Engadget

CTA Digital unlocks your Nintendo 3DS's inflatable race car potential

Brian Heater — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:22:00 EST

Forget about Sony and Microsoft. The Wii U? Ha! Everyone knows inflatable race car add-ons are what E3 2012 is all about. CTA Digital is leading the way, doing for the 3DS what it did for the Wii before it, letting players clip their portable console into the giant peripheral's steering wheel. The Inflatable Sports Car is also Wii compatible, for those who are bi-console. You can pick one up for $40 on Amazon, foot pump included. Shoes, clearly, are optional.

Continue reading CTA Digital unlocks your Nintendo 3DS's inflatable race car potential

CTA Digital unlocks your Nintendo 3DS's inflatable race car potential originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spyro figurines bridge the console divide, bring flame-grilled peace to the world

Mat Smith — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:25:00 EST

Kids lacking the imagination to bring their own toys to life now have the option of letting a games console do it for them. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure has teleported into stores, boxed with three toy figures and a 'portal device' that brings them to life in-game. The bundle totals up at $70, and Activision is billing it as the "first true cross-platform game", with the toys playing nice across Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, 3DS and iOS versions. The statuettes, which connect to the portal peripheral through embedded RFID tags, also store game data across platforms. The business plan presumably involves groups of kids investing in Spyro's latest yarn and swapping characters amongst themselves, while holding onto their own precious in-game achievements. If your little brother has trouble trading with friends who couldn't care less about the antics of lava-belching monsters, they can always can stump up an extra $8 for new figures. Click 'Read more' for some explanatory cartoon violence.

Continue reading Spyro figurines bridge the console divide, bring flame-grilled peace to the world

Spyro figurines bridge the console divide, bring flame-grilled peace to the world originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor still coming to a hand near you, says Iwata

Brian Heater — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:29:00 EST

For a product with the word "vitality" in its name, Nintendo's forthcoming Wii peripheral doesn't seem to have much of a pulse these days. The oddball controller certainly piqued our interest when the gaming giant showed it off way back in 2009, but aside from some false alarms and an uncovered patent application, we haven't heard a peep. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the Vitality Sensor's conspicuous absence during a financial presentation, chalking the delay up to "differences in biological information in humans." The peripheral is still coming, according to Iwata, but it won't be released until the company can make it work well with 99 percent of consumers -- a tall order indeed. And what about the other one percent? Well, perhaps they can try these on for size.

Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor still coming to a hand near you, says Iwata originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Blaze's U-Move controls your Wii, makes you jog to play effectively (video)

Sean Hollister — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:46:00 EST

Now that your Wii Balance Board is safely tucked underneath the couch and you've long ago discovered that every standard Nintendo title can be played with the flick of a wrist, you might be wondering how you'll ever convince yourself to exercise again. Well, there are certainly a few dangling-carrot solutions to your problem, and here's one that actually makes sense -- the Blaze U-Move, a Nunchuk replacement (with built-in pedometer) that effectively locks your joystick in place. The idea is that unless you're moving, your avatar can't move, and when you do, it can -- each time you jog in place, you're building up virtual momentum. That certainly sounds like a much more graceful and practical solution than others we've seen, which turn off the entire controller or (Miyamoto forbid) cut power to your entire game machine. This way, you can stop running when you need to do some precision aiming, and set your mind at ease regarding your save game. Yours for £20, or about $32 in US currency.

Blaze's U-Move controls your Wii, makes you jog to play effectively (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mad Catz ships Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro adapter, gives your keyboard and drum set new life

Darren Murph — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 03:47:00 EST

Talk about just in time. With merely weeks to go before Mr. Claus makes his wintry journey 'round the globe, Mad Catz has decided to finally ship a peripheral that was introduced way back in June. Without a doubt, the MIDI Pro adapter is one of the more intriguing music game accessories to hit the open market, enabling Rock Band 3 owners to use most MIDI keyboards and drum sets with the title. The box is shipping as we speak for Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii, and the Xbox 360 variant should be headed to Best Buy in the coming hours. If you'll recall, this guy's also designed to work with the forthcoming Rock Band 3 Squier guitar / controller, and it even features a velocity sensitive adjustment for MIDI drums designed to reduce cross-talk during play. At $39.99, it's a no-brainer for those who already own a MIDI instrument or two, but we just might be more excited about the hacking possibilities than anything else. DIYers, get at it!

Gallery: Mad Catz Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro adapter

Continue reading Mad Catz ships Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro adapter, gives your keyboard and drum set new life

Mad Catz ships Rock Band 3 MIDI Pro adapter, gives your keyboard and drum set new life originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 03:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wii Classic Controller Pro gets gilded for revamped GoldenEye 007

Darren Murph — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:22:00 EST

Alright, gamers -- time to fess up. Even if you're a self-proclaimed new schooler, there's no way you're passing up the option to flash back to yesteryear in order to play GoldenEye 007 the way it was meant to be played. The Wii remake of the game actually doesn't look all that different than the original when it comes to polygon count, but for those who aren't keen on taking control of Pierce Brosnan (let us dream, okay?) with a Wiimote, there's the gilded Classic Controller Pro. The limited run controller itself is a familiar beast, but rather than being coated in a standard black hue, this one will be doused in much the same color as 007's Golden Gun. It'll reportedly ship later this year within a "Classic Edition" game + accessory bundle for $69.99 (a $20 upcharge over the software alone), but it's still unclear if it'll be available as a standalone peripheral. Not like it matters -- you know you're buying this game, anyway.

Continue reading Wii Classic Controller Pro gets gilded for revamped GoldenEye 007

Wii Classic Controller Pro gets gilded for revamped GoldenEye 007 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tron gaming peripherals soothe your nostalgia with calming blue light (video)

Sean Hollister — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:31:00 EST

We don't have the foggiest idea whether Tron: Legacy will serve to reboot Disney's venerable light cycling franchise, but it's certainly got peripheral vendors in high gear -- you'll be able to hack the ENCOM Digitizing Molecular Laser with a genuine Tron keyboard and mouse or toss virtual light discs with an Tron-themed Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii controller this holiday season. Gaming favorite Razer crafted this $130 laser-etched keyboard with swappable numpad and programmable macros; it will ship alongside a $100, 5600dpi laser mouse in October, and PDP will provide the console controllers for $50 at an unspecified date. We were bummed to hear that the Xbox 360 and PS3 pads are wired, but in retrospect that might be a good thing -- by comparison, Razer's detachable keypad is just begging to be thrown at an MCP-generated foe. See all the new Tron toys lit up in a video after the break. (Caution: video loads automatically.)

Gallery: Tron Legacy gaming peripheral press shots

Continue reading Tron gaming peripherals soothe your nostalgia with calming blue light (video)

Tron gaming peripherals soothe your nostalgia with calming blue light (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wii football controller brought to life by CTA Digital

Vlad Savov — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:11:00 EST

It wasn't too long ago that we were berating Nintendo for its seemingly silly patent application relating to a football-shaped soft appendage for the Wii Remote controllers. As it turns out, we may have underestimated the consumer interest in just such a product. While Ninty's application is still under review, CTA Digital has taken the opportunity to introduce its own "soft, realistic accessory" for the ballers that just can't get their Madden on without the feel of a rubbery pigskin substitute. It's ambidextrous, it comes with a wrist strap, and it has absolutely no right to exist in a society of right-thinking Homo sapiens. But it does. At least price and availability ~~aren't yet public~~, so hopefully you'll have forgotten about this abomination by the time of release.

Update: Turns out these are already available at Amazon for a precious cent short of $17.

Wii football controller brought to life by CTA Digital originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars

Sean Hollister — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:52:00 EST

Push-up bars for the Wii Balance Board? Now that sounds like a fantastic idea -- just the thing broad-shouldered individuals need to play Wii Fit without backstrain. Too bad this particular set of bars isn't worth the plastic it's printed from. The latest and greatest from the minds in the chintzy plastic peripheral industry, the $25 CTA Digital Wii Push Up Bar is held in place by only your weight and a few foam strips without reinforcement of any kind, meaning it could detach itself with any significant exertion. The only good that comes out of all this is an embarrassing video demonstration after the break, which features a pair of smiling humans pretending to have fun with the contraption. QVC, eat your heart out.

Continue reading Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars

Wii Fit push up bars make sense, but this one isn't worth dollars originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pink and blue Wii Remotes ready for Valentine's Day pre-order

Vlad Savov — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:59:00 EST

Nintendo may be a lot of things, but stupid it ain't. Cashing in on yet another gift-giving holiday, the console sales leader is bringing Americans a pair of freshly paint-licked Wii Remotes that should appeal to the his-and-hers demographic that seems to grow in number at this time of year. As you can see above, grabbing one will set you back $54.99, which is about the same price as the regular MotionPlus bundle. So, even if you weren't thinking about wooing your loved one with yet another Wii peripheral, at least the US now gets a 200 percent improvement in MotionPlus color choices. How is that not progress?

[Thanks, Brandon]

Pink and blue Wii Remotes ready for Valentine's Day pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video

Sam Sheffer — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:08:00 EST

Surely you remember the You Rock Guitar from earlier this week. How could you forget, right? Well here on the CES show floor, we had the opportunity to rock out (gently, of course) with the lightweight, multitouch Guitar Hero / Rock Band controller -- which just so happens to be platform agnostic. It's got a plethora of settings and buttons, but it can actually double as a semi-legitimate guitar when plugged into an amp. For a music game peripheral, it's about as real as it gets, though it's hard to say if you're better off dropping 180 bones on this instead of a standard controller and a swanky new Squier. Don't take our word for it, though -- jump on past the break and mash play.

Gallery: You Rock Guitar hands-on

Continue reading You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video

You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Modder mods new fangled wireless keyboard to look like old timey one

Laura June — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:23:00 EST

Before you laugh awkwardly at the weird sense of nostalgia this keyboard dredges up in your mind, let us introduce you to its wonders. Apparently modded by a Dutch man or woman courageous enough to admit that (like us) they prefer the pretty much extinct, giant, tactile-as-all-get out keyboards to newer, more streamlined models, this mod takes away the only gripe we ever had with such peripherals -- namely, their wiredness. The enterprising DIYer's taken a Logitech wireless Wii keyboard apart, mapping all the key codes along the way, thrown in a little basic soldering, wedged everything into the old keyboard and voila! Pretty magical, right? Well, okay -- not really, but still -- we sort of dig it. There's a before shot after the break, and hit the source link for the poorly machine translated how-to.

Continue reading Modder mods new fangled wireless keyboard to look like old timey one

Modder mods new fangled wireless keyboard to look like old timey one originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

Darren Murph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:41:00 EST

Too broke to pay Tony Hawk's royalties on a Wii skateboard / snowboard? Yeah, we feel you, and evidently Thrustmaster does too. Said peripheral outfit has just introduced its newest Wii accessory, the T-Freestyle NW. Designed with work with any skate or snowboard game that lands on Nintendo's money-maker, the board is crafted from genuine maple and sports a totally stereotypical "skull" design on the top. There's also a safety stopper to prevent any sort of toppling disaster, and best of all, this thing will be available at the end of the month for just $29.99. Gnarly, dude.

Gallery: Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

Continue reading Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nyko Wii Wands get a dash of color

Vlad Savov — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:36:00 EST

Just as Nintendo finally decides to bring some of that noir goodness over to the US, Nyko pops up with no less than four new colorways for its Wand Wii remote. We're no anthropologists here, but we reckon one of these new options will do a lot better in sales than the other three. All the same, with Nintendo furnishing Japan with blue and pink Wiimotes, Nyko has played it safe and followed suit. These should be hitting Walmart right about now with an MSRP of $29.99, so look out for them at your next government-sponsored Wii bowl-a-thon.

Gallery: Nyko Wii Wands get a dash of color

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Nyko Wii Wands get a dash of color originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Retractible wireless Rock Band / Guitar Hero controller perfect for the five-button shredder on the go

Ross Miller — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:53:00 EST

Guitar Hero and Rock Band's plastic axes aren't exactly behemoths in their own right, but if you need something even tinier, little-known game accessories company NEXiLUX looks to have a more portable solution in the works. The video for its mini guitar isn't the clearest, but from we can see, the body is about the same size as the retracted neck, which expands from behind the touch-sensitive pads to reveal the infamous quintet of colored buttons. D-pad, navigation buttons, whammy bar, and pickup selection have all survived the compression, and to make each unit as universal as possible, there's a switch on the bottom for choosing between either Guitar Hero for Wii or Rock Band for Wii, PlayStation 2, and PS3. Both black and white models are seen here, but there's no mention either in-video or on the company's website of price or release date. See it for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Floyd]

Continue reading Video: Retractible wireless Rock Band / Guitar Hero controller perfect for the five-button shredder on the go

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Video: Retractible wireless Rock Band / Guitar Hero controller perfect for the five-button shredder on the go originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo failed to notify third-party devs of MotionPlus prior to E3

Darren Murph — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:52:00 EST

We weren't terribly impressed with Nintendo's recently unveiled MotionPlus add-on, but we're even more disappointed by this. Reportedly, scads of third-party developers revealed at E3 that the Big N's latest Wiimote accessory was just as much a surprise to them as it was to any of us. In other words, Nintendo didn't bother giving its external devs any advance notice in order to get the ball rolling on compatible titles, or so it seems. Unfortunately, this also means that we probably won't see any MotionPlus-ready games hitting shelves from anyone not named Nintendo for months to come, but it's not like Wii Sports Resort can't hold our attention for a solid year, right?

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Filed under: Gaming

Nintendo failed to notify third-party devs of MotionPlus prior to E3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Logitech hints at Wii controller plans

Joshua Topolsky — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:47:00 EST

Apparently, Logitech isn't content with pretty much "pwning" the entire PC peripheral industry -- they want to dip into the Wii's pool as well. According to an industry site, Logitech has plans to unveil a new controller which combines motion sensing and rumble features into one fierce, unstoppable Wiimote-killer. Or so we're thinking. In an interview with Chris Spearing -- head of the UK and Ireland divisions of the company -- both controller features were complimented, and then Spearing went on to say, "Hopefully we'll be at the forefront of pushing that further, combining some of the two." In addition, Spearing discussed his admiration for Nintendo and its business models, though he seemed to feel that Logitech could best the Japanese company's Wii-work, saying, "If you couldn't improve on it, we wouldn't be in business, and that's the same for all products." Want to hear more of this kind of talk? Check the read link for the first part of the two-part interview.

Filed under: Peripherals

Logitech hints at Wii controller plans originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments