Top 10 2008 Nintendo Wii Accessories

#10 – Wii Skins (Various Prices)

Kicking off the countdown at number 10 is the various Wii skins you can use to decorate your Wii console. Currently, the Wii only comes in the Polar White color, which is a bit bland. For a couple of extra dollars, you can buy a plastic covering that encases your Wii in a colorful design, such as the Super Mario Galaxy skin. Think of it as painting over your white bedroom walls with a flower design, except that in this case, you can easily take the design off at any time.

#9 – Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector ($34.99)

The 9th position on the list is held by the now discontinued Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector. If you don’t have a Wireless Router or a Wii LAN (Local-Area-Network) Adapter, this small device that plugs into your computer’s USB port will generate a wireless internet signal that can be picked up by the Wii. You’ll be able to access all the internet channels on your Wii console, as well as multiplayer support in the various Wi-Fi-compatible Wii games. The connector also works with your Nintendo DS and DS Lite handheld systems. Nintendo discontinued production of the USB connector due to incompatibilities with the system’s software on some computers. If you’re having problems connecting to the internet on your Wii, and you can still find this item available at your local games store, I suggest you pick it up and give it a shot. The worst case scenario is that it won’t work and you’ll end up bringing it back for a full refund.

#8 – Wii Points Card ($19.99)

At the 8th spot on the list is the Nintendo Wii Points Card, used to purchase items from the Wii Shop Channel (requires a high-speed or broadband internet connection to your Wii console). Wii Points let you download extra features and content onto your Wii console, including the greatest games from the NES, Super NES, N64, Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrade video game consoles. Worth 2,000 Wii Points, each separately packaged Wii Points Card contains a scratch-off patch concealing the code that allows you to redeem your Wii Points online at the Shop Channel.

#7 – Wii Classic Controller ($24.99)

Holding on to its #7 position is the Wii Classic Controller. The classic controller blends elements from Nintendo’s NES, Super NES, and N64 controllers to allow for seamless play-control over the titles that span the virtual console library. This controller is used for playing games downloaded to your Wii console through the Wii Shop Channel. The classic controller must be used with a Wii Remote, which is sold separately.

#6 – Nyko’s “Perfect Shot” Trigger Pistol ($19.99)

At #6 on the list, this plastic molding resembles that of a traditional one-handed pistol. The trigger on the pistol activates the “B” button on your Wii Remote, which easily slides into grip and locks into place inside the molding. There’s also an accessory pass-through port on the pistol for other attachments like the Nunchuk and Classic Controller. Since you only need one hand to hold the pistol, you can have your other hand operate a Nunchuk, or other Wii Remote attachment, simultaneously. The pistol must be used with a Wii Remote, which is sold separately. One of the games this accessory is best used with is Link’s Crossbow Training.

#5 – Wii Wheel ($12.99)

Coming in at #5, the Wii Wheel gives you a fun and comfortable way to play driving and racing games on your Wii system. Designed to improve accuracy and control, the Wii Wheel lets you steer like you would in an actual car, and makes racing games more realistic. Loading your Wii Remote into the Wii Wheel is easy – just snap it in – and you’ll still have access to all the buttons. The Wii Wheel must be used with a Wii Remote, which is sold separately. One of the games this accessory is best used with is Mario Kart Wii.

#4 – Wii Fit Balance Board ($89.99)

The Wii Balance Board is shaped like a household body scale, with a plain white top and light grey bottom. It uses four AA batteries as a power source, which can power the board for about 60 hours. The board is wireless and contains four pressure sensors on its bottom that are used to measure the user’s center of balance. The Balance Board is currently paired with the Wii Fit video game, so even if you don’t want the fitness title, you’ll end up getting it anyway. Aside from Wii Fit, other titles the Balance Board can currently be used for include We Ski, Wii Music, Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, All Star Cheer Squad, and Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009. The Wii Balance Board is the #4 top Wii accessory as of 2008.

#3 – SanDisk’s 2 GB Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card ($20.82)

Beginning the top three countdown on the list is a 2 GB SD Memory Card made from SanDisk, designed to transfer photos and Wii save files between your Wii console and your cell phone, computer or friend’s Wii console.

#2 – Nyko’s High-Definition Component Audio/Video Cable ($24.99)

At #2 on the list is Nyko’s High-Definition component audio/video cable for the Wii. It features a high end Y, Bp, PR component connection and wide-screen television support. It provides 480p resolution for crystal-clear images, stereo sound and crisp, immersive video. The cable is extra long in length for easy set-up. But you’re probably wondering why you’d want to spend an extra $25 when the Wii already comes with a standard AV (red, white, yellow) cable. The reason is that most of the newer LCD and Plasma TVs only come with 1 AV connection, which you’ll probably need for your old game console, VCR or DVD player. When I purchased my 42″ Plasma, I found myself using an old RF cable for my VCR and an AV cable for my DVD player. Without a second AV input on my plasma, I needed to find an alternative way to connect my Wii to my television, so I purchased an HDMI cable. The graphics don’t look that much different from your standard Wii AV cable, but I found it worth the $25.00 price tag, as opposed to always having to pull out my DVD’s AV cable when I wanted to use my Wii, and vice versa.

#1 – Quad Wii Remote Charge Station ($49.99)

And finally, the number one Wii accessory as of 2008 that everyone who has a Wii should definitely buy is the Quad Wii Remote Charge Station! You could spend hundreds of dollars on AA batteries for your Wii Remotes. Fortunately, there’s a better solution. The Quad Wii Remote Charge Station comes with 4 High Capacity Li-Ion (lithium-ion) Polymer Rechargeable Batteries and recharges up to 4 Wii Remotes simultaneously. Each Li-Ion battery only takes slightly less than 4 hours to charge, and provides 13 full hours of actual playtime per Wii Remote. The batteries can be charged up to 1,000 times each before having to be replaced. Each Wii Remote currently charging in the charge station has 4 LED lights next to it, indicating its charge status in 25% increments. Now, you might think that $50.00 is a hefty fee to pay for a charging station, but if you’re a hardcore Wii gamer, you’ll easily go through a pack of AA batteries every week or two. The charging station clearly pays for itself in the long run. And don’t be fooled by these other “cheap-skate” charging stations – the ones that charge up to 2 Wii Remotes simultaneously. Sure, they’re only $19.99, but many of them have defects or don’t properly charge your Wii Remotes.

Other Great Wii Accessories

In particular, many Nintendo gamers might wonder why I’ve left out a couple of other good accessories on this Top 10 Wii Accessories List. I’ve tried my best to write a list incorporating what I believe are the best accessories of the system as of 2008, based upon design, ease-of-use and innovation. If you believe there’s another good Wii accessory that’s worth being mentioned, feel free to post a comment to my article and let everyone else know.