Also available in white, of course

We go hands on with one of the most important Wii U accessories

With games like Bayonetta 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 blazing a trail to the Wii U very soon, the need for a decent 'traditional' joypad is obvious. Nintendo is making sure 'core' games will play as well as possible by producing the Wii U Pro Controller, a device which boasts an uncanny resemblance to the Xbox 360 pad.

However, with some rather worrying reports regarding the overall quality of this new pad, we were keen to check it out ourselves before getting too excited about pulling off massive, multi-hit combos in the aforementioned Bayonetta 2. Thankfully, earlier this week we got chance to do just that at Eurogamer Expo 2012.

Can't be that bad when it makes you smile like this

First things first, the pad is very light - just as Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft stated. However, despite the lack of heft, it still feels like a quality product, and exhibits no signs of creaking or warping when held in a tight grip. Another complaint that Ashcraft had was the subtle nature of the rumble feature, which is something else we can concur with. Amid the hustle and bustle of the packed Eurogamer Expo it was hard to discern any real vibration from the pad - in fact, if we hadn't have been consciously 'feeling' for it, chances are it would have passed us by entirely. Given the lack of power in the rumble, it does make you wonder if it's worth having at all, but our impressions might be different when we get to test it in a somewhat less hectic and crowded environment.

Beyond those points however, we're pleased to report that everything is as you would expect from a Nintendo peripheral. The buttons are responsive, although they are very different to those seen on the 360 controller. If you're comfortable with the buttons on your original Wii Classic Controller or Wii Remote, then you'll have little reason to moan here. The analog stick is also incredibly similar to the one on the Wii Nunchuk controller - and the one on the Wii U GamePad, for that matter. The same story applies to the 8-way D-pad, which is the same design that Nintendo has been using since the launch of the Wii and DS Lite many years ago.

We put the Wii U Controller Pro through a particularly hectic (and massively enjoyable) game of Rayman Legends during the Eurogamer Expo, and aside from the weak rumble, it performed admirably. It's a comfortable, responsive and well-constructed pad, which is pretty much all you can ask for with this type of controller. If you're still not convinced then you can always wait for the inevitable flood of third-party pads that will undoubtedly follow the launch of the system later this year, but we can't see any reason why anyone would be dissatisfied with this device - unless of course you're particularly interested in getting a strong level of force feedback during play.

KEY WORDS

The buttons are responsive, although they are very different to those seen on the 360 controller. If you're comfortable with the buttons on your original Wii Classic Controller or Wii Remote, then you'll have little reason to moan here. The analog stick is also incredibly similar to the one on the Wii Nunchuk controller - and the one on the Wii U GamePad, for that matter.

As I have been saying.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/10/first_impressions_wii_u_pro_controller

Better than the Kotaku article where they state that it is too light and feels cheap.... Light is fine by me considering who wants to hold a heavy ass controller? Also, I am pretty sure that the build quality is decent enough.  I also can get over a weak rumble feature considering rumble doesn't matter at all (I did fine without it on the GCN Wavebird controllers).

People expecting to play Nintendo games with a controller that works and feels like the 360 controller are going to be very disappointed.

I just hope the face buttons being pushed closer to the d-pad feels OK. This is the first Nintendo controller to do that. I really like the existing CC Pro.

I´m really curious to hold the U pad and see if it´s a perfectly fine controller for a 'traditional core experience'...because, I imagine it is..yes it´s got that screen in the middle but aside from that it´s got all the buttons a traditional controller has...two analog sticks, D-pad, four face buttons, two bumpers and two triggers.

I say this because it seems some gaming journalists are treating it like a Wii remote, in the sense of 'not good to play traditional core games'.

I personally would prefer something more along these lines.

I dont understand this, the Gamepad already has the classic button analog stick config. theres no need for this controller
its just a gimmick for the "core" gamers
i dont need this, i dont want this
the Xbox controller is not very good to begin with, its just popular
bussines wise is a clever move, give them the crappy controller theyre asking for!

I agree.  Its a very asinine statement or implication.  It would be one thing if it were a heavy controller, but it isn't.  Does the Pad have rumble?

In case you didn't even bother to spend 2 second actually reading the topic of the thread you are posting in, hee reports state that this controller neither feels nor plays like the Xbox controller. Second, it is just another revision of the old classic controller. Its not new.

I will agree that "this" controller is the gimmick though, not the Upad which people try to make out to be gimmick to dismiss it.

I'd buy like 4 of those.  Great mockup!