The Chintendo Vii was one of the first true knock offs of the beloved Nintendo Wii. It had a controller, wands and attachments for all the different “Wii Like” games that it came with. Well, it looks like the folks at Arctic Cooling decided that they wanted a stab at marketing it through more legitimate channels. However, I’m not sure what the fit is for this Swiss company that makes CPU coolers and thermal paste. I guess in tough economic times, you have to diversify a little.

The Chintendo…I mean…the ARCTIC GC PRO comes with 48 built in games and features “High Res 3D 32-bit graphics”. All of this is topped off with a 2 year warranty and a $57.90 US price tag. Full press release and additional photos of this machine is after the break.

ARCTIC GC PRO – All-in-One Game Console to Get Everyone Moving!

(Pfäffikon/Switzerland, 27 January 2010) Stand up and play! Today, ARCTIC COOLING launched a TV game console – the ARCTIC GC PRO. This all-in-one console is packaged with built-in games, wireless controllers and various add-ons. Featuring high resolution 3D graphics, playing the ARCTIC GC PRO at home is like playing in the fields!

Sporty, fun and witty built-in games The ARCTIC GC PRO contains 48 built-in games, offering a wide variety of games to get everyone moving:

Sporty and active

Now you can play tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, table tennis and even skiing at home! These exciting sport games are all included in the ARCTIC GC PRO. Simply insert the add-ons in the wireless controllers – tennis racket, table tennis bat, golf club, baseball bat and a football controller – to enjoy life-like gaming and play like an athlete!

Cool and groovy

Racing, treasure hunts, strategy games are all time favourites and they are preprogrammed in the ARCTIC GC PRO. Kids and adults will love the fun brought from these games!

Intelligent and witty

Gaming is a good learning tool as well. The ARCTIC GC PRO comprises different analytical and mathematical games such as Sudu, Russian Blocks and puzzles. Play more, think more, learn more.

Sharp and clear 3D images

Great home entertainment for everyone!

2 people can play games simultaneously. The ARCTIC GC PRO comes with 2 cordless motion controllers so that you can either enjoy the game yourself or have a competition with one of your friends. You will have even more fun with the 7 add-ons – 2 tennis rackets, 2 table tennis paddles, a golf club, a baseball bat and a football “band” you can tie around your foot. Move and groove with the ARCTIC GC PRO!

The ARCTIC GC PRO comes with a 2-year warranty. The MSRP is US$57.90 / 39.90 €.

About ARCTIC COOLING

ARCTIC COOLING Switzerland AG is the trusted leader in IT hardware design, specialized in providing efficient and quiet thermal cooling solutions for laptops and PCs. Its core product categories include CPU and VGA coolers, case fans, PC cases and PSUs. For further expansion, the Company has extended its product line to various electric and electronic products such as alkaline and rechargeable batteries, battery, USB chargers and entertainment systems. Headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, ARCTIC COOLING operates international offices in Hong Kong and the US providing local shipping, customer service and sales support.

Last year at CES 2009, the Futurelooks Crew came across a company that hailed from Calgary, Alberta claiming to have a true 5.1 surround sound solution for headphone gamers. In fact, the product ended up being so impressive that these guys never had a chance to send us one to review because they just couldn’t keep up with demand. One year later, Psyko Audio Labs is still slinging out their wildly popular 5.1 headsets for PC and Mac, but console gamers will soon get to play with these excellent gaming cans.

All of this Psyko mumbo jumbo creates a very realistic and immersive audio experience that just simply cooks anything that competitors have come up with. You really have to hear it to believe it and it’s great to see a product that simply “pwns” and it’s even cooler to see it come from Canada.

Though the Psyko Audio guys admitted that all this Xbox 360 stuff they had to deal with added to the cost, they will be bringing out the headset at exactly the same price as their original 5.1 headset to get you addicted. Expect to see them at the Pysko Audio Store for $299.

While over at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we had the opportunity to meet up with the good people at Nyko, makers of all sorts of video game accessories for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. One of the biggest highlights in the suite had to be the new Nyko Wand+.

As you may recall, the original Nyko Wand was meant to be a direct replacement for the official Nintendo Wii Remote. As a third-party controller, it offers the same functionality as its first-party counterpart, but it also comes with some extra stuff too. For instance, it has Trans-Port technology that allows for the relocation of key buttons and vibration to specially designed accessories.

What adds the “plus” to the Nyko Wand+ is that this controller effectively comes with an integrated Wii MotionPlus. The Wii MotionPlus attachment is required for certain games, like Wii Sports Resort, and it sells for about $20 to $25 on its own. It also makes the Wii Remote longer by a couple of inches.

By contrast, the Nyko Wand+ is physically no bigger than the Nyko Wand and it gives the same Full-Motion technology.

For trademark reasons, I believe Nyko can’t use the term “Wii MotionPlus,” but I can say that “Full-Motion technology” works the same way. I was able to play the Swordplay mini-game in Wii Sports Resort without a hitch.

Aesthetically, the Wand+ also has a slightly rubberized texture for its backside. This would normally provide a little bit more grip than the plain plastic, but I’m thinking that most gamers will make use of the provided silicone sleeve anyway.

If you don’t need the Wii MotionPlus-like functionality, you can stick with the original Nyko Wand wireless controller if you prefer. Winner of a CNET Best of CES 2009 award in gaming, the Wand is now available in five different colors.

The standard white is still there (with a light blue padded silicone sleeve and wrist strap), but you can opt for purple, blue, black, or red instead.

Remember to consider third parties when it comes to your video game accessories. Not only can you save a few bucks, you can gain some extra functions and fun too.

As you may already know, Microsoft is pretty strict about who it allows to make third-party controllers for the Xbox 360. So, instead of partaking in an extended licensing battle with Microsoft, some companies choose to come up with controller modifications instead.

I thought that the upgraded thumbsticks from Evil Controllers were already pretty neat, but the crazy kooks at KontrolFreek seem to be stepping it up to a whole new level with the FPS Freek and Speed Freek. Get ready to get your freak on.

FPS Freek: Boom! Headshot!

Both the FPS Freek and the Speed Freek are thumbstick upgrades that snap onto your existing Xbox 360 controller. Unlike the solution from Evil Controllers, you don’t have to take your gamepad apart. The attachments click into place over top of the existing thumb sticks.

As its name implies, the FPS Freek is designed for games like Halo and Call of Duty. The idea is you get enhanced aiming precision by way of the added analog stick length. This won’t come in handy for games like Tekken 6, but you’ll find that you can be more accurate with a sniper rifle in your first-person shooter of choice. The longer stick makes for 40% more linear travel from full stop to full stop, so you can be more precise with your movements.

It does take some time to get used to this increased travel, but I did find that I could be more precise with my targeting in Gears of War. The added travel does make gaming a little more tiring though.

Speed Freek: Racing to the Top

Whereas the FPS Freek will help you get those headshots, the Speed Freek modification is meant to get you to the front of the pack.

When playing racing games, you typically have to provide some downward force on the thumbstick as you maneuver around the track. By adding on the “winged” design of the Speed Freek, you only have to push on those wings to turn left or right.

Trying this out in Forza Motorsport 3, I enjoyed the Speed Freek experience from a subjective standpoint, but I seemed to spin out and have more extreme “out of control” moments with this attachment. Your mileage, no pun intended, may vary.

MegaTechie Performance or MegaTechie Useless?

Each pack comes with a pair of control stick attachments, so you can slap them onto both the left and right analog sticks on either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Either the Speed Freek or the FPS Freek sell for $10 on their own; alternatively, you can buy the KontrolFreek Combo Bundle for $18.

In terms of changing your gaming experience, I can say that using the FPS Freek or the Speed Freek in their respective target genres of games can make quite a difference. The added precision of the FPS Freek is surprising, but I didn’t really get the same added performance with the Speed Freek.

At only ten bucks each, the Kontrol Freek mods are worth giving a try. The Speed Freek won’t replace a racing wheel, but it can be a step in the more comfortable direction.

The console wars have just gotten a little more heated. Following SONY’s song and dance with their price drops and the introduction of their new PS3 SLIM model earlier on, Microsoft has responded with deals of their own for Canadian gamers.

First off, the Xbox 360 Pro console remains in the line up for a little longer, but drops to $279.99 CAD, which is a $20 savings. MS has stated that this is a limited quantity thing so it looks like once they’re gone from inventory, they’re gone. Its replacement looks to be the Xbox 360 Elite which will start going for $329.99 CAD right away, but MS has thrown us a little bone for once in the Great White North.

Starting tomorrow (August 28th) and for a limited time, Canadians that are springing for the Xbox 360 Elite will get a chance to pick up a rather decent bundle that includes the still fun to this day title, Halo 3 and to give SONY a swift punch to the head, they are including WiFi by throwing in their Wireless Network Adapter; something that used to be an advantage of the PS3 over the Xbox 360.

This bundle will hit stores for the price of the standalone Xbox 360 Elite which is $329.99 CDN. No end date for this special bundle has been announced, so I’ll assume that means “While Quantities Last”.

Other details of this limited time bundle include…

• 1 Black Wireless Controller
• 120 GB Memory Storage
• Xbox LIVE Wired Headset
• Network Ethernet Cable
• 30 day Free Trial of Xbox LIVE Gold Membership

There had been rumors that the Elite would be losing its HDMI cable in the box and I guess that rumor is reality. Seriously, this isn’t a big deal because an HDMI cable can be had for $10 bucks. Probably less if you shop around. Personally, I’d take the WiFi Adapter over the HDMI cable any day of the week.

So let me think…hmm… do I buy the Elite Bundle for $329.99 CAD? Or do I buy the Elite by itself for $329.99 CAD?