One of my favorite stops at E3 is visiting with the folks at Nyko. This year their offerings weren’t as plentiful as in past years, but even so they had a few interesting items up for observation.
ACTION PAK
Wand
This has been released to retail, but I still haven’t had a chance to go hands on with it yet except the brief playtime at E3. Although the face buttons look ugly, they feel fine. When trying to press the 1 or 2 button, it’s a bit easier due to the larger size. The only issue I had with this controller was the feel of the D-pad was slightly mushy. It could become troublesome with diagonals, but otherwise seems to be a suitable controller for Wii jobs. What’s unique about this controller besides the button shapes is the Trans-Port technology which helps with how the Pistol Grip operates.
Pistol Grip
The Perfect Shot, while it had a good feel to it, had issues with the trigger. Operation of the trigger wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped. Nyko has addressed this with the new Pistol Grip that works in conjunction with the Wand. Using their Trans-Port system, the Wand’s A and B buttons are activated digitally instead of physically with the Pistol Grip. This results in a smooth clicky trigger button and hammer action. In case you want to use other accessories with the combination, a port has been included at the bottom of the Grip. To make it compliant with gun safety rules, an orange ring that slips on the front of the Wand while in the Pistol Grip is included and fits on easily. Overall the feel is light, but solid, which will make light gun games even better with this system.
OTHER ACCESSORIES
Type Pad Pro
A keyboard can take up quite a bit of space in the living room, so Nyko
is introducing the Type Pad Pro. The way one types on it is to grip it in your hand instead of placing it in one’s lap. In the middle is a place for a Wii Remote or Wand so that you don’t need to let go of the Pad to navigate a menu or perform some other various action. It sounds great on paper, but in actual application I was disappointed.
The entire setup feels bulky and the keys, even with my small fingers, were difficult to press due to their small size. While holding the Pad, it also felt a bit awkward to hold and aim at the TV, most likely due to the bulk. If they could perhaps change the size and shape a bit to accommodate the keys better and lighten it up a bit, I could see this being useful. For now though, it’s not something I’d use in its current form.
Zoom Case
I noticed before the show started, this was already catching a bit of hell from a few online communities. I’ll admit to chuckling at the idea of a camera attachment for the DSi, since the camera isn’t up to par with cellphones of today. When I actually saw it in person and what it could do, I was amused.
The Zoom Case fits over your DSi snugly, somewhat reminding me of armor that surrounds the system. On the front of the case is an opening for where the lens goes. The lens fits on tightly and secure. It also doesn’t add that much weight to the system, so if you’re wanting to take a few photos of objects off in the distance, you won’t be fatigued.
Without lens
For an 8x optical zoom lens, it’s not bad at all. I was able to take before and after shots with the system and as you can see below, it does the job of zooming just fine. You can adjust the zoom on the lens manually by rotating a ring on it similar to a regular lens. If you’re worried about having to transport the lens, it will come with a hard care and caps to protect it while in your pocket or purse.
With lens
I’ve only seen two downsides of the system so far, the front of your DSi will have a bump where the camera fits so it may not slide into a bag as easily. The other issue is the fact that we couldn’t get the Case off. It’s not attached with glue, but if you ever want to remove it, it may be a chore. Then again this is a prototype system and can change before the final product ships. I’m looking forward to seeing the final version and tinkering around with the system.
Wii Travel Bag
Bags seem to be coming out of the wood works lately, but the majority of them don’t seem to have much thought behind them. This made the Travel Bag a pleasant surprise because it seems to actually been designed properly for the Wii. Inside you’ll find a compartment to place your Wii and a velcro strap to hold it securely. However the other side is what sets this apart from standard bags. There are four elastic loops that allow for placement of Wii Remotes and below those are places for Nunchuks. This makes for less tangle and easier access if you’re transporting your Wii. The front of the bag has a place for SD cards and even a place for game CDs, but has a flap for discretion. To carry it around, it has a simple shoulder strap attached. This is a great bag with a decent setup as far as I was concerned. If I ever took my Wii anywhere, this would be one of my first considerations.
PSP 2000-3000 Charge Grip
I still haven’t gone out and bought a newer PSP, even with the lighter offerings from Sony in the form of the PSP 2000 and 3000. With that said, others obviously have, so much that Nyko is putting out the PSP Charge Grip for the PSP 2000-3000 series. When I held it in my hands with and without the attachment, I didn’t notice much weight. It has handles that can fold down for bigger hands. I found however when it was folded down it tended to dig into my little hands. When folded up however I liked the way it felt. Nyko claims the battery life with this will be 10x the amount you’d get from the standard battery. It’s not a bad solution and feels good, but I’ve been wary of charge grip products since my DS grip that I bought died suddenly. Perhaps Nyko has improved on the technology from a few years ago.
