Confirmed: Wii controller shell revealed

by Blake Snow on May 9th 2006 1:59PM

Looks like Wii's controller shell has been revealed, even via Nintendo's website (see url). Wiigamer writes: "Our sources have confirmed to us that this is definitely real, however several questions still remain - why is there a cable, and does the remote simply click onto the bottom of the unit? Or is it now a stand alone unit?"

Nintendo made no mention of the controller shell at today's media briefing, but hopefully we'll learn more when the E3 show floor opens tomorrow.

[Thanks, Paul]

Source

Tags: e32006, Wii

Reader Comments (107)

Hmmm that looks like what I'd expect if a SNES controller and a dual shock got together and had kids...

Considering the File name. Perhaps its an old design not going to be used.

Aww why did they go and stick the left control stick down there? :(

I like it. Very retro.

Sexy!

oh wait i get it... it's PERFECT for SNES games! :D

Translating the web page, apparently the wire plugs into the wii mote.

Looks sort of like a pair of night-vision opera glasses with that stick (cord?) there. Any idea what size it is?

I'm with #3. That was always my biggest gripe with the PS2 controller-- putting the analog sticks front and center like that is seriously crampy for me. I prefer the gamecube/360 layout for 3D games, but the PS2/Wii layout is better for dpad-heavy stuff.

Just like everything else with nintendo's unorthodox controllers, I will be playing wait-and-try-it-out before passing judgement.

guess nintendo likes the dual shock layout

That looks great for the retro gaming. I like it.

god that thing is awful looking

Two analoge sticks at the bottom? THEY ARE RIPPING OFF SONY!!!

Sorry...had to do it...

Could Sony and Nintendo be working together to take down the wanabe Globle Giant that is Micro$oft?

Maybe that explains why they both are going with montion sensor controls?

sparta if it was an old design they wouldnt have put it up.

when it says classic, that means its for classic games

Nintendo should release wireless versions of the original controllers for the NES, SNES and N64. I want a wireless SNES controller already, goddamn it.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why Nintendo Copying anything from a Sony product is Low as it gets.

the way i see it is that they put the D-Pad back where it's supposed to be for virtual console games

Haha, seems like you stupid fanboys can shut the hell up now about the PS3's motion sensors, seems that your beloved Wii has some DualShock styling going on.

If they would light a fire under it instead of being so nonchalant about it they may just win back legions of gamers who have been otherwise turned off by the remote.Is their marketing group living behind one-way glass? Jeez!

Carpal tunnel!

The Gamecube controller put my left wrist into serious pain after any amount of play time. Xbox no problem. N64 no problem. Gameboy no problem. Gamecube ouch.

It's their slippery thumbsticks.

Should be sweet. I've tried playing some NES/SNES games on Gamecube (through the GBA thingy or stuff like the original Zelda on the promo disc with Ocarina and Majora's Mask) and in most cases the analog stick is a pain in the ass for games that were designed with the D-pad in mind.

And as much as I love the Gamecube controller, the position of the D-pad is the one thing that ticks me off. It's simply too far down to use as a primary controller. All you can use it for is hitting it once in a while like Metroid Prime.

Yeah, I thought the same thing about the "Dual Shock ripoff" at first, too, but then I realized that the original Playstation controller (pre-Dual Shock days) ripped off the SNES controller hardcore. Who really cares that companies "borrow" ideas that work well?

I still think it's stupid that they'd make a new standard controller that's so off the wall that you have to buy another add-on to play some "classic style" games. If I were Nintendo I would have made sure the new "remote" controller can also be used to play anything you through at it... I do know they want to encurage new gameplay for their "remote", but then again why have this "classic style" controller too?!

i reckon its a fake.

the thing is, surely ull be able to use cube controllers with VC games right? so why has nobody taken apart a cube controller, moved all the wires and PCB so that it maps so the snes controller, and put it all inside an actual old snes conroller? basically ud have a snes pad with the gamecube end wire thing on it so u can plug it into the Wii

3rd parties will jump on that, u heard it here, copyright 2005 i said that

Anyone bitching about this copying sony's Dualshock:

Sony copied Nintendo's SNES controller. Analogs were added as an afterthought to dualshock after Nintendo used it on N64.

So its not really copying the competitor if the competitor copied you and you are copying their copy.

Everybody get that?

Here's the real website to show that it's not old

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/wii/controller.html

Great design... and yes (your translation was accurate) it connects to the Wiimote.

# 15 i totally agree with you sony and nintendo are working together i mean they are both from japan

and #26 your just an idiot y would sony copy of snes 10 yrs later

def fake cos the new wiimote the buttons are 1 and 2, not a and b

FAKE

its true the playstation controller used the snes layout, thats only cos the playstation was originally designed as an ad-on to the snes so they just replaced the letters with symbols and added 2 new shoulder buttons. They completly reshaped the controller and we have our playstation. But people going on about Sony ripped off blah blah blah. Just remember Sony were the first company to use an optical disc as the main medium for their games something that has been 'stolen' by all other systems, and yes the saturn came out first but the ps1 was developped first, the saturn was rushed to try and beat the ps1

sorry bout that i meant #27

It's real and it does connect to the Wii-mote

www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/wii/controller.html

does anyone know if the wiimote vibrates when this thing is plugged in?

The linked to site (wiigamer) appears to just automatically and completely steal other sites' content and reposts it. See all of their Joystiq post (http://www.wiigamer.com/?cat=107) which has likely created some sort of rip in time and space, as they have copied the Joystiq post referencing one of their own posts. They even hotlink every single image.

Is this the original source?

ok i take it all back

#27 and #30
I still have my orignal playstation controller without analog sticks. damn that thing sucked. the cord was an ungodly thickness too. would get all messed up from winding it. in other words...i agree.

#34: The article doesn't say.

The good: classic SNES controller design. Its retro, works perfect for the virtual console and is comfortable both for gamers that were gamings in the SNES days, and for new-comers. Thank god for a decent d-pad again!!! Now I can finally play my sonic and megaman mega collections without having to use the damn analog or the crappy GC dpad.

The bad: The double analog at the bottom is old and tired. It makes the controller look clunky and stupid being as the rest of the face of the controller is just a flat plane with buttons. Looks uncomfortable and like the sticks are too close together (like if you press left on one and right on the other, your thumbs will collide!). I'm praying that this isnt the very final design (at least as far as the analogs are concerned).

Lastly, dont bother saying nintendo stole from sony. Having 2 analogs is a standard for console controllers now, especially those that will be playing FPS's of any kind. Anyways, there arent that many logical place to put two analogs, so either way, people are gonna gripe that Nintendo is "copying" sony or microsoft. (theyd be better off emulating the 360 controller anyways, if you ask me)

So how do you use N64 C buttons with that?

It'll be great for the retro games.

Nintendo didn't rip anything off Sony really, they just did what Sony was too lame to do - redesign the DualShock. Besides - Sony took Nintendo's motion idea (although lame compared to Wii), and in return, Nintendo one-upped Sony's controller overall.

Yeah it's the real deal. Nintendo is usually smart when it comes to releasing something comfortable to play with. I cannot wait to play old school games like kirby superstar with this!

I don't like that newfangled Home button sitting between select and start. I always use my right hand to hit both select and start...and when I go for an uppercut in Mike Tyson's Punch Out, I hope I'm not then looking at the Game Selection menu whilst Glass Joe starts pounding me. :-(

they took a step backwards and put the analog part at the bottom like the dual shock :( :( the gamecube controller was fine, why'd you have to go swap to the sony way!?!

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA what's with SUPER PAPER MARIO for gamecube ????

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2006/gc/index.html

What they gotta do is re-release the N64 controller. Nothing but that is suitable for playing an N64 game.

They can tweak the look a little, but we need a three-pronged controller for the N64 back-catalogue!

Also, doesnt this now mean that the Wii controller already has like 3 or 4 methods of control. The Wii-mote as a wand, the Wii-mote held sideways as an NES controller, the nunchuky thing, this shell. I now envision Wii games requiring a team of four players just to control a single character. Maybe thats the key idea of the whole Wii>>We mantra.

But seriously, I kind of like that there are so many ways to control it. Gives the system and the games more versatility and variety in the long run. However, any more controller add-ons would be too much at once.
Unless they like made an add-on that hooked the Wii-mote up to a DDR style dance pad and in order to make your onscreen character run you had to stomp on the pad alternating feet really fast...and uh...ok I've gone too far.

Consider, also, that the analog stick will not be used for more than 75% (i'd say even 85%) of the games (since this is for the majority of the classic downloadable games). So putting it lower is a smart move.

What are the button on top that we can't see?

It is very reminiscent of a SNES controller.

It hard to imagine Nintendo making it a wired controller only (especially after wavebird)...unless they plan to get you to buy all new controllers a few years down the line.

The only way that would look more uncomfortable would be if they put steel spikes on it. And what is with the octagonal detente positions for the thumbsticks? I hated that on the GC too: it makes "in between" diagonal or circular motions awkward. I wish nintendo all the best but their controller design lately leaves much to be desired (unique properties of the Wiimote notwithstanding)

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Confirmed: Wii controller shell revealed

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