Nintendo's Wii U Getting A Gamecube-Style Controller In Time For Super Smash Bros.
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Nintendo has a unique ability to design controllers that look like complete nonsense, yet are beloved all the same. Despite the fact that the third D-pad leg of the N64 controller was like an extraneous evolutionary appendage that hadn’t dropped off yet, it’s regarded as one of the best gaming controllers in history. The same goes for the jumbled mess of buttons and triggers that was the Gamecube controller, which was surprisingly fantastic to play with. You could even say the Wii U’s gamepad, a honking tablet with buttons and thumbsticks sprouting out of it like acne, falls into that category as well. Weird to look at, but beautifully functional in practice.
Nintendo knows that there’s a certain subset of its fansbase that has some treasured memories playing Super Smash Bros. Melee with the Gamecube controller. As such, they’ve announced they’re partnering with PDP to bring a Gamecube “inspired” controller to market in time for the release of the Wii U version of the new Super Smash Bros. installment this holiday season.
The Wii U “Fight Pad” is officially licensed by Nintendo and wired, plugging into the Wii Remote External Extension Connector. It will work for more than just Smash Bros, including any Wii or Wii U games that can be played with the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro, and some Virtual Console titles as well. It’ll cost $25.
As you can see, it follows the tradition of looking absolutely ridiculous, like a someone started melting down a 360 controller and gave up halfway through, but hopefully it will be comfortable despite its appearance, just like its predecessor. It obviously doesn’t look much like a Gamecube controller at all, but it’s more about the feel of it, rather than the visuals. The shape is more important that the button placement, it seems, and I doubt Nintendo would have signed off on it if it was terrible. It seems like a much better way to play Smash Bros. than the Pro controller with its misplaced joysticks or the massive central gamepad, at the very least.
It seems a bit odd that in this day and age, a brand new controller variant like this would be released as wired-only. Is that supposed to be part of its retro appeal, or is it because of technical limitations? It seems strange, given the fact that nearly everything else for the Wii U is wireless. What’s the rationale there? And how awkward is it that it has to actually be plugged into a Wiimote to work?
I’m not sure whether this is an advantage or disadvantage, but Nintendo certainly has the PS4 and Xbox One beat in “number of ways to play.” The Wii U now can use the Gamepad, the Wiimote, the Pro Controller and now this “Fight Pad.” While it’s good that players have so many options based on their playstyle, it can make for a confusing purchase in-store for those who don’t understand which of the four different controllers they’re supposed to actually pick up for household multiplayer.
Nintendo has always had trouble explaining both what the Wii U is, and how to use it, as at launch many were confused by the fact that last-gen Wiimotes were being used to play what was supposed to be a next-gen system. I hope we’re far enough into the launch now where people will have at least figured out the Wii U is a new console, but the fact that there are now four distinct controller options may still be confusing in its own right.
What do you make of this new era Gamecube controller? An interesting evolution or misshapen lump? You probably won’t actually know until you hold one for yourself.
