Title: InCharge Price: $34.99System(s): Xbox 360 (also available for Wii)Release Date: September 2, 2008Publisher (Developer): TeknoCreationsPros: Comes with rechargeable battery packs, charges two at the same time and easy-to-read charge indicator LED. battery pack lighter than two regular AA batteries.Cons: Charging battery pack by itself not as shown (but still works). The battery packs only come in white.Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 94/100; A; * * * * out of five.

Here’s another nifty two-controller charge station, this time by TeknoCreations for Xbox 360 controllers. It’s relatively easy to use and the battery rechargeable packs even lighter than a pair of standard AA batteries…

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System: iPod TouchPrice: $229 (8GB), $299 (16GB) and $399 (32GB)Release Date: September 2008 (2nd generation)Publisher (Developer): ApplePros: Incredible audio support and very accurate touchscreen and accelerometer (motion) controls. Lots of games to choose from including standard casual, card and puzzle games, as well as several system-only and online games. External speakers.Cons: No manual game buttons and a naked iPod is a bit slippery to hold. Home button slip exits the game without pause. No external media slot.Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 88; B+; * * * 1/2 out of five.

Apple has been promoting the crud out of the iPod Touch as being “the funnest iPod ever” with commercials that show a bunch of motion-controlled games.

While certainly not a Nintendo DS killer, the iPod Touch does offer some rather decent motion and touchscreen controls as well as all the iPhone’s main features sans the phone and microphone. There are a few small concerns for touch-only games but, otherwise, it performs well above most phones as a gaming device…

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Product: T-Mobile G1Price: $179.99 ($399.99 minus $220 instant rebate)Rating: One thumb up, one sideways; 81/100; B-; * * * out of five.Pros: A great phone with lot of groovy uses. Mini trackball works wonderfully for games, decent graphics for a phone and nice sound. Also has motion-sensitive controls, touchscreen, mini keypad and GPS that can be incorporated into games. A lot of free games in the Android Market.Cons: Touchscreen requires full finger pad contact and sometimes slow to respond. Accelerometer is touchy and mini keypad is hard to see. Battery can be exhausted fairly quickly.Overall: Do not get this to use it as a game device. G1 owners will, however, enjoy many good and inexpensive games that make use of the mini trackball and proper use of the touchscreen, making it better than the average phone for mobile gaming.

The T-Mobile G1 is a mixed bag when it comes to mobile gaming. It’ll play all of the regular games but also promises so much more with the touchscreen, accelerometer motion controls, built-in mini QWERTY keypad and mini track ball. While it’s certainly better than your average cell phone when it comes to gaming, it still has a few annoyances that keep it from being truly amazing.

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Product: Peak’s Starpex wireless guitar controllerSystems: PS2, PS3Price: $189.99Rating: Two thumbs up; 98/100; A; * * * * 1/2 out of five.Pros: Feels great, works perfectly and looks amazing. Easy to connect and great action on the buttons.Cons: A little pricey and could use a better neck strap.Overall: The perfect gift for a Guitar Hero or Rock Band fanatic. If you want to feel even more like a real virtual video game rock star, this is the guitar controller to own.

Screw those mamby pamby plastic guitar controllers with wood grain stickers. Those are for wimps and wussies.

Peak has released the first full size, wood body guitar game controller. It’s essentially a real electric guitar (ever touch one of those?) with the electric components swapped for plastic controller parts.

It looks great, feels great and plays great, making it one truly ass-kicking game controller…

Last year (2007), Hallmark released the Player 1 Christmas ornament, which was a pretty cool mini game controller with sound effects.

This year (2008), Hallmark is again releasing a game-themed ornament, reaching a little further back in time and producing a mini Pac-Man arcade machine complete with sound effects. The ornament, which stands approximately 4.5 in. tall, retails for $18.50, is battery operated (batteries included), lights up and plays classic Pac-Man sounds. Wakka-wakka!

The cabinet is…

Product: 4x Quad Charge Station for WiiMotesPrice: $44.99Rating: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 80/100; B-; * * * out of five.Pros: Charges four WiiMotes at once, removable power cable, looks pretty cool and works well.Cons: No wrist strap slots, difficult to read charge status LEDs and sometimes hard to properly seat the WiiMotes.Overall: A good option for those who like to have four charged WiiMotes at the ready. Not for finicky, power-conscious gamers.

Keeping your wireless controllers ready and charged can be a problem for some gamers. You have the odd controller sitting around that invariably loses its charge mid game and you have to either plug it in and wait (and usually watch everyone else continue with the fun) or scurry around the house like a squirrel in the Spring unearthing scattered batteries.

Accessory and peripheral maker Penguin United has attempted to solve the problem for Wii owners with the 4x Quad Charge Station. It charges four WiiMotes at once, which is nice, but the setup does have a few flaws…

The Access Controller, designed by Ben Heck and and released by eDimensional, is now available for purchase. This revolutionary controller was specifically designed and created for handicapped individuals, so they could play popular PS2, PS3 and PC games with one hand. It is designed so, if you wish, each control module can be controlled by one or two fingers, with the hand comfortably resting on the center pad.

The goal of the Access Controller appears to be comfort, since it also allows for player customization. There are six ports on the controller, and each of the controller modules can be removed or shifted around. That way, whether you’re right or left handed, you can find the most comfortable position. Or, you can sort your modules depending on what is easiest for the game being played. The Access Controller is also wireless, and comes with information for people who want to design custom control modules…

Title: Star Wars: Force UnleashedPrice: $59.99System(s): PS3 (PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, DS)Release Date: September 16, 2008Publisher (Developer): LucasArts (Havok)ESRB Rating: “Teen” for violence.Pros: Enjoyable gameplay, fun-to-use Force effects, worthy opponents and beautiful environments.Cons: Some (albeit it short) menu load times and occasional frame rate drag.Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 96/100; A; * * * * 1/2 out of five.

Simply put, this is the lightsaber-wielding, lightning-from-the-fingertips game fans have been itching for. It’s fun to play, fun to look at and packed full with signature Star Wars goodness.

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Product: Leapster2Price: $69.99 (games MSRP $19.99 each)Rating: One thumb up, on thumb sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2Pros: Rugged construction, easy to use, PC (Windows and Mac) connectivity and backwards compatibility.Cons: Some lag and touchscreen issues during motion graphics, stylus cord a bit short and system a bit fat.Overall: A great buy for parents who want to make sure their kids are playing educational games on a system that will stand up to the occasional (even if accidental) beating.

One way to help satiate your kid’s electronics curiosities is to give them their own, kid-friendly handheld game system. A Nintendo DS is a nice choice but, face it, it’s a little too expensive and not sturdy enough to just give a 3-year-old to play with (well, maybe it’s OK for some kids). And those little brightly colored toys with buttons that make noises are too simplistic.

That’s where the Leapster2 game system comes in…

Product: Belkin N1 Vision Wireless RouterPrice: $149.95Rating: Two thumbs up; 95/100; A; ****1/2 out of five.Pros: Super easy to install, fast download speeds, easy-to-use on-board mini screen and nice security features.Cons: A little tall for some users’ setup.Overall: A great investment for anyone who wants maximum wireless performance and gets frustrated checking connections through a web-based interface. A great buy.

As with so many things, your internet connection is only as fast as your slowest connection. It’s ye olde “only as strong as your weakest link” for the internet age yet the adage still rings dern true.

Enter Belkin’s N1 Vision wireless router…