Nyko Charge Station IC

Yesterday I told you about Nyko announcing some new accessories for the Wii, including a new charge station. Today there is a little more known about it as well as the picture to go along with it. Not only does it look really cool, it works really cool as well. The station grips the Wii Remotes with a somewhat powerful magnet and charges the Wii Remotes via induction. You can leave them in their jackets, you can take them out, you can have the Motion Plus attached. It doesn't matter. It also has an extra USB port on the back that can be used to charge other things with an cord.

There is no word yet on release or pricing, but you can bet you'll find that out as soon as I do. I'm quite excited about this product. I've been using Nyko's Charge Station for almost two years now and love that thing.

Source: Gizmodo

Nyko Control Pak Review (Peripheral)

Nyko has made a wide range of accessories for a large number of consoles. Now, the manufacturer is adding to the list of different controllers you can use on Wii with a Control Pak, which comes bundled with a nunchuck and Nyko's version of the classic controller.

First up, the Nunchuk: It's slightly larger than the first party Nunchuk. The handle itself feels the same and probably is so that it will fit onto the Zapper. The upper part is the part that feels slightly larger and the back of the controller has a rubber grip to help avoid slippage. The C button is a rectangle now, rather than the circle on the first party controller. The Z button is also slightly larger and has a lip on the bottom similar to the B trigger on the Wii Remote. The lip on the Z trigger gives your finger a place to rest a bit. The analog stick does not have the octagonal shape that the Nintendo controller has; you get a smoother feel while moving characters on a screen, and you're not clicking into places as you rotate the stick.

If you're curious about the nunchuk'ss motion detection, it does not feel diminished in any way: it's just as responsive as the Wii Nunchuk. Granted, it doesn't feel any more responsive, but it also doesn't feel any less.

Now, the Classic Controller: This is the bigger departure from first party versions of Nyko's two controllers. Nyko's Classic Controller has a more modern wing shape rather than the more rounded shape of Nintendo's Classic Controller. Nyko's gives your hands a place to grab onto while holding the controller. It seems to be about the same size as the classic controller, so you'll feel comfortable no matter what size your hands are. The buttons are raised a bit more off the face of the controller and they're spaced almost the same distance apart. The D-pad has raised directional arrows on each of its compass points, and it is also raised slightly higher. Overall, Nyko's d-pad feels as solid as the first party version, and it doesn't wiggle any. The analog sticks have the same rounded hub as the nunchuk. This will be very handy for any twin-stick games like Geometry Wars or fighting games, if you prefer to use the sticks rather than the D-Pad.

Regardless, Nyko's controllers are definitely a bit more colorful than the first party versions. The A/B buttons are a bright blue, the X/Y buttons are red. The shoulder buttons are both labeled on the top and the side so you would be able to see them without having to move the controller. The L, R, ZL, and ZR buttons all have an audible click when depressed so you know when they have been fully depressed.

Both controllers are very light. They feel like there is not much inside them, but they are sturdy. They're not going to fall apart on you or break if you drop them onto a hard surface. They were tested out on a variety of different games types and found to perform just as well as any other controllers. Unfortunately, like any other controller alternative, you cannot re-map the buttons, so it will be fairly useless on NES games, but works very well for SNES games and Wii games that use the Classic Controller. Both controllers are a great alternative, especially if you're looking to save a little money and want a full complement of 4 Nunchuks (Nunchi?) and Classic Controllers. With that many needed, you'll will save about over a full complement of first party controllers.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Nyko Wand Review (Peripheral)

Nyko has created many different products for Nintendo's Wii console, and now it's the first peripherals maker to create an alternative to the Wii Remote. While identical in layout and function to the first party Nintendo Wii Remote, there are a few differences that separate the two.

Visually, it will not be possible to confuse Nyko's version with Nintendo's original. Much like its Wing classic controller, Nyko's Wand is a very colorful version of the Wii Remote. The buttons have all been squared off and are visually differentiated with different colors. The "A" button is now red and the 1 & 2 buttons are blue; they have also been enlarged slightly. The "B" button has been rubberized and is grooved to give a more comfortable feel and reduce any possible slippage. The D-pad has been changed to include a small point for the diagonals. The home button has also been enlarged slightly, made square and is offset just slightly above the plus and minus buttons, and the power button has been made square and moved to the upper right corner of the controller.

In general, Nyko's Wand feels good and is as responsive as you would expect, though the D-pad does not have as much give as the Wii Remote and this can lead to some situations where you don't get as much movement as you would like or expect. Fortunately, this doesn't seem to happen often. Also, making the buttons slightly bigger has given the controller a little more comfort when used for extended periods of time. The pointer function is advertised to be useful up to twenty feet, but in tests worked as well as the Wii Remote: up to thirty feet.

There were a few issues with the Wand, though. One serious problem occurs, ironically, when connected to Nyko's nunchuck. There is some trouble getting the Wand to recognize the Nyko nunchuck; the few times it did recognize it, the peripherals would later disconnect and need to be reconnected, but a first party nunchuck would stay connected at all times. Also, when starting up games that use a classic controller, the Wand would turn off, and if the user didn't continually press the A button while it was loading, the game would not recognize the controller and boot back to the Wii Menu.

The Nyko Wand is a good alternative to the first party offering, particularly if you don't like the Wii Remote's smaller buttons. The few issues with the controller are easy to work around, and it connects to any of the peripherals that use a Wii Remote just as well as the Nintendo version. The Wand also retails for five dollars less than the first party Wii Remote, so if you're looking for a bit of a value option, Nyko has created a quality replacement.

Final Score: 4/5

Nyko Unveils New Accessories at GamesCom

Nyko has lifted the veil on what it's been working on lately. Announced at GamesCom today was the addition of ten new colors to their line that will be available in Japan. Of those ten new colors, four will be available in America; black, blue, purple, and red. These are nice additions to their already well made controller. I really like their Wii Remote alternative, especially since it's cheaper. The only issue I have with it is that if you bought it before the Motion Plus was available chances are it won't work with the add on. That has been fixed and the newer controllers are compatible.

Also announced was the Charge Base IC. The new battery charger works on induction technology and will allow you to charge your Wii Remote without having to remove the silicone jackets, which is a major plus. It also uses powerful magnets to hold it in place while it is charging.

Another welcome announcement was that of the Type Pad Pro. This device plugs into the bottom of your Wii Remote and gives it a bit of the look of an airplane. It functions just like the chat pad for Xbox 360 controllers and will allow you to type out messages without the need of an additional keyboard.

If you happen to be at GamesCom this year head over to the Nyko booth and take a look at these new products. You can find them in Hall 8, Aisle B, Booth #036.