Wii Classic Controller (gamespy)

- gamespy -

I managed to get my hands on one of the brand new Wii Classic Controllers today, so I thought I'd share my initial impressions here along with some super hi-res photos of the device itself. The Classic Controller is expressly designed to work with the Virtual Console games that are purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The CC connects to a Wii remote in the same way that a Nunchuk controller does, which I was surprised to see. I had initially assumed it would plug straight into the console in one of the GameCube ports, but this makes much more sense.

The unit itself feels nice and robust, but is fairly lightweight. The dual analog sticks are a little bit too close together for my own personal tastes, but both are covered in a good grippy rubber cover, making manipulation of the sticks nice and simple. The D-pad doesn't feel stiff at all and actually is very reminiscent of the old SNES D-pad -- this is a good thing. The X, Y, A and B buttons are a decent size and seem to have a nice amount of travel in them.

There are the plus and minus buttons in the middle along with the home button to access the Wii's main menu. The former also double as the select and start buttons for the classic games. On the top of the controller are the L and R shoulder buttons which again feel quite similar to those of the SNES. Also on top are two smaller ZL and ZR buttons, and slap-bang in the middle is a small release switch that appears to open and close a clasp on the back of the joypad. I'm not too sure what clips in there, but I guess we'll find out in due course!

I have very briefly taken the controller for a spin with my newly downloaded copy of the N64's Super Mario 64. Aside from the game looking awesome (just how I remember it) the controller displayed no signs of compatibility issues, and it worked like a charm. I'm confident that other games (I'm off to grab the SNES's F-Zero now) should work in a similarly pleasing manner.

The Wii Classic Controller looks to be a great addition to the Wii's line of first-party peripherals. You'll be able to check it out for yourselves when the item hits the stores tomorrow along with everything you've been waiting for. It's going to cost you $20, but I reckon it's well worth the investment. Here's to some great classic gaming!