If you’re really in rail shooters, then you may want to look into picking up Penguin’s recently released Crossfire pistol for the Wii.

It is the only gun peripheral for the system that actually has a remote (custom made, of course) already integrated into the case.  So rather than release yet another shell for the Wii remote, Penguin decided to develop a pistol with a modification of the standard Wii remote design.  The A and B buttons as well as the D-pad have been repositioned for easier access and functionality.  As can be seen in the picture above, the A button has been completely relocated to reside just under where the thumb would lie (for a right-handed person), and the D-pad has been moved to the backside of the pistol for much quicker access.

The gun also conforms to both left and right-handed players as there are A buttons on both the left and right sides of the model.

Penguin states that the proprietary remote can also be used for non-shooting games, though from the look of it, that might prove a bit awkward.  The Crossfire features built-in speakers and vibration, just like its official Wii remote counterpart, and is available immediately from www.buy.com for an MSRP of $39.99

In a surprising move, it seems that Nintendo has begun to push Wii Internet use with a few initiatives meant to get the little white console online.

The Wii’s Opera-powered Internet browser is now available once again for free to download.  If you weren’t able to download the Internet Channel during its free initial release (between December 2, 2006 and July 30, 2007), then you had to pay 500 Wii Points for the software, up until today.

Being the Wii enthusiast that I am, I had naturally downloaded the Opera browser as soon at it debuted, saving myself a hefty 500 Wii Points.  But this also meant that I was unable to verify today’s announcement lest I wipe my Wii’s internal memory clean.  So instead I called up a fellow Wii owner who picked up his system after July 30, 2007, and sure enough, he confirmed that the Internet Channel is now free to download.

But that’s not all.  It seems that if you previously downloaded the browser for the 500 Wii-point fee, Nintendo wants to make it up to you by offering a free NES game via the Virtual Console in October.  This is great news in addition to the fact that the Opera browser has now been upgraded to support Adobe Flash.

But, as with their black Wii which has yet to debut in the U.S., Japanese customers seem to be getting the best deal due to their exclusive promotion that rewards them with a special “Help Master” title and access to the full NES, SNES and N64 library.  I could sure go for that program.

Nintendo has announced that the U.S. will be receiving a specially bundled black Wii remote and Wii Motion Plus accessory this holiday season, even though the company has yet to announce any plans of bringing the Japanese-only black Wii stateside.  Looking at the screenshot above, it appears the bundle will contain full color coding as both a black wrist strap and black controller cover will be included.

Though the price point for the bundled controller setup remains unannounced, Nintendo has stated that a black Nunchuck accessory will be sold separately.  Could this be a teaser for an upcoming U.S. release of the black Wii console?

The company has also announced that two new DSi colors will be available for purchase in the U.S. on September 13: white and pink.  The systems will be available for the standard price of $169.99.

Finally, Nintendo indicated that its upcoming Wii Fit Plus game will launch in North America on October 4.  Gamers already in possession of a Balance Board will be able to pick up the title in its stand-alone form for $19.99, while those new to the fitness game series will be able to pick up both the game and a Balance Board bundled together for $99.99.

GoNintendo is reporting that the U.S. version of Monster Hunter 3 (scheduled for release in March 2010 and already receiving much publicity from Nintendo) may support Wii Speak for Western audiences.  I guess Japanese gamers didn’t get the option to use the Wii’s voice chat system.  The article doesn’t discuss whether the peripheral will be limited by friend codes as it was in The Conduit, but chances are that it will be.

The article also mentions that the monthly Wii Point fee currently being utilized in Japan is still undecided for the Western release.  I hope this means that the company is reconsidering the actual requirement of a monthly fee and not simply the method it will use to collect one.

And, not surprisingly, Capcom is quoted as stating that they focused heavily on visuals with the game and that they have the best graphics on the Wii.  I wholeheartedly agree.  The texturing on Monster Hunter 3 is absolutely amazing to say the least.

If Capcom releases Monster Hunter 3 in the U.S. without a subscription fee but with Wii Speak support I certainly won’t hesitate to pick it up.  But having to deal with a monthly subscription fee on a Nintendo platform is asking a bit much (from this gamer anyway).

Wii Remote chargers are quite the popular trend these days.  While I’m quite fond of my Nyko Charging Station, it does force me to use an aftermarket backplate containing a small opening for direct connection to the rechargeable battery.  So if you happen to use a Wii remote with its included cover, recharging becomes a bit of a pain as you have to unsheathe your controller each time you wish to charge it.  This can be particularly annoying when using the new Wii Motion Plus accessory as well since the extension must be removed to use current Wii remote chargers.

Thankfully, recent advancements in the field of black magic have allowed gamers to now recharge their Wii remotes wirelessly via a method dubbed “electromagnetic induction.”  Wikipedia defines the process as “the production of voltage across a conductor situated in a changing magnetic field or a conductor moving through a stationary magnetic field,” but we’re content to simply blame the entire method on the devilish work of wizards.

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Are the Japanese one step ahead of us in consumer trends or just on a different wavelength altogether?  Probably the latter.

First it was Dragon Quest IX for the DS.  The latest entry in the infamous Japanese RPG series sold more than 3 million units in its first three weeks (launching on July 11, 2009) over in the Land of the Rising Sun.  Apparently it was the fastest selling DS game out there.  It also launched alongside the initial release of the red DSi.

Now another Japanese RPG series, Monster Hunter, is apparently driving up sales on Nintendo’s home console.  Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter 3 for the Wii has shipped 1 million units in Japan ahead of the game’s Saturday release.  Evidently the title is another Nintendo record breaker, this time in the category of the first third-party Wii title to ship a million units in Japan.

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