New European Wii model loses GameCube compatibility

@mietha Im guessing it will run ok vertically, but doesn't include the vertical stand.

@shinjix2
Beat me to it.
Now I guess the Wii isn't even 2 GameCubes taped together. ;-(

@DSight

You must have missed the controller for the Wii U. Its a regular controller witha big ol screen in the middle.

@DSight ... and what does that have to do with Wii losing backward compatibility?

@TwEE

The fact it has a big ole screen in the middle means it's not a regular controller.

@TwEE

The big screen means it's not a regular controller. Regular controllers aren't the size of tablet computers. Not saying it bad or anything.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

Well by "regular controller" I mean the same button layout as the snes... but there really is no such thing as a regular controller. Unless you're a Playstation only type of guy.

@TwEE

If you believe that the tablet controller is going to be as responsive, comfortable or practical as a Gamecube, Playstation or Xbox 360 controller then you have another thing coming.

Its not going to be anywhere as good as those controllers and removing the ability to use older, better controllers will be one of the nails in the coffin for the Wii U.

@TwEE

"but there really is no such thing as a regular controller. Unless you're a Playstation only type of guy."

Do you realize who you're replying to?

@DSight Just buy a classic controller pro! Ok look you can't use Xbox controllers on xbox 360 (officially) and you can't use previous Playstation Controllers on Playstation 3 (officialy), people don't care anymore. Were people complaining about not using n64 controller on Gamecube? or SNES on n64? Just go buy a classic controller pro and you're sorted for the WiiU.

@DSight

"If you believe that the tablet controller is going to be as responsive, comfortable or practical as a Gamecube, Playstation or Xbox 360 controller then you have another thing coming."

Well you seem to have hands on experience with the controller and I don't so...

Care to elaborate a bit on the problems you had using the controller.
Especially the unresponsive part. That sounds serious.

@Deathmore
@Twee

The classic controller pro sucks. Its not comfortable, the joysticks feel stiff. It feels like a cheap plastic low quality replacement.

Add that to the fact that I don't want to play with a Wiimote and you have a serious turn off for the Wii U. If any of the third party games like Batman, Darksiders 2, etc come out on the Wii U, I'd rather play then on the Xbox 360 or PS3.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

The qualifier "regular" is relative. I'm not sure how many Wiimotes are out in the wild, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were more of them than the combined total of 360 and PS3 controllers. If that's the case then the Wiimote is now the standard for game controllers. The other two would be irregular. Semantics aside, you're kidding if you don't think that the PS4 and Xbox 720 are launching with touchscreen, tablet-like controllers.

@ColdHeat

Unless you're upgrading to a Wii U solely for the fact that it doesn't support the GameCube, which is a really weird ass thing to do, then your comment doesn't make any sense.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell
I can't wait till the PS4 comes out with it's own tablet like controller. Then you can claim it is better than a "regular controller".

@DSight

"If you believe that the tablet controller is going to be as responsive, comfortable or practical as a Gamecube, Playstation or Xbox 360 controller then you have another thing coming."

I'm sorry, but the PlaySation controller is a overrated piece of shit that makes my hands bleed.

@Dante G


Gamecube was $100 for a good 3 years before the Wii. Wii U is dropping to $100 a year before Wii U.

And that's assuming it gets cut all the way down to $100, which to me feels unlikely. But then again, if it dropped to $130, that would seem too little of a drop.

@Rezai
Frankly, I thought the Wii version was better, especially since it let you equip 4 items, whereas the GameCube version could only equip 2.

But removal of GameCube support is still stupid.

@Rezai Twilight Princess was released half a decade ago, I believe all copies were well out of production and that if people bought the Wii they bought the wii version ^_^.

@BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam

I would agree, if the sword swings hadn't been so poorly implemented. Everything else about the controls was superior to the GC version's, but the mindless wagglefest required to use the sword and the game's delayed response to them were a deal breaker for me.

@Gooblechev

Because they got the idea from Sony and thought it was f%cking brilliant...

@Uncle Jesse

you're right, it has to be significantly cheaper or else there is no point. if you don't save $50-80 on the price difference to the full blown Wii, this probably isn't going to work.

@Drakkenfyre

Nintendo is trying to remove the Gamecube completely since, well you can't use GC accessories on WiiU. These bundles are going to be on for quite a while I believe, I would say two years after the WiiU, because it's inexpensive.

If you want to play smash, you can get the Classic Controller, I've used plenty of 3rd GC controllers and they all are easy to use, so a classic controller pro (bear in mind that the original classic controller is discontinued) is second nature to use.

The reason why they want the console lying down is because of again cost, they're not supplying a plastic stand, so it has to be flat. Also again it is to coincide with the WiiU since that is also flat.

Though a technical limitation can't be excluded.

Nintendo's plans have been to bridge gaming generations, as seen with the gameboy line up, retaining NES in Super NES, using DS in 3DS to let consumers be familiar with the product and keeping the Wii in WiiU so that current casual Wii owners will purchase it.

The only brand name Nintendo have had is Gameboy but now thats changed to the DS and Wii brandings.

And to finish it off, Nintendo has done this before, yes they have. I would like you to meet, Gameboy Micro and DSi. Unless you mean that they've never stuck to the same name and taken out things then I guess this a is a first. I have no problem with it, every company does it and Nintendo needs to minimize costs, this year so far hasn't been too kind to them

They've never taken an existing system and rereleased it with missing features. The Game Boy Micro was a different form factor. The DSi was a hardware revision with new features and upgraded hardware.

They never took the GameCube, and rereleased it without the modem slot on the bottom. They never took the Nintendo 64 and rereleased it without the Expansion Pak slot.

A plastic stand is less likely a reason for the horizontal placement than the removal of the disc tray mechanism. Nintendo had the first slot-loading disc drive which could accept mulitple sized discs. This mechanism would no longer be needed, and would probably constitute a large chunk of saved money. They may have replaced it with a cheaper tray that isn't designed to hold it vertically. Which follows nicely with your theory that it's to follow the design of the WiiU.

That's about as likely as the reason they eliminated the GameCube controller ports because people were trying to plug them in upside down.

That's a mistake you make once, and the system telling you there is a disc error helps, too.

They wouldn't say "system only works horizontal" for people putting in the disc wrong. For that simply to work that way, it would require a sensor to detect which way it was standing. Hence, more cost. It's more likely the changes to the system made vertical use impossible.

@The Pork
Y'know, I don't think the people who worked on this console redesign would've otherwise been coding for any potential games being made...

@The Pork
This is the first time they've remade the Wii. Every other "change" to the default boxset was just an enhancement to the bundle. The Wii stayed the same

@SThompson

it only said Gamecube stuff (GC Games and the ports on the side for controllers and Memory Cards). the Classic controller is a Wii accessory so it will still work. i've always preferred the GC controller to the Classic anyway though, the handles make it easier to hold, so i'm glad i have a launch Wii.

@SThompson
You can't use Wii controllers on GameCube games, though. When you insert a GameCube game, it goes into "GameCube mode" and doesn't have access to any Wii features (Bluetooth controllers, internal memory, Home menu, wi-fi, etc.).

@Alexisonfire

I'm sorry but the Classic Controller Pro renders the GC controller pointless in regards to Wii games that are compatible with it.

@Co

I've used a CCP and I like them, but I still prefer the GC controllers. To be honest, I won't miss the GC backwards compatibility because of the games. I'll miss it because I won't be able to use the GC controllers anymore. That's why I'm bummed that they're not putting it in the Wii U. Even if they don't put in GC support I would like them to still support the controllers somehow.

@remakeyourself

What doesn't make sense about a WiFi-less PSP? If you're not using it, why should you have to pay for it? Everything can still be downloaded via PC.

It's the exact same situation. If you don't want it and you don't want to pay for it, having the option not to is unambiguously good.

@koehler83 but wi-fi doesn't cost much, I bought a wi-fi dongle for £5 brand new, and it's really small. When I heard that they removed wi-fi I was like that is going to be really cheap then I realised that wi-fi is cheap anyway.

@koehler83
I agree. The BC was for people who owned a Gamecube and still want to play Gamecube games, not for companies to release Gamecube titles and have them sell. There are no more new Gamecube releases, everything is either owned or selling pre-owned. There's no money in it for Nintendo, and people buying the Wii not most likely do not own a Gamecube.

@koehler83

Being able to pwn the 'nets with valid points is worth it's weight in gold.

Not being able to recite the alphabet from A to C. Priceless.