Nyko's Energy Pack keeps your Wii balance board juiced

If you're anything like our boy Ryan, you've been wearing that Wii Fit out ever since you took delivery. Unfortunately, you've probably been doing a bit of unintentional jogging when logging miles back and forth to the local mini-mart for batteries. If you can't seem to keep your Wii Balance Board charged, Nyko has introduced a novel solution: the Energy Pack for Wii Fit. Our pals over at Nintendo Wii Fanboy were able to get ahold of this very unit and put it through its paces, and generally speaking, they were quite impressed with the $20 peripheral-for-a-peripheral. Head on over for the full writeup and a smattering of pics.

[required @ May 30th 2008 5:51PM]

I think the disposable battery industry is in love with nintendo.

[Tim @ May 30th 2008 5:53PM]

According to his last post, I don't think Ryan's really wearing it out. Using it, sure, but his post sure didn't seem very enthusiastic. Maybe I missed it.

[PGP-Protector @ May 30th 2008 5:55PM]

Too bad they didn't just find a way to convert all the jumping / running / mass movement to energy to keep it always charged.

Add 1/4 Inch, gears, motor or Pizoelectric Crystals or something along that line & your WiFit is always charged.

[TomFox @ May 30th 2008 5:59PM]

Actually if you did that what's stopping you from recharging the rechargeable batteries for your Wiimotes? Not a bad Idea.

[MARSHAK @ May 30th 2008 8:49PM]

you mean like a shake up flashlight? wheres that guy who made the PS3 laptop when you need him?

[Fabian @ May 30th 2008 6:05PM]

Great, Super Idea

[required @ May 30th 2008 6:06PM]

Curious, does the Wii come with disposables or rechargeables?

[AlekZander @ May 30th 2008 6:53PM]

Disposables. The manuals say it's not a good idea to use rechargables in it either.

[tiuk @ May 30th 2008 7:26PM]

Battery conspiracy!

[SnowB @ May 30th 2008 7:40PM]

The Madcatz solution looks far more elegant. No adapter stuck to the bottom of your Wiiboard to bump the carpet and screw up the balance and weight functions.

This one just plugs straight into the Wii's USB port for recharging too:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=212346&WT.mc_n=633273&WT.mc_t=U&cm_ven=RSS&cm_cat=EPSILON-TRIGGER&cm_pla=RSS_TOPSELLERS-%3EPRODUCT%20DATA%20FEED&cm_ite=1%20PRODUCT&cm_keycode=633273

[ratnikh @ May 30th 2008 9:25PM]

What I want to know is, why the hell does a stationary device that'll be used in the livingroom need batteries for anyway? Why not just plug it in? Apparently Nintendo isn't as green as they were considered to be.

[Paul @ May 31st 2008 1:45AM]

Wires limit where you can bring your balance board. Maybe someone's Wii is on a high shelf on a cabinet. If the player would fall off the board and onto the cable, the Wii might be pulled off of the shelf, and you'll have to go searching for a new one. Also you might have a bigger television and living room and want to exercise farther from the TV where a cable wouldn't allow it.

[DjSnafu @ May 31st 2008 9:28AM]

"The manuals say it's not a good idea to use rechargables in it either."

Does it give a reason why? What would happen if you did?

[jodosh @ Jun 1st 2008 10:02AM]

nothing would happen, I have been using NiMH rechargeable batteries in all 4 of my remotes since shortly after the wii launched. The rechargeables don't have that great of a life (not sure if I got some cheep batteries or something about the wii burns through them.)

A friend of mine uses the energizer e^2 batteries and they last a very long time, enough to make them a very economical choice. Once my rechargables wear out completely I am planning on using the e^2 myself.