Yesterday while at Fry’s to pick up Super Paper Mario, I also snagged the Nyko Charge Station. I’ve had my eye on this for a while, but I had never actually seen it in a store until yesterday. Or, to be more specific, I had never actually looked at Wii accessories since launch until yesterday. Here are my observations.
- The rechargeable batteries have small contacts that are exposed through the back of the Wii remote to interface with the charging station. For this reason, it is necessary to use the included rubberized battery cover, which exposes the contacts via a hole.
- The rubberized grip on the battery door feels comfortable.
- There is a small groove through which the the wrist strap can be dangled while charging.
- The charger is very particular about the placement of the Wii remotes when charging, but there are helpful feedback LEDs at the bottom which show that the controller is charging (blue), fully charged (green), or not docked properly in the cradle (no light). It may take a little finesse to put the Wii remote in the cradle “just right,” but I haven’t found it to be annoying. The controller stays put once it’s in position.
- The battery charge is *REALLY* fast (under four hours if I’m not mistaken). However, the batteries may have been partially charged from the factory.
- The construction is solid, and it looks nice standing on your entertainment center.
At $29.99, the Nyko Charge Station is a good value. It gives you an attractive place to store your controllers when not in use, and it eliminates the need to buy huge packs of AA batteries to ensure uninterrupted gaming.
April 12, 2007 at 5:13 am
Excellent news. I came across this a while ago but it wasn’t shipping yet. One of the more annoying things about the Wii is the rate at which I fly through double-As. This should easily pay for itself in short order.