• 5 year warranty
• Stereo sound available through left and right RCA cables
• 1.80 meters long

Quality/Usability : (excerpt from our Wii Component Review)

Yes, another component cable review. This time, from Talismoon. As with all other products made by Talismoon, you can expect top quality production of their products.

After reviewing all these cables, they are all starting to look the same but after giving my eyes a rest, its good to go!

I have to say, these cables are on the same level as the Official Nintendo Wii Component Cable and Penguin United Premium Component Cable. Clarity of images and textures are clear and the colors are vibrant. Just like all the other cables, when a GameCube game was inserted, the Wii asked if I wanted to switch to Progressive Scan and they looked crisp.

Conclusion : Overall, the Talismoon Component Cable is another nice substitution. Honestly, its all about preference. Some gamers prefer Official products only, some prefer lower price, some want the expensive stuff. For $20, the price is unbeatable.

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Wii Controller Glove
Manufacturer: Bensussen, Deutsch & Associates (BD&A)
Site: Various stores (BestBuy, EB, GameStop, CircuityCity, Toys'R'Us, Target, Walmart, etc.)
Price: $8.99-$24.99

Overview : Shield your Wii controller from the wear and tear of frequent gameplay with this pair of protective gloves. Once the glove is placed over the wireless remote, you can get a better grip and enjoy enhanced playability. Keep the glove on, even after you're finished playing, for prolonged protection.

Made of slip-free silicone, the gloves will fit your controller perfectly. As a serious gamer, you need to have a firm grip on the controller to bring home a victory. Make sure it stays put in the palm of your hand with the gloves in this practical pair.

Quality/Usability : Even before the Nintendo Wii was officially released, Target had these for sale. There were two packs that had 3 in each. One pack has Zelda Edition (green), black/clear, grey/black. The second pack has Mario Edition (red), blue and pink. Eventually, stores all other stores started to sell them separately or in two-packs and have more colors for users to choose from such as orange and the colors listed above (not including the Limited Edition skins). Great thing about these skins is that they were Official Nintendo products and have WII stamped on it. Certain colors also glow in the dark (I know pink does and probably blue, others dont).

Applying the skin is fairly hard at first. Since its new, the rubber will be tight to fit on the Wii Remote. When you remove it and put it on a couple of times, it gets easier. Once its on, it fits perfectly.

All buttons are accessible but the (-) and (+) and HOME button do get covered by the skin since it is no longer bulging out. If this bothers some of you, you can simply make the holes bigger. The comfort of the skin is very nice and doesnt add any extra thickness or weight to it.

Having to remove the glove to gain access to battery compartment can be a hassle for those who use cheap AA batteries. Hopefully, a company will release a rechargeable battery pack that doesnt require removing batteries from the remote.

The controller glove also comes with a matching wrist strap but unlike the Official wrist strap, it does not have the feature of tightening the strap to your wrist. I personally still use the original strap.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Controller Glove is a great investment. If you have sweaty hands when playing games, this will eliminate the possibility of your Wii Remote flying across the room or even into your expensive television set. It would of been nice if they also included a glove for the nunchuk. They do know that both hands sweat right?

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Wii Steering Wheel
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Goldenshop
Price: $10.00

Overview : Simulation controlling, let you feel real and exciting. Enhance the joy of playing games.

Quality/Usability : With racing games such as GT Pro and Excite Truck, holding the Wii Remote normal feels a little awkward..well to me that is. I want something that resembles a car steering wheel or maybe get that fake feel of actually driving (minus the gas pedals).

The game GT Pro came bundled with a steering wheel but for those who didnt purchase GT Pro but purchased Excite Truck was left steering wheel-less. Thats where 3rd party manufacturers come in. PEGA has been jumping on every opportunity when it comes to designing and ideas for Wii peripherals. Their latest is the Steering Wheel.

The Steering Wheel is one piece. You place the Wii Remote controller into the slot and start playing. On each side of the slot where the Wii Remote goes into, there are small padding to keep the controller from scratching. On the back of the Steering Wheel is an opening for the B button, thus allowing easy access. Slipping the controller in and out is easy and doesnt take any strength.

If you're like me, who uses a case on the Wii Remote, you'll have to take it off in order for the controller to fit into the Steering Wheel. Also, if you're using a wrist strap (which you should be), you'll either have to take it off (if you're not using Nintendo straps) of it will be somewhat in your way.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Steering Wheel is a nice product but has some minor flaws. I personally would like to see some grooves of some sort for better grip. An opening even a small one so that the Wii wrist strap can go through. The price is very affordable.

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Wii Controller Grip
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Goldenshop
Price: $7.00

Overview :

• Wii controller grip has a nice appearance and good touch-feeling.
• Designed according to controller shape, the two grips are suitable for different kinds of people, and you can play your games freely by holding the two bars.
• The controller grip will ease your hands tiredness.

Quality/Usability : The Wii Controller Grip is to give you a better grip and comfort when holding the Wii Remote controller when used horizontal. Like the Wii Steering Wheel that was reviewed, the Controller Grip also has little foam paddings on all sides to prevent any scratching on the Wii Remote. Access to the B button is not really easily accessible since the hole is fairly small and the button does not stick out of the back of the Controller Grip. The wrist strap situation is the game. There is no opening on the back of the grip to allow the strap to go through. So, you'll either have to take the strap off or it will be somewhat of an annoyance. I noticed that on the back of the grip, there is a small hole with the words "SYNC". How can we sync the controller if there is a battery cover in the way?

Unlike the Steering Wheel, the Controller Grip does have grooves on the bars for better gripping. The comfort of holding the peripheral is pretty comfortable.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Controller Grip feels nice in the hands but the small opening for the B button and lack of a hole for wrist strap isnt good. If you purchase this and have access to a dremel, you may want to make the opening bigger allowing your finger to reach the B button easily.

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Wii PAK Carry Bag
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Brando
Price: $17.00

Overview : This carrying bag is specially designed for the Wii console. It provides slots for you to place the Wii console, controllers, games and other accessories.

Features :

• Protect your Wii and accessories in transport
• Convenient to carry
• Double zipper design

Quality/Usability : Everytime I go to a relatives house, I bring my Nintendo Wii with me as it is a great console for get-togethers and will get everyone involved. I have been using my promo Nintendo GameCube Messenger bag that I received from E3 a couple years ago. Although it carried all accessories and my console, it lacked protection. I had to put the sensor bar in a padded envelope, Wii console in a box, controllers in a bag and cables just thrown into the bag. With all that shoved in to the bag, it still left some room for my games (with cases).

I thought it was time to move the Wii out of the messenger bag into a case that was more fitted for the Wii. Thats where the Wii PAK Carry Bag comes in. By the looks of the picture, the bag looks big. But dont let that fooled you because it fooled me. Once you see it up close and personal, the case is actually small.

There is a two compartments. One is for the Wii console itself and the other is for your controllers. Theres also a zippered pocket on the front, velcro pocket on the back and when you open the big main compartment that holds the Wii, there is four little pouches and five disc holders.

The main compartment holds the Nintendo Wii console. The Wii fits snug inside but once its placed it, there is an open area (see image below). What I did was place the stand that came with the console on top. This will prevent the system from moving during transit. Since this compartment is the biggest, I also shoved in the sensor bar and tucked the cables into the little pouch that holds the Wii in place. The image below shows the sensor bar on top of the Wii console, which you can also do if you dont use the stand.

The second compartment is for your controllers/cables/power adapter. There are two elastic bands to hold your accessories in place. I personally use it just for my cables/power adapter considering I have two Wii Remotes and two Nunchuks and both have controller gloves on the, I wouldnt be able to fit them all into that little pouch.

On the front of the second compartment is a zippered pocket. This would be perfect for your manuals or anything small and thin. You wouldnt be able to fit anything else in there. The same goes for the back side of the bag with the velcro pouch. This is only good for documents as its a really really tight fit.

Lets go back to the main compartment. On the opposite side of where the Wii is stored, there are five disc holders and four little pouches. The four little pouches is good enough to hold your SD cards. Dont know what else is there for the Wii that is the size of SD cards. The disc pouch does just that, hold your Wii games and keeps them all together.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii PAK Carry Bag is small, compact and holds all your Nintendo Wii products. But its a little too small. The pocket that holds the cables and controllers, you wouldnt be able to fit a lot in there if you have four of each controller. It either hold the cables or your controllers. I decided to place the cables in the second compartment since its already a tight fit and adding the controllers in to the mix may cause buttons to be pressed thus causing the battery to drain. If the bag/pouches were slightly bigger, it would be a great case not to mention a little pouch for the sensor bar. Now, I just have to carry my controllers in a separate bag.

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Wii Boxing Gloves
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Goldenshop
Price: $22.00

Overview : Feel like you're in the ring with Mike Tyson, without having to get your ear bitten off! This cool product from Pega brings new life to the boxing game in the Wii Sports package. Simply stick your Nunchuk and Wii-mote controllers into each glove, link them up and it's seconds out, Round 1! Gloves are fully padded to protect you, the controllers and whoever you might accidentily hit! Adjustable straps to suit most sizes. Get one, it's a lot of fun!

Features :

• High quality 3rd party product.
• Enhance the joy of playing.
• Easy to use.

Quality/Usability : As we were the first ones to bring you news regarding the Wii Boxing Gloves. We also mentioned that we would bring a review as well and here is the very first Wii Boxing Gloves REVIEW!

So how is it? Its got its share of good and of course, its got its share of bad. So lets start the review!. The quality of the gloves are well made. Its light weight and feels great in the hands. There are velcro straps to tighten the gloves to your hands. The glove itself is pretty much a one size fits all. If you have small hands, it will be loose.

Now the controllers. The controllers go inside the big padded pouch. Right hand for Wii Remote and left hand for the Nunchuk. Inside the pouch is a styrofoam cushin with cutouts for the shape of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The cord on the attachment and strap on the Wii Remote go through a little opening on the flap cover of the gloves. Once the Wii Remote and Nunchuk are connected together and placed inside the cushion and the cushion is inside the glove, thats when we run into problems.

Theres no way to press buttons. In order to press buttons, you have to remove the styrofoam cushion to access the Wii Remote. Putting it back together to get ready to play a game isnt easy either as you'll need two free hands to help shove the cushion into the pouch of the glove. The time it takes to put the cushion/controller into the pouch, you're getting your butt whooped by your computer opponent. If you use controller gloves like I do, its a very very tight fit and you'll need to take them off if you're using a glove..thats if you want to use the cushion.

Even if you take out the cushion and just stick the remotes into the pouch, you'll be able to access the buttons but you still have problems. Once the Wii Remote is placed into the glove, you cant select anything on the screen since the Wii Sensor Bar doesnt recognize the Wii Remote since the glove is blocking the IR. So you'll have to take the Wii Remote out just to aim and select what you want. Once you have selected what you want, you have to stick the remote back into the glove. At least this option is a little easier than with the styrofoam cushion.

If you're able to put up with all that hassle, gameplay is somewhat smooth sailing. Although the Wii Sensor Bar doesnt recognize the Wii Remote for you to point and select your options, it recognizes the movement of the controllers..but not completely accurate. Just holding the controllers without the use of gloves isnt accurate to begin with. Its a little harder to do uppercuts and those side-punches. Since the wires are coming out of the top of the controller gloves, the cord may get in the way of gameplay.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Boxing Gloves is just a gimmick. The idea is great but the design is poor. Cord being in the way, Wii Remote not being recognized when it comes to selecting things thus having to remove the styrofoam cushion and remote just to select what you want. By the time you're done fiddling with selecting and placing it back into the pouch, you dont want to bother anymore. You're pretty much either in between rounds resting or given up and got KO'd.

If they were to revise the controller glove, I suggest not having the styrofoam cushion over the remote but under it. This will allow user to have access to buttons without having to take out the controller. A cut out for the IR would be need so it is visible to communicate with the sensor bar. And maybe something with the wires where they are at the bottom of the glove rather than at the top. There were a couple of times where I got smacked in the face.



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Nyko Charger Grip Lite
Manufacturer: Nyko
Site: Buy from Nyko
Price: $24.99

Overview : Increase the battery life and comfort of the Nintendo DS lite with Nyko’s Charger Grip for the DS lite. The Charger Grip lite has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that adds up to 8 hours of additional playtime. The batteries are encased in an ergonomically designed case designed to minimize discomfort and provide a more comfortable grip for extended playing sessions on road trips, plane flights and more. The ChargerGrip lite utilizes the existing DS lite AC adaptor to charge both the DS lite’s battery and the Charger Grip’s internal battery simultaneously. Attaching and removing the Charger Grip is simple and requires no additional hardware or installation.

Features :

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Up to 8 hours of additional play time
• Uses existing DS lite AC adaptor
• Enjoy longer periods of gaming without having to recharge
• Ergonomic design meshes with the décor of the DS lite
• Built-in stylus slot

Quality/Usability : Nyko announced and unveiled the Nyko Charger Grip at CES 2007. Since then, DS Lite owners have been wondering how the Charger Grip works out and how well it works. And we're here to bring it to you!

The Charger Grip comes only in one color and thats white. Installation and removal is fairly simple. First you'll need to remove the DS stylus. Fully extend the Charger Grip sliding power connector and place the DS Lite into the Charger Grip. Once the DS Lite is on the grip, slide the power connector down into the DS Lite power connector. Since the stylus has been removed from the DS Lite, Nyko uses a locking pin to secure the DS Lite in place. Where does the stylus go? It goes on top of the grip.

You can charge the Charger Grip alone, or both the Charger Grip and the DS Lite at the same time. Of course, you'll need the AC adapter in order to charge the Charger Grip.

There is a switch on the back side of the Charger Grip and consists of two modes, Charge Mode and Play Mode. Charge Mode is used to charge the Charger Grip by itself. This does not charge the DS Lite system. Play Mode will simultaneously charge the Charger Grip and DS Lite, or you can use the Charger Grip to charge the DS Lite if you are running low on battery.

There is an LED on the left side of the Charger Grip. NO LIGHT obviously means it is not charging. SOLID RED LIGHT means the unit is in Charge Mode. SOLID GREEN LIGHT means it is in Play Mode.

The Charger Grip has a foam cushion to prevent any scratching on the bottom of the DS Lite. With the DS Lite in the Charger Grip in place, the Grip feels comfortable in the hands and it doesnt add much bulk or weight. Access to the volume switch, headphone jack, power switch and both Slot-1 and Slot-2 are all easily accessible.

Conclusion : Overall, the Nyko Charger Grip does its job at supplying additional power to the DS Lite. It takes about 3-4 hours and lasted a little over 8 hours from our testings. If charging both the Charger Grip and DS Lite, it can take longer to charge. Having the Charger Grip would defeat the purpose of portability since it does add some thickness to the DS Lite. It would have been nice if Nyko offered a variety of colors such as black or pink to match the colors that Nintendo released in the US.

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DecalGirl Wii and Controller Skin (NES Retro Horizontal)
Manufacturer: DecalGirl
Site: Buy from DecalGirl
Price: $14.99 (Wii) / $4.00 (Remote/NunChuk Set) / $4.00 (Classic Controller) - Purchased together
Price: $4.99 (Remote/NunChuk Set) / $4.99 (Classic Controller) - Purchased Separately

Overview : We've always been huge Nintendo fans and we're proud to offer skins for the new Nintendo Wii. Extra care was taken on this next-gen console to cover as much as possible, minimize gaps between panels, and give fellow Wii owners a skin kit that does the box justice.

This Wii skin is made from the best materials - thin enough to cover both sides and still fit in the OEM stand, but thick enough to protect from scratches. The full-color, high-res "Retro Horizontal" design won't fade, smudge, smear, or leave any nasty residue when removed.

The same DecalGirl skins that Nintendo Power called "truly impressive" can now be yours for under $15!

Quality/Usability : Don't expect any fancy retail packaging. The quality of the skin is top notch. I was impressed by the quality the skins were printed on. The Wii skin came in two sheets. The first sheet contained the skin for the right side of the Wii (when stood up; top), front faceplate of the Wii and for the covers for the GameCube controllers. The second sheet was for the left side (bottom of the Wii).

They also included two more sheets. One sheet included skin for the Wii remote and nunchuk. The
second had the Classic Controller skin.

I'm anal and a perfectionist, so when it comes to making things look the best, it has to be perfect. Applying the skin was fairly easy. There were at times when it was not aligned perfectly and lifting/removing the skin was easy. It did not leave any marks or residue and the skin can still be applied.

Applying the top skin (right side when stopped upright), took me a couple of tries before I got it on perfectly. Once that was placed on, applying the rest was a synch once you get a hang of it.

Once all the skins have been applied, I thought there would be some added thickness to the Wii when placed into the stand that came with the Wii. But I was wrong. The Wii fit perfectly into the stand with the skin on.

Applying the skin for the Wii Remote, NunChuk and Classic Controller was easy as well. But if you have a glove on your Wii Remote, you probably wont notice that you have a skin on there.

The color of the skin looks fabulous. Looks exactly like a NES.

Conclusion : Overall, the DecalGirl Wii Skin is a great product. Gives your Wii a unique look until Nintendo releases new Wii colored system or a third party releases colored casings. Unfortunately, the top skin doesnt really cover completely. There is a slight gap. Also, with the skin on the nunchuk/remote and classic controller, I wonder how long it will last for those gamers with sweaty hands. But the skin is a great investment for those who wants to add a new look to their Wii. Not to mention, the skin can also protect the Wii from scratches.


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