Wii Charge Station Reviews

• Get this for your Wii!!!

  
  By A3SKJR85RGGZG7 on 2007-03-09
  Picked this up the other day....suffice to say they are selling like hotcakes at the Gamestops across the country.
  
  This is a definite purchase for a Wii Owner:
  
  Included in the package is:
  Charging Stand
  2 Rechargeable Battery Packs
  2 Rubberized Battery Covers (Necessary to use)
  
  After unpacking the unit....you see that the rechargeable battery pack slides inthe the Wii Remotes battery compartment with a snap and has a protruding part with the 4 metal contacts for the charging station.....this is why the use of the rubberized battery compartment covers is mandatory as the covers have the hole for access to the battery contacts.
  
  Placing the controllers with everything installed into the charger initially worried me as I wasn't sure if I had to remove the Wrist Straps.
  
  Thankfully...you do not have to....there are small grooves on the left and right of the stand for you to lay the Wrist strab connection through.
  
  Charging of the 2 remotes from install took approximately 3-4 hours.....and everything works like a charm and it looks great.
  
  If you have a Wii....buy it....[...] with batteries....not too bad :)
  
  

• Perfect finishing touch

  
  By A2ZZGWC4FUGJAE on 2007-06-08
  As many other reviewers, I quickly learned after getting my Wii that the Wiimotes are understandably battery hogs. I'm a little surprised Nintendo didn't build something like this into the system. Regardless, this charger really does the job, and you almost expect to see a Nintendo logo on it because of the great job Nyko has done with quality and style that matches the Wii itself.
  
  I don't use skins on my Wiimotes (just looks like a hindrance to me), so that hasn't been an issue, although I imagine it would be for any charger/cradle, not just this one. The rubberized battery doors required to use this kit really do improve the overall feel of the Wiimote.
  
  I don't know if battery life matches regular alkalines, but that's because I just put the controllers back in the cradle when I'm not using them, and they always stay charged! I haven't had the indicator on the screen get below the full 4 bars while I've been playing so far.
  
  Also, I prefer the wall plug setup used by this as opposed to some other models that plug into the USB port on the Wii. Those models can only charge one controller and take longer because of the power limits of USB. The wall plug also allows you to keep your charger somewhere else in the room if you like.
  
  

• Wii skin does not fit into the charger

  
  By A1TP78YKYTQKMP on 2007-03-23
  I just received mine and the 2 Wii skins that I paid $20.oo for the other day do not fit into the charger. I will do without the skins for the convenience of using the charger....and because the packaging it came in had to be cut open and is not recloseable...and I have simply used the different color wrist straps that came with the skins so we know which is remote 1 or 2. Just something for those that read this to consider in advance. I had rechargeable batteries that I was using but thought this would be easier...if you love your wii skins just consider using regular rechargeable batteries.
  
  

• Truly cheap junk that will not last more than a few months...

  
  By AIOPD46ZIV8K2 on 2007-08-18
  We are now on our 3rd set. Every 2 months or so either the batteries stop charging or the cradle stops working. Yes, we know you have to push the controllers in carefully and yes, our kinds know how to be careful with their precious WII.
  
  All I can say is that this is not build to last and client service at NYKO is non-existent. Every time we ended up contacting Amazon in the end.
  
  JUNK JUNK JUNK
  
  Update after 9 months: our 3rd set has lasted but we have noticed a sharp decline in battery output, i.e. the remotes run on empty very quickly now. We ended up going to an online battery retailer and bout 48 2600mAh batteries and a 1 hr charger for a measly 75$.... Should have done that months ago.
  
  
  

• Battery is weak link

  
  By A1J199YQWQ6NFD on 2007-10-09
  I have owned this product about 4 months and have had to replace the battery pack for one unit already.The Battery pack lasted about 4 weeks and then it stopped working it would just get very hot but had no charge. Contacted customer service who had me return the batteries at my expense and they sent me new batteries in a previously used envelope (I mention this as it is indicative of an extremely small shoe string operation not a solid company). The new battery worked fine for awhile but now one battery pack is definitely getting hotter than the other so will probably not last and is out of guarantee. I think this is a good idea just not a quality product needs to be re engineered and made by a quality company.
  
  
• Melted My Wiimote
  By ADZTIAWXVRI8G on 2007-07-23
  On the intial charge the battery melted and nearly ruined my Wiimote if I hadn't checked on it and realized it felt a little too warm. Customer support offered to replace what they determined was a defective battery but declined to replace my Wiimote or give a refund. Great idea but it seems I am not the only one that is having problems with this product. If you have the money to risk it may work out for you but beware that it is a potential fire hazard and could at the very least ruin your Wiimote which cost $40 to replace. I wish I could give this thing a 0 or even negative stars. Buy at your own risk.
  
  
• To think, I almost wrote this a bad review.
  By AQU5MTNJS867K on 2007-04-23
  I was excited when I got my package from Amazon knowing it was my new charger for my wiimotes. I was disappointed when I put the controller in the #1 slot and saw no indicator light come on. I wasn't sure if the light was broken or the entire slot was broken, so I resolved to use my wiimote for a few days and then attempt to charge it. To my surprise, I set the controller in the cradle and BAM, the light comes on. I guess it was operator error, or some other issues I am unaware of, but the thing works very well.
  
  It's nice not burning through 4 AA's/month and being able to charge these controllers. It is a nice attractive cradle for your wiimotes as well. I keep mine next to my seat on the couch. The battery covers are different from the originals, arguably more comfortable (& a better grip). The battery packs don't weigh more than normal batteries so it won't throw off your game. Also, I think it is actually boosting the signal of the wiimote. I used to have it flutter and jump around a bit on the screen like it was trying to maintain a connection... and that is completely gone now.
  
  This is just a good way to not have to use a lot of batteries. The charge holds for a long time, so you can still marathon play without worrying about slow charge times. It takes about 3 hours to full charge. I am very glad I bought this... it took away the one disadvantage of a wireless system. Definitely recommend it.
  
  
• Good idea...poor implementation
  By A9VFZ9J1ZPGJV on 2007-05-04
  I purchased mine a month ago. After about 2 weeks, one of the batteries went dead (the other worked fine in either controller). I wrote their customer service, and they told me to return it at my expense and they'd send me a new one. They then returned the battery and it still didn't work -- same problem. At the same time, the second battery went bad. Rather than pay more shipping, I just dropped it in the trash. I'm using the stand, just not the batteries...
  
  
• buy with caution
  By ARJSHDG4YCZFT on 2007-11-23
  I bought this same model at Wal-Mart, the first one caught fire and burned up, the second one worked fine for a month or so but now only the left charging station will actually charge anything.
  
  I'd suggest normal AA rechargables, easier to find parts for.
  
  
• Works as described.
  By A2SVNYOE3OB5UT on 2007-07-31
  This is an excellent product that gives you many hours of game play without changing batteries. It just takes a little bit of patience at first (see the three parts below). NYKO's customer service is friendly and helpful. Overall, I am satisfied.
  
  1) Honestly, I was not happy with the product at first. After hours of charging, one battery provided ~3 hours of game play while the other couldn't power up a Wii-mote at all. Disappointing, no? But then I learned that each battery would need ~4 purge-charge cycles to reach its maximal capacity, after which it could provide > 20 hours of game play. This has turned out to be true in my case.
  
  2) What about the other battery that would get fully charged (green light on the charger) but could not power up Wii-mote? I contacted NYKO and got a useful reply within 1 business day. Again, I simply followed the instruction and then everything worked.
  
  Quote from NYKO technical service:
  "First, locate the two gold pads on the end of the non-working battery. If you pivot those pads out from underneath the small plastic "shelf" holding them down, they will pop up a little bit. Bend the two gold arms so that they extend straight off the end of the battery. Now bend them back to their original position. The point of doing this is to make those gold pads sit a little bit higher off of the battery than they did originally so that they may make more complete contact within the Wii-mote."
  
  3) Connecting Wii-motes to the charge station is easy with this little trick - pull the wrist strap outward while placing your Wii-mote. See one of the customer's images for this product right here at Amazon.com. You'll notice that the straps are pulled out.
  
  
• Works pretty well
  By A1DR40TIL4HGN on 2007-05-19
  Overall, I've been very pleased with the Wii Charge Station. Essentially, you snap on a new cover to the back of your Wiimote. This cover has the contact point that, when set in the cradle, charges the Wiimote.
  I was disappointed at first that I couldn't use the rubber "sleeves" that I purchased for my Wiimotes, but this is compensated for by the rubber grips on the back of the Wiimote.
  It's EXTREMELY nice to come home every day to fully-charged Wiimotes. The only complaint I have is that it can be a little tedious to get the Wiimotes to charge. It usually takes around 20-30 seconds of playing with the Wiimote strap to get the contact on the back of the Wiimote to successfully come into contact with the base stations's contact and start charging.
  Other than that, a solid product.
  
  
• Dead On Arrival
  By A3N10281BAGDSG on 2007-07-22
  I got one of these and nothing worked. I called their customer service and did everything they told me to and still nothing. They offered to replace them but I'm still cautious. I got rechargable batteries and they work just as well if not better. Don't buy this.
  
  
• Do NOT buy!!!
  By AFEVTEGPFVC7R on 2007-08-10
  Did not work with our wii remotes. I charged the battery packs in the remotes -- and then the remotes could NOT sync with our wii. When I called Nintendo they told me that this product was NOT endorsed by them - they do not recommend using rechargable batteries......after I put regular batteries back in , Nintendo talked me through the sync process again - and thank goodness, we had not done any damage to our system...
  
  DO NOT buy this product! It is NOT compatible with the wii.......
  
  
• DOA
  By A2O4VWF61F6EIS on 2007-07-29
  I bought this charger for my stepson a couple days ago. He allowed the batteries to charge over night, and the charger flashed a green light indicating that the batteries were charged. When he tried to use the remote, there was no power. After attempting this a few times, we came to the conclusion that either the charger didn't charge the batteries, or they didn't hold their charge. I returned this item to my local store and bought a different charger.
  
  If this charger had worked, it might have been a nice product. However, it would be best for someone who owns more than one remote. There's no way to charge the batteries independent of the remote. Since my stepson only owns one remote, that means that he had to fall back to his old GameCube controller while he was charging the batteries.
  
  
• Works sometimes
  By A2QZ36LCF7XX0C on 2007-11-29
  This product is very unreliable. It takes some jiggling around of the Wiimote in the charger to get the "I'm charging" light to come on. When the light comes on sometimes it goes green (charged) almost immediately. Swapping controllers in different positions sometimes rectifies this problem, but sometimes it doesn't make any difference. When you can get it to charge the battery life is great, which is the only reason for giving this product a 2 star review instead of 1. Also they might have been able to put the charging contacts in a different place, as they seem to get a little corroded from hand sweat and grime due to intense game play! Disposable batteries are not the answer, but I would seek other options before buying this product.
  
  
• Is mine the only one with problems?
  By A2QBOSH2EBN797 on 2007-04-13
  I love the idea of saving money on batteries, but since I have been using this thing my "wii-motes" dont always power off after the Wii powers off. They will stay on untill I remove the battery. Also; every now and then I have to re-sink the wii-motes with the Wii system. Theys annoying little glitches arent anything too bad, but they started with use of this charge station. Im surprised no one else mentioned anything about it.
  
  
• Beware recharging issues
  By A3VGZ43P3NRI7G on 2007-12-31
  In concept this is a great idea. The Wii remotes suck batteries like a hungry dog at a steak factory. The main issue is that the designers didn't consider the fact that there is a Wii strap at the bottom of the remotes. Thus, it is VERY difficult to seat the remotes properly to recharge the units if the straps are on. My son just places the remotes in the cradle - sometimes he gets them seated properly, sometimes he doesn't. Either way, it's absolutely stupid of the manufacturer to create a device that does not take into consideration a basic aspect of the Wii remote. And to expect the user to take the strap off with every recharge is ridiculous.
  
  
• Charging problems after a few months!!!
  By ANDP6KOQEI0Q5 on 2008-04-30
  Initially, this looked like the best product in the world. Our Wiimotes were always charged and ready to go. Then after a few months the charger stopped working. Now we have to take the battery cover off and CAREFULLY balance the Wiimote on the base. If the base is jostled at all, they will stop charging. Absolutely horrible!!! I've never had a more difficult time charging any other cradled cordless devices, such as phones and drills. In its current form, do not buy! They really need to make the contacts bigger and better. I prefer it even more if someone just dropped the cradle altogether and allowed a mini-USB charger to charge the battery, like a cell phone!
  
  
• Convenient accessory
  By A9LG5NLIBDC2Y on 2007-03-30
  Yes it's true a regular battery charger will do the same thing but I still prefer the Nyko Charge Station for two main reasons.
  1. It is convenient. You do not have to take the batteries out. After you are done playing you can just put it on the Nyko Charger and it will automatically charge it.
  2. It gives you a place to put your remotes, and it looks nicer when you have it on the charger rather than just putting it on a table or something.
  
  
• Go ahead and turn on the vibrate feature of your Wii Remote back on
  By A1K1JL27B9SFII on 2007-04-04
  I love this product; it comes with everything you need to get your Wii Remotes working on rechargeable batteries right away; it even includes good rechargeable batteries and better grips on the battery covers (Awesome). The LED lights give you a status of the charging process so that you know if the remote is charged or not. The price is a lot better than I hade expected.
  
  The problem is that the Wii Remote cable gets in the way when the remote is placed in the charger and the charge light is too slow to respond. What this means is my kids go and put t in the charger but it does not always connect and start charging, and if I tell them to wait for the light it may mean they do not wait long enough to see the charge light go on before they adjust it's position on the charger.
  
  
  
• Get Rechargeable AAs instead
  By on 2007-10-10
  I say you should forget about charge stations! The reason why is because Rechargeable AAs give you much longer playing time, take less time to charge, and there is a lot less chance that they will kill you Wii controller.Also they allow you to keep your skins on your controller. The rechargeable AAs are only a little more money, and they last much longer then the charge stations do!!! Please do not make the same mistake that many other people do!You on average only have to charge the AAs about once a week, instead of everyday to every other day! This is a review from Jesse.
  
  
• Excellent product, slight (but fixable) problem
  By A2WF4P0DNIXY21 on 2007-11-28
  I tend to be long-winded, so skip below to the Bottom Line if you want my final opinion.
  
  I purchased the NYKO Wii Charge Station a few months ago since the Wii remotes eat batteries if used excessively. I have been very impressed with this product so far, and it has more than paid for itself in batteries the few months I've used it. That said, I did experience some trouble about a month after I started using it. One of the Wii remotes stopped charging. When placed on the charger, the light would change to green (fully charged) in seconds but the remote would not work. After searching the problem online I found out what was causing this and how to fix it. It turns out that the battery pack sometimes does not get a solid connection with the springs inside the battery compartment. After looking at my Wiimote I saw that this was the problem with that battery pack. The solution is simple. All one has to do is pull the metal tab that touches the spring out of the top plastic holder, slightly bend it so that it forms a point (which you have to do anyway to get it back in) and reinsert it. After this the battery pack worked fine and I haven't had any other problems. One other small complaint I have is that it is almost impossible to use a Wii remote cover with this product. I even tried cutting holes in the rubber of the cover to allow the battery to touch the charge station, but it was unreliable at best.
  
  Bottom Line:
  If you can stand to do some minor makeshift repairs and can live without a cover for your Wiimotes, this product is an excellent way to save tons of money on batteries and ensure that you never have to worry about having a fully charged remote.
  
  
• Extremely poor quality
  By A13IIMNJTJ1DUU on 2007-12-19
  I purchased two of these because I have 4 Wiimotes. During the first couple of weeks, everything was fine. Then one of the batteries failed, and I got a replacement. There was a defect in that one that did not allow it to make connection at the charger at all. Replaced again. Now it's been 6 months - two of them hold almost no charge, one is passable but definitely short lived, and the last one seems to work as new.
  
  The poor quality batteries somehow seem to be able to lock the controller out, so I have to remove the batteries, put them back and resynch.
  
  The stations themselves are touchy, and you have to be really careful to get the lights on so it's charging. Even then, the malfunctioning batteries can do some pretty weird things with the lights - blinking blue, then green, fast, then slow.
  
  This is a terrible product and should be avoided. I've given up on it, and plan to use standard rechargeables.
  
  
• There's a better option
  By AFDJMJTJYNX8W on 2008-01-30
  - I've had the Wii Charge Station for just over 3 months and the cells are not holding a charge well enough to last through an hour of play.
  - The placement of the wiimotes in the cradle (as you have read) is finicky. You have to take the back off if you use the Wii Zapper (and probably anything else that the wiimote fits into).
  - There's a better solution to the wiimote rechargeable problem. "They" (you know, them) sell rechargeable "AA's" that can charge in 15 minutes and last almost as long as an alkaline "AA" between charges. You can get four plus a quick charger for around the same price as the Wii Charge Station, less if you shop around.
  
  - I picked one of these up in October - I saw a Wii at a local store and jumped on it - I figured I would need some rechargeable batteries since I heard the wiimotes sucked down "AA's" like a Bugatti Veyron sucks down hi-test at full speed (they do). I think I paid $29 for it. It's a good idea, just poorly executed. Get the quick chargers and look for the 2200 or 2500 mAh cells plus a charger for less money. And don't even talk to me about buying replacement cells for $8 (plus) each when you can get replacement rechargeable "AA's" at $9 for four... And, you can buy more rechargeable "AA's" if, for example, you bought that RC "Spy Car" for Christmas which takes a total of 12, yes 12, "AA's" and chews them up almost as fast as a wiimote. 15 minutes a week or a headache every time you use it, your choice.
  
  
• AVOID HitGaming
  By A1F8M860LL9KJI on 2007-04-12
  HitGaming (AKA Springledge Entertainment, Inc.) cancelled my order, but now continues to offer the item for more cash. They ignore multiple customer service emails and @m@zon will rebuff any queries on third-party sellers. Further, you cannot leave feedback for a third party if the order is cancelled. You have been warned.
  
  
• Great control charger
  By A3PQB5VJJLSYDO on 2007-05-14
  The charge station comes with batteries and replacement covers for the Wii remotes. the new back is pretty nice with the rubberized grip.
  
  The controls sit in the charge station and there are useful lights in front of the station telling you when the remote is charging or when it's fully charged. The Wii appears to correctly notice the charge level of each remote as well.
  
  The only complaints I have with the station are:
  
  - You must unplug the nun chuck for the remote to sit in the charging station. Because most games I play use the nun chuck, this can get a bit annoying.
  
  - It is a little tricky to get the controller to sit properly on the charging station to get it to charge. the wrist strap has just enough push so that you need to move the controller around a little to get a snug fit so that charging can begin.
  
  I've been using the charging station for a bit over a month now, and it's worked great. The controllers charge in just a few hours from empty and I always know where they are stored. On top of it all I am not worrying about batteries for the controllers any more. I'd definitely recommend it.
  
  
• A bit finnickey...but well worth the purchase price
  By A2JSKM60VTCNI on 2007-05-26
  The Wii Charge Station is an excellent example of a product whose vast pro's outweigh a singular -- albeit quite annoying -- con. In sum, an excellent purchase, with terrific bang for the buck.
  
  Speaking of buck, at $30 this dual charger station is a near-steal. With Nyko being a discount accessory line (with price points to match), Wii owners are the beneficiary of a product that easily could've retailed for $10 more...and still sold quite easily. Case in point: a competing model charges but one Wii-mote at only a subtle price differential.
  
  Simply put, the nuances of the Charge Station are ingenious. A simple battery cover swap -- with an improved rubberized grip to boot -- turns a battery hogging Wii-mote into an endlessly rechargeable controller. I'm admittedly surprised Nintendo didn't think of this first.
  
  The con alluded to above, however, is a doozy. Let's just say the charger station has a mild temper when it comes to acknowledging the units as resting in their respective cradle. The primary design flaw lies in insufficient room for wriststraps, creating bunching up at the point where charge point matches Wii-mote. Expect a fair number of semi-frustrating attempts to get both controllers correctly acknowledged by the cradle.
  
  Once you do, however, the Charge Station works like a charm. The colored light system (corresponding to charge levels) is a nifty and obvious readout of battery life. Related, the Charge Station does exactly what it advertises: I'm yet to experience a faulty recharge sans 100% battery level.
  
  Sure, the Wii Charge Station can test your patience after 6 consecutive attempts to get proper cradle seating. Still, a small price to pay for an ingenious product well worth the money + freedom from endlessly changing batteries. Moreover -- albeit a minor point -- the excellent rubberized grip plus sense of the durability the rechargable add-on provides are terrific.
  
  FYI: Wii-motes with the Nyko charger system in place will NOT fit into the Wii Zapper. A simple fix is to remove the external battery cover before placing it in the Zapper. (Thankfully the rechargeable battery is very well wedged in; this should cause minimal problem.)
  
  
• Qulaity product
  By A2JCLSDQFRVC99 on 2007-09-19
  The charge station does what it advertises. Rechargeable battery packs save a ton of batteries.
  When I received the product I was not pleased with the new battery covers. I thought they were ugly: gray and ridged. However, once I got over the new look, I found the covers to be very comfortable, a definite improvement from the plastic ones.
  Overall, it's a good product. I would recommend it.
  
  
• Buy this today
  By A17JVVAKWEB0M on 2008-02-01
  No more shuffling through drawers trying to find fresh batteries when your game freezes after the controller dies or tossing coach cushions all over your living room looking for the remote. This device serves two purposes as both a permanent resting place for controllers not being used and as the source for constantly charged batteries. After eating through 8 batteries in the first 6 weeks I owned my Wii, I realized this unit would pay for itself very quickly...and it had. This is a must buy for any Wii owner.
  
  
• Brilliant!
  By A1Z7IVGAKP1KZN on 2007-03-28
  Not only does this save you cash by charging the batteries, it gives slobs like me a place to neatly put my controller when I'm not playing AND a reason to do it.
  
  Nothing else in my apartment is organized. This is a nice start :)
  
  I recently bought Wii Play and got a third controller. I live alone and rarely need a third, but for those times that I do, I almost wish there were more docks just so they can all look pretty.
  
  
  

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