Gamedaily Gear Blog

Nyko's Metal Pedal Rocks Hard

Micheal Mullen — 2009-03-31T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Review

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.

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Impressions: Nyko Wing Controller

Micheal Mullen — 2009-03-10T09:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

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.

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Cheaters Always Win with This PS3 Joystick

Libe Goad — 2009-01-20T19:10:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Playstation 3

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.

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Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard Reviewed

Micheal Mullen — 2009-01-14T13:27:00+00:00

Filed under: PC Games

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.

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Street Fighter IV Fight Pads from Mad Catz - Behold!

Libe Goad — 2009-01-08T20:38:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

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.
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Street Fighter IV Tournament Joystick - First Look!

Libe Goad — 2009-01-08T19:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Preview

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.
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Logitech G-Series: PC Gaming Gear on Steroids

Libe Goad — 2009-01-06T22:50:00+00:00

Filed under: News, PC Games

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.

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Logitech's G13 Gaming Keyboard Wins CES Nod

Libe Goad — 2009-01-06T20:49:00+00:00

Filed under: News, PC Games

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.

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Last Minute Gift: Penguin United's 24X DS Game Card Collection Pouch

Micheal Mullen — 2008-12-23T17:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS

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.

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Hands-on: NYKO Charge Base 360

Micheal Mullen — 2008-12-23T17:17:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360

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.

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Hands-on: Intercooler TS for Xbox 360

Micheal Mullen — 2008-12-22T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360

Nyko's latest cooling device for the Xbox 360 seems to have learned its lessons from past mistakes. Rather than a pass-through power connector that caused a few 360 to go haywire, the new Intercooler TS for Xbox 360 (MSRP$24.99) comes with its own power cord. Rather than just turn the thing on when you played, the new device now senses temperature changes and turns on three fans to draw out the hot air.

Ingeniously, the Intercooler TS uses the ventilation holes on the back of the Xbox 360 to secure itself. Plug in the included 10-foot-cord and you're ready to go. While we assumed that our systems were running cool, the unit turned on almost immediately. Once we fired a game up, we didn't hear any change of speed with the fan. Apparently "sensing" means "sensing when the system turns on."

As the Xbox 360 doesn't report its internal temperature, it's hard to tell how effective the Intercooler TS really is. It does feel like its drawing a great deal of heat out of the system. If you live in a warmer climate and lack air conditioning, it could help reduce the temperature. But there's one negative -- it's noisy. A unit with bigger fans (80 or 120mm) might have achieved the same airflow but without all the extra noise, yet it might not look as nice.

Also, newer versions of the Xbox 360 sport smaller chips, better heatsinks and create far less heat than the original. For gamers who still have original Xbox 360 systems, the Intercooler TS might help avoid the eventual heating issues that plague the early units. If you have a new system and you're worried about heat, this might help alleviate your hottest fears.

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Home Attracts Horndogs

Libe Goad — 2008-12-15T11:49:00+00:00

Filed under: Playstation 3

It's no surprise that when you create a virtual world and give people free reign - that sex will somehow be involved. Sony's brand new home has already attracted pervs as seen in this YouTube video with tons of guys dancing around two girls. We also love how the narrator of the video joins in by saying, "I'm not gay! ... and let's tap that!" Classy.

It's important to point out that while people can say what they want in Home, there's no actual simulated sex animation in the PlayStation 3 community platform. For those shocked by such behavior -- it's nothing new. People have been having virtual sex in MMOs like World of Warcraft and EverQuest for years and the online virtual world Second Life lets you buy nude skins for characters and hang out in special free-love zones where the love is, ya know, free.

Source

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Making PS3 Gaming Sound Even Better

Micheal Mullen — 2008-12-12T18:51:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Playstation 3

The audio nerds at Turtle Beach know that many gamers can't blast the 5.1 system because the neighbors are cranky. Making amends usually involves the gamer having to wear headphones. Thankfully, Turtle Beach is bringing its popular X1 headphone series for Xbox 360 to the PlayStation 3 as the Ear Force PX1. Plus, they're adding the Audio Advantage USB-based audio card to enhance game audio and online chatting. While the audio card will also work with PCs, the headphones will work with Xbox 360 too. You can pick up the Ear Force PX1 headphones through the Turtle Beach site for a mere $79.99.

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Logitech: One Billion Mice Sold!

Libe Goad — 2008-12-03T07:32:00+00:00

Filed under: News, PC Games

Logitech, the peripheral manufacturer that's been feeding our PC gaming addiction with mice, keyboards, speakers, etc. since the mid-'80s has officially declared that it has shipped one billion mice. In honor of the momentous occasion, the company's sponsoring a contest -- follow the mouse on its journey via blog.logitech.com and guess its final destination. Guess correctly and you'll "win some great prizes."

We asked Logitech reps to shed more light on said prizes. In the meantime, you should check out this semi-amusing list of Logitech mice that never made it to market, which includes such rejects as a mouse with three scroll wheels, a mouse with a tiny joystick on top and a mouse with a laser pointer embedded in the front for impromptu presentations or -- more likely -- pissing off coworkers.

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Guitar Hero Boxers for Those About to Rock

Libe Goad — 2008-11-29T07:36:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii

Show your love for Guitar Hero by (1) learning how to play all of the game's songs on Expert --blindfolded-- and (2) by buying these Guitar Hero boxers, which were a surprise hit on Black Friday.

Good luck finding them, though. We spotted a single pair of the red boxers adorned with electric guitars (rolled up in a guitar-shaped gift tin) on sale at Kmart. The rock 'n' roll skivvies were priced at $8.99, and there was a single crumpled tin left on the shelves.

We can only imagine people rushing in for "door buster" bargains on flat-screen TVs, then stopping to chuck this novelty underwear into the cart as they race to the checkout counter. We checked for them online later and only found them listed (and sold out) on Kohls and Sears' Web sites.

You'll have more luck finding the other video game-themed skivvies that hit stores this season -- boxers that pay homage to Halo, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii -- each with their own gift tins. Unlike the Guitar Hero boxers, there are still plenty of these other gamer-centric underwear available online and in big box retail outlets like Target and Kmart. We're already rolling our eyes in anticipation of the Nintendo fans who will don a pair just to yell, "Hey, look at my Wii!"

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New Nintendo DS Bundles (Ice Blue, Mario Red) Arrive on Black Friday

Libe Goad — 2008-11-25T09:26:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Nintendo DS

In case you didn't snag one of last year's Black Friday DS bundles (or even if you did), you'll now get a chance to pick up two more extra special bundles starting November 28 -- one with an "ice blue" DS that comes with a copy of Brain Age or a special Mario edition, that includes a red DS with a 'M' emblazoned on the top, plus a copy of New Super Mario Bros.

The two special edition bundles will roll into stores on Black Friday and run for $149.99. Both will also include a special edition carrying case for the DS -- ya know, so you can safely tote your system to any snooze-worthy family events over the holiday season. What's that, Grandma? I can't hear you over these Koopa Troopas.

Unboxing! Ice Blue Nintendo DS w/ Case

The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99. Click to see all the goodies inside!

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

Ice blue carrying case - clearly Nintendo's caught on to the fact that women salivate at anything that comes in "Tiffany's blue."
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

The wallet has a magnetic clasp securing it on the front...
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

... and opens to reveal three slots for DS games, a stylus holder, and a zipped compartment. What could be inside?
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

Our Ice Blue DS!
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

The brand new DS in all its glory. The zipped compartment is lined with a soft fabric to protect your new baby from dings and scratches!
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

Closeup on the new DS
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

The new DS, opened -- you can see the reflection of our camera in its un-marred new screens!
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

The back of the new DS.
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

The whole kit and caboodle!
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The Ice Blue and Mario Red Nintendo DS bundles arrive in stores on Black Friday (November 28). We received the darling Ice Blue edition this morning -- the bundle includes a copy of Brain Age and a turquoise blue wallet to hold the DS and three games (as well as an extra stylus!). The bundle retails for $149.99.

Robin Yang, AOL GameDaily

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Make This: Star Wars Lightsaber Cozy for the Wii-mote

Libe Goad — 2008-11-24T17:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

One of our favorite stops on the Web is the official StarWars.com blog -- under the 'Kids' section we always find gems, such as as the Darth Vader toaster (burn Lord Vader's face into a piece of bread!) and the Hammerhead sock doll (use grandpa's old socks to make a Hammerhead plushie!).

Today, we found step by step instructions on how to make a Lightsaber cozy for your Wii remote, which -- aside from looking cute -- will help to keep your controller dust and scratch free in between strenuous sessions of Clone Wars, Force Unleashed (or pretty much any other Wii game).

The end product looks something like the pic below. Like what you see? Head to the Star Wars site for step-by-step instructions on how to make your very own cozy, to keep your Wii-mote, ya know, cozy.

Source

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Xbox Live Avatars Come Alive!

Libe Goad — 2008-11-19T12:42:00+00:00

Filed under: Xbox 360

If something seems a little different when you log into your Xbox 360 today -- it is! The New Xbox Experience launches today with new navigation system, new design, Netflix connectivity and Xbox Live Avatars. Much like the Nintendo Wii's Miis, these cartoon representatives help deliver a more personalized presence on Xbox Live.

Four GameDaily staffers joined an Avatar party early this morning, but after discovering that none of us had images or videos to share or games to play together, we disbanded.

If we weren't rushed to get into work on time, we would have discovered that our Avatar party can follow each other from game to game. So the four of us should be able to play a round of Horde in Gears of War 2 then hop into Left 4 Dead multiplayer with ease.

Avatars will also be incorporated into games, the first being A Kingdom for Keflings,a city-building simulation game. KoK rolls out on Xbox Live today, and can be downloaded for 800 points (or $10).

So, if you haven't already -- head online to download the New Xbox Experience update and then customize your Avatar. Then show it off to your pals by filling in your Xbox Live name in this link: http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatarmyxboxlivename/avatar-body.png. (See mine on the right, which is pretty dead-on if I do say so myself).

Related: New Xbox Experience Hands-On Preview

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Get In Shape, Gamer, With More Wii Fitness Accessories

Libe Goad — 2008-11-11T13:46:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Nintendo Wii

Thrustmaster, the game accessory company best known for making joysticks for serious PC gamers, tries to attract a new kind of gamer with a new line of fitness accessories for the Nintendo Wii.

The T-Fitness Pack Pro NW ($49.99)

comes with an oh-so "trendy and stylish" fitness bag, which you can use to store the Wii balance board, a foam floor mat, two flexible wrist/ankle weights, a strap for an MP3 player, a rechargable battery for the Wii Balance Board and USB recharging cable. The kit also comes with a green-and-white striped headband and cleaning cloth so you can mop up the sweat after a gruelling workout with Wii Fit (or the other Wii Fit wannabes out there -- we're talking to you Jillian Micheals Fitness Ultimatum).

Don't want to spend $50 on a bunch of fitness stuff that will probably collect dust next to your AbRoller and your Tony Little Gazelle? A cheaper version of the kit, the T-Fitness Pack NW ($30), comes with everything but the weights and floormat. Then again, you could also just step outside and take a jog for the low, low price of free.

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New Intercooler TS Ships for Xbox 360 and PS3

Micheal Mullen — 2008-11-06T18:39:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Nyko's popular current gen console cooler, Intercooler, quickly became a "must have" accessory as gamers could easily sense that their Xbox 360 and PS3 gaming machines gave off a massive amount of heat. As newer versions of Xbox 360s featured smaller chips that gave off less heat with improved airflow and as PS3s seemed to still work with the high level of heat, Nyko needed to change its product for the market.

Earlier this year at E3 2008, Nyko unveiled the new Intercooler TS series that innovates the product like with what it calls TempSmart technology. In short, along with more powerful and quieter fans, the new units automatically detect increases in a console's temperature output and turns on fans to cool it down. Past units either required manual activation or the constant rumble of fans added to a room's noise level.

The Intercooler TS clips to the back of the Xbox 360 or PS3 and features a separate AC adaptor that ensures cooling for a few moments after the console powers down. The PS3 version also offers a user-controlled fan speed to turn it on full blast during heavy gaming sessions

"We have taken the concept that made the original Intercooler one of our most popular products of all time and incorporated consumer feedback and our own innovations into that design," said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. "The result is an upgraded cooling solution for today's game consoles."

Whether you're concerned about the heat inside your console or looking to upgrade your current Intercooler, the Intercooler TS for Xbox 360 sells for $24.99 and the PS3 version sells for $34.99. For a little less money but without the automatic TempSmart technology, gamers can also buy the Intercooler EX for Xbox 360 for a mere $19.99.

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