Hori's Wii Classic Controller: if you're really into autofire

Fans of the old-timey GameCube will rest easier tonight knowing that Hori is now manufacturing its variation of the classic controller, creatively named the "Classic Controller." We've seen other gamepads in this style, but not many that get it as close to the original design as this -- plus it has those insane autofire switches. These bad boys are available in black, white, and blue on December 4th in Japan, and you can pre-order them now for $29.90 over at Play-Asia.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

[ybd @ Nov 18th 2008 7:46PM]

Wii is the first console to have more controllers than good games to use them in

[Aguiluz @ Nov 18th 2008 7:50PM]

I define "good game" as a game I buy and like playing.

My Personal Choice =/= Critics Choice

(Besides, do you want some squat reviewer to decide what games would you like? Hell no, not me!)

[ybd @ Nov 18th 2008 7:53PM]

Fine then. Name 15 games you would define as 'good'. That is pretty much the bare minimum for a console (especially this long after its release)

[Flashpoint @ Nov 18th 2008 7:56PM]

I gave you an uprank cause you're absolutely right.

The third party accessory list for Wii is absolutely ridiculous and its game list is WEAKER than the equivalent game list of the NES and SNES. Its astounding how lame this system is.

Of course I'm gonna be low ranked by those lamers who use the same old LAME comment that:

"Wii is a different system, which targets different gamers...BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH" but the truth is WII SUCKS and the only reason it sells is because its hypnotized people into thinking its more than it is.

WHEN IS RYAN BLOCK GONNA SHOW US HOW MUCH WEIGHT HE LOST ON WII FIT?????

PS3 sucks too, but it doesn't suck as much as Wii because it is still a next gen system and does get ports of games specifically designed for Xbox360 or the PC.

Wii has done nothing more than allow us to play the most technologicaly advanced games of the 1980's.

and...get grandpa playing wiisports

[Fernando @ Nov 18th 2008 7:58PM]

get back to bed flashpoint

[thatrotierkid @ Nov 18th 2008 7:58PM]

@ybd

stop being a troll. not everyone has to have your opinion. aguiluz likes the wii. you dont. no one is forcing you to like or play the wii.

[bandigolo @ Nov 18th 2008 8:02PM]

awww. Sounds like somebody is having a hard time keeping up with Wii Fit training program...

[Flashpoint @ Nov 18th 2008 8:04PM]

I hope Nintendo goes bankrupt from unforseen ties in the financial system. Just like Washington Mutual

[JStro @ Nov 18th 2008 8:16PM]

You hope that they receive a credit agency downgrade and that everyone panics and withdraws all of their money from their Nintendo bank accounts?

This makes sense how...?

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Nov 18th 2008 8:18PM]

One of these days Flashpoint... one of these days

BANG

ZOOM

STRAIGHT TO THE MOON

[HOOPER @ Nov 18th 2008 8:18PM]

shut up flashpoint

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 19th 2008 12:43AM]

Eh, I just have two controllers and I would be really sad if I had never played Mario Galaxy, Metroid Corruption, Excite Truck, Twilight Princess, No More Heroes, Smash Brawl, Nights, or Wii Sports.

Honestly, I don't play games too much anymore, but I have been happy with my purchase of the Wii in general. I got to play some damn cool games and even the gimmicky ones were fun for a while.

[Joopie @ Nov 19th 2008 8:27AM]

So you wanted a list? Have them all
1. Zelda Twilight Princess
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. No More Heroes
4. Super Smash Brothers Brawl
5. Mario Kart Wii
6. Lost Winds (wiiware)
7. Resident Evil 4(port but perfectly done!)
8. Metroid Prime Corruption
9. Zack & Wiki Treasure
10. Boom Blox
11. Super Paper Mario
12. de Blob
13. Wario Land Shake It
14. Trauma Center: Second Opinion
15. Mario Strikers Charged
16 Okami (port but well done!)
should i continue?
Bully. the godfather, megaman 9, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, Pro Evo soccer, Madden, guitar hero..... and so on

[xor24 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:03PM]

Part of it is better then gamecube controler, the second analog stick doesn't look as small as gamecube; and much more standard
a, b, x ,y buttons look so overall I say looks great plus radipfire might be useful ocasionaly.

[Matthew C @ Nov 18th 2008 8:11PM]

yeah, but that abxy config is gonna ssem really wierd on some games...

[Ignatius @ Nov 18th 2008 8:26PM]

Not with Super Mario World.

I hate using the GCN controller for SMW... I wish Nintendo would let you reassign controls to fit the games.

[Plothole @ Nov 18th 2008 10:34PM]

Personally I liked the GCN button configuration. I found it less likely to hit the wrong one, as each provided a completely unique tactile feel.

I agree that it doesn't work in a lot of classic games though.

[Daniel @ Nov 19th 2008 1:01AM]

Because the N64 had 6 face buttons (A,B, + 4 C buttons) instead of 4, more than a few games have awkward mappings. Some kind of programmable controller with 6 face buttons (sort of like some fighting game controllers) would be nice, or at least a Virtual Console firmware update for custom control mapping.

[phail @ Nov 18th 2008 8:04PM]

i'd hit it

[JStro @ Nov 18th 2008 8:11PM]

I'd hit it three times per second.

[Uncontrol @ Nov 18th 2008 8:20PM]

finally a wii accessory worth using

[John H. @ Nov 18th 2008 8:29PM]

lol at the company name

[ethana2 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:49PM]

Yeah, come on, engadet. You're out of character with this story title!

New peripheral for your Wii plays games, sleeps around.

[ethana2 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:49PM]

**meh

[ethana2 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:44PM]

Hori Cow! Do we rearry need another asymmetricre gamepad?

[Mike @ Nov 18th 2008 8:44PM]

If I can use it on my computer too, its mine.

[ethana2 @ Nov 18th 2008 8:51PM]

You can.

I hate game consoles and never intend to own one, but I bought a wiimote to use as a mouse and all functions Just Work, as long as you have an emitter bar. ..but it is a PAIN to use without one, you have to rotate the controller side to side, it's really unintuitive.

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 19th 2008 12:51PM]

GlovePIE is your friend. :3

[DarkJesus @ Nov 18th 2008 9:54PM]

Unfortunately, due to the classic controller being unusable in gamecube games, this is actually slightly less useful than a wavebird. On the other hand, those are pricy now and hard to obtain in the first place.

[Plothole @ Nov 18th 2008 10:23PM]

The last time I walked into my local Gamestop they still had a number of used GCN games for cheap. (*managed to finally pick up REmake*)

[DarkJesus @ Nov 18th 2008 10:33PM]

I meant the wavebirds.

[Plothole @ Nov 18th 2008 10:46PM]

Ah, okay. Well I've seen those on the used market for around 25USD.

[Covarr @ Nov 18th 2008 11:44PM]

1. Does this have the same crap D-Pad as the GC controller?
2. Is this wireless? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on batteries just for the convenience of sitting further from the TV.

[Plothole @ Nov 19th 2008 2:14AM]

As far as I can tell it plugs into the Wiimote, which is itself wireless of course. You don't really need to spend "hundreds of dollars" on batteries though. Just pick up some half decent rechargeables, either regular NiMH or Hybrids work great, and a charger.

[EQB @ Nov 19th 2008 12:03AM]

Now, now, Engadget; you should know better. Your article should read:

"...These bad boys are available in African American, Caucasian, and Oxygen-Challenged on December 4th in Japan..."

One of those controllers might sue otherwise.

[Wajimba @ Nov 19th 2008 12:16AM]

If anyone remembers, Hori made THE BEST N64 controller ever! (3rd party or not.) It was called the Horipad Mini. They got rid of the funky 3 pronged layout and made a decent rubberized analog stick. It was pretty much a gamecube controller BEFORE the gamecube even came out. Plus it didn't break within the first week of use like almost every other 3rd party controller I've seen. Coming off of that I would expect to see great stuff from them.

[chefgon_ign @ Nov 19th 2008 12:54AM]

I will never understand why people had a problem with the three handles on the N64 controller. I can think of exactly zero times that I actually used the left handle. Just pretend it isn't there and you're left with an extremely comfortable and well laid out two-handled controller.

I get your point though, Hori does have a long history of being completely awesome.

[Wajimba @ Nov 19th 2008 2:14AM]

It wasn't the 3 handle design I disliked so much, it was just that the nintendo brand controller caused major thumb blisters after a lot of use.

[lpppppl @ Nov 19th 2008 2:52AM]

I can't spam start?

[Plothole @ Nov 19th 2008 2:58AM]

There is always the "manual" option. It helps if drink plenty of caffeine.

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 19th 2008 12:52PM]

Yes. Put a lot of stress on your arm until you go into convulsions and you'll be set! :D

[Level 5 @ Nov 19th 2008 5:59AM]

Meh. Hori pads

[Level 5 @ Nov 19th 2008 6:00AM]

Meh. Hori pads everything has always been about the awesome, but the real solution has always always ALWAYS been simple. In 2 steps no less.

1 - Update the Wii firmware to support Wii controllers on GCN games.
2 - Give us the EXACT Classic Controller, fully wireless, without the need for a Wii Remote, and maybe kick in rumble for it. It has ALL the buttons you need for pretty much every system; you'd almost think Nintendo's original intention was to have it support GCN titles.

I mean seriously, the console's been out for 2 years. What gives with this mess? I know it probably will never happen, but; much like the SD save storage solution, this is literally staring us all in the face.

[Plothole @ Nov 19th 2008 6:40AM]

I believe they may indeed have originally intended the CC to support GCN games. However if that's the case then perhaps they ran into compatibility issues stemming from the nature of the System's BC: The Wii doesn't run it's predecessors games using any sort of emulation like its rivals. The architecture is similar enough that it can just underclock itself and run the games naively.

The trouble is that the GCN didn't have bluetooth, which means there's no way for the games to connect to the Wiimote and thus class controller. Not without some sort of hack, which may not work with all games.

[Level 5 @ Nov 19th 2008 6:00AM]

Meh. Hori equips have always been about the awesome, but the real solution has always always ALWAYS been simple. In 2 steps no less.

1 - Update the Wii firmware to support Wii controllers on GCN games.
2 - Give us the EXACT Classic Controller, fully wireless, without the need for a Wii Remote, and maybe kick in rumble for it. It has ALL the buttons you need for pretty much every system; you'd almost think Nintendo's original intention was to have it support GCN titles.

I mean seriously, the console's been out for 2 years. What gives with this mess? I know it probably will never happen, but; much like the SD save storage solution, this is literally staring us all in the face.

[Level 5 @ Nov 19th 2008 6:01AM]

Damnit.. comment spam/html fuckups guys. Low Rank away!

[Jimiisama @ Nov 19th 2008 9:35PM]

Gotta love Hori.