What happens when you combine a video game controller with LEGO? A holy blessed geekgasm, that’s what.

LEGO has teamed up with Nintendo to offer a new Wiimote that hardcore gamers are going to go bonkers over. Oh, and kids will dig it, too. It’s the “LEGO Play and Build Remote for Nintendo Wii,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a Wiimote with LEGO studs and cylinders built in, so you can accessorize it all you want with LEGO bricks and other elements.

It comes with 31 bricks, but you can add your own, too. It’s not a Motion Plus remote, but it’s compatible with the add-on doohickey that will make it a Motion Plus remote. It comes with the remote, wrist strap, two battery covers, the aforementioned LEGO pieces, and a LEGO tile separator (a nifty device that helps you take your LEGO bricks apart, which you can usually only find in LEGO Stores).

It sells for $39.99. Toys R Us has the LEGO Wiimote available to pre-order now, and expects to ship by the end of this week.

Xena’s Chakram WiiMote
You throw it, it beheads a neighbor, and it comes back – having used its Wii core to analyze the physics behind the chakram weapon and explain for once and for all how Xena got it to do the things it did. (Taking out of the equation any not-so-special effects.) Hey, there’s a Link crossbow game, so why not?

Wolverine’s Adamantium WiiMote
-SNIKT- -SNIKT- Now that’s the sound I want to hear when I power up my Wii. Sure, it may look as though he’s flipping someone a cybernetic bird, but imagine the possibilities for play with a pair of Wolverine WiiClaws. I, for one, would rather use the same arm motion for disemboweling baddies than smacking tennis balls at glorified Lego men. The only problem I foresee is the game’s “cool down” stage, which invites you to sit down on an official Wii mossy log accessory with a bottle of beer, looking like you might just howl at the moon for dramatic effect. (A problem in that, horror of horrors, I don’t actually like beer. So you can have mine.)

The Macgyver WiiMulti-tool
Nevermind that famous paperclip, I want to see a Macgyver multi-tool for Wii! Thinking of what he could do with a WiiMote strapped to a bomb is almost too much to bear. I suspect this WiiMote would blow all other WiiMotes out of the water when it comes to Wii bowling. Of course, no pun intended.

What WiiMotes would you like to see? Do you plan to purchase the Doctor Who sonic screwdriver? Do you already own such novelty WiiMotes as the lightsaber?

Doctor Who is officially coming to the Nintendo Wii and what better way would there be to play the game than with a sonic screwdriver, the very same device carried by the Doctor in the BBC t.v. series.

I for one have a problem with many Wiicessories that are made of crappy plastics or in some cases styrofoam that my cat for some reason likes to eat.

This Wii-Mote accessory however is actually sculpted around it’s very own WiiMote, making it give off the appearance of a sleeker device, while at the same time providing a more realistic authenticity that’s sturdy to use and even features a top side light to give off the true sonic screwdriver effect.

This remote is definitely better than just some protruding add-on for a motion controller.

The sonic screwdriver is set to released in December over in the UK, two months after the Doctor Who Wii game arrives, unfortunately there are no plans to release the controller in the United States.

Can everyone say Amazon.co.uk, that’s where I buy all my hard to find gaming merchandise and most of it even manages to pass through customs.

Here’s a closer look at the gaming controller:

Here’s my favorite: a dishwasher safe Wii controller. You may not think about it much, but that white bar can carry tons of germs in it, especially after Wii night with friends. I try to make it a habit to wipe it clean with alcohol but sanitizing it sound so much better. You can get these controllers at Seal Shield for anywhere from $30 to $70, depending on the package.

“Touchless” faucets and soap dispensers are becoming quite popular as well. They are not so new or novel. Hotels and high end buildings already have these gadgets installed. You can now buy home versions for relatively cheap, though. For as low as $300, you can get a kitchen faucet that will not require you to touch or turn a handle to get the water flowing. The same thing goes for soap dispensers – for about $30, you can buy a unit that will not require the touch of the hand.

There are so many other gadgets that out there – thermometers that you do not need to insert into the mouth or the underarms. I guess the question is whether or not these gadgets really help in stopping the spread of germs. What’s your take?

Satoru Iwata (head of Nintendo) recently held a talk for an investment audience and he mentioned the much-rumoured Xbox 360 Wiimote (in case you haven’t heard, you can read more about it here). He stated that on its’ own, this type of controller is at best a gimmick and that what is really needed is innovation. He then went on to say that as long as Nintendo do this earlier than the competition, they will keep making money.

“What matters to us is whether or not we can continue to constantly create and offer new surprises one after another. If we can, then (other company’s attempt to launch Wii Remote-like controller) should not be a big threat.
The efforts in this field to try to appeal to a wide variety of customers are something in which we saw potential early on.”

So, from the horses mouth as it were, Nintendo clearly knew that they were on to a winner, and understood that from early on to be a success, the Nintendo Wii had to have a very broad appeal. This has been borne out with such products as Wii Sports, something that everyone can play whether they are 8 or 80.

I’ve no doubt that what Iwata is saying is true – but I’m also convinced that Nintendo needs to keep following their own advice. I’m not about to go and buy a Nintendo Wii – what can it offer me when it doesn’t have GTA 4, Rainbow Six, Gears of War, Resident Evil 5 and so forth? I’m still a hardcore gamer at heart – or a traditionalist if you will. If Sony or Microsoft can combine the best of both worlds then perhaps the Nintendo monopoly will be broken. In the meantime, I’m off to play Devil May Cry 4…

The alleged controller may be unveiled as early as the last quarter of this year, that is, if the development team actually meets its projected deadlines. According to the rumors, the team has been finding it difficult to meet deadlines for the project.

One of the companies identified with the project is Rare, who is reportedly developing the interface and the look of the controller.

This rumor shows that Microsoft is bent on putting in the motion-sensing features in its console since its two major competitors already have it built-in upon game launch. MS could be thinking that if they don’t come out with such a device gamers would eventually migrate to either Nintendo or Sony especially if the technology matures.