droolicious : wiimote

CES 2009: GameLeash and CamLeash For Kid's Handheld Electronics

Chris Ford — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The GameLeash / CamLeash is exactly what it says it is. A simple idea to be sure, but after having shopped for a camera wrist strap recently, it wasn't as easy to find something I liked. And if you're buying your child a new camera or handheld video game player, getting them a wrist strap that's more secure than what comes with the device is a pretty good idea.

They are both identical (just different packaging) and made of velcro and neoprene.

A single leash costs $9.99 and a four pack (bundled for Nintendo Wiimotes really) will set you back $29.99. Available now from Leashtec.com.

7 Days of Video Games: Disney Princess Enchanted Journey

Chris Ford — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:03:00 GMT

If you've got a Wii and a little girl who is really into princesses, then chances are you've probably looked this game over. And while in my experience it's not really a very good video game per se, it does have one thing that makes it better than most of the games on the Wii we have (and I'm not just talking about the fact that it features the Disney princesses). It's a game my three year old daughter and I can actually play together, which is what it's really all about.

The game is pretty simple. You get to be a princess (that you customize with hair, dress, jewelry etc.) that goes around and helps all of the Disney princesses. There are Jasmine, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel "stories" that you become a part of, and you run around their respective kingdoms helping defeat bad goblins that turn into butterflies with your magic. Sounds mind-numbing, right? Well, it kind of is, but my daughter loved it not just for the stories, but because she could play too.

The game is played with the Wii "Nunchuck" (the thumb controller that attaches to the normal "Wiimote" controller) and the "Wiimote." You use the Nunchuck to run around in the game, and you use the Wiimote to wave your wand and shoot magic at the bad guys. The way my daughter and I played it was she was in charge of the wand and I was in charge of running our character around the map. The system worked out really well, and after a few weeks of playing it here and there we even finished the game.

The game itself doesn't seem to be written very well. It has lots of glitchy moments when you can't figure out where you're supposed to go, the audio levels are all over the place making it hard to hear the story sometimes, and to play you have to be physically much closer to your television than most other Wii games I've played. It also doesn't look nearly as polished as most other Wii games out there, but if you're looking for a game that you can do with someone who quite frankly isn't coordinated or old enough to play a video game by themselves, then this is a game you might want to check out.

Ultimately, it's a good example of how well the unique Wii controller system works, and how it's the best video game system out there for families.

Buy Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey for the Wii for $19.99 (cheap) from Amazon.
And shop Amazon for a Wii System (if you can find one).

First Look: Nyko Cord-Free for Wii Nunchuk

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:53:00 GMT

When Nyko's Cord-Free hits stores next month, you'll be able to cut -- not literally, of course -- the umbilical cord between your Wii Remote and its Nunchuk. Powered by two AAA batteries, the adaptor tucks away unsightly cables and gives you up to 15 feet of wireless action between the two controllers. If you don't already own a Nunchuk (or have smashed yours in a particularly heated Super Mario Galaxy session), Nyko's got you covered there, too. Also dropping in March is a Wireless Nunchuk replacement controller.

EA's Smarty Pants (Wii) Packs Trivia Fun for Everyone

Aaron Burgess — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:02:00 GMT

While it doesn't have many frills, EA's Smarty Pants is a party-style trivia game for the Wii that'll keep adults and older kids (or at least prodiguous little ones) alike entertained for hours -- and at over 20,000 questions, that's a literal estimate. You can play by yourself, but odds are you'll spend more time in one of the game's two multiplayer modes -- either competing head-to-head against up to three friends, or breaking into teams for family-style co-op play. You can also set the game's difficulty based on the players' age, so your first grader won't need an advanced knowledge of pop culture to feel like a valuable part of the team.

From there, gameplay's a breeze: Flick your Wii remote to spin the Wheel of Fortune-style game wheel (see above), and get served up a trivia question from the category you land on: from arts and entertainment to video games, sports and fashion. This is where Smarty Pants really gets competitive (and fun), too, as you've got to buzz in using the Wii-mote to have a shot at answering. If you're playing in countdown mode, you'd better buzz in quickly, too, because you can lose points as the seconds tick away.

Smarty Pants supports Mii avatars, so you can upload a bit of yourself into the game to make it feel even more competitive. And what kind of competition would it be without a little bit of "Who's your daddy?" at the end? As our corporate-casual friend below demonstrates, there's even a victory dance:

Unlike seemingly every other team-oriented game these days, Smarty Pants doesn't come loaded with minigames or flashy online components, and visually speaking, it's light on bells and whistles, too. But trivia buffs will love the fast-paced challenges and variety of questions, and if you're stuck on a holiday gift for the Wii-owning casual gamer on your list, you'd be hard pressed to find a better starting point.

Smarty Pants is rated "E" for Everyone.