Duracell Charging Stand - Black (Wii)

One of the only drawbacks to owning a nice shiny black Wii console is the constant charging and re-charging of batteries - and often at inopportune moments too; the number of times I've been in mid-jump or a desperate scrap with a zombie boss for my remote to suddenly crap out on me are too numerous to mention. There does seem to be a glut of similar (unofficial) Wii chargers on the market but, with Duracell being a reliable brand name, I decided to take a punt on this one. Once I'd navigated past the simple but surprisingly secure packaging (you will need scissors or Wolverine-like claws), I was struck by how clean and smart the design of the charging stand was. Looks aside, I was also pleased that the console slotted directly into the stand and then the console's power supply connects straight into the back of that so no extra plug sockets were needed. There are two compartments for your remotes to sit upright in and, oddly, only one compartment for a nunchuk. This is a slightly bewildering but minor niggle. Had the nunchuk been designed to require charging too, I daresay two slots would have been provided. As it is, it just seems like a peculiar half-measure.

Anyway, as some other reviewers have pointed out, you will have to remove your remote skins and the Motion-Plus if you use them, before the remote will sit in the charging bay. As for the wrist strap, I tend to just tuck it up and under the remote so it is poking out at the front. Any other position and it's likely it will block the connections. The battery packs provided fit neatly into the back of your remotes and, as it clearly says in the instructions, require a minimum of 12 hours on their first charge before they are used. The instructions also state that the battery packs will hold their charge for longer each time they are charged. Charging state is indicated simply: red means it's charging, blue means it's ready to go - simple as that. If you're not getting a light at all, chances are you've not put the remote in correctly, so give the remote a wiggle and you should be okay. Also, as an added bonus, your Wii console doesn't have to be on for the charger to work. One problem I did encounter was that I had to re-sync both my remotes once charged, which proved to be difficult when the battery pack actually hides the Sync button. So, it was out with the battery packs and back in with the rechargeable AA batteries for five minutes, while I sorted that out. Luckily, the Duracell charger saw fit to also include a space for two AAs so that wasn't a massive issue. Ideally, this space could've been used as storage for the second nunchuk but a spare pair of ready-charged batteries will always come in handy so it's no great loss.

All in all, a decent product that looks and functions as you'd expect. I'm surprised that this or a similar charging stand hasn't replaced the dull silver/grey stand that is bundled with the Wii as a standard accessory but that oversight seems to have been quickly picked up on by other manufacturers and is ultimately Nintendo's loss. Time will tell on the longevity of the battery packs and how hard-wearing the shiny finish is but, for now, I'd say this is well worth the money.

Let's skip past the bit where it arrives in the toughest, most lacerate-your-hands-type plastic packet you've ever had the misery to get into with a pair of scissors, and get to the reasons why I bought it... I wanted a quick and easy, plug-in-at-the-end-of-the-day type charger, as normal rechargeable batteries tend to run low quite quickly which spoils your fun on the Wii. It is a lovely shiny black unit which looks much better than the grey stand the console came with.

Unfortunately, both the motion plus sensors and the silicon skin need to be removed in order for the remotes to fit in and make contact with the new rechargeable battery compartment. So the tidying up of accessories reasons for buying it are somewhat negated.

Also, it is a pity that there is storage for only one Nunchuk. As a designer myself, I would either have made two Nunchuk wells or extended the secondary battery charging compartment to allow for 4 AA's instead of the 2 it has room for, as many people would use it to keep a spare set of batteries charged for their balance boards.

The product description mentions that you can tell when charge has been achieved because there is a light around the remote well which glows red when charging and blue when full. What it doesn't mention is that on the front of the unit there is also a piercing bright blue light with absolutely no purpose. If your console is anywhere near your TV, it may range from distracting to painful, to have in your peripheral (or possibly direct) vision. I recommend cutting out a little square of black electrical tape to cover it!

So, if you want a stand that also tidies up your accessories, don't get this one as it will create as much clutter as it stores.
If you were hoping for a simple charger that doesn't require the complete dismantling of your remote every day, well, that's a no too.
If you just want something black instead of the grey console stand you have, and you have more money than you need, then buy it!

This is for the basic Wii remote only, the newer Wii Plus remotes will not charge in it, also I find it very difficult to place the nunchuk (and it stores only one), the wire tends to raise it out of its' slot.