A fresh take on Waggletech® as Alone in the Dark for Wii developer, Hydravision Entertainment, proves its penchant for virtual charades in this new trailer. Seriously, the "flasher" maneuver? Brilliant! Who knew the Wiimote and Nunchuk could be used to mimic the parting of a trench coat? Still, there's nothing quite as immersifying as the overhand bludgeon. Classic.

There are five ways to handle your racer in Mario Kart Wii: Wii Remote solo, Wii Remote embedded in Wii Wheel, Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Classic Controller, and GameCube controller. But, removing all other variables, which control method is the best? Are there really limitations to not using the Wii Wheel? We decided to pull out the ever-trusty "scientific method" and determine, once and for all, the best kart controller.

A wide majority of gamers don't have to worry about the logistics of actually interacting with their video games of choice -- the simplicity of picking up a controller and playing a game is the main draw of home consoles. However, gamers who suffer from certain physical handicaps are often not in the minds of console and controller designers, often excluding them with peripherals they may find difficult to use. Luckily, the Earth's got people like Ryan Culy.

Culy designed the pictured Wii Remote/Nunchuk hybrid with one of his friends, who had lost most of his left arm, in mind. By moving the C and Z buttons from the 'Chuk to the Wiimote, and by detaching the joystick and motion sensor so that they could be controlled by an elbow, the two peripherals can now be used with one arm. It's a very kind gesture from Culy -- one we hope will inspire future console and peripheral designers to keep gamers of all shapes and sizes in mind when they create their products.

Since it was revealed months ago, rhythm gamers have wondered what Samba de Amigo for the Wii would actually look like in action. Now that Dutch site SegaOnline has put up what's reportedly the first footage from an early build of the game, it turns out that the Wii version looks ... a lot like the Dreamcast version.

While the return of the game's signature aesthetic and gameplay is inspiring, the actual controls displayed on the video are much less so. The below footage shows the on-screen "maraca" location sensor jumping around like a Mexican bean as the player shakes it up. A rough translation of the site's report even goes so far as to say that "this version is not even equipped with good control." Here's hoping Gearbox can fix that, er, minor problem by the time the game sees eventual release.

Gaming peripheral maker Nyko today announced an adapter that promises to cut the cord on your existing wired Wii Nunchuks (metaphorically, of course). Not to be confused with the standalone wireless Nunchuk Nyko announced last month, the new adapter will connect to an existing wired Nunchuk, allowing it to communicate with a Wii remote up to 15 feet away (handy for people with a 15-foot wingspan!).

Don't worry about the Nunchuk cord drooping limply across your leg either -- according to the release, the adapter comes with a "self-standing Nunchuk sleeve" that has "a convenient compact cord management system keeping the existing Nunchuk cord organized and out of site [sic]."

The adapter, including two required AAA batteries, will retail for $19.99, making it $10 less than Nyko's standalone wireless Nunchuk (though the whole package is $10 more when combined with a $20 wired Nunchuk). Wire-hating gamers who already own four Nunchuks might want to look for it in February.

A Pennsylvania company has filed suit against Nintendo and Sony for allegedly violating its patent held for a "hand held computer input apparatus and method." The Wiimote, Nunchuk, Sixaxis, and PS3 Blu-ray remote were all named in the lawsuit filed last month in the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Copper Innovations Group claims that these devices infringe on its 1996 patent for a method of sorting devices connected to a system by number identification.

Copper is after a cut of Wii's lucrative profits and PS3's (once there are some), seeking payment for damages, with interest, and legal fees. Copper is also calling for a permanent injunction that would prohibit Nintendo, Sony and 3rd-party manufacturers from further infringing on the patent.

We don't know about you, but here's the problem we've always had with cell phones: They're simply too portable and convenient. Thankfully, phone gaming is finally getting more cumbersome with a new peripheral that's obviously not at all inspired by Nintendo's Wiimote Nunchuk attachment.

Peripheral company Zeetoo (it rhymes with "me-too") created the new Bluetooth-powered attachment called the Zeemote (it rhymes with Viimote). Not only is it shaped like the Nunchuk, it includes an analog stick and buttons on the bottom. There's even a motion-sensing version in the works! But, you see, it's black. So it's totally different. Totally.

The latest bullet fired from Nyko's niche sniper rifle finally severs the terribly constrictive cable between the Wii's remote and its nunchuk controller. IGN has the full report on the Nyko "Wireless Nunchuck," a rather perplexing name given the addition of an extra "c" and, of course, the omission of a connecting wire. Without a wire, isn't it just... a stick?

Oh, but these are mere trifles compared to the sheer freedom of flailing unleashed by this untethered tech! No longer will your hugging high score suffer in Disneyland Mascot Sim -- only the reach of your fully extended arms can hold you back now! Gone are the days when skipping rope minigames resulted in accidental strangulation! It staggers us to think that Nintendo's oversight could be seen to by nothing more than a wireless stick, some extra batteries and a dongle (possibly containing peace-of-mind cooling fans) attached to the bottom of your Wiimote.

You say you'd rather wait until CES delivers price and release details? Why do you hate freedom?

[Via Wii Fanboy]

Soul Calibur Legends, an action-adventure spin-off of the Namco Bandai fighting series, has been confirmed by Famitsu. First hinted at by IGN earlier this week, 1UP explains that Legends will be a Wii-exclusive "diversion," perhaps occupying the idle time between its release and the next 'real' Soul Calibur sequel. Legends will apparently focus on Siegfried, taking it back to the 16th century, but expect many of the franchise faces to pop up and compete for playing time. Namco Bandai has little else to reveal at this stage in development, aside from vague confirmation that the control scheme will use both the Wiimote and Nunchuk -- so be careful not to get tangled while swingin' your "Snake Sword."

Will Legends successfully spin off from its fighting roots as Shaolin Monks managed to do? Or might it eventually be tucked inside the closet next to Death by Degrees? Too early to call. At least we won't be playing dress-up at a beach resort.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

With the Wii's focus on controls, how does a franchise like SSX handle the transition? Snowboarding -- and Wii-only SSX Blur -- lacks a direct relation to the Wii's motion sensitivity, but the game still translates to hand movements. The steering mechanic, which relies on Nunchuk twists, fits well; it even seems like it had always been a part of SSX.

The tricks, however, are mixed; simple remote flicks feel like a gimmick, while drawing shapes for Ubertricks only works some of the time. Overall, the controls work well enough to keep me playing, but I sometimes stop in frustration after consecutive, unrecognized moves.

As far as graphics, sound, and other review standards, those all hold up in Blur, but aren't my focus in this analysis. (Look up scored reviews for other opinions.) Instead, I'll further explain how Blur translates a thumbstick-and-button game into a tilt-and-flail experience.

A one-handed Dynasty Warriors spinoff, ideally played blindfolded (or while watching something else), was the announcement we'd been hoping for. Sadly, Koei revealed it's got a fresh concept in the works for Wii. Opoona, named after its main character, is a quirky action-rpg in which players must travel to various intergalactic colonies by obtaining special licenses associated with certain jobs (e.g., rescuer, idol, detective) in order to solve the mystery of Opoona's siblings' disappearance and determine who or what has landed his parents in the hospital with serious injuries. Koei claims that Opoona is controlled entirely with the Nunchuk controller.

Some relevant names have been attached to the project, including Artepiazza's Shintaro Majima as lead artist and Sachiko Yukimura as planning director; both industry vets have been involved with numerous Dragon Quest games. Most notably, Final Fantasy XII composer Hitoshi Sakimoto will handle music production.

Koei has not announced a release date for Opoona, but unconfirmed sources have targeted summer 2007 in Japan.

What's more useless: plastic shove-on attachments or boxing gloves with Wiimote pockets? We suppose those attachments are, but these 'un-official' Wii boxing gloves rank among the lamest of 3rd-party peripherals.

Maybe if you have a tendency to fling your Wiimote the gloves are $22 well spent; then again, Wii Sports' boxing requires players to hold the Wiimote vertically. You won't be punching with these gloves on; you'll be knocking on doors. Awkward.

A better Wii "Power Glove": Wii Remote Power Glove Hack

[Via VideoGamesBlogger]

Remarks made by Hudson Entertainment director of marketing John Lee, during an interview with Game Informer, have sparked rumor that a 'Game Channel,' dealing in original downloadable titles, could be headed to Wii. Lee didn't make any specific implications, but did cleverly acknowledge that Nintendo had plans to distribute original downloadable games. When asked if Hudson had plans to do so, Lee claimed, "No," but added, "However, in the future, you should rephrase that question to: Are there any plans to launch original content on some downloadable service on the Wii, and you might get a different answer."

CVG brought the issue up with Nintendo, which responded, "We cannot confirm at this time in what format the new content will be delivered, but in the future there will be original games available for download through the Wii Shop." While still unconfirmed, it's likely that Nintendo could launch a new Channel to further separate original games, once purchased from Wii Shop Channel, from Virtual Console fare. We also suspect that most of these new offerings will utilize the Wiimote (and Nunchuk) instead of the Classic Controller.

Harmony. That's Wiimote and Nunchuk moving in tandem. Drawing hearts. Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has posted a visual guide of SSX Blur's Wii commands. Pictured above, an 'Uber Trick' is executed by drawing a heart-shape with the two controls. Not every action is as creative or involved, nor should all be, but the Wiiness certainly looks to put a spin on a series that could use some shaking up. Peep the photo album.