The is a
game controller
A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. Before the seventh generation ...
produced by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
home video game console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
. While it later featured some compatibility with the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
console, the controller was ultimately succeeded by the
Wii U Pro Controller
The is a video game controller produced by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is available in Black and White.
History
Nintendo unveiled the Wii U Pro Controller at E3 2012. Many video game journalists have noted the similarity betwe ...
. In April 2014, Nintendo discontinued production of both the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro.
History
When the Wii Remote was first revealed in September 2005, Nintendo announced a controller "shell" which resembled a traditional game controller, often referred to as a "classic-style expansion controller."
As described at the time, the Wii Remote would fit inside the shell, allowing gamers to play games using a traditional-style gamepad, while allowing use of the remote's motion sensing capability. According to
Satoru Iwata
was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, video game designer, and producer. He was the fourth President (corporate title), president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015. He was a major contr ...
, it would be meant for playing "the existing games,
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
games, and multi-platform games."
Early demos of the Wii's capabilities, showed two players competing in what appears to be ''
Wii Sports
''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The 1.0 (pre-release) version of the game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and the 1. ...
'' with one player using a Classic Controller and another using two
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
s, though this cross functionality was dropped.
![SFCC Unboxed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/SFCC_Unboxed.jpg)
During
E3 2006
E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publisher ...
, Nintendo introduced the Classic Controller (model number RVL-005), which, rather than housing the remote, instead plugs into it via a cord, in a similar fashion as the Nunchuk. It contains two
analog sticks
An analog stick (or analogue stick in British English), sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller (often a game controller) that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joys ...
and two extra
shoulder buttons
A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles.
Features
Gamepads generally feature a set of ...
: the Z
L and Z
R buttons. The overall configuration is similar to that of other major
seventh generation console gamepads.
In November 2007, Nintendo listed a special
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
Classic Controller as one of the choices for the free gift for 2007 Japanese
Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo was a customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program was free to join and provided rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products. Members of Club Nintendo earned c ...
platinum members.
In 2010, a similar SNES Classic Controller was made available on Europe's and Australia's Club Nintendo service.
The
Wii U Pro Controller
The is a video game controller produced by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is available in Black and White.
History
Nintendo unveiled the Wii U Pro Controller at E3 2012. Many video game journalists have noted the similarity betwe ...
has been developed for the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
console, the Wii console's successor. Despite the visual similarities, it is incompatible with the Classic Controller; however, instead of or in addition to the Pro Controller, some Wii U games are compatible with the Classic Controller, especially games with flexible control schemes such as ''
Mario Kart 8
is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the '' Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed ...
'' and ''
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
and (colloquially and collectively referred to as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' or ''Smash 4'') is a group of two 2014 crossover fighting video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS ...
''. While no Wii games are compatible with the Wii U Pro Controller because the Wii is a prior-generation system, successful efforts have been made to make the controller work on a Wii via
homebrew.
Design
The Classic Controller is plugged into the
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
in order to be used. It features two
analog stick
An analog stick (or analogue stick in British English), sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller (often a game controller) that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joy ...
s, a
D-pad
A D-pad (short for directional pad or digital pad; officially referred to by Nintendo as a +Control Pad) is a flat, usually thumb-operated, often digital, four-way directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern vid ...
, face buttons labeled "a", "b", "x" and "y" (in lowercase), similar to that of a standard
SNES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
controller. Analog shoulder buttons labeled "L" and "R", and two digital "Z" buttons (labeled "Z
L" and "Z
R") are located more closely to the center axis on their respective sides. It also has a set of "–", "Home" and "+" buttons like those on the Wii Remote, with the "–" and "+" buttons additionally labeled "Select" and "Start", respectively. The body of the Classic Controller measures tall, wide, and thick.
The body of the controller contains slots on the underside, opened via a button at the top of the controller; the function of the slots was never officially clarified,
although third-party gaming accessory manufacturer
Nyko
Nyko is an American manufacturer of third-party accessories for various gaming consoles.
Notable products
Air Flo
In 2002, Nyko introduced its Air Flo line of anti-sweat gaming controllers, which feature built-in fans to prevent sweaty palms. ...
released a clip that snaps onto the slots and secures the Wii Remote upright behind the Classic Controller. In addition to a grip shell, the clip contains storage for the controller's three foot cable. While the only color available for the Classic Controller in most markets was white, a limited edition teal and gray version was released in tandem with ''
Monster Hunter G'' in Japan in 2009, and in 2010, ''
Sonic Colors'' was bundled with a blue version in Australia.
Uses
The Classic Controller can be used with the
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
as well as with
certain Wii and WiiWare games. Along with the
Nintendo GameCube controller
The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube home video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller des ...
, the Classic Controller is one of the controllers required to play certain Virtual Console games, such as
SNES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
or
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
titles, which require more buttons (and an analog stick in the case of the Nintendo 64 games) than the
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
. However, the Classic Controller cannot be used to play
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
games. When in the Wii Menu, the left analog stick takes control of the cursor when the Wii Remote is not pointed at the screen. The Classic Controller can navigate through the Message Board, settings menus, and
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is a former digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii (called Channels), including exclusive games (branded WiiWare), and game ...
, but becomes inactive on all other channels except for the YouTube channel which the directional button is the only way to navigate through YouTube (except for using keyboard). While the Classic Controller is used, the Wii Remote it is connected to can still be used by another player, which can allow certain Wii games like ''
Bust-A-Move Bash'' and ''
SpeedZone'' to support up to eight players in multiplayer mode, with two players sharing one of the maximum four Wii controllers that can be linked to the console at once. As the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
supports Wii Remotes, this controller is also compatible with that console, and some Wii U-specific games support it as well, such as
''Trine 2: Director's Cut''. The Classic Controller can also be used to navigate the Wii U home screen and menus. The Classic Controller is also compatible with the
NES Classic Edition
NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console by Nintendo, which emulates the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It launched on November 10, 2016 in Australia and Japan, and November 11, 2016 in North America and Europe. Aesthet ...
and
Super NES Classic Edition
The Super NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console released by Nintendo, which emulates the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The console, a successor to the NES Classic Edition, comes with twenty-one Super NES titles pr ...
.
Other versions
Classic Controller Pro
In early 2009, Nintendo announced the Classic Controller Pro which functions the same as the original Classic Controller with the exception of the shoulder buttons, which are now digital trigger-shaped buttons arranged vertically rather than horizontally. Instead of a SNES controller, this one is shaped more like a
GameCube controller
The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube home video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller des ...
, and has an overall layout almost identical to a
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
Dual Analog Controller
The Dual Analog Controller (SCPH-1150 in Japan, SCPH-1180 in the United States, and SCPH-1180e in Europe) is Sony's first handheld analog controller for the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the DualShock. Its first official analog controller ...
for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
. Physical changes include the Z
L and Z
R buttons, which are now full shoulder buttons, the addition of grips underneath the controller for additional stability,
and analog sticks which are spaced farther apart than the original. The cord is positioned on top of the controller rather than the bottom, and the spring-loaded attachment slot underneath the original model was removed. The Pro version was first released in Japan in August 2009 in white and black versions.
It was subsequently released in Europe and North America in November 2009 and April 2010, respectively (though only in black in Europe). The black version was available bundled with ''
Monster Hunter Tri'', ''
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
''Pro Evolution Soccer 2010'' (officially abbreviated as ''PES 2010'' and known in Asia as ''World Soccer: Winning Eleven 2010'') is the ninth football video game in the ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' series. The game was developed and published by K ...
'', and ''
SD Gundam Gashapon Wars
The popularity of the Japanese anime metaseries ''Gundam'' since its release in 1979 has resulted in a spread of merchandise across various forms, with video games among them.
This is a list of video games that are set in the franchise's va ...
''.
![Gold classic controller pro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Gold_classic_controller_pro.JPG)
In addition to the standard colors, a black version with gold-colored artwork on the face was available bundled with ''
Samurai Warriors 3
is the third installment in the ''Samurai Warriors'' series, created by Tecmo Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in Japan on December 3, 2009, in Europe on May 28, 2010, in Australia on June 10, 2010, and in North America on September 28 ...
'' in Japan, and a completely gold-colored version Was available bundled in the ''
GoldenEye 007 Classic Edition'', and in Japan as a Club Nintendo reward. A red version was packed with limited copies of ''
Xenoblade Chronicles
is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is a part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries created by Tetsuya Takahashi, but was formed after Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft in 2007. The se ...
'' in Europe, and was eventually released separately in Europe as well. The L and R shoulder buttons are also no longer analog as they were on the original Classic Controller.
Wii U Fight Pad controller
Accessory maker PDP began releasing a line of officially licensed "Wired Fight Pad" controllers in 2014. Behaving identically to standard Classic Controller Pro models, they are based on the design and layout of the
GameCube controller
The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube home video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller des ...
, but with the "+", "-", "Home", and dual shoulder buttons that the GameCube controller lacks. On launch, they were released in ''Super Mario'' themed variants, including Mario, Peach, Luigi and Yoshi-colored versions.
Four more variants, featuring Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, and Wario themes were released in February 2015, followed by Metal Mario, as well as Toad and Zero Suit Samus as
GameStop
GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operates 4,5 ...
exclusives.
"Classic Edition" controllers
In July 2016, Nintendo announced the miniature
NES Classic Edition
NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console by Nintendo, which emulates the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It launched on November 10, 2016 in Australia and Japan, and November 11, 2016 in North America and Europe. Aesthet ...
, packaged with one controller based on the original
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
controller. Later in June 2017, Nintendo announced the miniature
Super NES Classic Edition
The Super NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console released by Nintendo, which emulates the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The console, a successor to the NES Classic Edition, comes with twenty-one Super NES titles pr ...
, packaged with two controllers based on the original SNES controllers depending on the region. Like the Super Famicom Classic Controller released by Club Nintendo, both controllers feature a connector similar to
Nunchuks
is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person wh ...
and Classic Controllers.
The controllers for the NES Classic Edition and Super NES Classic Edition can be plugged into their respective consoles. They are also compatible with the Wii and Wii U, as the controllers are recognized as Classic Controllers when plugged into a Wii Remote, which can be used to play
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
games on Wii and Wii U. While the controllers are also technically compatible with Wii and Wii U games that support the Classic Controller, it can be difficult or impossible to properly play certain games with these particular controllers because of the simple, primitive button layouts of the NES and SNES controllers they represent, with both controllers lacking the Classic Controller's analog sticks, the Z shoulder buttons and the HOME button, and the NES controller lacking the SNES controller's shoulder buttons and two extra face buttons.
Legal issues
Anascape Ltd filed a lawsuit against Nintendo claiming that the Classic Controller and other Nintendo devices violated Anascape's "six degrees of freedom" interface device patent. In July 2008, the court ruled in favor of Anascape. Nintendo was ordered to stop selling the Classic Controller in the United States until further notice. Nintendo exercised the right to continue selling the Classic Controller pending a verdict at the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is a United States court of appeals that has special appellate jurisdiction over certain types of specialized cases in the U.S. federal court ...
. On April 13, 2010, Nintendo won the appeal, and the previous court decision was reversed.
See also
*
GameCube controller
The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube home video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller des ...
*
List of games that use the Classic Controller
References
{{Nintendo hardware
Wii controllers
sv:Wii#Wii Classic Controller