The Nintendo Wii’s “Wiimote” and “Nunchuk” were at the heart of the short-lived motion control revolution that we saw last-generation. But, apparently, while Nintendo didn’t debut and take the world by storm with the Wiimote and Nunchuck until the release of the Wii, it was originally prototyping the two devices for its previous console: the GameCube.
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In case you didn’t know, back in 2006, Nintendo filed a patent for an “accelerometer-based controller” that was intended to be used for the GameCube. This patent eventually led to the Wiimote and Nunchuk, but the GameCube prototypes never surfaced or leaked, leaving that little part of Nintendo’s history to imagination.
But now that has changed, thanks to a Japanese auction site, which earlier this morning listed the never-before-seen GameCube prototypes.
The images were scooped up by GameCube enthusiast Twitter account “spmrp,” who shared the following pictures of the retro kit, which at the time was referred to as the “Nintendo Revolution.”
ใใใใใใใใฃใ๏ผ
โ ในใใRP (@spmrp) October 27, 2018
Revolution็จใฎใชใขใณใณใใใณใใฃใฏใๅ ฅๆใใพใใใ
ใฒใผใ ใญใฅใผใใณใณใใญใผใฉใผใฎ็ซฏๅญใไฝฟใฃใฆใใใฎใงใฒใผใ ใญใฅใผใใซๅใไปใใใใจใๅบๆฅใ๏ผ(ไฝฟใใชใใใฉโฆใ)#ใฌใใญใณใณใทใฅใผใใผๆๅฅฝไผ pic.twitter.com/6FTaXrET1E
Revolution็จใฎใปใณใตใผใใผใใฒใผใ ใญใฅใผใใฎใกใขใชใผใซใผใในใญใใใซๆฅ็ถใ
โ ในใใRP (@spmrp) October 27, 2018
ๅคๅใใในใญใใใใ้ปๆบใใใใฃใฆใใ ใใฃใฝใใ pic.twitter.com/r88VaollFv
Not long after the above images started making the rounds, WayForward game director James Montagna and others confirmed the legitimacy of the images, and provided further insight not only into the prototype, but the evolution of the Wiimote.
There’s so many cool details on this. My favorite detail, however: the +Control Pad, A Button, and B Button molds all come from Game Boy Advance SP.
โ James Montagna (@JamesPopStar) October 28, 2018
Never before documented anywhere online that I’ve seen, so perhaps it’s newsworthy; prototype Wii controllers had PAUSE / BACK buttons instead of + / – Buttons! I took these pictures of the controllers Nintendo used at E3 2006. pic.twitter.com/TMl6bkIzXn
โ James Montagna (@JamesPopStar) October 28, 2018
The sensor bar was also longer. The shorter sensor bar was a small change but still had an affect on game in developments because it screw up the distance calculation.
โ Nic plays RDR2 (@NicMagnier) October 28, 2018
Sure thing! Itโs not as cool as the GameCube one, but itโs the next step in the evolution of the wiimote design. Aside from the fact that itโs 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
โ David (@Zidapi) October 28, 2018
The rare retro kit sold for a pretty hefty 74,000 yen (roughly $660 USD). But when you consider just how rare these are, and that’s a little piece of unique and forgotten Nintendo history, the price isn’t actually that bad at all. In fact, I’m surprised it didn’t go for much more.
Thanks, Nintendo Everything.
