One of the most iconic aspects of the Wii was it’s funky Wiimote and Nunchuk controller setup. Turns out that the memorable controller may have almost been associated with a different Nintendo system – the Gamecube. An article on Eurogamer is bringing to light how one particular Gamecube enthusiast managed to find himself a prototype Wiimote/Nunchuk at an auction site meant for the Wii’s predecessor. Check out the pics below.
これがやりたかった！
Revolution用のリモコン、ヌンチャクを入手しました。
ゲームキューブコントローラーの端子を使っているのでゲームキューブに取り付けることが出来る！(使えないけど…。)#レトロコンシューマー愛好会 pic.twitter.com/6FTaXrET1E— スペマRP (@spmrp) October 27, 2018
Twitter user @spmrp posted the above pictures of the controller after winning it off of a Yahoo auction for 74,000 Yen (~662 USD).
Originally posted on popular gaming forum Resetera, the controller is indeed the real thing and not some photoshopped fake. A story on Siliconera reveals that Nintendo had applied for a patent back in 2006 for a “Accelerometer-based controller” though it would never become an official Gamecube accessory. Included in the article were a few early drawings of the device.
Other posts in the original Tweet shed even more light on Gamecube “Wiimote.” Take a closer look at the controller with this picture from Twitter user @Zidapi.
Sure thing! It’s not as cool as the GameCube one, but it’s the next step in the evolution of the wiimote design. Aside from the fact that it’s not wireless, the only difference is that it has pause and back buttons instead of the + and – buttons that the final controller has. pic.twitter.com/cVBVTwNgJP
— David (@Zidapi) October 28, 2018
What’s interesting to note about this prototype controller is the fact that unlike the one that would eventually retail with the Wii, this early version includes a “back” and pause button to the left and right of the home button. In the official Wii release, these were simply a “minus” and “plus” button.
This story was definitely a cool trip back down memory lane. The Wiimote was by far one of the more unique controller designs to ever appear for a major system.
