Hardware Reports of Psyclone Charger Destroying Wii Remotes

[TGBoy]

Because Wii remotes use AA batteries at a fairly rapid clip, a couple of third-party vendors have developed rechargeable solutions for the controller. One such product is the Psyclone Essentials Wii Recharge Station, which is widely available at big box stores such as Target and Wal-Mart.

Buyers might want to think twice about picking it up, however. Psyclone's Wii Recharge Station has been the object of numerous horror stories on Amazon.com. At press time, some 23 out of 25 reviews on the site for the Psyclone Essentials Recharge Station gave the peripheral just one star out of five, with nearly all of those 23 reviews claiming that the Psyclone Essentials Recharge Station destroyed their Wii Remotes. According to the reviewers, the Wii Remotes ceased to function even after switching AA batteries back in them. (At least one Amazon reviewer claimed that Psyclone reimbursed them for their destroyed Remotes.) The official product site for Psyclone's Recharge Station states that "rechargeable batteries left unattended in the recharge unit for an extended period of time may cause the batteries and/or unit to overheat." However, the Psyclone charger's official manual contains no such warning to purchasers.

NintenDojo