If any of you haven't really been paying attention to Nintendo-related news, it comes to find out that the prototype of the Nintendo Wii's remote controller was shown during an auction in Japan. the prototype Wii Remote was sold for 74,000 yen (which is us$663). The year is unknown when this prototype was created, but definitely before E3 2006 (where the Nintendo Wii was officially reveled), but more in likely sometime in 2004-2005.

The difference is that this was originally going to be an add-on to the Nintendo GameCube (basically something similar to SEGA's 32x/CD add-on), where you can only play certain titles that uses motion controls on the GameCube (which those games were later scrapped and made for the Nintendo Wii later on down the line), but Nintendo decided to scrap the whole idea of having the add-on for the GameCube and decided to have it as it's own console, and thus, the Nintendo Wii was officially announced just before E3 2006, and the rest is, well, history.



The "Revolution" prototype add-on for the Nintendo GameCube


Nintendo Wii's Remote's final design vs the Remote's prototype design


Nintendo Wii's Nunchuck's Final design vs the Nunchuck prototype design

This is a twitter link that shows the prototype of the Wii Controller

Note, it's all in Japanese, so, if you don't know Japanese and too lazy to use a translator, you're going to have a really bad time with read on what it says.


Based on the photos, they almost look like the final design, except that the speaker on the final design (which the prototype lacked), and the lights on the bottom (which the prototype also lacks), and the prototype was a wired controller that you had to plug into the GameCube (where the final design is a wireless controller, as long as you have it charged or have batteries, then you're good), and not sure on how motion controls would work if it isn't wireless, and we had wireless controllers for a really long time.

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Anyways, what are your thoughts about this prototype Wii/Revolution Remote/Nunchucks?


Personally to me, I never knew that the Nintendo Wii was going to be a simple add-on for the GameCube, but then the idea was scrapped in favor for it's own console, but I am in a way glad that Nintendo went that route, or otherwise, Nintendo might have ended up making the same mistake SEGA did and added that add-on and ruin their reputation. Also, I think if they did that, we won't even have the Nintendo Switch today because the Nintendo Wii wouldn't be made, and if the Wii wasn't made, the Wii-U wouldn't of exist, and without the Wii-U cabbaging-up, we wouldn't have the Nintendo Switch today, so I think it was smart for Nintendo to scrap the idea and just use the prototype controllers on a new console (the Wii) instead of having it as an add-on on the GameCube

Am I the only one who paid more attention to the metallic green Gamecube? Never saw one colored like that, I admit I'd have liked it on that "livery" back in time.

We're lucky they scrapped the idea in favor of a brand new console. Not only for what it meant to Nintendo in the years to come, but I wonder what would have happened with the Kinect, and more importantly, the PS Move, because while the Kinect didn't get as much of a focus the PS Move is now being revived to work alongside the VR headset, and if it didn't appear in the first place, even VR gaming as we know it today wouldn't be the same.

The prototype and the final product do look nearly identical, but knowing the functions of all the buttons of the Wii remote, what functions would those three horizontal buttons have for the Gamecube? I can see a start and select button, which would leave the middle one (the Home button on the Wii) without a real function. Another idea is that the middle one was a start/select hybrid and the ones at each side would be the L/R triggers, with the button atop the Nunchuk being the Z button.

As for it not being wireless, that's because it was a prototype. Just like we had wireless GC controllers later on after the console premiered, this prototype mostly took on from the Mic the Mario Party games introduced, but it had no chance to evolve (well, it did evolve by becoming the main controller for the future console, though).

It's always interesting to dig up the past and see what we can discover. Those histories about why the PSX came to live are the most well-known example, but some random stuff like this can be as surprising as unexpected.

That was a nice read. I am definitely glad they opted for a new console all together. It almost feels like each Nintendo console is so unique in its own way. When I first played the Nintendo Wii, I was blown away. I loved the interactivity and ease of play. Though lots of people got hurt with players swinging the remote around too much lol I witnessed quite a bit of that at home. It lead to more interactive games and WiiU which with the backward compatibility is by far my favorite. I am not too crazy on the Switch provided of how small it is but the Gameboy aspect of it is awesome. I am glad they left the Gamecube alone and decided to bring about a new generation of consoles. What's next? DVR I hope.