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Nextronics Wii Wireless Sensor Bar
Manufacturer: Nextronics
Site: Buy from Nextronics
Price: $19.00

Overview : Talk about a great range! The Nextronics wireless sensor bar has been reviewed by IGN, and found to have a range of up to 30 ft! This small and stylish sensor bar is only 9 inches long, and 1/2 inch tall which makes it even smaller than Nintendo's own sensor bar. Nextronics sensor bar needs no connection to the Wii, and includes an AC adapter, and battery pack for multiple power options.

30 ft range should be considered maximum possible range, adjust sensitivity settings in Wii menu to optimize range.

Quality/Usability : With the release of the Nintendo Wii, there have been a lot of requests for accessories such as controller gloves, rechargeable battery packs and even wireless sensor bars.

The first wireless sensor bar to released was wirelesssensorbar.com's Wireless Sensor Bar, followed by Nyko's Wireless Sensor Bar, and now Nextronics' Wireless Sensor Bar. Sure you can use IR ports from your TV remotes, candles or Christmas lights, but its not the same.

People have complained of the original sensor bar that came with the Wii being way too long and that is why companies are jumping on the bandwagon of wireless sensor bars.

There is no packaging for the Nextronics Wireless Sensor Bar. It came wrapped in bubble wrap. Its like a hybrid of the garage built wirelesssensorbar.com's and Nyko's put into one. In the package was the wireless sensor bar, battery pack and AC adapter.

You read that right, you can either use AC adapter or 3 AA batteries! The sensor bar is slightly shorter then the official Nintendo sensor bar. There is double sided sticky tape placed on the bottom of the sensor bar. Does anyone even use the double sided sticky tape?

Unlike the other wireless sensor bars, Nextronics is the first to use an AC adapter to power the wireless sensor bar. With the included AC adapter, you wont have to worry about the sensor bar dying out on you while you're playing an intense game. In addition to the AC adapter, as mentioned above, you can also use 3 AA batteries via battery pack. There is a screw on the battery pack to keep the cover closed. The battery pack is then connected to the cable that is attached to the sensor bar. The cable on the sensor bar is approximately 6 inches long as well as on the battery pack.

During testing, running on the sensor bar on batteries were pretty strong. It tracked every movement accurately and even during gameplay up to 20 feet (may have gone further). Since there is no warning of when the batteries are dying on the sensor bar, you'll have to go by the hand cursor or during gameplay. You'll either have no control or the hand cursor will start to flicker.

Battery life is pretty decent lasting about 15-20 hours or so on 3 AA batteries. I suggest using rechargeable batteries but is kind of awkward only having to use 3 batteries. Why couldnt it have been 2 or 4 batteries? Some rechargeable kits require 2 batteries at the same time to charge so having to charge 3rd battery wont be possible. Luckily, the battery pack has an ON/OFF switch.

Conclusion : Overall, the Nextronics Wii Wireless Sensor Bar is a pretty good product. The ability to either use 3 AA batteries or AC adapter is a great thing to have. Although it doesnt look professionally built from a manufacturer, it looks close enough. Only drawback is no way of telling if the battery is near dead and if you have an LCD or plasma TV, using the battery can be trouble some. There is no place to put it on top of the monitor unless you put it at the bottom. The weight of the battery pack will just drag the sensor bar with it. They could of also left out the screw but it looks as if someone built this out of their garage by purchasing the required parts and building it themselves. But it damn looks good and works as well!

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Joytech Wii Power Station
Manufacturer: Joytech
Site:
Price: $44.95


Overview : Bring order to your Wii™ Remote with the Power Station™ from JOYTECH. Rechargeable Battery Packs removes the need for replacement batteries and when you're finished gaming, the Power Station™ charges, stores and protects your Wii™ Remote, so you'll always have power when you need it most!

Features :

• Rechargeable Battery Packs and Docking Station for your Wii™ Remote
• Two rechargeable Battery Packs remove the need for standard batteries
• Store, protect and recharge your Wii™ Remote

Quality/Usability : Joytech has entered the Wii rechargeable battery market by releasing the Wii Power Station. The Joytech Wii Power Station includes two rechargeable batteries, charging dock and power cable. The power cable actually plugs into the back of the Wii's power port and the consoles power cable connects to it. So its pretty much a pass-through port and does not use USB like the rest of the rechargeable battery packs which results in a faster charge. The controllers will charge whether the system is in standby mode or turned on.

On each side of the dock are two extendable arms that holds your Nunchuks. Personally, there was no need for this as it took up space and didnt do a really good job of holding as you still had the cords dangling. Each port has a small LED that lights up. Red means it is charging and green when the controllers are fully charged. Whats nice about the Joytech Wii Power Station is that with the controllers placed in, you can leave the wrist strap on. The wrist strap comes out from from the bottom of the controller and works with both the thin and thick straps.

According to the instruction booklet, it stated that it takes 5 hours to fully charge the Wiimotes. It seem to take a lot less to charge. Unfortunately, there is no mention of what mAh the batteries are so it is hard to gauge how long the batteries will last compared to AA alkaline batteries.

Conclusion : Overall, the Joytech Wii Power Station is a nice charging station but there were some things I didnt like about it. Joytech could have done without the Nunchuk holders. Would of been also nice to have stated the batteries rating (mAh). What I loved about the Joytech Wii Power Station is the way it charges the batteries using the pass-through port cable. This allows for faster charging and no need to find a USB port or AC wall plug. The cost is also slightly $10 higher than its well known competitor, Nyko.

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Nyko Wii Charge Station
Manufacturer: Nyko
Site: Buy from ConsoleSource
Price: $34.99


Overview : Easily charge and store your Wii Remotes with Nyko's Charge Station for Wii. The Charge Station includes 2 NiMH batteries, exclusively designed for the Wii Remote, each providing up to 25 hours of play time. Each battery is easily recharged by placing the Wii Remote in the charging dock. The charging dock conveniently plugs into any standard wall outlet, allowing for rapid recharging of both batteries in 8 hours.

The Charge Station includes 2 custom battery covers with contact pass-through points so you can charge the batteries while they are still in the remote. Each battery cover is also rubberized for superior grip during intense gaming sessions. The Charge Station matches the décor and styling of the Wii, and is small enough to fit in any home entertainment center.

Features :

• Easily store 2 Wii remotes in any home theater with the small and stylish charging dock
• Dual injected rubberized and textured battery covers provide a safe and comfortable grip
• 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries provide up to 25 hours of play time
• Easily see when batteries are done charging with 2 LED indictor lights

Quality/Usability : There has been so many rechargeable battery packs flooding the gaming market that its insane especially for the Nintendo Wii. One of today's leading 3rd party peripheral manufacturers, Nyko has joined in on the fun. During the CES 2007, Nyko first unveiled the Charge Station for the Nintendo Wii. Ever since then, its been the talk of the town as to how good this product is.

As we all know, the biggest fault with the Wiimote is the amount of alkaline batteries gamers have to go through unless you have rechargeable batteries or rechargeable battery packs from other peripheral makers. Nyko's solution to this is the Charge Station.

Included in the Charge Station package is the charging station along with two rechargeable batteries for two Wii Remotes and two replacement battery door covers with contact points to charge. The replacement battery door covers has a thin layer of silicone to allow better gripping of the Wiimote. To power the Charging Station unlike some other products on the market that uses a USB port, it plugs into an AC outlet. The Charge Station holds up to two Wiimotes at one time. When the Wiimotes are docked on the station, a LED on the Charge Station will light up blue. Once it is fully charged, the light will turn green.

Depending on what rechargeable battery you are using and if it has a dock, the Nyko Charge Station allows you to charge the Wiimote even with the wrist strap on. Only problem is that you will have to play around with the wrist strap and move it around so that it does not get in the way. If it does, the Wiimote replacement battery door cover contacts will not be able to reach the contacts on the Charge Station.

The Charge Station will not let you charge the Wiimote if it is active with a game or synced with the Wii. The Wiimote must not be communicating with the Wii in order for it to charge. Charging took approximately 1-2 hours for one battery and about 3-4 hours for both batteries to fully charge at the same time. With both batteries fully charged, I was able to get about 25 hours of gameplay.

Like any other recharging docks out there, you are still unable to charge your Wiimote with a silicone case on the Wiimote. You'll either have to remove it from the Wiimote or lift it high enough that the silicone does not get in the way.

Conclusion : Overall, the Nyko Wii Charge Station is a solid product. My only complaint is the fiddling of the wrist strap so that the Wiimote fits in the dock securely. The Charge Station stylish as well. I think there may be a tie between the Charge Station and the Penguin United Remote Charging Dock and Rechargeable Battery.

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Wii Wireless Sensor Bar
Review by: TrialSword
Provided by: DCEmu Reviews
Manufacturer: Dragon
Site: Buy from GameInfinity
Price: $9.95


Overview : Experience the freedom of wireless gaming with wireless sensor bar for the Nintendo Wii. This wireless Wii remote receiver can be placed anywhere in the room for cable-free gaming up to 25' away.

Features:

• Infrared technology detects pointer and motion movements up to 25 feet away
• No wires of any sort are needed
• 6 AA batteries provide hours of use (not included)
• Perfect for home theater setups with wall mounted TVs or complicated cabling
• Dimension: 9 inch x 1.6 inch x 1.6 inch

Quality/Usability : A nightmarish jungle of wires and plugs plague the back end of any home entertainment center with multiple components, and if you're like me you'd love to alleviate the problem at any opportunity. The Wii's wireless remotes are a lot of fun to wave around, but the sensor bar is tethered to your Wii by a thin wire, yet another addition to your teeming throngs of black cables. The solution here is simple, a wireless sensor bar to match your already wireless controllers! Game Infinity provides such a solution, but is it more trouble than it's worth?

Just at a glance, there are a few notable differences between the stock wired sensor bar and this wireless bar. For one, it's much, much larger. About three times the height and twice the depth of the original. The IR sensors rest at the top, and the power button and power LED lay under it. Why all the extra real estate? The answer is batteries. This baby takes SIX AA batteries to operate. That's right, six batteries. It all seems like way too much and for some might be a dealbreaker.

I used the wireless bar for a number of functions, including the Virtual Console, Wii games and web browsing. The bar did its relatively simple task rather well, and I didn't lose any signal or run out of battery for the 6 hours I used it for this review's purposes. Metroid Prime 3 and Warioware, 2 motion heavy games, performed excellently, with no difference in performance between the wireless bar and Nintendo's original. There are some gripes, however, most notably the size of the bar making its options for positioning far more limited. Some flat panel TV's will simply not be able to support the sensor bar on top. If the TV is mounted to a wall you'll be hard pressed to find a decent location, unless there's a stand below it. Another problem is the power LED. It shines a bright blue when the power is turned on, making it quite distracting.

Conclusion : Overall, as far as a wireless sensor bar goes, I can't help but feel like they could have made it much smaller, less intrusive, and less power consuming. Six AA batteries seems like way too much and makes it way too big. It performs well, though, and if you absolutely need it to be wireless, e.g. the Wii is far away from the TV or you have a projection setup, it's not bad, especially for the low price tag.

The Good: Performs well, is wireless, design matches Wii colors
The Bad: Takes six AA batteries, large size makes it difficult to place in some circumstances, distracting power LED
The Bottom Line: Unless you REALLY need a wireless setup, I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble with Game Infinity's wireless sensor bar, though the low price makes it tempting. ...

CycloWiz Modchip v2 (DMS/D2A/D2B)
Manufacturer: Team Cyclops
Site: Buy from Divineo
Price: $30.00-$40.00

Overview : The CycloWiz Wii Mod Chip has been updated to be universally compatible with all current Wii drive chipsets including DMS, D2A and D2B.

The amazing CycloWiz Mod Chip for the Nintendo Wii has arrived! The CycloWiz is possibly the easiest modchip to install on any system. A quicksolder pattern on the PCB board removes the need for wires. All you need to do us solder onto the designated parts and the installation is complete.

Not only is the CycloWiz easy to install, but this ModChip also has amazing features including Stealth Mode, the ability to play both WII and Gamecube backups, GameCube homebrew and imports. The CycloWiz also has an optional LED to let you know when the Mod Chip is ON or OFF.

Features :

• Compatible with all current Wii chipsets including the DMS, D2A and D2B
• Fully upgradable via DVD
• Easy installation(5 solder points / no wires required)
• Stealth Mode to keep the Mod Chip from ever being detected by the current Wii firmware
• Play both Wii and GameCube backup copies
• Play GameCube homebrew and Imports
• Built In audio-fix for GameCube backup copies
• Multidisc GameCube game support
• Supports both 8cm and 12cm discs
• Optional disable feature to turn the Mod Chip ON or OFF
• Multipurpose LED to let you know that the CycloWiz Mod Chip is on and working, if there is an error, or if it is off

Quality/Usability : This review is an updated review based off of our CycloWiz v1 (DMS/D2A) - 3.0B FW review that worked only on DMS and D2A chipsets. This review is based on a North American (NTSC-US) Wii. All games tested during this review, we own the original games. This modchip is only compatible with Wii's that have a DMS, D2A or D2B chipset. This will NOT work on a D2C chipset.

Like CycloWiz v1, this modchip will work on DMS, D2A and now, D2B chipsets. This will not work on D2C chipsets as the structure has changed and did not allow the use of modchips. If you bought your Wii after June 2007, it probably contains a D2C chipset. You can find out what your Wii probably has by using this Wii Tracker.

The CycloWiz comes in a ESD bag but does not provide any protection during shipping (unless retailer protects it). The CycloWiz is basically a chip on a small thin PCB. The solder pads allows you to either quick soldering or wire installation. Wire installation is the best way to go because if for whatever reason you need to remove it, it is a lot easier and cleaner. Team Cyclops also started to include a switch with all CycloWiz's

Installation : Before installing the CycloWiz, you must have at least some experience with soldering and have read their instruction manual which can be downloaded from here. As for me, I dont have any experience with soldering, so I had a friend install this for me. In order to install the CycloWiz onto your Wii, you must take it apart. Here is a tutorial on how to dismantle your Wii. You can also find other tutorials or even videos on the web.

Once you have dismantled the Wii, you must locate the points outlined in their installation manual. These points are where you will connect the soldering between the Wii and the CycloWiz. When soldering, you must remember to stay within the points and not to use too much solder or you may risk shorting out the chip as well as the Wii. When soldering the CycloWiz, you also have the option of installing 3 more wires which is then connected to a switch. The switch that is included is a flip switch but any type of switch will do whether it be a push-in switch or a flip switch but the smaller the better. You can install the switch anywhere you want. It can be in the vent at the bottom of the Wii or you can drill a hole into the casing of the Wii, whichever is more convenient to you. This switch will enable you to upgrade your CycloWiz via DVD.

On the CycloWiz, there is an LED that will light up if you’ve installed the chip correctly. You would want to try the Wii out before closing it up by hooking the Wii back together without the casing or you will not be able to view the LED. This is a great way to tell you whether or not your installation was successful or not without having to reopen your Wii later on.

Wii Compatibility : With Team Cyclops constantly improving the CycloWiz, game compatibility has improved dramatically. There were less and less DRE's (Disk Read Errors), sometimes even none at all. Playing imports is still a hit or miss when it comes to playing on a different region. Some games will work and some games will not. But if you're playing in the same region such as NTSC-US (North America) and NTSC-J (Japan), there is not problem.

Homebrew Compatibility : Loading homebrew is still the same as v1. There are three ways to load GameCube homebrew; bootable disc, SDLoad and GCOS. Loading via SDLoad, you will need a SD Gecko adapter as well as an SD card. If using GCOS or a bootable disc, you can load the emulators ...

Double Wiimote Power Pack with Charger Stand
Review by: wraggster
Provided by: DCEmu Reviews
Manufacturer: Dragon
Site: Buy from GameInfinity
Price: $19.95


Overview : Stop wasting money on batteries and easily charge a set of Wiimotes with the Dragon Double Wiimote Power Pack with Charger Stand! A light indicator will let you know once remote controllers are fully charged, and you are ready to play again with many hours after around 2 hours of charging.

Easily charge and store your Wii Remotes with this Charge Station for Wii. It includes 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries, exclusively designed for the Wii Remote, each providing up to 25 hours of play time.

Features :

• 2 hours quick charge function
• Full charge auto detect function
• High quality and efficient product
• Remote controller stand function
• Rechargeable AAA size dry batteries compatible
• 4 * AAA size rechargeable batteries are included
• Power charge cable is included
• Normal alkaline AAA size dry batteries compatible
• Simultaneously charge 2 Wii-remote controllers

Quality/Usability : The Dragon Double Wiimote Power Pack with Charger Stand consists of a USB Cable to get the power, A Base Deck for the actual charging with 2 points to charge your WiiMotes, you also get 4 750MAH AAA Batteries and the plastic casing they fit in which gives you the ability to charge the Wiimotes without having to take the batteries out every time.

The review sample came with no instructions but it is very simple to most people

Firstly make sure you put the batteries the right way around in the plastic battery casing, failure to do so could cause problems and well its not going to work.

The USB Cable can be connected to your Nintendo Wii or any USB Compatible Device, if you have a PC or Laptop i suggest using them over using your Nintendo Wii, put simply the less stress on the Nintendo Wii causes less problems with over heating. Once the USB Cable is connected to both Base Charging Unit and USB Host you can then put your Wiimotes onto the Base Unit.

Once you have connected the Wiimotes (with the plastic casing/rechargeable batteries) correctly, the light will light up to let you know its charging. Once the Wiimotes are charged the red light will go out. Now your ready for Wii Gaming

As the Wii is more a casual console its very hard to test how long the batteries are before they run out but being rechargeable you should easily get a day out of them before charging.

Conclusion : Overall, with the Wiimote being a bit on the hungry side with batteries its a great idea to use rechargeables and the ability to recharge without taking the batteries out every time is very handy The AAA batteries arent as powerful as 2 2500MAH AA Batteries but the ability to recharge without taking it all apart is a major plus. The only problem with this method is that you'll need to sync the Wiimote before using the Double Wiimote Power Pack. The charging of the Wiimotes took me longer than 2 hours but that may be down to my laptop I used to charge.

Do I recommend this product? Yes, very much so if your still using normal batteries then get one now.

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Joytech Sharp Shooter Gun
Manufacturer: Joytech
Site:
Price: $27.95


Overview : Lock and load with the Sharp Shooter™ from JOYTECH. Fully compatible with all forms of TV's and displays including plasma and LCD, the Sharp Shooter brings Wii™ shooting games to life with amazing realism. Connecting quickly and safely to the Wii™ Remote and Nunchuck, the Sharp Shooter™ is lightweight, simple to use and requires no batteries, no leads and no worries! Shoot to thrill!

Features :

• Convert your Wii Remote and Nunchuk into a precision shooter
• Easy-load and Quick-Eject design connects and dismantles to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in seconds
• Maintains full access to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls

Quality/Usability : While us gamers wait for Nintendo to release the Wii Zapper, we have to resort to 3rd party peripherals to fill in that void. There have been various different types of light gun attachments on the market. Before the Wii Zapper was announced, the Joytech Sharp Shooter was the talk of the town.

Unlike the Wii Light Gun, the Sharp Shooter's main trigger is the "Z" button on the Nunchuk rather than the "B" button on the Wii Remote. The Wii Remote is placed on top of the barrel while the Nunchuk is used as the handle/grip.

To insert the Wii Remote into the barrel, there is a locking mechanism with a spring on it, that holds the handle and barrel closed. Pulling back the locking mechanism will allow the barrel to fold down. This will allow you to insert the Wii Remote as well as connect the Nunchuk to the bottom of the Wii Remote. The bottom of the barrel has an opening for easy access to the "B" button. The barrel also allows easy access to any of the buttons on the Wii Remote.

Once the Wii Remote is in place, you'll have to pull the locking mechanism back to gain access to connecting the Nunchuk to the Wii Remote. On the side of the Sharp Shooter, there is a small opening on the side. This is where the cord of the Nunchuk is placed so that it is not in the way of the locking mechanism.

Placing the Nunchuk in place is fairly simple. Simply pull back on the locking mechanism and place the Nunchuk into the cradle. The locking mechanism covers the top of the Nunchuk slightly so that it does not fall out of its cradle. Accessing the "Z" or "C" button on the Nunchuk is accessible without a problem along with the joystick.

To connect everything together, simply move the barrel back up and use the locking mechanism to lock the handle and barrel together. It will require you to put some pressure to lock it in place. To dismantle, simply pull back on the locking mechanism.

Conclusion : Overall, the Joytech Sharp Shooter Gun is probably the best constructed light gun attachment on the market..for now. Depending on the game available for the Wii, it may require either the "B" button or "Z" button to be used as the trigger button even though the layout of the Sharp Shooter suggests that the "Z" button is the trigger. So regardless of which is used as a trigger button, the Sharp Shooter accommodates both possibilities nicely. What I dont like is the Nunchuk cord dangling from the side of the gun. This can get annoying at times during gameplay.

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Legend of Zelda Wii Messenger Bag
Manufacturer: ALS Industries
Site:
Price: $54.95


Overview : The Legend of Zelda Wii Messenger Bag (Z180) is an official Nintendo licensed product. It can hold Wii Console, games, Wii remote, Nunchuk, Wii sensor bar and AC Adapter. Official licensed product.

Features :

• Main pocket holds Wii console
• Zippered paded inside pocket for Sensor bar
• Padded middle pocket holds AC adapter and controllers
• Front pocket holds games and additional controllers
• Comfortable carrying handle
• Convenient mesh side pockets
• Strong designer hardware
• Adjustable shoulder strap

Quality/Usability : The Nintendo Wii is the smallest console amongst the next-gen consoles (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360). With the Nintendo Wii still hard to find in stores (Yes, even after a little more than a year of being released in the US, its still hard to find on store shelves), I had to bring my Wii to relatives house so we can all enjoy the family fun. Isnt that Nintendo's intentions?

As the name of the product/review states, the messenger bag has a Legend of Zelda theme to it. The flap has an a stitched image of Zelda and underneath is Zelda's shield made of hard rubber. The messenger bag has three compartments and two elastic mesh side pockets.

The two elastic mesh pockets can hold your cables or the other small accessories such as extra Wiimotes.

The flap has two clips to keep the flap closed and underneath the flap are two velcro strips that attaches to the bag. Also under the flap but above the main compartment is a small mesh pouch. This mesh pouch is for the sensor bar. Unfortunately, if you have a wireless sensor bar, it wont fit as they usually tend to be bigger and thicker. This is actually the first carry case or that I know of that has its own pocket for the sensor bar.

The main compartment holds the Nintendo Wii console. The compartment holds the Wii securely in place and has a lot of padding to give that extra protection. Inside the main compartment, is another compartment. This compartment allows you to hold two Wiimotes and AC adapter. There are even three elastic bands to hold them in place.

The front pocket lets you hold Nunchuks, Wii games and any other controllers or accessories you may need to carry such as classic controller, GameCube controllers, etc.

Conclusion : Overall, the Legend of Zelda Wii Messenger Bag is a well constructed bag. Even with all the pockets and compartments filled, the bag isnt too big compared to some carry cases on the market. Most cases on the market can only hold the system, cables, power supply and 1-2 controllers. This doesnt even include the sensor bar. While the Zelda bag can carry everything and then some. The images on ConsoleShop can be a little misleading as what I received (see image at top or attached) is not what is pictured on the site even though the images on the site is on the package itself. The image on the site is slightly different and the size of the bag looks like a regular normal messenger bag when the bag I received is smaller and almost the size of the Wii. The mesh pockets arent brown. They are black. The price isnt attractive at a very pricey $54.95 for a carry case. But if I had a choice of the Legend of Zelda Wii Messenger Bag or any of the 3rd party carry bags on the market, I'll choose the Zelda Messenger Bag as it offers more protection and it can store more.

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