Gifts for gamers: Hot hardware to enhance the experience

— -- You haven't played Halo 3 unless your tush has rumbled while firing at aliens.

Whether it's over-the-top vibrating chairs or more practical gaming accessories, such as the Wii remote charging station, hundreds of optional peripherals can enhance your interactive entertainment experience — regardless of your preferred gaming platform.

Here, a look at some of the year's best, and quirkiest.

Taking charge

While the Nintendo Wii's motion-sensing controller is one of the most exciting things to happen to the gaming industry in a long while, it's no secret the AA batteries in the Wii remote can drain faster than the pipes in a Mario Bros. game. Good news: the Nyko Wii Charge Station includes rechargeable batteries for two Wii remotes, a docking station to recharge them and rubber-lined controller backs for greater grip. It's $39.99 at www.nyko.com, but it, and all the other products mentioned, can often be found for less by shopping around at other websites.

BlackBerry for gamers?

The Xbox 360 Messenger Kit ($29.99 at www.xbox.com) includes two separate products. One is a small backlit keyboard, called a Chatpad, that snaps into the bottom of the game controller; use it to chat with friends over the Xbox Live service (during games or beforehand). The other is an Xbox 360 wired headset to talk via voice instead of text, if you prefer. We also like the comfortable Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel ($129.99) and Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows ($59.95) which works with both the Xbox 360 and Windows PCs.

Band in a box

We love the wireless Gibson Les Paul you get with RedOctane's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, but you can't beat the entire band setup included with MTV Games' Rock Band bundle ($169.99 at www.rockband.com). The game lets you jam with the finest rock songs from yesterday and today. You get a guitar (which doubles as a bass), collapsible drum kit and microphone — so the whole family can rock out. It's available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2/3; the stand-alone game sells for $49.99 to $59.99.