My biggest complaint about the Nintendo Wii is without question the controllers. It has nothing to do with the “innovation” of them (and again I have to point out that really, these are just redesigned versions of the ill-fated Power Glove in my opinion) but it’s the fact that the Wii-motes suck battery life faster than just about anything else I have. I can slap in a fresh set of batteries and within just a few hours, I’m getting one of those annoying messages from the system that the power is getting low. The solution for many is to buy set after set of rechargeable batteries, keep them juiced up, keep them handy, and toss in a fresh pair when required.

Manufactures of rechargeable batteries however have something to fear, something that threatens to steal away their revenue, and something that the Nintendo Wii has needed for quite some time. Any new system is going to soon get a plethora of third party accessories, and it was only a matter of time before Nyko came up with a solution to the battery blues. Their new Charge Station is going to be the ideal thing for any avid Wii gamer who finds themselves with a weak charge at the wrong time.

The Charge Station is probably one the simplest things that you’ll ever find to use for your controllers, and the accessory contains everything you need, save for the controllers themselves, in order to make the best use of your Wii controllers without the need to swap out batteries. The unit itself is a simple base that holds two Wii-motes for charging. Just set them in the cradle and the system will take care of the rest.

Now, you’re probably wondering exactly how you will be recharging the batteries, right/ The Wii-motes aren’t exactly set up for that sort of thing. Remember; EVERYTHING you need is right here. Take out those batteries you already have and throw them away, unless of course they are the rechargeable type, then put them in your digital camera, universal remote, or any other gadget you have lying around that requires AA batteries. Included with the Charge Station are two pairs of NiMH batteries that easily fit in the place of the batteries you were previously using. The back of your Wii-mote will be replaced as well with a rubberized cover that also has the contacts to charge the batteries. If you’re worried about how this new cover might feel, don’t stress too much. It’s just as comfortable, if not more, than the original one.

Once you’ve got your W—motes changed over to Nyko’s new batteries, you merely need to plug the unit into any wall outlet and stick the controllers in the cradle. The front of the base has two LED lights, one for each charger, which are extremely easy to understand. Blue means your controller is charging, if you see green then it’s ready for action, and no light . . . . you’d better check how you put that controller on the base because it’s not charging. Charging one battery takes between 1 and a half to 2 hours whereas both will take 3 and a half to 4 hours. And, with these being rechargeable, you can put them back on the base at any time after you’re done gaming to ensure they are always ready to use.

Sure, you could keep buying disposal batteries, you could keep having to throw others on the recharger for a few hours, but why? The Charge Station makes gaming with the Wii easier than ever without the fuss of those annoying messages concerning the battery power. It’s reasonably priced fro what it does and if you find yourself playing your Wii for hours on end, this is an absolute must have purchase to ensure that you’re ready to do some surgery, adventure through the Kingdom of Hyrule, do a bit of cooking or even run around with Paper Mario without the annoyance of real world hassles . . . changing batteries.

-mike-