Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

You know, most of us here at Engadget couldn’t help but get a bit misty eyed when we saw that new Wii Classic Controller and recalled our fond memories of many a’ night spent with the SNES’ Ol’ Roundy. Of course, there’s always that original rectangular classic NES controller that we saved the Princess with in “Super Mario Bros.”, which will always have a fond place in our hearts. Whichever you prefer (or perhaps both), RetroUSB has just released SNES and NES controller adapters for the Nintendo Wii, letting your relive your mid-1980s and early 1990s memories of button-pushing in the 21st century; when you download the original Super Mario Bros. or the very first StarFox via Nintendo’s Virtual Console service, you can now play them as they were meant to be played. These controller adapters will make the perfect addition for our F-Zero party this weekend — Captain Falcon FTW!

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Why doesn't  Sony's Playstation 3 controller give you the shakes? According to the company, the familiar DualShock-style force-feedback was dropped from the new controller in favor of motion-sensors. However, Immersion Technologies -- which sued Sony for using its haptic tech in earlier controllers -- believes that the controller could be made to rumble, and has some ideas for Sony about how to do it. The catch: Sony needs to drop its appeal of the verdict in Immersion's 2004 lawsuit, and pay Immersion the $90 million that the judge in that case awarded the company. And, of course, Sony would have to pay Immersion for whatever technology they use in the PS3 controller. Frankly, it doesn't sound like a bad deal. By continuing to appeal the lawsuit, Sony's risking another loss and piling up legal fees, and by dropping the shock, they're left with a controller that many have called a weak attempt to copy the Wii. Working with Immersion on a haptic solution could solve both problems.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Storage

Besides the disheartening news that the cheaper version of the PlayStation 3 will lack WiFi, a memory card reader, and mosty significantly, an HDMI port, we've now learned that the $500 PS3 may also be shipping with wired, and not wireless, versions of that rumble-less, Wii-like controller. While adding separate Bluetooth controllers would only set you back a few bucks -- if, in fact, the lower-end model actually ends up shipping with BT functionality -- boosting your console's storage capacity in the future may be a non-starter, as Sony reps supposedly told Games Radar that the 20GB hard drive isn't upgradeable. With so many significant differences between the two configurations (and let's not forget the snazzy metallic lettering you get on the $600 models), it's not clear how many consumers are going to agree with Sony's Kaz Hirai that the "crippled" version of the console is a "good value" for them.

[Thanks, J and Ameya T.]