The Girl Gamer's Gaming Tech Guide - Gadgets for Gaming

Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – Top Shot Pack
Activision, Cauldron
Available for the Nintendo Wii

For the hunter in the family, there’s Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 Top Shot Pack which includes the game and a Wii remote peripheral shaped like a shotgun. The peripheral has a spot to place both the Wii remote and nunchuk and once the game is switched to the top shot control scheme you can use the shotgun peripheral to shoot almost like a real gun.

The Wii version of Big Game Hunter 2010 gives you 12 story missions and 13 shooting gallery challenges to work your way through, each with various animal life to hunt.

Nyko Charge Base IC for the Nintendo Wii
Holds two Wii Remotes or Nyko Wands

One of the biggest problems facing gamers right now is controller battery life and Nyko is serving up various solutions for all consoles. The Nyko Charge Base IC for the Nintendo Wii is probably the prettiest and most functional of all the chargers I’ve come across. The magnetic grips allow you to stick your remotes onto the charger without removing the rubber sleeves and the blue LED lights on the charge base turn green when the charge completes. The charger comes with two battery packs to insert into your Wii remotes and also includes a USB port on the back should you choose to charge another device like your iPod.

Charge times range from 8 hours with a rubber sleeve on to 4 hours without the rubber sleeve. I suggest taken a minute to remove your rubber sleeves before each charge. The base’s magnetic grip also improves with the sleeve off.

Nyko Charge Base 360 for Xbox 360
Holds two Xbox 360 Controllers

Also available from Nyko to help you with your charging issues is the Nyko Charge Base 360 which charges up to 2 Xbox 360 controllers. I love this charging kit because my regular Xbox battery won’t last more than a few hours lately and the Nyko NiHM battery lasted the full 25 hours it claimed in the manual. One controller takes 2 hours to charge and two controllers take 4 hours. The base has an indicator on the front which glows red when the controllers are charging and green when they are done. The controllers sit perfectly in the cream coloured cradle.

The only downside to this kit is that you can’t charge the batteries on their own without the controller being attached which I would love because I only have one controller that takes a battery pack but I read on CNET.com that you can charge the batteries separate by placing a book on top on them. I haven’t tried this method yet, so don’t blame me if a fire breaks out.

Sony Playstation 3 Wireless Keypad

If you’re like me and you talk to your friends a lot online during gameplay but don’t have a headset, then you have to use the basic controller to type in all your messages which can take forever. Luckily I discovered the solution to my messaging problems with the Sony Wireless Keypad for the Playstation 3. This small keypad device plugs into the top port of your Playstation SIXAXIS or Dualshock 3 controller and fits perfectly over the top portion of your controller. The keypad has its own separate power source, so you’ll have to charge it via the USB cord that plugs into your Playstation 3.

The QWERTY style keyboard features Bluetooth functionality and a few dedicated buttons that allow you to jump to preset features on the XMB like your message box or friends list. There’s even a touch pad button that allows you to use the entire surface of the keypad like a touch pad simply by moving your finger over it which is very useful for moving the pointer while using the web browser.

Nyko Wand Action Pack for Nintendo Wii

If you’re looking for the perfect solution for the over-priced Nintendo Wii controller problem, then look no further then the Nyko Action Pack which contains a Nyko Wand (Wii remote alternative), a Pistol Grip which allows you to enjoy accurate light gun action during all your favourite Wii games and a rubber sleeve to protect your Nyko wand.

The Pistol Grip has a trigger and a button on the back of the handle which can be assigned to either the B or A buttons on the Nyko Wand which respond digitally to the Pistol Grip via its trans-port technology. Putting the wand into the Pistol Grip can be difficult as the directions don’t tell you to pull the trigger away from the wand when installing it, so please be careful or you could break the thing. Ultimately this is a great alternative to buying another Wii remote as it is cheaper and you get more.

Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy
Ubisoft
Available for the Nintendo Wii

Generally I am the last person to promote exercise as I am the last person to get off my butt and game, but the toned body of Jenny McCarthy has found her way into the home of my sister along with a Nintendo Wii and I’m all for anything that will get my sister gaming again. Ms. McCarthy helps lovely ladies find their waist line again with her innovative exercise program that utilizes a Wii camera tracking system. This is a far easier system than holding the Wii remote and nunchuk in your hands or strapping them to your legs like in other Wii programs. You’ll be sweating to some general disco sounding tunes while taking instructions from Jenny and viewing yourself on screen via camera.

This is pretty much an aerobics based program which features jumping jacks, walking & running in place, etc. I suggest you alternate this program with another weight based game or a game with sports in it in order to mix it up a bit.

2009 Holiday Gamer Gadget Gift Guide

DJ Hero
Activision Blizzard, Freestyle Games
Available for Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3

Breaking the band music game mould this holiday season is the newest game from Activision Blizzard and Freestyle Games, DJ Hero which allows players to test their scratching and mixing skills on a turntable style controller. The game has 80 exclusive, original mixes by some of the best DJs in the biz like DJ Grandmaster Flash, DJ AM, DJ Jazzy Jeff and more. DJ Hero also sports some custom guitar riff tracks which allow players with a Guitar Hero controller to team up for a rocking DJ and guitar duet. Bring the party home this holiday season with DJ Hero.


Suggested Retail Price: $129.99

Lips: Number One Hits
Microsoft Games Studio, Inis
Available for Xbox 360

Sometimes you’ve just gotta sing your heart out and Lips: Number One Hits lets you sing to the biggest chart toppers from Coldplay to Rihanna to the Black Eyed Peas. You can sing on your own, sing a duet with your best friend or battle it out in a vocal fighters’ mode. The game comes with 40 songs to choose from but you’ll be able to purchase and download more tunes from the Lips music store or you can choose to sing karaoke to your own music sans the lyrics via freestyle mode. As a bonus feature, Lips Number One Hits comes with a microphone which is compatible with other music games. This game completes any girl’s night in and makes for a great gift for the “hard to buy for” woman.

Suggested Retail Price: $69.99


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Super Mario Rube Goldberg Machine - UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Teams of students competing in the 22nd annual National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest had one goal: Replace an incandescent light bulb with a more efficient CFL. This year's winner created a machine based on the world of Super Mario Bros.

One of our readers left us a comment with a link to a video for this machine in action, so here it is. Thanks Andrew.

Amongst the other cool entries were a Batman: Dark Knight machine, a Dinosaur machine, and a Clue Board game machine.





[Via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Review: Gaming Headsets - Tritton Ax Pro VS. Turtle Beach Ear Force X4

Serious gamers these days aren’t just looking for the true HD experience to enhance their game play they are also paying close attention and a lot of money for a better audio experience. Many of us have shelled out for a sweet window shattering surround sound system but there are often circumstances that don’t allow for the blasting of full game audio. I work shift work for example and do much of my gaming at night and really can’t be waking up the neighbours or disturbing my better half when I feel like playing Call of Duty at 1 am. I still want the advantage of playing in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound at anytime as well as having a microphone for chatting so I’ve been checking out the latest in high quality gaming headsets to complete my rig. Recently I’ve had the chance to try both offerings from industry leaders Tritton Technologies and Turtle Beach

What You Get:

Tritton’s Ax Pro gaming headset is the company’s most recent release and is built from the success of their previous model the Ax 360. The Ax Pro offers up a true 5.1 surround sound experience with Dolby Digital decoding and eight individual speakers (4 in each cup) which claims to improve 3D positioning. The Ax Pro features a detachable mic for online chat and independent controls for both chat volume or mute and full control of the different sound levels in the game. This is a wired headset however it is also versatile being compatible with the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, PC and Mac or virtually anything with digital optical or 3.5mm analog 5.1 outputs. All needed cables are included along with some extra head and ear pads which were nice. The Ax Pro’s receiver is capable of handling two simultaneously connected headsets.


Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X4 may have a silly sounding name but is one of the more well known brands on the market. The X4 is wireless and it also features 5.1 Dolby Digital decoding, separate controls for chat and game volume and a detachable microphone. The X4 is specifically designed to work with the Xbox 360 only however the receiver/transmitter has digital optical input and output which allow connection to a home theatre system as well as regular analog left and right inputs from something simple such as a TV. The wireless headphones have an automatic shut off to prevent battery drain and incorporates a bass boost feature. The X4 also features mic monitoring which allows you to hear yourself in the audio so you don’t end up shouting when using the headphones. The X4 is capable of handling multiple headsets simultaneously.

Performance:

When comparing these two headsets the obvious difference is one is wired and the other wireless. While you may feel encumbered by having to deal with wires, no matter what anyone tells you going wireless sacrifices sound quality and this definitely rings true here. The X4 uses infrared to transmit sound to the headphones and at first it sounds fairly decent on full batteries and if you are directly in front of the transmitter. As soon as the AAA batteries start to drain (and they will rapidly) you can noticeably hear hissing during quiet parts of your game. Tritton’s Ax Pro has none of this, in fact power isn’t a problem, it comes with two adapters which you must plug in. While it may be a power hog the Ax Pro delivers consistently crystal clear sound over the Ear Force X4.

Another distinctive difference in sound between the headsets is the bass. The X4 offers an on/off bass boost switch on the headset and the Ax Pro has dedicated subwoofers in its 8 speaker set. With the ability to increase the subwoofer sound individually from the other speakers (front, center & rear) using the illuminated controller, the bass increase is substantially more skull shaking. The X4 fails at providing much more of an actual bass boost than your average cheap MP3 player.

In regards to the 5.1 surround sound both headsets performed well. Using Call of Duty again for example, I could hear enemies approaching from all directions which of course gamers recognize as a distinct advantage. I have to say the Ax Pro edges out the X4 in clarity though because of the dedicated 8 speakers. Both headsets have in game chat of course and each has a detachable mic though I preferred the X4’s flexible mic compared to the Ax Pro’s moveable but rigid boom mic. Each headset’s chat performance measured equally with separate volume controls delivering coherent sound between players and game audio. The X4’s mic monitoring feature which mixes your own voice into the audio so you don’t end up shouting when wearing the headphones is a great idea although is barely noticeable, at least according to my spouse. This feature could use some improvement.

Design wise each headset has big comfortable padded cups, the Ax Pro’s faux leather ones are huge and fit over and around the ear completely immersing you, the X4 has comfy cloth pads. The Ax Pro is heavier than the X4 and you will feel it after extended periods of gaming. With weight though comes durability and the Ax Pro looks like it can take a beating, I’d be afraid to drop the X4 for fear of it shattering. I also liked the overall design style of Tritton’s headset which features their illuminated logo.

The Verdict:

If you like the free roaming convenience of having no wires attached to you aside from what goes into the controller then Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X4 may be for you. It is by no means a terrible gaming headset but I would hardly call it premium and priced at $200 that is asking a lot for what you get which is basically line of sight wireless range with OK sound.


Serious gamers and audiophiles will no doubt be happy with Tritton’s Ax Pro for many different reasons. Consistent quality sound that is completely adjustable to your preference, noticeable bass boost and easily the biggest advantage: compatibility with all consoles and systems. This makes it a substantially better value at a price point of only $160 beating out the X4 easily.

Last Minute Gamer Gifts

I know a lot of people tend to be last minute shoppers, so if you're struggling to find that perfect gift for your favorite gamer, don't fret because I have a ton of great ideas.

Star Wars Lightsaber Stylus 3 Pack

Though they won't fit into your Nintendo DS stylus slot, these amazing little lightsaber styluses are perfect replicas of Yoda, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsabers and what geek wouldn't want to play DS games with those.

Star Wars Lightsaber Light Up Stylus 2 Pack

If you have a huge Star Wars fan in the house, I really suggest grabbing a set of the light up lightsaber styluses for a stock stuffer as well. Modeled after Yoda and Darth Vader's lightsabers, these styluses light up with a tiny LED inside to make them look like the real deal. I spent more time playing with mine and then using them to play games.


Nintendo DS Expression Kits

For the Nintendo fan, a Mario or Princess Peach expression kit is perfect to add flare to their boring Nintendo DS. Each kit comes with a character case, a screen cleaner, 2 screen protectors, a pen stylus, a soft 3 game disc holder and stickers to customize your Nintendo DS.

The kits comes in Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Shy Guy designs. I grabbed a Mario kit in an effort to protest the extreme amount of pink accessories I've gotten for my Nintendo DS.

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Kits

If you've got a wannabe rocker in the house, you can also look into the new Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Kits to customize their gear. Available in 4 different styles, the kits contain a guitar face cover for the new GH: World Tour guitars, a set of drum sticks and a guitar strap. Best of all, the drum sticks are actually better quality than the ones you get in the Guitar Hero World Tour game, so the kit is worth the buy just for them.

Nyko Wing Wireless Classic Controller for the Nintendo Wii

For the virtual console lover, I highly suggest you pick up a Nyko Wing Wireless Classic Controller to replace their Nintendo classic controller. Not only is it wireless which means no more playing with the controller attached to the Wii remote, but it allows for recharging of your batteries via a USB port. You can even use the USB port to play without any batteries. It plays just a good as the original classic controller but with more features. Definitely a hot buy.

Nyko Xbox 360 Intercooler TS

Though the original Intercooler systems were not the best product to use, Nyko has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a newer and better version of the Nyko Intercooler to solve all the previous problems. Knowing that the Xbox 360 requires a lot of cooling space, the Intercooler TS can be attached to the back of your system to ensure a cooler and safer running system.

The intercooler has been redesigned to run on its own power supply via an AC adapter plugged into the wall and not into the system. The new TempSmart technology senses when the system is overheating and turns the fans on as needed, plus the unit has been reduced in size for easier installation.