Judging a book by its cover is how we weed out our visual preferences for mates, friends, cars, and places to visit. And when the Able Planet's PS500MM headset showed up in the mail, we were curious as to whom the company was marketing to. Subtle blister-packaging, no splashy images, no glitzy colors and no console stickers on the package didn't make these the sexiest piece of hardware in the room. But with the PS500MM's, it's what's inside that counts.

After a rep for the company asked "have you heard them yet?" several times, we took the PS500MM out of its boring packaging and plugged them in, waiting for a mind-numbingly audio experience in mediocrity. But that didn't happen. They sounded really, really good. So good that we actually had to swap back and forth with our road-hardened Sony MDR-EX71SLA and Shure E2C earphones to make sure something else hadn't happened.

Why? We could hear the nuances of vocalists in our favorite songs, heard melodies that we had never heard before and there weren't the obvious crackles that usually plague the mid-range. Then it got better. Usually any new technology that "enhances" audio usually does so by handicapping the bass. Yet the PS500MM's produced a crisp sounding bass with almost no distortion (even when we loaded up a few bass-heavy MP3 tracks). Then it caused us to do the impossible, we actually turned down the volume.

Music in games from BioShock to Call of Duty: World at War sounded better and multiplayer sessions in Team Fortress delivered crisper audio (even the oh-so-many f-bombs sounded better).

And that's the point that Able Planet pitched us on. Listen to your favorite audio without jacking those sources up to a level that might leave you deaf. Oddly, the Linx Audio technology that makes this all possible doesn't come from music labs or audio engineers who think that records sound better than CD, it's based on the latest in hearing aid technology. As AblePlanet describe it, the technology filters out harsh or undesirable sounds, clarifying what you want to hear without forcing you to lose your hearing.

Well-constructed, the headset's cans are quite small at just under two inches wide and a little over an inch thick with pillow-like cushions. On top, there's thin but ample head padding and several screws helped it survive our twisting tests. On the side of the left can is a fixed angle boom mic. Volume and the mic are controlled via a control module that lies a few inches below where the left and right cords intersect.

Yet, it's the hardware design here that gave us some issues. Whereas other headsets allow us to rotate the mic out of the way, you'll have to maneuver the snake-like mic back to the headset, which just feels strange and makes the headset look like a lower-priced set. And the cans themselves only rotate on one axis, and only about 45 degrees so they never feel like they're positioned correctly. The tension of the over-the-head bar keep the PS500MMs secure but combined with a big head and one axis of rotation, some may find them slightly uncomfortable. Yet, we're still amazed at the audio voodoo that Able Planet's PS500MM headset creates. Which makes us wonder, do we need a hearing aid?

Initially priced with an MSRP of $99.99 and currently found around $40, Able Planet's PS500MM headset may not look beautiful and have slight issues with being ergonomically challenged but for gamers who think that jacking up the volume will mask their hearing issues or team members who want to hear their teammates better during matches, these puppies cast near magical audio that just has to be heard.

Improving the Wii Remote sounds like a fool's errand. With a blocky design, a few buttons, a protective jacket and a leash, there's very little to improve, right?



Meet the Nyko Wand, a Wii Remote controller that promises a few improvements that enhance your Wii gaming experiences. At first glance, the well-known rectangular design is a carbon copy of its Nintendo cousin with larger and colored buttons for in-game actions. Bigger buttons do make it slightly easier to press during games and moving the Home button slightly north of the + and – keys seems like a better solution. The D-pad has also been designed from the classic Nintendo four-way D-pad design with a focus on the positions between left, right, up and down. Underneath, the Wand features a rubberized battery cover and a large rubberized "B" button.



One unique feature is Nyko's Trans-Port technology which allows players to use digital signals from other Trans-Port enabled devices via three metal touch areas underneath the Wand's Nunchuk plug. So while your light gun kit may work just fine, having that trigger turned digital, players would be able to shoot faster and more often. Of course, this currently means that you'd only be able to use such a feature with other Nyko devices.

Found at GameStop for $29.99, $5 less than the Nintendo Wii Remote, it's also a good way to save money for your next game. And if you're a light gun fanatic, the Nyko Action Pak ($45) adds a pistol grip attachment that uses the Trans-Port technology for faster trigger responses.



During our testing with the device over the past few weeks, we can report that there are no real flaws with the Wii Remote apart from the device powering down faster than the Wii Remote when it wasn't in use (annoying in one regard, though more energy friendly.) Encapsulated in a protective blue jacket that features more padding at the front, it even bounces off the floor just like the Wii Remote. That's not all bad considering that some third party peripherals are often plagued by cheaper plastic cases with buttons that squirm all over the place and parts that break off long before they should. Nyko's Wand might not shake up how the Wii Remote works but with bigger buttons and a lower price, it's a true contender for your living room.

For all the cordless freedom that the Wii gives players, the cord that connects to the Nunchuk feels like an insult. Thankfully the nice geeks at Nyko have got our backs by introducing the Kama Wireless Controller, a wireless Nunchuk that's will immediately make you ask, "Why didn't Nintendo do this in the first place?"

The Kama kit comes in two parts, a wireless controller and a small module that plugs into the bottom of your Wii Remote. Once you wake the Wii Remote up, you hit the glowing blue button, do the same on the Kama and you're set. Seriously, even your mom could do it.

But mom doesn't play like you do and Nyko evolves the design of the Nunchuk with several other improvements. Wider and slightly heavier than the default Nunchuk, the Kama also makes the C and Z buttons wider and even added a little lip to the bottom of the Z button that makes it look a little like a wide gun trigger -- a worthy addition. Up on deck, the analog controller is similar to the Nunchuk's but with a circular base, replacing the chuk's octagonal one and two recessed buttons are used for powering on and syncing the Kama with its module (which we've only done once). Underneath, the battery cover is skinned with a rubber tread for better gripping and where the normal Nunchuk cord should be, there's a leash.


Performance-wise, we never lost a connection during the weeks that we've been playing with it. Nyko rates the two AAA's battery life at around 30 hours, and during our testing, we only had to change the batteries once. The Kama feels natural and the only learning curve here is getting used to the missing cord that always seemed to whack us in the face during heavy play session -- especially during MadWorld. It even cured a flaw in one of our Wii Remotes where the plug to the Nunchuk would occasionally lose its connection.



Yet, there's one big flaw. With the arrival of the MotionPlus module with every copy of Wii Sports Resort, the Kama module lacks a Nunchuk plug at its base and the MotionPlus module comes with two pieces of plastic that help secure the new Wii MotionPlus jacket. Those little pieces make it impossible to plug the Kama module in. Of course, after much thought, we chopped off the two little pieces, then shaved down the curvy top part of the Kama module with our handy Dremel to ensure a secure fit. Now our Wii Remote, looking like an odd baton with both modules attached and the Kama module lit up, a good sign. Wii Sports Resort started... and then we discovered that with both modules attached, the game fails to recognize the Kama and asks the user to "Connect the Nunchuk to the Wii MotionPlus accessory." Grrr... our hopes for MotionPlus wireless nirvana were dashed.


Even with the Wii MotionPlus issue, Nyko's Kama Wireless Controller should have been standard issue with every Wii and we highly recommend it. With so few games that support MotionPlus, it works with nearly all your other games. And with the lowest price we found ($19.99) matching the price of a new wired Nunchuk, the Kama Wireless Controller offers a lot more motion for your buck.

With the successful Nintendo DS launch of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars behind them and the October PSP launch imminent, developer Rockstar has created a Facebook application that allows friends to send and receive fortune cookie messages through the social networking site.

The GTA: Chinatown Wars Fortune Cookie application supplies a randomly-generated selection of thinly-veiled insults in the form of 'fortune cookie' messages ranging from "You should travel more. People don't like you here" to "Yes, you do look fat in that." You can also write-in your own message if you choose.

Clicking each fortune flips the paper over to the back, revealing a Chinese word - we've come across such colorful ones as "female dog" (gau na) and "low life" (zeen yun).

It's not the most creative social networking tie-in to a video game that we've seen (and it deprives us of actually breaking open the fortune cookie!) but it does point to a larger trend of major publishers who have started to use sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to engage fans of their products -- EA created a Madden 09 quiz application for last year's big football title, and Ubisoft has developed TickTock, a game completely independent of the company's other IPs that tests you on your friends' status updates.

DSi owners found that bigger screens and faster operating speeds presented an unwelcome side effect, lower battery life. Thankfully, TeknoCreations' TekCase for DSi combines a glossy protective covering that contains a battery that nearly triples your playtime. To prove its worth, we took it on a long flight to Paris and then gave it to nature's most destructive force, a five year old, for "durability testing." The results were far better than expected.

Defined as a shell, the TekCase fits snuggly around the DSi without the need for adhesives, straps or clips. Cutouts around the hard case give you access to volume, game cart slot, SD card slot, L and R shoulder buttons and headphone jack. The DSi pen is accessed by using a small switch on the bottom of the device that pops it out from the DSi. At the back of the TekCase is a knob that plugs into the DSi's power port. This knob allows you to recharge the DSi and the TekCase using any mini USB cord (so you can leave your DSi charger at home) and the case does come with a USB wall charger that you use to charge the device or any other USB powered device.

On our flight to Paris, we got around 8-9 hours between the DSi's native battery and the TekCase's battery, with an additional 2-3 hours back in the hotel and return flight. Once the DSi battery winds down, you flip an on/off switch on the case to supply the additional power. The battery also did well and didn't seem to lose much of a charge when it wasn't in use.

Given to a five year old with an addiction to Pokemon and a penchant for dropping stuff, we found about 11 hours of battery life as well. Plus, he dropped it a several times and while the cart popped out once, the DSi and the case survived with just a few scratches.

So we love the additional battery life, the sturdy plastic casing, the USB charging and the little cutout for the outward facing camera (which otherwise would get scratched). Our biggest gripe was with the return of the mirror black casing, since we're fond of the DSi's naturally fingerprint-free casing. The additional girth that the TekCase adds (along with a nearly 1/2 inch knob at the back) will force you to ditch any slimmer cases you might already own but still feels comfortable in hand. Also, if you have a two-prong DS/DSi set of headphones with microphone, one of our bigger adapters didn't fit -- leaving you to use more conventional headphone. But if you're going on a long trip, the TekCase proves to be durable, adds hours to gameplay sessions between charges and at only $29.99, it's an easy pick-up.

Keeping pace with the insane bass of Guitar Hero Metallica takes nerves of steel, a near unachievable level of speed and a good set of eyes. While Nyko can't legally speed you up or has yet to venture into eye accessories, its new Metal Pedal does offer Guitar Hero and Rock Band players a way to smack down that bass with toes of wanton destruction.

Over the past week, we took the coffin-encased pedal through the paces and discovered several advantages that drummers will enjoy and, at a mere $19.99, a nice upgrade to their default kit's bass pedal.

First and foremost, Nyko's Metal Pedal isn't all metal. It's mostly plastic but a screwed on chrome-like metal inlay sits on the foot pedal along with a raised metal area made to look like spikes (we'd like real spikes but for $20, we'll let it slide). It's also compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero: World Tour drum kits via a switch on the coiled cable. An included Dual Pedal Adaptor also lets Rock Band 2 and World Tour players play with their original pedal and the new metal pedal.


World Tour players have the most to gain since the petal is wider than the stock pedal and comes with four rubber pads that should solve the bass pedal drift that World Tour players are used to. Of course, there are cutouts for the Rock Band drum kit's cross bar and with two rubber inlays, players should find less side to side motion.

While it's highly recommended as a replacement for the stock pedal, getting our Rock Band 2 kit to recognize it took several attempts. Once working, the two rubber pads as the bottom of the pedal produce a nice "thock" sound as a smaller pad hits the sensor pad. There's one other issue too. While the metal plate should last quite a while, the plate itself has a chrome skeleton that looks cool but when surrounded by a smooth black surface, so boot wearing drummers might want to put on some sneakers instead.

Recently, we test drove Nyko's new Nyko Wing controller for the Nintendo Wii. This is an alternative take on Nintendo's Wii Classic Controller, with two functional analog sticks, several buttons mapped across the pad and a D-pad. The main difference lies in its design.



Rather than being an oddly shaped controller, the Nyko Wing feels more like a traditional controller pad. The grips are easy to take hold of, so you won't have to contort them around a weird design. The analog sticks are easy to access with your thumbs, and both work suitably well. Then there's the button layout, with two shoulder buttons, two functional Z buttons next to those buttons, a number of face buttons (with lower case lettering, rather than the usual capitalized letters), and a D-pad. The D-pad isn't 100 percent comfortable, but it serves its purpose.

The controller is a cinch to use. You simply plug a wireless dongle into a Wii controller. From there, you turn on the Nyko Wing and use a connect function for it to recognize the signal. With our first test drive, connection only took a few seconds, and then we were off and running. Those of you without a charger for your Wii remote shouldn't worry about the Wing's dongle sucking battery life away. In fact, the Wing lasts up to 30 hours on a single set of AAA batteries. (Two are included with the controller.)

We tested the Nyko Wing controller with three different games. The first was Sin and Punishment, a game that isn't known for easy gameplay. Fortunately, it only took a minute to get right into the action with the Nyko Wing. The second game, Super Mario Bros., handled very nicely as well, despite the odd-feeling D-pad. The third, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2, responded accordingly, and we were winning fights in a matter of minutes. It seems that the Nyko Wing does the trick no matter which game a Classic Controller calls for.

If there is one complaint about the Nyko Wing (aside from the D-pad), it would be the somewhat plasticky feel. Although the controller has an ergonomic design that's easy to grip, it's a little too smooth for its own good. Fortunately, the white paint design prevents the appearance of ugly smudges.

Overall, the Nyko Wing is a great improvement on the traditional Classic Controller set-up. There's no cord to get in the way, the battery life is long lasting for a third-party peripheral, and it handles great for the most part. It's a strong value for $30, if you're the kind of person that must have that retro feel to go with your retro games.

A new $89.99 PlayStation 3 joystick, the XCM Dominator, that will let you get a leg up (fist up, foot up) in fighting games. Instead of madly mashing buttons on the Sony PS3 controller, this joystick will let you program in combos (up to 20 keystrokes) -- then all you need to do is a hit a button to pull off a complicated move. Isn't that technically cheating? Maybe so, maybe no .... we're not going to judge.



The controller also has a rapid-fire mode for each of its buttons, which might come in handy while sniping the Helghast in Killzone 2 when the game arrives next week. And, this thing will definitely increase your cool factor (or not, depending on who you hang with) with its blue glowing LED lights. You can buy the Dominator now at Extreme-Mods and MoorGames.com. Also check out Mad Catz officially licensed Street Fighter IV joystick we saw at CES.

With its contoured design and small LCD screen, the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard resembles a reduced version of the G15 keyboard. It features 25 fully programmable keys and a mini-joystick so that can either compliment or replace a keyboard for gaming functions.

However, when using it, Big Download discovered it wasn't quite the keyboard replacement hoped it would be... but the doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it yet... check out the rest of the review on BigDownload.

Fighting game devotees can get arcade style button mashing without owning a high-falutin' joystick/controller. These new Street Fighter IV Fight Pads (for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) from Mad Catz feature six separate buttons, and the ability to assign 'Turbo' to whichever buttons you desire. The controller's directional pad is soft and spongy and floats above the surface of the controller -- making it easier to mash it in the eight directions required to pull off the game's killer combos.



The Fight Pads comes in five flavors -- each starring a well-known character from the Street Fighter Universe, including Ryu, Chun-Li and Blanka. It's hard to say if hardcore Street Fighter IV fans will choose these controllers over the superior Street Fighter IV Tournament Joystick, and at $60, they seem a little too expensive for casual gamers. Also of note, only the PlayStation 3 controllers are wireless. The 360 fight pads are wired, and it feels like a step down from the standard Xbox 360 controller. We'll see whether that matters (or not) when the Fight Pads hit stores on February 29.

OK, fanboys and girls, we know you're very excited (maybe even overly excited) about Mad Catz's official Street Fighter IV Tournament Joystick, due on February 20 just after the game's release. Today we got (the first!) sneak peek on the fully loaded joystick.




The Tournament Joystick, roughly the size of an Xbox 360 comes with the standard joystick and six buttons that feel sturdy enough to take a solid beating. Madcatz worked with Japanese company Sanwa to get the same exact buttons and joystick it used on the arcade versions of the game -- it's hard to get more authentic than that. At the top of the box is a special Turbo button -- once you press it you can assign Turbo to any of the buttons on the box. Just to cover all the bases, there are two types of Turbo -- faster and slower -- so hardcore fighting fans can get the fine-grain customization they're looking for. Once the customization is complete -- hit the lock button to make sure your settings stay put.



Other cool features: the start and pause buttons have been moved from the top of the box to the front -- to avoid accidently hitting them while pulling off multi-button maneuvers. There's even a storage area for the cord in the back. The top plate unscrews from the unit allowing modders to change out buttons and do those things that modders like to do. Of course, that will render the warranty invalid, but that's the tinkerer's curse, right?

The Street Fighter stick is also designed to work with other fighting games -- a switch on the top right hand panel of the box allows you to change the functionality of the joystick -- you can have it serve as a directional pad (a must for SFIV) or you can have it perform like a left-hand stick or right-hand stick on a regular game controller.

As for limited edition -- just how limited will the Tournament joystick be? Mad Catz reps say it's initially shipping 3,000 and "see how it goes from there." The $149.99 game controller comes in extra special packaging -- which includes a note and signatures from Mad Catz and Capcom executives.


Since my Street Fighter skills are, shall we say, lacking -- I talked to the two hardcore SF fans that wandered into the room to try out the Tournament stick. "It's awesome," says one. "I want one right now," says the other. We wouldn't recommend this to a casual gamers (it's not likely a laissez-faire gamer would drop $150 for a supped-up joystick anyway), but we predict this making waves among the hardcore fight community when it rolls out next month.

You've heard about someone having "too much car" -- you know, the guy who rolls into the gas station in a hulking H3 Hummer, and it's clear he's not in the military or hauling around much of anything other than his ego. The same logic may apply to the new Logitech G-series mouse, keyboard and headset, (all announced today at CES) -- three cool, but not really necessary, pieces of gear for the hardcore PC gamer.


The hulking command center in the image above is made up of (from L to R) the previously announced G13 gaming keyboard, Logitech's G9x mouse with a customizable grip and weight, Logitech's G19 Keyboard with USB 2.0 ports and an LED screen and the new G35 Surround Sound Headset that delivers that 7.1 surround sound experience directly to your ears.

Zoom in for a closer look at the three new pieces of hardware and there's some interesting (and some less interesting) features that can be had at a premium price.

The G19 keyboard, like the G15 keyboard before it, includes a LED screen with color display that can almost be used as a secondary monitor, keeping important game stats in sight at all times (we'd love to see this used for maps or our World of Warcraft stats).The G19 also includes two USB 2.0 ports and customizable lighting for the keys. It's a whole lot of keyboard, and if you can't live without the 2.0 ports or the mini-monitor, it's yours for the taking in March for a wallet-busting $199.


The Logitech G9x mouse is not that different from the Logitech G9, except that its sensitivity reaches 5,000 dpi -- offering gamers the finest of finely tuned mice that will lead them to victory (provided they have the skills to make it happen). The mouse, like the G9 before it, also has a customizable grip and weight system and will hit stores in April for $99.




For $130 you'll be able to lock and load these feature-rich G35 headphones, designed to simulate 7.1 surround sound. It also comes with an adjustable noise-canceling mic and three 'voice morphing' buttons on the side, which -- if done right -- will most likely be the best feature on this headset. There's also volume and mute buttons on the earpiece and the headset comes with a total of three different headbands that can be snapped on and off for further customization. You know what they say -- if you've got a big head... Look for the G35 headphones in April.

We have to admit, the first time we laid eyes on the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard -- a funky backlit 25-key keyboard with a small programmable joystick and built-in memory that stores your preferred key configuration, no matter what computer you're playing on -- we thought we'd stumbled on to the Nintendo Power Glove for the hardest of the hardcore computer gaming set.

Turns out we were wrong -- that is, if the CES Innovations Awards board has anything to say about it. Today, the keyboard (plus eight other Logitech products) won the Best of Electronic Gaming Award, beating out two other pieces of Logitech gear -- the Logitech Driving Force GT and the Logitech G35 Headset. The keyboard runs for $80 and is set to hit stores in March, when you can finally show off your one-handed typing skills to the world.

Every DS gamer knows that taking all your favorite games on the road is now easy, especially when there are so many games out there. Thankfully Penguin United's new DS Game Card Collection Pouch lets players carry up to 24 games in a small carrying case that's light, small and only $14.99. It's similar to the company's popular DS Game Pouch. While simple, the soft plastic case comes with four see-through sleeves that fit each DS game nicely and a zipper closes the case for added security.

Unlike most other cases, which come in one color, the 24X DS Game Card Collection Pouch comes in four colors: black with red stripe or white with light blue, pink and dark blue stripes. So if you've noticed that a potential gift recipient has a stack of DS games in a bag or seems to keep misplacing their games, the 24X DS Game Card Collection Pouch is an easy and inexpensive gift for any DS game there needs a touch of organization for the holidays.

Life would be easier if your Xbox 360 controllers were fully charged every time you played. That's the idea around NYKO's Charge Base 360 (MSRP$29.99). The package comes complete with a heavy charging base and two NiMH battery packs that fit right into the bottom of each Xbox 360 controller. Once placed, they look and feel similar in weight to the conventional battery pack. To recharge, you simple plop the controller onto the base unit. A big red light lets you know that it's charging and when it turns green, you're ready to go in about an hour.

NYKO says that each battery pack lasts up to 25 hours of playtime be recharge. Real-time testing got us about 12-18 hours per charge but we suspect that the batteries lost a bit of charge even when not playing. The base/charging unit is incredibly sturdy with an Xbox 360 white style and a rubber-like pad on the bottom makes it so it won't slide around. Apart from lower than reported battery life, we had two other issues. First, the charge light is really too bright. If you plan to add this to your bedroom, it's nearly nightlight bright. Secondly, the charger only charges battery packs while they're in the controller. So if you don't have two controllers, you can't charge the second battery pack by itself.

Overall, the drop-in design makes the Charge Base 360 a great solution for those looking for an attractive battery charges that looks and feels as sturdy as the Xbox 360.