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New doodad kind of adds a joystick to the Wiimote
Cyber Gadget's new Wiimote add-on covers your d-pad with a thumbstick. We doubt this will improve the Wiimote's effectiveness in fighting games, but it might make the controller slightly more comfortable for people who just started gaming in the last two console generations, and for whom the d-pad as primary input is weird and alien.We remember going to the state fair once and buying an adhesive joystick that went over the NES's d-pad. That wasn't a good idea on our part or the manufacturer's! This thumbstick at least won't leave sticky residue all over your d-pad. If you're interested in the Cyber Gadget Remocon Stick, we found an $8.49 preorder link at YesAsia.
Matchstick puzzles headed to the DS
Do you ever catch yourself thinking, "Gee, the only thing missing on the DS is matchstick puzzles! Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't have to carry around all these matchsticks?" No? Well, if you were that guy (or girl), then this could be the best day ever. But even if the idea of shifting matchsticks (without using any actual matches) doesn't thrill you to the core, odds are that you'll find this at least oddly interesting. While we wonder just how many matchstick puzzles there are -- and we're sure they all fit within this one DS game -- this could certainly be worth checking out as a rental at least. If nothing else, simple puzzles are pretty good for pick-up-and-play, and matchstick puzzles always seem to go well with alcoholic beverages. Matchibo Puzzle DS is due for the end of the month in Japan, and we're actually half-hoping this one makes it across the ocean, just to see.
Sony keeps the DAP love going: NW-E-series Walkman stick
No sooner than Sony officially kicked out its long-awaited NW-A800 series of digital audio players, the firm is keeping the stream of new kit rolling right into March with the Walkman NW-E015F lineup. These 3.2- x 0.9- x 0.6-inch musical sticks shouldn't be too burdensome to even the weakest of individuals, and while it looks like you'll only locate these in that glossy black finish, there are a few options available nonetheless. Each version sports a full-color OLED display with three lines of text and CD cover support, USB connectivity, plays nice with ATRAC / MP3 / WAV / WMA, boasts ID3 tag support, lasts for 28-hours on a fully charged Li-ion cell, and weighs in at just 28 grams. The NW-E016 reportedly packs 4GB of space, while the NW-E015F sports 2GB of internal storage along with an FM tuner, and the NW-E013F gets stuck with a meager 1GB -- and for those who don't mind giving up the FM abilities, each version is available sans the "F." Unfortunately, Sony's not being as generous with regard to pricing and availability as it was with the A800s, but for everyone's sake, let's hope these pricetags are a bit more reasonable than the ones we saw earlier today.[Via Impress]
Need for Speed: Carbon controls revealed
Newsweek has got a bit of an exclusive look at the upcoming Need for Speed: Carbon for the Wii. Why them? Bah! But some interesting details were divulged nevertheless.As expected, the default control configuration for NFS: Carbon is the one of simplicity, found also in Excitetruck and a mini-game in Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. Turn the Wiimote on its side, and viola, instant steering wheel. But for you pros out there, there are three alternatives for your particular racing style. The first involves holding the Wiimote at a 45 degree angle, tilting forward to accelerate and back to brake; the nunchuk is tilted left and right for steering. The second and third have the Wiimote held at a 90 degree angle; acceleration is handled by tilting forward as before, but now braking is mapped to the Z button on the nunchuk. One of these two uses the motion sensing in the nunchuk for steering, the other merely uses the analog stick.Anyone else think these options are cool as hell, (partially) mimicking a stick shift configuration? [Thanks, Marc and Dave!]
How-To: Add an analog stick to your PSP
If you're sick of using that analog nub, the fine folks at our sister site Engadget has an incredibly detailed write-up on how to take the analog stick from a PS2/Xbox and graft it into your portable device. It won't be easy, but if you take the challenge, you'll see that your system will become stronger, faster... BETTER!
1GB Pro Duo on the cheap
If you swing on over to online retailer Buy.com, you can acquire a 1GB Pro Duo for your PSP for the very reasonable sum of $24.95 U.S. after a mail-in rebate. Offer is only valid until the 4th of June, so if you've been holding off on shelling out some dough for a larger memory stick, now seems about as good a time as any to upgrade.
