Wii

The Wii may still be hard to find, but Holiday shoppers should have little trouble locating 1^st party Wii peripherals.  And although rechargeable batteries are prudent gifts for any Wii gamer currently relying on the disposable variety, the fact of the matter is that batteries make lousy gifts on their own.  Still, some rechargeable batteries would make a nice accompaniment to another, more entertaining gift.  

The Classic Controller - $20

Although the Classic Controller was marketed primarily towards fans of classic downloadable games available on Nintendo’s Virtual Console, recently several high profile Wii games ( e.g. Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Soul Caliber Legends) basically require this peripheral in order to play with any degree of accuracy.  The Classic Controller, which you just plug into the back of a Wimote, is similar to the old school Super Nintendo controller and offers a more traditional layout of buttons for games that don’t rely on motion-sensitive controls.   

+ Well built and comfortable, this peripheral is practically required in order to play some of the big name precision-oriented Wii games

- Has to be tethered to a Wiimote, diminishing the appeal of the wireless experience slightly 

Conclusion: Whether used to play 8-bit classics on the Virtual Console or trading blows in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, this peripheral is sure to see plenty of use in any Wii household

Wii Zapper - $20

The Wii Zapper is essentially just a way of making your Wiimote feel more like a gun.  It secures the controller and nunchuck in a plastic frame that lets you pull a trigger instead of hitting the Wiimote’s ’B’ button.  Although it comes with a simple Zelda-themed target practice mini game, it will only work with a handful of Wiii titles like Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles since using this apparatus limits the nunchuck’s range of motion.   

+ A novel prop to accompany some of the Wii shooting games

- Doesn’t work with all the games you would like it to, and really doesn’t add any new features to the limited list of compatible games   

Conclusion: It’s not a bad peripheral, but the Zapper is by no means an essential piece of equipment.  Still, pretending the innocuous Wiimote is a machine gun will no doubt entertain first-person-shooter enthusiasts.  Currently, the Zapper is compatible with: Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Medal of Honor 2, and Ghost Squad.