Review: GoLive2 Stix 200

We've all seen the ads, and watched the videos: throngs of men, women, boys and girls laughing, smiling, carefree as they waggle their Wiimotes. It's an instant party!

But it's not for you, no. You're a hardened PC gamer. Or maybe you can't find a Wii. Or maybe you blew your paycheck on beer. Or at the track. Whatever the case, you need to get little Timmy and Sarah a quick gift so they'll stop crying themselves to sleep. Well, you're in luck. The Stix 200 will forever transform the way crappy flash games are played.

Nevermind what detractors say: Though it is a wireless remote, it's not a Wii knockoff. For starters, there's no console; only a USB cradle for wireless connectivity with a woefully short cord. There are no expensive, quality games to purchase either - just (some of) the flash games already available from popular web portals with a few Wowbotz-themed originals tossed in there, coupled with a plugin to make them Stix-friendly.

There's no need for a sensor bar either: instead of utilizing an optical sensor and accelerometer for precise control, a gyroscope attempts to detect the motion in the controller.

That means no waggling or active movement. Twist the Stix left or right, up or down, to mimic the arrow keys on a keyboard. A set of illuminated buttons adorns the front of the Stix and mimics the placement and function of those found on the Wiimote. But they're (get ready for it) touch sensitive with little nubs that help you find each one, so you can totally game in the dark.

It's not without faults. For starters, it's slightly larger than a Wiimote. The trigger button on the underside is flatter, so your finger can accidentally slide off during more intense flash sessions. Fortunately, there will rarely be any intense flash sessions. After several hours of sloppy game play, we came up with our own unique overarching meta-game: how to get precise movement with this thing? As of right now we're still trying to figure out how to make an avatar jump effectively.

If your kids have never seen or played a Wii, this just might fool them long enough to dismiss that gaming thing entirely, and go outside and read a book.