Energizer Flat Panel Charging System for the Wii

I originally bought the Wii to use it for fitness with programs like EA Sports Active More Workouts. But the Wii quickly became a family activity in the form of Friday night gaming nights.

The Wii is great for kids, even young kids (depending on the game you play of course). The controls are easy and interactive, getting the kids up and moving. Because we get a lot of play out of our system, we use a recharging station versus batteries. This is easier than changing the batteries from the Wii-mote, but the kids do have difficulty getting the connectors to line-up on the charging unite. It’s been a problem for a while but we’ve just dealt with it.

But it seems we don’t have to ‘just deal with it’ anymore. The Energizer Flat Panel Charging System for the Wii by PDP Gaming seems to eliminate this problem. To check it out, the folks at PDP Gaming sent me one to try.

First off I have to say how much I love the look of the Engergizer Flat Panel Charging System. It’s so sleek (and flat of course). The set-up was easy. The panel just plugs into any outlet with the included adapter. It also comes with a battery pack the Wii-motes. We had the 4x charger (meaning it can charge up to four Wii-motes) but you can get a 2x charger. So we swapped out our old rechargeable batteries for the new Engergizer rechargeable battery packs. I did have to synch each Wii-mote up with the Wii system but that was a push of a button and less than a minute.

I was ready to charger. The instruction sheet says it can take up to four hours to charge a Wii-mote that has been fully run down.

The Energizer Flat Panel Charging System has a faint outline on it for each Wii-mote; it’s almost invisible actually. To ensure your Wii-mote is in the correct position for charging, there are magnets built in to guide you slightly. You can feel them when you go to place the Wii-mote down on the panel.

When you place a Wii-mote down a light appears above the spot where the Wii-mote sits. It will glow red when charging and switch to green when that Wii-mote is completely charged. And each Wii-mote is charged separately. So you could use one while the other sits and charges. This is great for us since game play can switch from just one player to all four of us playing; we just put the unused Wii-motes on the charger until we were ready.

As this is an Engergizer product it came as no surprise that the charge was maintained through a typical nights game play. This is certainly better than some previous games when the Wii-mote would die mid game since it didn’t charge completely with the old system. The Energizer Flat Panel Charging System works with the Wii and Wii with Motion, with or without the skin on.

All this is great but you know the best part about the Energizer Flat Panel Charging System in our house? The kids can use it. Unlike our old charging system that was so finicky about lining the Wii-mote up just right, the kids can lay their Wii-mote down easily and start charging. No more frustration, on their part and mine.

If you have a Wii system in your house, the Energizer Flat Panel Charging System (4x for $49.99US or 2x for $29.99US) is a must have accessory.

About the Author Managing Partner and Editor-in-Chief at one of the best social networking and lifestyle sites for moms, EverythingMom.com. Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 8), while building my business, working at EverythingMom.com and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier? Posted by Carrie Anne in technology reviews on March 31, 2010 More from this author  |  Author Website Follow Carrie Anne on:  |  |  |

Comments  

 

0 # tracyo 2010-04-07 04:18

That is so cool! I haven't seen this around yet. This would be more than the stand up charger we already have! Thanks for the review...I'm keeping my eyes peeled for this!

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