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Joystiq hands-on: Wiimote Jacket
Just in time for the winter, Nintendo has offered a free Wiimote Jacket to keep its controllers cozy. And by "cozy," we mean, "potential-lawsuit free." All of the demo controllers at Nintendo's "Fall Media Summit" had been fitted with the silicon sock. In my use, the extra layer added bulk, but the result felt about the same as -- and occasionally better than -- an unprotected controller.The sleeve attaches tightly to the sides of the Wii Remote, only adding a few millimeters around the waist. More thickness at the bottom -- perhaps for pounding in that annoying straighten-the-papers WarioWare game -- adds about another centimeter of girth.But the bulb-shaped top is significantly bigger than the naked Wiimote. Its spongy feel should absorb a lot of energy; I could imagine unintentionally hitting a table or younger sibling without causing injury. I was concerned that the bigger shape would ruin horizontal, NES-style games, but I ended up liking it a little more than the plain Wiimote. My left hand has always felt cramped next to the D-pad, and the Jacket gives it more to hold.The Jacket also includes a port cover for use without the Nunchuk. I was mildly annoyed by moving the flap to plug in attachments, but gamers could cut that part off of their own Jackets. (See the gallery for a closer view.)We've shrugged at Nintendo's 18-million dollar move seemingly to preempt American lawsuits. But even minimalist-preferring adult gamers may like the cover's extra size.%Gallery-8512%
Nintendo announces free Wii Remote Jacket
Nintendo just let us know about the Wii Remote Jacket, a grippy silicon sleeve that wraps around your Wiimote, ensuring it remains firmly in your grasp instead of lodged in the skull of a nearby loved one. Now, before you accuse Nintendo of climbing aboard the Wii-peripheral junk bandwagon, we should let you know how serious they are about the Wii Remote Jacket: they're giving the things away for free!Bundled with hardware like the Wii console, Wii remotes, and Wii Play (which of course comes bundled with a free Wiimote) shipping to retailers on October 2nd, the Wii Remote Jacket should be available with those products as early as October 15th. Already got a Wii with an armada of Wii Remote missiles that need cushioning? Go to nintendo.com, or call 1-866-431-8367 to place your order (note: you can order 'em now, but the free sleeves won't ship until the week of October 15). Just punch in your console's serial number (what, you don't know it by heart?) and order up to four sleeves for your Wiimote collection. Update: Many of you are getting errors when trying to submit your serial number. We think it best if you hold off a couple hours (maybe even a day or so!) and let the site get on its feet before hammering away at it. Let us know when your transaction goes through!
