Best Wii Accessories

Nintendo has already helped kids get more active with its Wii console, now it’s introducing the Wii Balance Board into gaming through its Wii Fit bundle. This exercise game comes equipped with over 40 fitness and interactive challenges, including yoga, rhythm boxing, aerobics, strength training, slalom, and snowboarding. Additional games will be released by Nintendo and other game makers to further expand the capabilities of this balance board.

This device, which can only be used with your shoes off, allows an entire family to store their height and weight and will track body mass index (BMI) as you play each day. The basic game is built around finding a routine, which can incorporate everything from jogging on the board (it’s very sturdy) to doing crunches and yoga. The more you exercise, the more new games you unlock like a hula hoop game that requires you to move your hips to keep an on-screen hula hoop moving. This keeps kids and adults coming back for more. And the games offer a unique way to shed some pounds while having fun.

While the Remote controller is wireless out of the box, the Nunchuck controller connects to the Wii, which can easily get in the way of gaming for the more flamboyant players. And anyone who’s watched gamers flail controllers at TVs knows how many of them there are. Nyko cuts the cord with the Kama Wireless Nunchuck, which provides a wireless range of up to three meters and offers 30 hours of gameplay on two batteries.

More games that are coming out for Wii utilize both controllers, including the blockbuster hit Super Smash Bros. Brawl from Nintendo. Other than the wireless functionality, this Nunchuck works exactly like the one in the box. Since all Wiis support four-player support (eight controllers), it’s definitely worth adding these to your collection.

When it comes to the Wii, gamers have only one choice for a wireless guitar - the Frontman. With a great price point and the functionality to work on both Activision’s Guitar Hero III and MTV Games’ Rock Band, this wireless controller should get a lot of use. I recommend splurging on two of these controllers, which will get you through both games. Cutting the cords for music games is essential for gamers to get the space needed to jam with the band or compete against friends.

Outside of the PlayStation 2, which has been around for nine years, the Wii has the broadest base of gamers out there and this Frontman controller should get great use in any home with the two blockbuster music games out there. The guitar comes in yellow or white and has a slot for the Wii Remote to slide seamlessly into its body for plug-and-play functionality. Two picks and a bi-directional strum bar, whammy bar, and fret buttons round out the gameplay features.

Precision built bi-directional strum bar, fret buttons, whammy bar, and analog stick.

Nintendo introduced the Wii Zapper device in 2007, which is an elongated gun that the both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck slide into. The gun comes with a free Link’s Crossbow game and works with all the shooters out there, including Sega’s House of the Dead 2 and 3 Returns, Ghost Squad, Medal of Honor Heroes 2, and Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles.

I’ve always been a fan of arcade lightgun games and Wii is a system that was built perfectly for these target-shooting games. While there’s not much depth in these shooters, they’re fun to play with a friend. The Zapper makes targeting enemies much easier and the gun shape better replicates the arcade experience - since any of these lightgun games can be played with the traditional Remote.

Now gamers can take the Wii on the go with this portable seven-inch TFT rotating screen from Intec. While the motion-sensor controllers won’t allow for any in-car gaming, the fact that this stand-alone screen (though tiny) will free up a TV is great for hotel rooms and family trips. The screen comes with a built-in, wireless sensor bar and speakers. It connects directly to the Wii, allowing for easy set-up, and offers a lock-box for the Wii to slide into for protection.

Given the dearth of Wiis on store shelves even today, bringing a Wii on the road to family and friends isn’t such a bad idea. Although the screen is certainly small - and not anywhere near the recommended size for four-player gaming - it does work fine for single-player and two-player games. For those situations where a TV is just not available, this is a great option. The device comes with a 12-volt car adapter and vehicle headrest harness that works for vans and larger SUVs, where there’s room to maneuver.

Anyone who’s addicted to Wii will want to invest in this nifty device. It comes with two NiMH batteries, a six-foot cable, two battery grips, and a charging dock. Since the Wii supports four controllers, you can rotate Remotes with this dock or just buy two sets. Each battery lasts for 25 hours and the rapid charger replenishes power within eight hours. You don’t even need to take the batteries out of the Remotes to charge them.

I know that Wiis, because they tend to become the center of a household with a range of gamers using them, eat up batteries very quickly. This is a great alternative that will end up saving money in no time. In addition, these Remotes come with a rubberized battery cover that enhances the grip for gaming on the console. (Remotes have been known to fly from exuberant gamers’ hands.) The station blends in nicely with any home entertainment center.

One of the things that some gamers overlook with Nintendo’s Wii is the Virtual Console. Every Wii has 64 slots built into its memory that allows classic Nintendo games from every console to be downloaded, including some Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx, 16 games. These games don’t utilize the motion-sensor controls, so to play them gamers can either use the GameCube controller (Wii also plays GameCube discs) or pick up this Classic Controller.

Anyone who’s gamed on Nintendo consoles over the years will love the look and feel of this retro controller. It’s been updated to include twin analog sticks, four shoulder buttons, a four-way D-pad, and four face buttons (X,Y,B,A) that will work with any game available on the Virtual Console. In addition to being playable with classic games, the new WiiWare games being developed for the console will also utilize this controller.

Gamers love to personalize their consoles and controllers. Microsoft offers faceplates to emblazon your favorite games on the Xbox 360 console itself. Nintendo has plenty of real estate on its Wii Remotes and MadCatz is offering sports fans the ability to customize these white controllers with any sport. MLB, NFL and NHL teams are licensed for Wii. (I’m not sure why the NBA has been left out, since they’re part of other MadCatz controllers.)

Regardless of which sport you follow, each of these collections comes with every two faceplates with every team. For MLB, that means all 30 teams. The package also includes a pair of reinforced wrist straps and two replacement battery doors. In addition to sporting your favorite colors, these polycarbonate covers also serve as extra protection for the remotes. Fans have been known to get carried away with Wii gaming.

Those looking for a little money to go a long way will want to check out Nyko’s Classic Controller Grip, which allows the Classic Controller to be mounted atop the Remote controller. In addition, this device offer ergonomic grips that make the whole combination (think space shuttle riding atop a 747) feel just right. In fact, the combo makes this controller feel more like a PS3 or Xbox 360 controller.

By combining these two controllers, gamers can easily access any of the on-screen, point-and-click navigation of Wii’s menus and then jump right into any Virtual Console game without having to swap devices. In addition, the grip has extra space for the Classic Controller cord to be tucked away to make everything tangle-free. It’s really a bargain at this price and it’s literally a snap to put together.

Those looking for a clean break from any wired tangles around their home entertainment system will want to invest in this sensor bar. It’s a snap to set up and it has a range of 25 feet, which is more than enough room for Wii gamers to congregate in front of it for motion-sensor action.

This nifty peripheral comes with four AA batteries which will last for 30 hours. There’s a power save mode built in that will alert users with an alarm when it’s been on for too long. It will even shut itself off if left on by mistake. Whether you set this up on top of your TV or beneath it, or find someplace around your home entertainment center, it easily blends in and cutting the cord does wonders for keeping things neat. It’s especially great for wall-mounted TVs.