Save for the Wii Remote itself, those were pretty much the only options. Well, no! Now you can play Wii games with a PlayStation or PlayStation 2 controller with this fancy adaptor. Priced at ¥1,785 (US$18.50).

Wii用リモコンツナイデント [GAMETECH]

The Wing features gobs of buttons and up to 10-feet of wireless connectivity via a dongle you plug into the botton of your Wii Remote. The Wing also lets you use rechargeable AAA batteries which can be charged through the Wing's mini USB port.

“The Wing is a great example of what we at Nyko aim to do: improve the gamer’s experience with a quality made product”, said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “There have been very few options for classic gaming control designed specifically for the Wii until now, and the Wing provides a comfortable and affordable wireless alternative that fans of Virtual Console games will enjoy using.”

The controller sells for $30.

Reader Chris is getting a PhD in mechanical engineering. Reader Josh is not. In fact, I have no clue what he is studying. But, he is also a student. Well, at least he claims to be one. He writes:

I read the post about the guy who made a Wiimote and Classic Controller clip and well I thought it was a good idea so I tried my hand at but with the style and budget of a college student. Here are some pics I took of what I did. The solution was a bungee cord I took from my backpack. It provides the snug and tight fit we all want and It works pretty good. Now I can play my VC games and with the ease of an all-in-one (when I should be going my homework, psssh, college, go figure).

MacGyvering cleverness like this, it's good to see that education isn't going to waste! You've done somebody's parents proud, Josh. Perhaps even your own. Brian Ashcraft

I mentioned last night that Nintendo sent me a snazzy Classic Controller the other day along with some more Wii games.

I really like the way the thing feels. I suppose that, except for a few games, the controller isn't really necessary, but it makes playing classic games so much more comfortable than using a wired GameCube controller or the Wii Remote turned on its side.

The thing is the perfect size for comfort, nostalgia gaming. It fits neatly in my hand and despite the minor annoyance of it having to be tethered to the remote, is well designed.

Each game you play tells you how the buttons are mapped out on the controller and although the thing is modeled after any retro controller, at least I don't believe it is, playing games built for certain controllers was still quite easy.

For instance, I had no trouble playing the relatively controller-heavy Super Mario 64, currently my favorite game on the virtual console.

I also loved playing Golden Axe, though the game doesn't quite live up to my memories of it anymore. Having spent a day or two playing through the button masher using the Wii Remote controller set-up, I can tell you the Classic Controller is worth the price of admission.

The same was true with Altered Beasts, which I found very awkward to play on the Wii Remote but quite easy with the Classic.

My final test was Donkey Kong. This was the only game where the controller fell short, not because of some issue with the controller really, but simply because old arcade games just need to be played with a big joystick to really capture the essence of the game.

Maybe Nintendo or some third-party will come out with an arcade joystick like the one coming to the Xbox 360 next month.

Despite this one shortcoming, the Classic Controller is a must buy. If you have a Wii and plan to play even one Virtual Console game you'd be crazy not to spend $20 for this controller, it really makes the experience. Brian Crecente

Nintendo sent me a Wii Classic Controller along with a bunch of Wii games yesterday afternoon, so I just started messing around with it tonight.

The first thing I did, of course, was purchase Mario 64. As soon as I started the game a message flashed up on the screen: You will need the Classic Controller.

Fortunately, the thing is only $20 and so far seems well worth the price. Check back tomorrow for a more substantial review of the controller and how some of the Virtual Console games behaved on it. Behaved! Brian Crecente