Japanese auction shows off prototype Nintendo Wii controller
Yahoo Auctions Japan had something unique pop up for sale recently: an item that appeared to be a early concept for the Nintendo Revolution’s controller, which would later go on to be known as the Wiimote. As far as the controller goes, there’s quite a few differences between it and the final model that we know of today. Its general shape remains the same, but the coloring is a light toned grey, while the buttons are dark grey. Notably, the prototype’s d-pad is exactly that of the Game Boy Advance SP’s, while the “1” and “2” buttons are labeled as “A” and “B”, using the same font from the GameCube. These controllers were not wireless, either, featuring a cord that plugs right into the GameCube’s controller port. Curiously, instead of a proprietary connector, the bottom of the controller sports a generic Ethernet port, which is what the accompanying WIP Nunchuck would click into. While the Nunchuck looks relatively unchanged, the Sensor Bar is far larger than what we saw bundled with the Nintendo Wii, and actually connects to the memory card slot on the GameCube. These three things were sold together with a dark teal Nintendo GameCube. Once pictures of the lot started making the rounds across the internet, multiple developers stated that they had remembered seeing this exact bundle, back before Nintendo had planned out the Nintendo Wii fully, and were still calling their beta console the Nintendo Revolution. The auction would go on to close for 74,000 Yen, which is about $700 USD.