Video Games: PC, PSP, PS3, xBox, and Wii Gaming News

Not only is Nintendo set to release a new color of their DS Lite portable, the “Jet Black”, on September 2, but they also have developed a “DS microphone/earpiece combination” that is due out on September 14.  Estimated prices are about $10 USD, and rumor has it that this new piece of hardware will be compatable with the upcoming Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.

Have an Xbox 360?  Have wireless controllers?  If you do, then Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Quick-Charge Kit is a gadget you need.  It can charge two 360 wireless controllers at the same time!  Simply plug it into a nearby outlet and plug in your used batteries; you can charge one such battery in less than two hours, or two batteries simultaneously in less than four hours.  Fully-charged, the batteries last 25 hours.  To make the deal all-the-more sweet, the quick-recharger pack comes with a bonus battery so you can keep playing on your wireless controller as its dead battery is being recharged.

This accessory is a “must-have” for all die-hard wireless 360 gamers.  It is available for pre-order from GameStop for $29.99.

Engadget reports that Aximsite “rookie” kryten007, “who wanted a Bluetooth controller for his PDA but was unhappy with the fit of the only commercial model available, the GamePad”, has modded a $3 hollowed-out Playstation controller using the guts of the GamePad. Then he managed to attach the modded controller to his Axim x50 PDA by using altered, spring-loaded mechanical pencils. How cool!

On display at CES is the PSP-controlled ‘94 Honda Civic. Using the PSP’s built-in WiFi, you can open the doors, turn on the lights, and even drive the car from afar! This could be a disaster should it break into the mainstream market, but thankfully the model is not for sale.

These days, most people buy cell-phones for their secondary features, like call-waiting, speakerphone, text-messaging, picture-messaging, video-recording, and most popularily, video-gaming. But what is the best gaming cell phone? It’s not the Samsung “Blade” a900. It’s Motorola’s RAZR V3C, which now costs but a mere $99, after a $150 mail in rebate and 2 year Verizon Wireless Contract. It has a potpourri of features: “a 1.3 mp camera, bluetooth capabilities, EVDO technology, built in mp3 player, voice activited dialing, text messaging, picture caller ID, an external display with96 x 80 pixels and 4000 colours, the main colour display with 176×220 pixels and over 262,000 colours, speakerphone, alarm, calculator, calender, vibrate options, a phonebook capacity of 1000 entries, and a talktime of 180 minutes”. Plus it’s only 1/4 inch thick, and only weighs 3.45 ounces.

But enough about the basic features. The true genius of the RAZR lies in its capacity for video games. Totalling 82 Java-based games currently and plenty of top-notch titles like Elektra, Midnight Bowling, and Brother in Arms, the RAZR is the clear winner for video-game support. And for $99, this would be an ideal Christmas gift!