via Cubed3

After all Nintendo’s hard work with their latest console, the one hardware feature that people still complain about is the remotes - and more specifically, the batteries. With the PS3 using a rechargeable controller from release, and Microsoft retailing an official rechargeable battery pack for their wireless Xbox 360 controllers, you would have thought Nintendo, the industry’s innovators, could use such simple technology as this in their controllers… apparently not. While fans are left slightly disappointed, you can hear gaming peripheral manufacturers leaping with joy as they spot the gap in the market to answer consumer’s needs. Although rechargeable Wiimote battery packs are being developed by several other companies at present, it seems that Joytech have managed to beat the lot, being the only product currently on sale for UK consumers. Let’s have a peek, shall we?

The package comes with a charging stand, power cable, and two rechargeable battery packs, meaning that both you and a mate can both grab fully charged Wiimotes for a quick game of Wii Sports, and not have to worry about one of the controllers running out of juice. The stand is rather small, streamlined, and matches the white and grey colour scheme of the Wii perfectly, so you’ll have no problem placing the two side-by-side under your telly. On each side of the charging stand are extendable prongs to hold two Wii Nunchuk extensions, but in all honesty you won’t be using them, as they’re not the most ideal place to keep your accessory unless you want a tangled mess of trailing wires. Maybe it would have been best if these weren’t included, seeing as it does spoil the design and of the base stand a little.



Power-wise, most people were expecting either an external power supply, or to use the USB ports built into the Nintendo Wii console. But the boffins over at Joytech were clever, and with the package they include a cable that fits directly between the Wii’s power adapter and the socket on the back of the system. With direct power, it means that the Wiimotes are charging whenever the console is plugged into the wall (whether on standby or not), and allows the controllers to be charged faster than they would be using a USB power source. The in-between plug is an inch or so long, so some people may have an issue with the console sticking out a bit more from their electronical arrangements, but for most people it should be no intrusion at all.

Now onto the rechargeable battery packs themselves. Two are included, and the plastic shell is made of the same plastic used for the battery covers on the official Wiimotes, so there’s no visible difference, apart from two metal contacts on the back of the cover. Attached is what seems like two standard rechargeable Ni-MH batteries, and although no capacity is mentioned, they should deliver at least the battery life of standard AA batteries which is 40 hours of continuous use. The new rechargeable cover just snaps into place on the back of the Wiimote, although don’t be scared to use a little force, as it can be a tight fit in some cases. However, to be able to access the ‘SYNC’ button on the back of the controller, you’ll need to be using a normal pair of AA batteries.

To charge the Wiimotes, simply place the controller into a slot on the base stand and it starts charging automatically, as the two contacts mentioned before on the back of the battery cover touch another two contacts on the charging base. Each charging slot has an LED next to it, lit red while charging and green when fully charged, so you’ll always know when your Wiimotes are ready for action. The strap of the controller is no problem, as the controller still charges fine (as long as the contacts aren’t blocked. You will, however, need to remove all accessories like the Nunchuks to charge, as well as any coloured silicone grips that may be on the controller, otherwise the remote won’t fit into the stand.

As far as charging stations go, this one does the job well. It’s unobtrusive, easy to use, and provides you with somewhere to stash your controllers while not in use. Some people may have preferred a grip on the back of the controllers, and I believe Nyko are planning on doing just that with their charger, being released in the near future. In the meanwhile, if you want to save loads on batteries and want to miss out the hassle of using rechargeable AA batteries, this is your best choice. It retails for £19.99, and can be bought from most high-street gaming shops or websites.

Alternatively, purchase it via Amazon through the C3 Shop below, and help support our ever-growing site! ...

via NintendoRevolution.ca

When it comes to the Wii Virtual Console, you have to love Hudson. Not only are they providing quality TurboGrafx16 titles consistently, but they have no respect for keeping secrets.

While North American Nintendo Wii owners have to wait until Monday to find out what's going to be available, Hudson releases info on their TurboGrafx16 titles a couple of days early.

So having a peek on their website, Monday's offering will be the TG-16 title Battle Lode Runner. Up to 5 players will be able to fight it out in "Battle Mode", and the game will cost 600 points.

Details of BLR from Hudson:

PUZZLE MODE: A ladder will appear at the top of the screen after you acquire all of the gold bars in a stage. You can move on to the next stage by exiting the current stage using the ladder. In order to retrieve gold bars from enemies, have them drop into holes then grab the Gold.

If you select GIVE UP after falling into a hole, touching the enemy, or becoming trapped, you will lose one RUNNER. When you lose all your RUNNERs, it's GAME OVER.

BATTLE MODE: You can play with up to 5 players in BATTLE MODE. There are 3 categories of rules, each with its own conditions for winning. When there are less than 5 human players in SURVIVAL mode, the CPU will take control of the remaining characters.

SURVIVAL: The last remaining RUNNER wins.

ESCAPE: The first player to get the enemies' hidden
Gold, the Ladder and then escape, wins.

TAG MATCH: Players 1 and 3 and players 2 and 4 form two groups to do battle in SURVIVAL mode. One team wins when members of the opposite team have been completely eliminated.

SAVING: You can save the game at any time during PUZZLE MODE. Press and select SAVE. Choose FILE SELECT from the PUZZLE MODE start menu to continue your game. You can also continue by entering a password. Passwords appear after clearing each stage. ...

via Video Game Generation

Spotted first by Cubed3 (we think), an article in The Economist raises the possibility that a LazyTown game may be in the works for the Nintendo Wii.

The article notes that the show is incredibly expensive to produce ($800,000 per episode), and thus licensing and merchandising opportunities are a key component of financing its long-term success. Specific to the Wii, the article notes that "talks are under way with Nintendo to create a video game" for the Wii, hinting that it isn't quite in production just yet.

Personally, I think the show could work well on the Wii. Frequently shown on Nickelodeon, it teaches healthy habits to youngsters, including eating properly, exercise, studying, and the value of perseverance. An active game in that vein would certainly fit in well with the Wii's motion controller, although I sincerely hope gamers aren't forced to recreate Sportacus' crazy somersaults and flips. That man can move like some kind of crazy acrobatic robot. ...

via DPAD

Hey, who are we kidding here? Most of us can stand to lose a little weight... some more than others. I come to you here, not to preach that what I plan to do over the next month will change your life, but it is a good start and a good path to help follow a good direction.

To put it plainly I’m a big guy; I’m 6’1 and 242 lbs. Here come the laughs, the smirks and the witty comments, the put downs, but there is no reason for any of that. I’m not here to show off or brag, or single myself out or blame anyone for anything. I am who I am, and I’m quite happy with my life. I am also here with a plan. The plan is called the Wii Diet*. Before you dismiss it just hear me out. At first, I can imagine it sounding fishy, but in one month I will hopefully prove to you and other gamers alike that lifestyles can change, bad habits can be something of the past and not control our lives.

For many of you, this won’t apply. For others, this may be an eyebrow raiser, but let me lay out this plan for you all:

For the next month, I will, in combination with gym exercise, eat healthy and use my brand new Nintendo Wii system to lose between 10 and 15 pounds for the beloved GotFrag & DPAD audience and most importantly for myself. Again, this is no sympathy card, this is just a great way to incorporate a healthy lifestyle and gaming in combination.

My motivation is YOU GUYS. I know by continuing this piece over the next month will make me want to hit the gym and not eat all the crap that we all know and do often as well as build good healthy behaviors.

Here is the regimen:

1. Three 1-2 hour per week sessions at the Gym (Powerhouse Gym)
2. Five 30 minute Nintendo Wii Sessions on Wii Sports
3. At least 3 home cooked meals a week
4. Breakfast every morning

So, let me clarify this plan a bit more.

I just recently signed up at my local gym. (Monthly cost, plus sign up $128)

Working out with my Nintendo will be very fun and hopefully a very healthy experience. From Wii tennis, boxing, baseball and more, I am convinced this will make an impact. (Wii unit with Wii Sports $250)

Breakfast… Mr. Jack from Jack in the Box says so, and he is really smart. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your morning carbohydrates fuel your body throughout the day and get your metabolism up and running. Not only that, you won’t find yourself gorging for random junk food throughout the day or into the evening. (Cereal and milk for a month $18)

That trip to the grocery store will be a fun one as I intend on cooking some of my meals. (Thanks Mom!) ...

via Video Game Generation

8 new screenshots for Obscure II are now available. ...

via Tomb Raider Chronicles

Eidos has rolled out a new collection of screenshots and conceptual artwork showcasing un-dead action in Touch The Dead. The game - developed by Dream On - will be released in Spring 2007 on Nintendo DS.

In Touch the Dead, gamers play as Rob Steiner, a man who wakes up to find himself the lone human in a jail teeming with zombies. Players use a deadly arsenal of melee and projectile-based weapons and come face-to-face with the never-ending swarm of zombie-captors, none of whom have avoided the icy cold touch of the un-dead.

Along the way, gamers use the unique Nintendo DS touch screen to destroy anything - from inmates to prison staff - that stands in the way of the escape route that leads to safety and a new living world. And for gamers too weak to fight the good fight alone, they can take advantage of the Nintendo DS wi-fi and bring in reinforcements. ...

via Cubed3

When Disney announced that its gaming division would be bringing a brand new franchise to the Nintendo DS and then attempting to build something much bigger around that, it seemed like a big risk. But Spectrobes has already proved a massive success around the world.

Developed by veteran Japanese developer Jupiter Corporation, a team that has worked with Nintendo on the likes of the Pokémon Pinball titles, Picross DS, as well as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for Square Enix, the action-RPG Spectrobes has become the best selling Third Party DS game since launching back in the middle of March this year.

According to Disney Interactive, sales have exceeded 700,000 as of the end of April so far across all territories, leading to speculation of a sequel brewing. Although nothing official has been confirmed, Disney has touched on how Spectrobes will be transformed into a fully-fledged franchise.

"Spectrobes has quickly become a global phenomenon and has consistently been among the top-selling Nintendo DS titles since launch. We look forward to growing Spectrobes as a Disney franchise and providing more content for the increasing number of Spectrobes fans worldwide."
- Craig Relyea, Vice President of Marketing for Disney Interactive Studios.

The game uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to let players download new things on a regular basis, thus helping to keep interest in the game high and the promotional levels have been constantly high. Could it be long before we see the return of the two planetary patrol officers that are on a mission to prevent the evil-doings of bad guy Krawl? ...

via Cubed3

When Disney announced that its gaming division would be bringing a brand new franchise to the Nintendo DS and then attempting to build something much bigger around that, it seemed like a big risk. But Spectrobes has already proved a massive success around the world.

Developed by veteran Japanese developer Jupiter Corporation, a team that has worked with Nintendo on the likes of the Pokémon Pinball titles, Picross DS, as well as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for Square Enix, the action-RPG Spectrobes has become the best selling Third Party DS game since launching back in the middle of March this year.

According to Disney Interactive, sales have exceeded 700,000 as of the end of April so far across all territories, leading to speculation of a sequel brewing. Although nothing official has been confirmed, Disney has touched on how Spectrobes will be transformed into a fully-fledged franchise.

"Spectrobes has quickly become a global phenomenon and has consistently been among the top-selling Nintendo DS titles since launch. We look forward to growing Spectrobes as a Disney franchise and providing more content for the increasing number of Spectrobes fans worldwide."
- Craig Relyea, Vice President of Marketing for Disney Interactive Studios.

The game uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to let players download new things on a regular basis, thus helping to keep interest in the game high and the promotional levels have been constantly high. Could it be long before we see the return of the two planetary patrol officers that are on a mission to prevent the evil-doings of bad guy Krawl? ...

via Cubed3

When Disney announced that its gaming division would be bringing a brand new franchise to the Nintendo DS and then attempting to build something much bigger around that, it seemed like a big risk. But Spectrobes has already proved a massive success around the world.

Developed by veteran Japanese developer Jupiter Corporation, a team that has worked with Nintendo on the likes of the Pokémon Pinball titles, Picross DS, as well as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories for Square Enix, the action-RPG Spectrobes has become the best selling Third Party DS game since launching back in the middle of March this year.

According to Disney Interactive, sales have exceeded 700,000 as of the end of April so far across all territories, leading to speculation of a sequel brewing. Although nothing official has been confirmed, Disney has touched on how Spectrobes will be transformed into a fully-fledged franchise.

"Spectrobes has quickly become a global phenomenon and has consistently been among the top-selling Nintendo DS titles since launch. We look forward to growing Spectrobes as a Disney franchise and providing more content for the increasing number of Spectrobes fans worldwide."
- Craig Relyea, Vice President of Marketing for Disney Interactive Studios.

The game uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to let players download new things on a regular basis, thus helping to keep interest in the game high and the promotional levels have been constantly high. Could it be long before we see the return of the two planetary patrol officers that are on a mission to prevent the evil-doings of bad guy Krawl? ...