Wii Rally

Last week Wii Rally took a look at Thrustmaster’s Wii Remote cover the T-Protect (link) This week we take a look at the T-Care and the T-Charge also from Thrustmaster, first up the T-Care.

I must say that the T-Care doesn’t really do much besides Hold your Wii Remote and nunchuck while looking good but then again that is its purpose. Coming in stylish “Wii white” and sporting a nice large compartment for your Nunchuck you can place it right on your coffee table without worrying about troublesome wires.

I did find that the Wii Remote didn’t fit perfectly into place while it was sporting a T-Protect but that seems to be the only flaw. What do you do if you have two Wii Remotes unfortunately the T-Care only come in the single model so you will have to buy a second one or you can pick up a T-Charge

Bottom Line

Pros:
Large Nunchuck compartment
Colour matches the Wii
Nice design.

Cons:
Doesn’t work well with the T-Protect
Only holds one Wii Remote and nunchuck

I wouldn’t say that Wii Remotes gobble batteries but they do like to snack on them. Since I heard that the Wii Remote would be devoid of any DS/GBA SP like charging mechanism I have been on the hunt for a decent battery solution. The T-Charge is an adequate solution to this problem.

The T-Charge looks exactly like the T-Care only sporting a sexy black paint job instead of the white found on the T-Care. Built into the stand is a battery charger which connects via USB to the back of your Wii console. No putting this one on your coffee table unless you have really smart children or pets. If you happen to trip of this wire not only will you pull the T-Charge from it’s resting place but there’s a good chance your Wii will come crashing to the floor as well. I find that the best place for the T-Charge is right next to the Wii itself.

I was surprised that you can only power the charge unit via USB instead of your standard AC plug meaning that the T-Charge must be kept in close proximity to the Wii. The charge time is decent however it takes about 5 to 6 hours to fully charge batteries. When batteries are placed in the charger located at the back of the holder a blue LED located on the front of the unit lights up letting you know that the batteries are charging. Once the batteries are charged the blue LED begins to flash notifying you to remove the batteries.

The best thing about the T-Charge is that it comes with four yes FOUR Thrustmaster rechargeable batteries. Thrustmaster’s reason behind this is that you never have to stop playing to wait for batteries. You can play while you other batteries are charging. Again this functionality kind of takes a hit when you own more that one Wii Remote.

Bottom Line

Pros:
Batteries included
Quick charge time
Sleek look

Cons:
Powered by USB only
Not available in white
Doesn’t work well with the T-Protect

Both these entries are extremely solid with only a few drawbacks. If you are looking for something to hold several Wii Remotes or a battery pack solution then keep looking but if you just want to save money on batteries then the T-Charge is an ideal solution. If space is problem for you the T-Charge and T-Care may fit well into your gaming environment. Oh and did I mention that they look stylish? I did? OK then well I’ll say it again they really do look cool and match the Wii nicely. You can also buy a combo package containing a T-Charge and a T-Care aptly named the T-Charge+.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Thrustmaster’s Marketing Manager Winn Keaten for providing these items to Wii Rally so that I can review them for all of you out there. For more information on Thrustmaster visit their website at www.thrustmaster.com If you missed it don’t forget to check out Wii Rally’s review of the T-Protect available here