Review: Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3)

The biggest problem I’ve encountered with my Wii, edging out my problems with Bluetooth alzheimer’s (check it out here, here, and here), is how quickly the controllers burn through AA batteries. I figure I average about 24 hours of use per set of batteries, which might seem like a lot but that’s all use, not just in-game use, so even just browsing the web on the WIi eats batteries up something fierce.

Enter Nyko’s solution, the Charge Station for Nintendo Wii.

I’m no newbie to Nyko’s products. I use a 64Mb digicard (hey, remember when Gamecube memory cards were called that?) in my Gamecube memory port on my Wii to hold my Gamecube saves. While most third-party peripherals are worthless crap, I’ve found both Nyko and Hori tend to consistently produce some quality products.

The packaging for the Charge Station is the now-standard indestructible clear plastic that most hardware comes in. This type of packaging’s troubles are in layers: the plastic is so tough that you need something extremely dangerous to open it, that is just as likely to cut your flesh open as it is to gouge your new product. Fortunately, despite a near miss with one of the battery packs, I did just fine.

In the package, you’ll find the following:

- Charge Station cradle with integrated 6′ AC adapter.
- (2) NiMH rechargeable battery packs.
- (2) replacement battery compartment covers with rubber grips.
- (2) instruction sheets. One is English/French/Spanish, the other is German/Swedish/Portuguese.

The instructions are pretty straightforward, despite never mentioning that you need to plug the device in. They do seem to cover all the other bases pretty thoroughly, explaining what the colors of the LEDs indicate and how long it will take to charge, and the fact that it will take several charges before the batteries will reach their full potential.

Setting it up is as simple as finding a place for it and plugging it in, swapping out the batteries and battery covers for the new ones, and setting the Wii Remotes into the cradle. Easy peasy, I was actually surprised to find I didn’t have to fiddle with them to get them to make contact properly, they just sat right in. Contact is made through an opening in the replacement battery covers, rather than at the bottom of the Wii Remote, which seems to work very well. My second-generation wrist straps flopped naturally to either side when I set the controllers into the cradle, which is where you’re supposed to leave them, according to the instructions.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for some contact problems to occur. The second time I lifted a remote from the cradle, it took several minutes of tinkering before the LED came back on for me. Once it did, it stayed on blue, even though the remote hadn’t been used. After seeing that the LED was not going to change from the charging state on its own, I had to fiddle with it some more to get it to sit properly and recognize that the remote was charged.

Once the Wii Remotes are set in the cradle, the aesthetics of the Charge Station can be considered. Nyko did a good job of manufacturing the system out of similar enough materials to the Wii and its remotes. The color match is close enough and the gloss is accurate as well. Some might prefer to have “Wii” stamped on the front instead of Nyko, but that doesn’t really bother me at all. Mad Catz would be another story.

While the product seems well made in most respects, the blue LEDs are far too bright. A subtle blue glow would have sufficed, but these LEDs are very large and surprisingly intense. I had to set an object in front of them because I put the station beside the TV. I find myself wondering if a lit LED would interfere with the IR communication between a Wii Remote and the sensor bar during gameplay. One could feasibly be using one remote while another is charging. There doesn’t appear to be any way to adjust the brightness, either.

Fortunately, once the Remotes are charged, the LED’s tone drops to a soothing standard brightness green, which is a relief.

The battery packs don’t seem to significantly change the physics of using the Wii Remote. The rubber grips on the new battery covers don’t get in the way, and might reduce slippage in particularly frantic arm-waving. I wouldn’t trust it to replace the wrist straps though.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with Nyko’s product. I’m hoping I don’t have ongoing problems getting the remotes to sit properly in the cradle, as it’s been cooperative since the one hiccup. The simple fact that I don’t have to throw handfuls of batteries in the trash anymore makes this product a winner. Everything else is a bonus to me. At $30, it’s a good value, and I recommend it to Wii owners.