The guys over at Hardcode TV hacked a remote control truck to work with first a Wii remote, then a Nunchuk, then a Balance Board and finally the touch screen of an iPhone.

All of the controllers seemed to work relatively well, though my favorite was the Wii Remote, which was set up to control the truck the same way you control the virtual vehicles in Excite Truck.

Wii Balance Board Hack [Balance Board Blog]

Back in June, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Nyko claiming that their Kama wireless controller "wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller".

Nyko was quick to respond with an imagined shrug and some head-scratching, saying ""We have not knowingly violated anyone's intellectual property and we're still examining this."

Today the two companies say they've worked out a deal (read royalty checks) and that Nyko is redesigning their controller.

“We are pleased to have resolved this dispute,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “The Nunchuk and Wii brands are familiar to consumers worldwide, and Nintendo is dedicated to vigorous defense of those brands.”

“Nyko Technologies is proud to be an industry leader in gaming accessories,” said Herschel Naghi, CEO of Nyko, “and we will continue to develop exciting products for the benefit of the gaming community.”

Lets get to what everyone is thinking first: No the Wii version of Samba de Amigo shown this week did not have Maraca-shaped Wii remotes. But that doesn't mean they aren't coming.

In fact a rep told us that they are looking into a "Maraca sleeve" for the remote and even spoken with some manufacturers about it.

In the game, for those of you not familiar, you take on one of several colorful characters dancing and playing the maracas to music. The rhythm game is played by shaking the remote and nunchuk in time to the music while making sure they are in one of three positions: above your head, at your waist or held pointing down.

The game starts by having players calibrate the two controllers by holding them in the different positions. And play seemed to be pretty responsive, though the game did fail to recognize the correct position a couple of times.

There will be both single player and multiplayer and the developers told me that the game will also allow you to post your high scores to an online leader board.

The game looks like the sort of pick-up-and-play fun that will end up being a huge hit with the Wii's casual gamers and could also strike a chord with Nintendo's more hardcore fans.

Anyway, this is hardly news, but AC has a control system that will take me a week to get comfortable manipulating. The game is a perfect example of how increasingly complex controllers will give rise to increasingly complex-to-control games. GamePro has a list of 5 suggestions for paring down the buttons and options.

• Reduce the number of face and shoulder buttons
• Merge "Start" and "Select" into one button
• Lose the D-pad
• Use motion-sensing controls (Newton, anyone?)
• Add attachment peripheral (Newt-chuk, anyone?)

Sounds good to me, but I think this is more a question of developer discipline in keeping character control lean and uncomplicated. A lot of extra buttons on a controller will eventually be used of course, so a redesign that strips out some of the lesser-employed options can't hurt. But the controller is not the game.

Five Easy Ways to Fix Complicated Controllers [GamePro]

Peripheral company Zeetoo is coming up with a Nunchuk-like device for cell phones. The Zeemote, that's really what it's called, no lie, will connect to select cell phones using Bluetooth. The controller has an analog stick and buttons in a Nunchuk-shaped device. The company says they also have a motion-sensing version of the controller in the works and another prototype that will have a tracker ball.

Personally, I don't think it's the lack of controls that is keeping mobile gaming from realize the potential that mobile game developers are always harping endlessly about. I think the real problem is the lack of a single operating system, something that, dare I say it, the N-Gage platform might actually help fix.

Mobiles Get Nunchuk Controller [CVG]

Product Page [via pocketgamer]

In an interview with NGamer, NiGHTS: Journey Into Dreams producer Takeshi Iizuka revealed that the sequel's level design is more user friendly and that the soundtrack is being done by the game's original composer. What's more, while the game is designed for the Wii-mote, it is possible to plug in the nunchuk for gamers who prefer traditional controls. But enough with game details! What Iizuka really wants to talk about is appreciation. He says:

For those loyal fans that have waiting 11 years for NiGHTS to return, I felt the need to keep the game concept fundamentally the same as the original so that it would be a reminiscent return to their past NiGHTS experience. This way, I could extend my thanks and appreciation for all those fans that waiting all this time for the sequel. To them, I want to say "Thank You" for without their support this project would not be possible.

Our cold bitter hearts have been warmed ever so slightly. But, the best way to say "thank you"? Don't make it sucky. Brian Ashcraft

NiGHTS Interview [NGamer via Sega Nerds]

Unfortunately they are using sponges to fill out the mold due to lack of chocolate, but those sponges could easily be replaced with raspberry cream of some sort. Mmmm. In the end, it's just more proof that everything is better is you fill it with molten chocolate.

Chocolate Wii Controller [flickr - Thanks Tinkergirl!]

Virgin Megastore in Kuwait not only misspells its own name, but also sells Nintendo Wiis for 299KD (US $1,034), which is four time the American price. We've posted pricing differences aboard before, but just look at this insanity: Wii-motes and the nunchuks go for 45KD (US $155). Each! That means buying a Wii-mote and a nunchuk is pricier than buying a Wii in either the US or Japan. Blogs The Kuwaiti.com:

The other stores in Kuwait charge less than half for those controllers (and those are also a rip off).

For a store named "Virgin," it's sure good at fucking people over. Brian Ashcraft

Too Expensive At Megastore [The Kuwaiti]

I've just gotten back from the Target Greatland on North Druid Hills in Atlanta where, on a tip from my co-worker Dave, I heard there were Wii-motes and controllers on sale since Friday.

So my buddy and I headed over to North Druid Hils and upon arriving found no line of campers outside, no rioting crowds. I made a bee-line for the electronics department and lo and behold, there they were. Hanging in their plastic containers right next to the Wii demo stand. The Wii remote, the nunchuk, the classic controller and Nintendo Points. We grabbed one of each and made our way to the register, unhindered by muggers, paid and left. This is great since the EB where I pre-ordered my Wii hadn't received their shipment of extra accessories. This will save a trip in the morning, giving more uninterrupted playing time and no line waiting. Sweet! Make the jump to see them up close and personal. Flynn De Marco

Having spent the past two days or so playing Wii games using the remote (mostly) and nunchuk, I think I can say that the two controllers seem to work quite well.

My initial concerns, that once a consumer had to set up the sensor bar in their less than ideal home it would result in major issues, seems unfounded. I was able to set mine up in very little time and I haven't had a single problem yet with losing the remote's pointer.

The sensor bar is even stuck to the top of my big screen and I'm playing 15 feet away sitting on a couch or standing in front of the counch without any problems. So that issue, at least it seems, isn't a big deal.

I only have been able to test the controllers on three games, Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda and Excite Truck, so I still want to reserve judgement on just how precise the pointer will be in fast paced games, like Red Steel.

You do use the remote pointer for inputting characters and clicking buttons, so I can say that it seems fairly accurate and despite the wavering of the remote icon you typically see in videos, it really isn't an issue to use.

The nunchuk's controls are definetly the most comfortable of the Wii's ways of playing. The thing fits in your hand perfectly. You just gently cradle it as you guide you character around with the thumbstick.

The remote isn't quite as comfortable and I found, while playing with Excite Truck, that the most accurate way to play seemed to be with the controller held out straight in front of me, which was very tiring over time.

It will probably be another week or two before I can really get a handle on what I think of the controllers, especially after I've played a much wider selection of games using both the remote and the nunchuk. But for now, none of my fears have been realized and the thing is quite fun to use. Brian Crecente

From the podcast:

J.D. Biersdorfer: "I guess there'll be some kind of martial arts thing, perhaps"

Tom Holcomb: "oh, boy. I'm not sure that's a great idea."

J.D. Biersdorfer: "Yeah, I guess it depends on the age of your kids and whether you want them nunchuking each other on the head."

Tom Holcomb: "Remember what Bruce Lee did to teenagers with those nunchuks.

J.D. Biersdorfer: "It can be a little aggressive, perhaps, but they're also encouraging community."

Seth! Get over there quick and nunchuk those guys in the head before they start to tarnish your own gaming cred.

If you want to hear it yourself hit the link and skip to about 4 minutes and 40 seconds in. Brian Crecente

Tech Talk [NYT]

E3 Early Access Media passes don't mean squat in 2006 when pretty much everyone waiting to get through the doors at 9 am is planning to run straight for the Nintendo booth to try the Wii out for the first time, just like you are. Wait time to get into the Wii area was over an hour, but we passed the time playing pickup games of Tetris DS and trash talking about the skillz or lack thereof of our fellow members of the press. After checking out the periperals on display (including the Wii Zapper, which wasn't in use on the floor but got us hot and bothered nonetheless), we elbowed our way through the crowd to try out two Wii games for the first time: Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess. Both games are played Nunchuk Style: the nunchuk attachment in your left hand controls your forward and backward motion, the remote in your right hand's used for pointing to objects on the screen. More on our hands on impressions and some photos from the floor after the jump.

Super Mario Galaxy was the first game we played on the Wii, the first time we got to actually hold any of the Wii peripherals in our hands. They were surprisingly light and ergonomic—from the photos we'd seen previously, we were worried the remote especially would be too small or just awkward to hold and press multiple buttons on, but it took us less than 30 seconds to get used to the way both controllers felt in our hands. The controls were also incredibly intuitive, as it took us just over a minute to learn the controls (mostly jumping and using objects in the environment) and just get around to playing through the demo stage.

The Twilight Princess controls proved much harder to pick up, mainly because there were just so many more things to learn right away than in Super Mario Galaxy. The + (on the remote) controls both switching through your item inventory and using selected items. For example, the down button selects the bow and arrow; holding it down and moving the remote around lets you aim the bow at an enemy, and then you release the button to fire. We found the remote to be far more sensitive and therefore much harder to properly utilize with Twilight Princess than it was with Super Mario Galaxy, giving Twilight Princess a higher barrier to entry. The first Nintendo representative we talked to about this confirmed that remote sensitivity is not player adjustable, each game has its own setting; the second told us said "Miyamoto decided [the use of the Twilight Princess remote] should be harder, to make it more realistic."

We'll have video of Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess gameplay up soon, stay tuned.

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