XCM II-Case Chameleon
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from TotalConsole
Price: $54.99

Overview : Stand out from the crowd with the ultimate Wii case: the ii-case that includes LEDS shining in the dark, with our Chameleon technology to rotate between colors! The ii-case is not only a full replacement transparent Wii case, but it also includes a LED system to enlight your Wii. Very complete, it includes Air Flow cover and DVD Rom cover (in metal).

The Chameleon version includes a system of color rotation for the ultimate light effect. An extra button allows you to select a specific color (Red, Purple, Green, Yellow, Blue, Apple Green or Orange) and keep it static on screen.

Includes matching color stand and special Tri-wing screwdriver for installation.


Quality/Usability : After receiving XCM's I-Case Black Knight and reviewing it, we received Team Xtender's second full replacement case, II-Case Chameleon on our doorstep (courtesy of TotalConsole). This time, it houses LEDs to make it even more unique. Those who love to have "flashy" consoles and when I mean flashy, I mean the type that will blind you, would want to read this review.

This is XCM's third? Fourth? Fifth, full replacement casing for the Nintendo Wii? I dont know, but I lost count as they have released so many ranging from chrome, to red, to blue, to even pink! As mentioned above, we reviewed their Black Knight, which is an all black casing. They have been known for slick and unique faceplates, casings, controller mods, cables and other accessories.

The XCM II-Case Chameleon includes the console shell, doors, faceplate, buttons and even the rubber feets at the bottom of the Wii which makes up the whole exterior of the Wii. To match the clear crystal case, they also included a clear stand and tools to help you dismantle the Wii! Not a single piece was left out.

Like all of XCM's products, the quality of the case is excellent and solid. Feels like it came out from Nintendo's factory. The case is clear which allows you to see all the innards of the Wii. The Crystal Chameleon also comes with a metal DVD cover which houses the LEDs near the DVD drive.

I wont go much into detail regarding installation as you can find tutorials on how to dismantle or disassemble your Wii, here. The whole installation process took approximately 50 mins. This is not to say that is how long it will take you to assemble everything. I am a perfectionist and anal when it comes to things like this. For some who are pros or better at things like this can be a lot quicker while noobs, novices or perfectionists like me, may take longer. The whole process is just time consuming and tedious. It will require some patience. It took longer than the Black Knight casing was because the metal DVD cover and Air Flow (which also has LEDs) needed to be installed and wires needed to be connected in order to power the LEDs. To install the metal DVD cover and Air Flow, you can read the tutorial here. Even though I had already installed the Black Knight case on to my Wii, you would think that the installation time would be shorter. It all depends on your skills and perfectionism.

Once installed and the Nintendo Wii put back together, the Crystal Chameleon case is fairly bright. Luckily, you have the option of turning if off but also the option of either having the LEDs fade into different colors or stick with one color.

Click here to see a video of the II-Case Crystal Chameleon case in action.

Conclusion : Overall, the XCM II-Case Crystal Chameleon is unique and flashy product but a bit pricey. But thats the price you have to pay to be unique and different amongst Wii owners. Those looking to kick it up a notch with the look of their Nintendo Wii should definitely look into purchasing the II-Case Crystal Chameleon case. You would be the cool kid on the block (HAHA, that was so cheesy). Again, the time it took me to install the II-Case depends on the person, experience and perfectionism. With the new mods for the Nintendo Wii such as the PulseVU, LED mods for both console and controllers, the Chameleon case would be able to flag a plane (just kidding). Be sure to check out the other colors that XCM has to offer if you want to be even more wild and crazy with colors!

Here is a video of the Chameleon Case with PulseVU and a few other LED changes installed: (by M37R01D)


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Wii Blue Light Charge Station
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Goldenshop / Buy from DealExtreme
Price: $15.00

Overview : Charge two Wiimotes at the same time. Includes 2 1800mAh battery packs.

Features :

• High quality 3rd party product.
• Comes with 2pcs of 1800mAh rechargeable batteries for the Wii remote controls - no need to take out the battery when charging.
• No need to add extra power supply - get the power from the USB port of the Wii console.
• 2pcs of Wii remote controls can be charged simultaneously.
• Light indicators to show the charging status.

Quality/Usability : Yes, another review on a batter charger (COME ON NINTENDO! Where's yours?!). This time is from the popular 3rd party peripheral manufacturer, PEGA HK.

All the battery packs that we have reviewed such as Penguin United Remote Charging Dock + Rechargeable Battery, Wii Remote Battery Charger & Stand or Wii Remote Charge 'N Play, all have the same type of look...plain. Nothing stands out. Nothing fancy. Well, PEGA went and took it to the next step, lights.

The Wii Blue Light Charge Station comes with a dock, USB cable and two battery packs. Both battery packs are 1800mAh's which is pretty much standard for the 3rd party batteries.

The battery are ordinary battery packs and looks similar to Wii 1800mAh Rechargeable Battery. Instead of the 1800mAh being printed, the PEGA version is stickered. Also on the battery pack is a sticker that informs you that before using the battery pack for the first time, you must charge the battery for over 12 hours, or else the battery life will be reduced. Honestly, whether you use it first or charge it, gradually the battery life will be reduced like any other battery. I personally use the battery first and let it die out completely before doing a full recharge. Like the Wii 1800mAh Rechargeable Battery, there is a hole on the battery pack for easy access to the SYNC button.

The dock is what makes the product stand out from the rest of the crowd. Did you purchase the sweet looking Wii Crystal Blue LED Cooler Stand and change the casing of your Nintendo Wii to the Team Xtender II-Case Chameleon? Well your lighted collection isnt complete without this. Thats because the dock lights up also! No, not those cheesy small GREEN LEDs that goes on and off to let you know if its fully charged and done. All around the bottom of the dock is a clear window. This lets the lights from the LED shine through. There are 4 LEDs on the bottom of the dock. To turn on and off the blue lights, there is a switch on the back of the dock. On the top of the dock near the Wiimotes, are two more LED lights, one for each dock. When the battery packs are charging, the light will turn RED...more like pink. When the battery pack is done charging, the light turns blue.

In order to charge the battery pack, you need to have it inside the Wiimote. Sorry, but you'll also have to remove the wrist strap or the contact on the dock wont touch the contacts on the battery pack. Like all other recharging docks, it wont work with silicon skin/glove on. So you'll have to take that off as well.

Charging time took approximately 2-3 hours like all other docks but I left it on there for 12+ hours as recommended even though it wasnt necessary. During game play, I was able to get about a 4.5 hours out of a full charge.

Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Blue Light Charge Station ups the ante in looks for rechargeable docks. The blue lights look great! The battery packs? Well, they're just battery packs. Nothing special. Nice to have an ON/OFF switch for the lights on the bottom of the dock but the lights to show you if the Wiimotes are charging is permanently on. There is no way to turn them off. Placing the Wiimotes on the dock can take some fiddling around so that the contacts on the dock and battery pack touch each other. Having to remove the wrist strap off the Wiimote can be annoying for some Wii'ers. The price of the Blue Light Charge Station of $15 is fairly reasonable considering it comes with two rechargeable batteries and the dock lights up!

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PEGA Wi Wireless Sensor Bar
Manufacturer: PEGA
Site: Buy from Brando
Price: $17.00


Overview : Complaining the Wii sensor bar cable too short? No Problem!

This Wii wireless sensor bar makes you have freedom to locate the bar. It is a easy solution for those Projector type users.

Features

• LED indicator and ON/OFF switch
• Easy to install
• ideal range 3-8 feet
• 2 x AA Batteries is required (NOT included)

Quality/Usability : PEGA has entered the wireless sensor bar market for the Nintendo Wii (is there anything they cant do?!).

The front of the wireless sensor bar are three LEDs. One on each side to interact with the Wiimote and one in the middle. The one in the middle is a green LED. This lets you know hen the wireless sensor bar is on. On the back of the wireless sensor bar is a ON/OFF switch. This lets you turn on and off the wireless sensor bar. On the bottom is a small compartment to insert your 2 AA batteries (not included).

Although the specified ideal range to use the wireless sensor bar is 3-8 feet, you can use it as far as 13 feet. The distance is a little shorter than all the other wireless sensor bars that we have reviewed. The average distance is usually 15 feet. So the PEGA wireless sensor bar falls a little short when compared to other wireless sensor bars on the market but the distance is ideally 5-10 feet, so anyone who uses this should be fine with the wireless sensor bar.

On 2 AA batteries, the wireless sensor bar lasts for about 15-20 hours before the batteries will need to be recharged or changed (depending on what type of battery you are using).

Conclusion : Overall, the PEGA Wii Wireless Sensor Bar works fairly well but falls short when compared to other wireless sensor bars on the market. The furthest distance before the sensor got a bit funky was at 13 feet. Battery life was fairly decent, lasting about 15-20 hours. The price of $17 seems a little high while the Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar retails for $19.99-21.95.

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WiiFree Easy Connect Modchip
Manufacturer: WiiFree Easy Connect
Site:
Price: 12.00 €


Overview : WiiFree is an open source Wii modchip. It required you to load your own code onto a PIC12F629/675/683. In order to load the code, you would need to purchase a programmer as well as the PIC chip. Now there is an easier way to install and upgrade WiiFree.


Features

• Run GameCube originals
• Run Wii originals
• Run Wii back-ups
• Support for D2A and D2B!!
• Support for 12F629 and 12F683 chips (the installation for the 12F683 is the same as the 12F629)

Quality/Usability : I wont go into full detail as to review the WiiFree open source modchip (will review it later) but will review the WiiFree Easy Connect itself and its installation. As we first brought the news of WiiFree Easy Connect and the first images of Easy Connect in our hands, we now bring you the first review.

WiiFree Easy Connect comes included with a PIC12F683 and cables. When you first receive the Easy Connect the two boards are connected together. You will have to bend them in half to have two separate pieces. Dont worry, its already been sliced so that the break would be even. The board itself is not as thick when compared to other commercial modchips on the market such as the WiiKey, CycloWiz, etc.

On the bigger board, it contains the PIC12F683 chip which contains the WiiFree open source as well as the 8-pin socket to hold the PIC in place. As of this review, WiiFree 2.45 is the latest version available is preloaded onto the PIC so that all you have to do is just solder and install the Easy Connect and you're ready to go. This is great for those who dont have a JDM programmer (used to upgrade/flash PIC chips). The board also has two LEDs. This lets you know if the installation is successful or not. This board is to be placed on the outside of the Wii for easy access to the PIC incase you want to upgrade WiiFree when there are new releases.

The smaller board has the quicker solder points to be soldered onto the Wii mobo. The solder points are so small that you can only do quicker solder. Its very hard to do wire installs unless you're very skilled at doing so. Most people prefer wire installs as it is easier to remove when needed rather than quick soldering.

Other than the small soldering points, its fairly simple. On one end of each board is a small clamp like device that you pull out slightly, insert ribbon cable with blue sticker facing up (included) and close the clamp. This will hold the ribbon cable in place on the board. No soldering required.

Once the smaller board has been soldered onto the Wii and all cables have been connected, you can place the bigger board on the outside of the Wii case. You can route the cable through the side of the USB port or through the vent opening on the back of the Wii case. Usually, the 8-pin socket that holds the PIC12F629 are soldered onto the Wii case with wires to the Wii mobo by drilling 8 little holes and held in place with glue. With WiiFree Easy Connect, you wont have to drill any holes on to the Wii case. You may want to get double sided tape or something to hold the Easy Connect to the case. If not, you can just let it dangle freely.

Conclusion : Overall, the WiiFree Easy Connect is an excellent solution to those who do not want to damage their Wii case by drilling holes. It would have been nice if the points on the Easy Connect were bigger to allow wire installs rather than the quick solder method. Would have been also nice if maybe they had included double sided tape or some way to attach the Easy Connect to the Wii case. With the inclusion of the PIC12F629 and WiiFree already preloaded, this is great for those who do not have a JDM programmer or PIC12F629. Since it comes with a PIC12F926 and if you have a JDM programmer, you can install any open source modchip whether it be OpenWii, Chiip, Yaosm, WiiC, WiiREZ, Wiip! and many more.

Since the PIC chip is removable, you can purchase or request sample PIC chips online and load your preferred open source code to that PIC and swap PIC chips. That is if you still prefer to keep the WiiFree. Regarding the JDM Programmer that lets you put open source code on to the PIC chip, there are two ways of getting one. #1. Make your own by following these instructions. Or #2. You can purchase them online either on gaming sites or through eBay by typing in "jdm programmer" in the search field. You will need to have a RS232 cable (serial) handy in order to connect the JDM Programmer to your computer.

Please note that none of the "upgrade" products listed in this site are endorsed by Nintendo, Sony and/or Microsoft. DCEmu Reviews and DCEmu Network does not condone piracy. The primary functions of a "modchip" ...

Penguin United Component Cable (Gold Plated)
Manufacturer: Penguin United
Site: Buy from Penguin United
Price: $13.99

Overview : Wii component video cable enables 480P (progressive) video display resolution between the Wii console and your Television. This enhanced version of our popular orginal Penguin United Wii Component Cable comes with 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

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

The cables looks like the regular Penguin United Component Cable. Only difference is that the gold plated cables has a mesh covering on the cables and gold plated tips on the plugs.

Comparing the regular version and the gold plated version, there wasnt a big difference when it comes to quality. They pretty much looked the same with some exceptions of a few less jaggies that you would see on the regular component cable that you wouldnt see on the gold plated. The colors on the other hand were slightly more vibrant.

The length of the cable is is the same, measuring 6 feet. The mesh look to the cable is a nice touch and makes the stand out from the rest of the cables on the market.

The company also offers a 1 year warranty on all their products which is great for those who live in the US since the company is also located in the US.

Conclusion : Overall, the Penguin United Component Cable (Gold Plated) looks identical to the regular cable with the addition of mesh. There was some slight differences between the gold plated and regular cables but wasnt too noticeable unless you were looking for them. If you dont have a keen eye for detail, stick with the regular component cable as you wont notice a difference.

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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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