While we like the influx of interesting third-party gadgets that follows every new console launch, there are times that we have to sit back, take a deep breath, and go, "You gotta be kidding."

For those wondering what's caught our fancy, we're talking about 22Moo's Ultra-Light i-Vision video eye-wear, which is apparently compatible for the Xbox 360, Wii, iPod Video and Zune. And for those wondering what exactly this long-named device is, it's basically a pair of monitors attached to an eyeglass frame - the whole thing resembles something between a VR helmet, Nintendo's Virtua Boy, and La Forge's visors. Could this be a spin-off of another helmed horror?

The set comes in three different version:
i-Vision 230 - 35-inch display, 320 x 240 resolution, 72g, $250 USD.i-Vision 922 - 48-inch display, 640 x 480 resolution, 84g, $350 USD.Argo PC VGA video glasses - compatible with a PC, Mac, PDA, and any device which carries AV or VGA output.Yeah, we know - we just...

The WiiLi project has become some sort of a recurring news around here. While we aren't part of the development team itself, we are rather curious as to how this final project would eventually turn out. They've had their share of ups and downs and right now, they are needing once more the community's help.

In their Wiki page, the WiiLi team announced that they need and want to reverse engineer the Wiimote. By reverse engineering, this is exactly what they mean:
How to enable the Nunchuk and read all events from it (buttons, joystick, accelerometer) How to enable the Classic Controller and read all events from it (buttons and joysticks) How to get the Power Button to work How to play sound without horrible distortionBut before they can proceed, the team mentioned that they will be needing a Bluetooth air sniffer. This special gadget will allow for them to record and time-stamp log the communication between the controller and the console. They don't want to buy an air...

It's time for us to see more of the moves from Sega's Bleach for the Wii. We've consistently provided you with screenshots, which by themselves look amazing. Now it's time to see if those images provide sufficient testimony as to the real gameplay.

That's why we have here for you two more gameplay videos for Bleach. The first one is entitled Sword dueling. True to its name, it simply shows you how the battles would work, as well as provide a preview of the kind of powers you can wield against your opponent. That, and the trademark battlecry of "Hiiiiyyyyaaaa!!!" among fighters when in the thick of the battle.

The second vid, meanwhile, shows how the one-on-one battles can help you perfect your moves, hence becoming the ultimate sword-handler. Anyways, for those in Japan, we're sure you can find these useful in your exploration of the game. It has, after all, come out to retail since the 14th of December.

As for those in the other areas, well, you can just v...

Filed under: Gaming
While we've seen some crafty folks turn a Wiimote into a mouse (twice), the engineering minds over at Zedomax apparently figured they'd offer Sony an alternative to that sure-to-be-sued motion-tracking gizmo it has "patented." Of course, maybe the project was just to show off a good bit of snazzy soldering skills and a horrendously slipshod computer rig, but it's impressive nonetheless. Although it can't take flight like the FlyTech Dragonfly, this SIXAXIS airplane can control the motions of a flight simulator (or other joystick-enabled programs) by actually maneuvering the model in the manner you'd like your on-screen, pixelated counterpart to fly. Moreover, the propeller even kicks it into high gear to simulate the thrill of the flight in the comfort (and safety) of your own room. While the list of hardware (and background knowledge) necessary to create this thing is far too long to cover here, you can get your feet wet with a Cubloc controller, an acceleromet...

What's nice about Bleach? Hmmnnn... well, those "Shinigami Cup Golden" segments at the end of each episode are definitely "golden." What else? Oh, and Bleach has very entertaining games. Don't believe us? Check out the latest gameplay vid of Bleach for the Wii.

Now, this blogger definitely prefers if that fox just kept wearing that bucket on his head... oh well, can't get everything you want. At least you can "break" long attack-chains in this one, so that seems like a nice gameplay feature. Moreover, the vid seems to suggest that a "Bankai" can definitely turn a match around... nice feature. Now where are those Byakuya-Bankai vids?

We came across this post on the Nintendo Forums that is very... weird. According to Japtar10101, Nikkei Magazine ran an article on prototype Wii controllers that never really got out. While one of them obviously looks like the precursor to the Wiimote, one of them pretty much wins the Insane Design award for gaming.

Just to be sure we're all on the same page: It's the one in the middle. With the Mario Star. In orange.

The one that looks like a bloated cross-shaped controller actually looks kind of interesting, but we're really interested in whatever they could have done with the star controller. If it had just one feature, Nintendo could have crappiest controller in the world and we'd still give it a thumbs up.

The catch? Every time you slap the star, your character becomes invincible and the old-school star invincibility theme from Super Mario Bros. plays from the controller. Now that would be some sweet gameplay.

Nintendo of America is announcing three new games from the past to watch out for in the Virtual Console. You could safely assume that you will find them tomorrow when you turn on your Wii and check the Wii Shop's VC section. You could also safely assume that if you have an older sibling or a parent who fondly remembers and misses his or her old-school gaming days, you can also kiss that Wii goodbye for the next few days or so.

Hey, we remember this! Tennis for the NES! For those of us old enough to remember, one of our favorite two-player pastimes. Hey, at least this isn't one game of tennis that will send the Wiimote through the wall, right? 500 points and a Wii Sport goes old-school.

Next up is the Genesis' Space Harrier II. Yeah, everyone wanted to be a hero, grab a blaster rifle, and plow through innumerable fodder and unbeatable odds, right Master Chief? (Oops, wrong gen). Well, this was one of the early Genesis games to give that experience, a forward-scrol...

Sorry if this article resorts to rambling, but we're confused. kirashira posted on the Random News blog that, according to a tip from a Square Enix rep, the Wii will be getting "an exclusive Final Fantasy title." We were about to say "Old news! Crystal Chronicles, remember?!" - but reading on, it gets more and more curious as kirashira goes on to say that "It won't be a sequal (sic) to the latest FF's but rather it will be similar to the DS's FF3 and can be said to be a port/remake."

So the guy might not be talking about Crystal Chronicles, since it has been on the boards since earlier this year, anyway. The reference to a remake like FFIII for the DS also means that we're drawing from the mainline Final Fantasy series here - hopefully we got this interpretation right.

Of course this is just a rumor - "tip from Square" notwithstanding - so no promises can be made from here. But just for fun, let's imagine how a port would look like on the Wii. A Final Fantasy (as in t...

Filed under: Gaming

Tilt sensing isn't quite the novelty it once was, with all these new-fangeled controllers and laptops flooding the market, but as much as the execution might lack, or our child-like joy wane, we've always got room for one more tilt-enabled doohickey at the Engadget HQ. This time around it's the Nintendo DS sporting the fancy functionality (again), via a homemade tilt sensor which plugs into that handy mini-USB port. Unfortunately for the bleeding edge types, the actual use of this thing is an exercise in frustration, since the control is merely digital -- full left or full right, none of those fancy degrees. Still, if your mom and her gal pals have commandeered your Wii for the afternoon, you've just gotta get some Nintendo-flavored tilt-sensing action on, and you can't find your Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble cartridge anywhere, then it sounds like this DS hack is the hack for you. Alternatively, you can apparently plug this thing into your PSP, but we don't hav...

If you're bored with the stark white Wii but don't want to retrofy yours or wait til Nintendo releases new colors, Talismoon Evolve has got your back. They're releasing a whole slew of colored "shells" for the Wii to make it whatever color you want.
Not just a sticker, these appear to be actual replacement cases for your precious Wii, so prepare for a bit of an install process when setting yours up. They'll be available come January in a yet-to-be-announced array of colors. –Adam Frucci
It's a black Nintendo Wii! [Gadget Candy]