Gamertell

Product: dreamGear’s Wii Dual Glow Sabers (aka Dual Glow Lightsabers for Wii)
Price: $34.99 (usually $19.99 or less)
Rating: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 67/100; D+; * 1/2 out of five.
Pros: You get two in one package. Light construction does not interfere with motion. Hilt is very shiny.
Cons: Does not make any of the great Star Wars lightsaber noises. Uneven illumination. A bit chintzy.
Overall: Like most lightsaber toys, a bit of a letdown since it does not make any sounds of its own. My almost-two-year-old loves to swing one around (sans WiiMote, of course). Only get this if it’s deeply discounted.

Intended to be used with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (and suggested to go with No More Heroes and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) for Wii, dreamGear’s Dual Glow Sabers are WiiMote holsters that are intended to provide the illusion of wielding a lightsaber while gaming

Unfortunately, the idealized wonder of an actual Lightsaber meant this accessory had too much working against it before it was even made.

The Power of Plastic

The set contains two sabers, one that glows red and the other that glows blue.

The Glow Sabers are all plastic and ship in two pieces each: the shiny hilt (aka cradle) where you insert your WiiMote and the saber. The hilt is 7 3/8 in. tall and slightly larger in all dimensions than the WiiMote. The saber that has 4 1/2 in. of silver and the rest,  12 3/8 in., is opaque plastic. To power the light in the Saber, 2 AAA batteries go into a battery slot in the silver section of the saber (and is covered by a standard snap-on cover).

Each fully-constructed Saber with 2 AAA batteries, sans WiiMote, weighs only 4.4 oz (125 g). A WiiMote is inserted into the hilt of the Saber which also has an open area for your WiiMote’s strap and another for the controller’s trigger button. There is a small button on the silver section of the saber to turn the light on and off so it does not drain the WiiMote’s battery and can be illuminated whether or not the WiiMote is inserted in the cradle.

To see the Sabers in action, check out this YouTube video from dreamGear:

The Dark Side

Lightsabers are long, metallic, brightly glowing marvels that makes dern cool noises. In order to accomplish all of that, dreamGear would have had to have made a larger, more expensive device that would have required more batteries which, in turn would have made it pretty much unwieldy for a video game accessory.

In order to keep the accessory super light so you aren’t weighed down by it and the WiiMote together, the plastic has to be super light which, in turn, gives each Saber a cheap, chintzy toy feeling. The slight rattling the battery cover makes while you shake and the uneven glow in the saber portion also don’t help maintain the illusion.

In the more positive side,  the Sabers are not especially heavy so they don’t impede game play or cause much more exhaustion than playing with only a WiiMote. Also, due to the Sabers’ relatively short length (which also does not help with the illusion), they should not cause too much damage when swinging them around your family room. (Remember kids, keep those WiiMote straps tight. Just not too tight.)

Play or Play Not?

dreamGear certainly did not have an easy task in creating a Lightsaber cradle. I give the company credit for creating a cradle that is light enough to not hinder gameplay while maintaining some of the look of a lightsaber.

There are a few “ifs” that will determine whether or not you should buy this: If the gamer primarily playing with this is younger than 10, if you are getting or already own Star Wars: Unleashed for Wii (and your 10-year-old likes it), if you have zero breakables or valuables in your gaming room and if you can find this at least half the retail price (which may already be possible), then go ahead and stuff this in your kid’s stocking. Otherwise, this will likely collect dust in your bin of cooler-in-the-store-than-in-actuality game accessories.

Product Page [Wii Dual Glow Sabers]

Check out the gallery: dreamGear's Dual Glow Lightsabers for Wii