Topic: Classic Controller Pro Announced for North America

[NWR_DrewMG]

The modified controller will be bundled with Monster Hunter Tri.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20828

 Today Capcom and Nintendo announced that the Classic Controller Pro, the redesigned version of the current Classic Controller, will be bundled in North America with Monster Hunter Tri.  The controller was previously only available in Japan and Europe.  The game is set to launch in America sometime after April 1, 2010 but no firm launch date has been announced.    

The Classic Controller Pro bundled with Monster Hunter Tri will be black, however both black and white versions will be available at retail separate from the bundle at a suggested retail price of $19.99.  The Monster Hunter Tri bundle will be available for $59.99, and without the controller for $49.99.      

The Classic Controller Pro is compatible with all games that support the original Classic Controller, however it does not feature analog shoulder buttons like the original classic controller.   Any games that support the analog shoulder buttons of the Classic Controller would not function in exactly the same way as on the Classic Controller Pro.    

The Classic Controller Pro differs from the original model in that it has been remodeled with stacked shoulder buttons and analog sticks that sit further apart from each other.  The controller also contains side grips making it sit more comfortably in your hand.      

     THE PERFECT BUNDLE FOR HUNTING SEASON: MONSTER HUNTER® TRI AND WII CLASSIC CONTROLLER PRO    

Bundle Will Bring the Highly- Anticipated New Controller and Popular Franchise Together for the Ultimate Monster Hunting Experience on the Wii System    

SAN MATEO, CA, and REDMOND, WA, - January 25, 2010 - Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Nintendo of America today announced an exciting new bundle featuring one of the most highly anticipated titles for 2010, Monster Hunter® Tri, and combining it with the new Classic Controller Pro™ for the Wii™ system. The Classic Controller Pro's more traditional control configuration will give gamers the ultimate Monster Hunting experience when the bundle becomes available in North America this April at a suggested retail price of $59.99.    

"Monster Hunter Tri has made a huge splash in the Japanese market, and we're confident the bundle with the Classic Controller Pro will give fans in North America plenty to get excited about," said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America's vice president of Licensing. "Gamers of all kinds enjoy playing games on Wii. Monster Hunter Tri delivers an incredible new experience on Wii, while the Classic Controller Pro gives players even more control options for their favorite Wii games."    

The new Classic Controller Pro includes a second row of shoulder buttons and ergonomically friendly grips. The Classic Controller Pro plugs directly into the Wii Remote™ controller, and until now, has been available only in the Japanese market.    

The Classic Controller Pro will be compatible with more than 450 Wii, WiiWare™ and Virtual Console™ games. The Classic Controller Pro bundled with Monster Hunter Tri will be black, while both black and white versions of the controller will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.    

Making its North American debut on Wii this spring, Monster Hunter Tri is one of the most strikingly beautiful titles developed for Nintendo's Wii system. Pushing the hardware to the limit, Monster Hunter Tri depicts a living, breathing ecosystem where humans co-exist with majestic monsters that roam both dry land and brand new sub-aqua environments – a first for the series. Offering the player varied control configurations to suit their style of play, players can choose between the Classic Controller Pro, Wii Remote™ and Nunchuck™, or Classic Controller™ to slay the monsters that inhabit the world.    

The Monster Hunter series has sold over 11 million units worldwide and has become a social phenomenon in Japan giving rise to training camps, dedicated festivals and numerous licensed products. According to Media Create, Monster Hunter Tri sold 520,000 units in its first week of release in Japan and became the leading title sold across all platforms for the week of its release.    

For more information about Monster Hunter Tri, please visit: http://press.capcom.com    

ABOUT CAPCOM  Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Tokyo Korea and Hong Kong, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.

[broodwars]

Hmm...I would have appreciated the thing being $15 instead of $20, but whatever.  We're finally getting the damn thing, which is good enough for me.

Incidentally, what games on the VC or Wii support analog shoulder buttons?  Smash Bros. Brawl, I suppose, but I can't think of many others.

[NWR_DrewMG]

Broodwars, I tried to do some quick research on exactly that for this news post, but couldn't find any results.  Anyone got that info?  I'm curious.

[Pale]

They need to somehow make Classic Controller Cube game compatibility work to coincide with this release.  That would be wonderful.

As it stands now, if I decide to get Monster Hunter, I'll probably get the bundle... otherwise I probably won't bother.

[NWR_Neal]

I do not regret spending $30 to get a Japanese CCPro back in October.

Regardless, I'm glad that this is coming stateside, though I can't say I'm surprised in the manner it is coming out. If I decide to get Monster Hunter, I'll most likely get the bundle, but that is a big IF.

[KDR_11k]

Hmm...I would have appreciated the thing being $15 instead of $20, but whatever.

MSRP is 30€ here, I only paid 25 because Toys'r'us had it cheaper.

[kraken613]

Finally! I never got around to importing one.

[UltimatePartyBear]

They need to somehow make Classic Controller Cube game compatibility work to coincide with this release.  That would be wonderful.

Without the analog shoulder buttons, it's not really a GC controller anymore, so I don't see why that would coincide with the CC Pro's release.  It really bugs me that Nintendo would take away functionality like that.

[BeautifulShy]

I knew this was coming stateside. Great news!

[SuperMario4Ever]

Finlay CCP is coming stateside cant wait 2 bye it

[Pale]

They need to somehow make Classic Controller Cube game compatibility work to coincide with this release.  That would be wonderful.

Without the analog shoulder buttons, it's not really a GC controller anymore, so I don't see why that would coincide with the CC Pro's release.  It really bugs me that Nintendo would take away functionality like that.

You're right that my pathetic attempt at linking the two is pretty much nullified by this, but I don't see why the shouldn't still do it.  Just make the triggers equate to a full press of the analog button and let people still use a cube controller for the few games that actually require analog triggers.

[Ian Sane]

It's cool that we're finally getting this in North America.

Though I probably won't get one.  I don't really use my classic controller much at all.  I don't buy VC games and of my Wii game collection it appears that every game either requires the use of the remote (Nintendo loves making us hold the controller sideways for example) or supports the Gamecube controller which usually I would rather use.  I got a classic controller early on, under the assumption that that would be the way I would often prefer to play.  But in practice it's pretty much been useless.  I WOULD use it if games like NSMB Wii supported it but it doesn't.

[Stratos]

I'm pleasantly surprised.

I bought a regular CC but getting a second one would be nice if I want to play multiplayer on certain VC games.

[TJ Spyke]

Hmm...I would have appreciated the thing being $15 instead of $20, but whatever.

Consider that the regular Classic Controller is $20, and this one is better, there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of it being less than $20.

[broodwars]

Hmm...I would have appreciated the thing being $15 instead of $20, but whatever.

Consider that the regular Classic Controller is $20, and this one is better, there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of it being less than $20.

I know.  Just wishful thinking considering I find all the peripherals for all the consoles to be dramatically overpriced.

[Halbred]

Great--this gives me a good excuse to buy a second Classic Controller for my 2-player VC games (and there are a few).

[Mop it up]

I don't own a Classic Controller because it doesn't look very comfortable, but the Pro version seems to fix that. I wasn't aware that the original Classic Controller had analogue shoulder buttons, and I never heard of any game that actually used them, probably because games which support the Classic Controller also allow for other controller options.

...In fact, other that Luigi's Mansion and Super Smash Brothers Melee, I can't think of a GameCube game that used the analogue shoulder buttons, and the two I mentioned didn't use them creatively.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

The Rogue Squadron games, Burnout 2, and Mario Sunshine, and Wave Race: Blue Storm, and Wind Waker, and Eternal Darkness, and F-Zero GX, and Battalion Wars, and and and and

Most players don't notice cuz they're the kind of weaklings who only know how to spam Left/Right on the stick in Mario Kart and forget the space in between can be used for gentle steering.

[TJ Spyke]

Mop, did you ever play games on the SNES? The Classic Controller feels pretty much like a SNES controller, and it's pretty much required if you want to play Super Mario World on VC (the button layout on the GCN controller makes it almost impossible to play SMW).

[Mop it up]

Mop, did you ever play games on the SNES? The Classic Controller feels pretty much like a SNES controller, and it's pretty much required if you want to play Super Mario World on VC (the button layout on the GCN controller makes it almost impossible to play SMW).

I have an SNES and Super Mario World (plus pretty much every other SNES game the VC offers that's worth having) so I've no need to play Super Mario World on the VC. The SNES controller is usable but it just doesn't compare to any controller with handles.

The Rogue Squadron games, Burnout 2, and Mario Sunshine, and Wave Race: Blue Storm, and Wind Waker, and Eternal Darkness, and F-Zero GX, and Battalion Wars, and and and and

I forgot about the Burnout games, they used it for acceleration, though it wasn't necessary.
I don't recall Super Mario Sunshine using it for the waterpack, but I might not have tried it.
How was it used for Zelda: Wind Waker and Battalion Wars?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Mario can control the power of his squirt.

Wind Waker and BW and ED use the soft trigger for lock-on, while the full trigger click will change targets without leaving the lock-on mode.

Burnout used analog for acceleration and braking.

[KDR_11k]

Also a full press in Sunshine locked you in place and let you control the aim while a partial press would let you run while squirting.

The CC is useful for Megadrive and C64 games too, e.g. The Last Ninja binds its weapon and inventory functions to CC buttons (they are bound to the F keys in the original)

[Jonnyboy117]

It is technically impossible to enable Classic Controller support in GameCube games. So it's not worth debating.

I just got a Pro from Play-Asia; cost me about $40 after shipping, which sucks, but at least I don't have to wait until April to enjoy the thing. It feels so good that I may eventually buy another one at the normal price. Thank goodness NOA finally got around to announcing the Pro, and the price is totally reasonable and expected. I'm especially glad to see they are both bundling it with MH3 and selling it separately in both colors.

[NWR_Lindy]

Sooooooooo want.

[Shaymin]

I think this just dropped MH3 on my radar, if only because I can justify it as a $30 Pro + $30 MH3.