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
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.
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.
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