Wii U Pro Controller Not Compatible With Wii Games

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It seems like Nintendo's really hitching its bets on the success of the Wii U based off the Wii.

It seems like Nintendo's marketing team really has its work cut out for itself. Considering the amount of confusion surrounding the console and its touchscreen controller, new information recently uncovered about the hardware compatibility with Wii U controllers is enough to make one's head hurt from repeated facepalming.

After concerns were raised about the fact that the Wii U will support only two gamepads (and only one at launch), Nintendo revealed its Wii U pro controller. Essentially, it's a completely redesigned Wii Classic Controller Pro channeling the Xbox 360. Lately, the company's been trumpeting the fact that the Wii U Pro controller boasts a battery life of 80 hours on a single charge, impressive compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360's controllers meager 20-30 hours.

Yet, the Wii U Pro controller has a bit of a flaw. Despite the Wii U's backward compatibility with Wii games, an original Wii Classic Controller Pro is required to play the games. Yes, that means gamers who buy the Wii U hoping to play Wii games will have to drop some extra cash to get their hands on a Wii Classic Controller Pro.

The Wii Classic Controller Pro is retailing for only $20, so it hardly costs an arm and a leg to get your hands on one if you so wish. It is a bit of a minor nuisance when you factor in the fact that you already dropped a few Benjamins on a fresh new console.

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Catherine Cai
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dormantreign
    This is one system i'm standing in line for. Once the dust settles everything will work itself out :)
    Reply
  • edogawa
    That thing is seriously ugly, and who is going to look at a controller when your playing on a large TV; excluding the fact that it looks uncomfortable to handle.


    Seems like another gimmick to me, even if it sells a ton like the original Wii.
    Reply
  • notuptome2004
    EDOGAWAThat thing is seriously ugly, and who is going to look at a controller when your playing on a large TV; excluding the fact that it looks uncomfortable to handle. Seems like another gimmick to me, even if it sells a ton like the original Wii.


    lots of people will be looking at it as well as the TV as games are designed for it and make use of it with many good features also games liek Zombie U it adds tention to the game
    Another use for the 1.1 LB GP if you w atch all the videos is work out very well and also the fact you can then switch the game to the GP if you wish while someone else does somthing else on the big screen the gimmick in the system is that it works well and already proven so by game developers who are more then thrilled with what the system and the GP can do
    Reply
  • notuptome2004
    notuptome2004lots of people will be looking at it as well as the TV as games are designed for it and make use of it with many good features also games liek Zombie U it adds tention to the game Another use for the 1.1 LB GP if you w atch all the videos is work out very well and also the fact you can then switch the game to the GP if you wish while someone else does somthing else on the big screen the gimmick in the system is that it works well and already proven so by game developers who are more then thrilled with what the system and the GP can do and none of them find it a cheap gimmick or a gimick at all as it allows them to take there vision further and bringing you more in to that vision as a gamer dont forget all the other uses it will have like Nintendo TVii
    Reply
  • alidan
    EDOGAWAThat thing is seriously ugly, and who is going to look at a controller when your playing on a large TV; excluding the fact that it looks uncomfortable to handle. Seems like another gimmick to me, even if it sells a ton like the original Wii.
    it is comfortable, its been sad by everyone who has had hands on, and isnt a 1 system to rule them all fanboy that it feals good.

    as for who will look at it. think of all the games people play and not whatever stupid idea you have for how it works. i assume you are thinking that mid combo in a devil may cry like game you will need to look at the pad, press the screen and than back to the tv.

    think of it like taking the mini map off the tv and on the pad, i dont know about everyone, but look at borderlands 2 minimap, that is to small for my taste, hell most diablo like games (torchlight, titan quest) i end up making the minimap a screen overlay map instead because of how small they are, and how little they show that way. with a second screen the minimap

    or lets go over to a game where switching things on the fly is necessary, i want you to think zelda oot, where a pause was necessary, or hell, most games where a pause is necessary. in zelda, you could easily switch between the 20+ items you have with a simple touch instead of pause, menu scroll with the sticks, so on so forth.

    or with a fps, granted i would hate playing them on a console, but lets go this way.

    assult weapon, it plugs into a gun like peripheral, and locks the tablet at the end, and give you controls were you should hold the gun for aiming. because the tablet can tell direction and angle, just imagine that, you look down the gun barrel to see a screen, there is your iron sites, your scope, ect, move it to the side a bit and you have tv for from the hip.

    really am i the only one who posts here who can imagine this working good?
    granted it all up to devs to use it and make it good, but am i the only person who has imagination here?
    Reply
  • phatboe
    lets prejudge the controller before it has even been released
    Reply
  • Bloob
    You would likely already own a Wii Classic Pro, if that is your priority. Also it is pretty interesting what Nintendo had to go through to make that tablet controller work:
    http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/179579/Nintendo_shares_its_tricks_for_reducing_latency_on_Wii_Us_GamePad.php#.UH-uyIZ5eLk
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    remember when people complained about how big the original xbox controller was? this thing makes that controller look normal in size.
    Reply
  • neiroatopelcc
    so you can only play with two controllers max? not 4 like the old one? that's a turnoff for me ; and I was considering getting one of those consoles
    Reply
  • Bloob
    neiroatopelccso you can only play with two controllers max? not 4 like the old one? that's a turnoff for me ; and I was considering getting one of those consolesI think 5 is the limit, 1-2 tablets, and 3-4 Wii-motes.
    Reply