Good news for fans of “backward compatibility”. Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld won’t force you to play in 3D. 3D gameplay can be switched off. The confirmation comes directly from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. So if you experience headaches or nausea, no worries. Just switch it off.

It’s good to have the option. We suspected as much, but now we know for sure. How many times can you see Bowser jump out of the screen anyway? 2D is True-D that’s what I say. Bah-humbug.

This gadget is proof that having some extra battery power will severely mess up your fashion sense. The USB Wrist Band Battery is compatible with a range of devices like your mobile phone or handheld games console. And while you are charging your device, others will think you are wearing some sort of medical splint on your wrist.

It features a built in rechargeable 1500mAh battery and will work with a number of connections like microUSB, Mini USB, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and mobile phones from manufacturers like Sony, Samsung and Nokia.

When the Nintendo Wii was released, people called it gimmicky with it’s motion controller, but in spite of that, the console has done really well. But the fact that it’s aging and doesn’t have many grown-up games may be shortening it’s life as a console.

According to Nintendo’s fiscal report, the company sold 20.53 million Wii consoles last year, which is a 21 percent drop from the 25.95 million from the previous year. However this is still Nintendo’s third-best year ever. Will sales of the Wii pick up? I’m not seeing it.

Adding to the growing number of apps in the Android market, is the Wii Controller Demo, produced by Ryan Frawley. This fee software allows Android users to create a Bluetooth connection between their phone and a Wii Remote and then input information on the phone’s display.

This opens up some exciting long-term implications for gaming on Android. Frawley is still working on the software but it can already detect the presence of a Nunchuk and Classic Controller. Once the app is working the way they want it to, other developers will be allowed to use it in their games and emulators.

We have already mentioned that three different retailers had pegged May 9 as the launch date for a new black Wii bundle. Nintendo has officially confirmed that new bundle is incoming today.

The new Wii will ship in black color and will include Wii Sports, Sports Resort, and the Wii MotionPlus accessory as we mentioned the other day. Nintendo also says that additional black remotes and Nunchuks will be available as well.

As we recently told you, the black version of Nintendo’s Wii gaming console will be hitting the US very soon, and now a picture of a print ad from GameStop has surfaced to confirm it.

It confirms the launch and confirms that the bundle will be priced at $199.99. So there you have it, the Wii is back in black. But are you guys still playing the Wii? Mine has been collecting dust for over a year.

From CTA Digital, the Puppet Pouch is a furry case for your Nintendo handheld, with a felt interior and elastic straps to keep your Nintendo nice and warm. Like Luke in a Tauntaun. But not as neat.

There’s also a zipper compartment for storing games and accessories and if you must, it also acts as a puppet. So feel free to shove your hand up it’s butt and put on a show.

We’ve been waiting for the black Wii to hit our shores for a long time now. Our wait may be almost over. Sources at three different retailers (Target, GameStop and Future Shop) have all named May 9 as the U.S. launch date for a black Nintendo Wii bundle. The Canadian release will arrive on May 23.

The black version is identical to the white one except for the color. The bundle includes the Wii, a Wii remote and Wii Sports, along with a copy of Wii Sports Resort and a Wii MotionPlus upgrade. All for $199.

My son and his friends are always playing the Wii it seems. They are all big fans of Mario Kart and can talk more thrash than you would think a bunch of 8-year-olds were capable of. It seems like I am always having to replace the batteries in the remotes though.

Konnet Technology has unveiled a cool new wireless remote charger called the PowerV Quad. The device charges the Wii Remotes using wireless induction technology.

Polaroid is a name that has long been associated with instant cameras. But now, headsets and battery packs for the Xbox 360, a dock for the Nintendo DS, sports packs and sensor bars for the Wii, and even controllers for the PS3 are being worked on by Polaroid.

Maybe next we’ll see a Polaroid camera peripheral for the Wii, so you can snap shots of your game and add them to your scrapbook. Hey, they have to make money somehow right?

It isn’t cool or convenient for kids to check their blood glucose levels normally, but kids love videogames, so Bayer’s Didget is the perfect solution. It’s based on the company’s Contour glucose meter, but instead of connecting by USB it’s shaped like a Game Boy cartridge, which let’s kids put it into a Nintendo DS or DS Lite.

Kids can upload their scores to a custom game to unlock new characters and items, but the One problem with this plan is that it isn’t compatible with the DSi or the XL, so it is already obsolete.

Motorola’s 3D “Ming” clamshell is 3D capable. We know that because of a patent that appeared a few weeks ago, showing a clamshell that displays 2D content on each screen, but when closed the two screens together turn 3D.

We can’t be completely sure that this is the exact same phone as the one in the patent, but word on the street says it is. If Motorola is using the same parallax barrier technology that Nintendo’s said to be using in its 3DS handheld, could Moto be focusing more on games?

Modder Bacteria is back with this super small iNto64, his rescaled version of Nintendo’s classic N64 console. So, it looks like it came from Fisher Price. So what? The project took four months to complete, but in the end it was well worth it. It features built-in speakers, a five-inch LCD screen, will deliver about three hours of playtime and even has a rumble ability.

You can even make one for yourself since the modder has provided step-by-step instructions and video tutorials here. Go on, give it a try.

If you own a Wii and are still playing it, you’ll be happy to know that the Classic Controller Pro is now available in the US. The controller features another row of shoulder buttons and ergonomically friendly grips to help you, well, keep a grip.

It can also be plugged straight into the Wii Remote controller for wireless connectivity with the Wii. This classic blast from the past comes in either black or white. We aren’t sure which games it works with, but we know that it works with over 450 Wii, WiiWare and Virtual Console games.

We told you back in March about how McDonald’s was going to start training their employees using the Nintendo DS. It’s an interesting idea. And if you are wondering just how it works, we have a video after the jump.

The device being used is the Nintendo DSi, one that features the familiar golden arches. The training is like playing Cooking Mama, but for your fast food corporate masters.