Release dates emerge for Mad Catz Wiimote and "Funchuk"

Sadly, no new pictures of the two Mad Catz controllers, that as far as we know will be the first such 3rd party controllers for the Wii, but at least we finally have an idea when these things might start hitting store shelves. As promised by Amazon UK, the "Wand Remote Controller" will retail for £24.99 ($49 US) and be released on September 28th, with Amazon selling it for a "bargain" price of £19.99 ($39 US). Mac Catz will be hitting with the "Funchuk Controller" on June 29th for a more palatable £9.99 ($20 US), and Amazon UK is promising a discounted price of £8.99 ($18 US). A pretty long wait, to be sure, and given the generally shoddy construction of nearly all 3rd party controllers in the history of man, we're not really on edge here, but we're sure Mad Catz will still find its way into plenty a home with this pair.

[Thanks, Afzilla]

Read - Wand Remote Controller
Read - Funchuk Controller

[Christian Martin @ Mar 21st 2007 3:47PM]

Man, I saw "Mac Catz" and thought this was another opportunity to bag on Conrad. But anyway, is it just me or does "Funchuk" sound like something from Chuck E. Cheese?

[Kev50027 @ Mar 21st 2007 3:58PM]

Mad Catz makes pure trash. I pledge to never buy anything from them ever. Aren't they owned by CompUSA or something? Doesn't matter, they're both going down the pot.

[grable @ Mar 21st 2007 4:12PM]

I hope this turns out well, i need a bigger nunchuck as my hand gets cramps when playing zelda..

I think its too small for me, and i dont have huge hands either :(

[Ray-- @ Mar 21st 2007 4:46PM]

wake me up when someone makes a wireless nunchuck... you know where you plug a wireless transmitter into the bottom of the wii remote and the nunchuck is wireless...

then ill take out the credit card....

[dnl2ba @ Mar 21st 2007 7:48PM]

@Ray

Nintendo probably kept the wire on for the nunchuk so you wouldn't have to worry about batteries and synching for both it and the Wiimote. Not to mention the confusion over figuring out which nunchuk goes with which Wiimote...

[Matt @ Mar 21st 2007 6:21PM]

I bought 2 Mad Catz Gamecube controllers when my brother busted 2 of my originals. After a week, they both developed an annoying twitch in the thumbstick that, while barely noticeable in most games, led to many untimely deaths while trying to walk some of the razor thin paths at the end of Ocarina of Time. For me, its OEM or nothing.

[tiuk @ Mar 21st 2007 7:31PM]

Considering these are barely cheaper than first party controllers, I really don't see why anyone would buy them.

[waLLy @ Mar 21st 2007 8:34PM]

@ tuik: 'cuz nobody can find F.P. controllers on store shelves... still...

[tiuk @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:57PM]

I suppose that's a point. I got my second Wii remote by buying Wii Play, and found a Nunchuk on store shelves back when I was trying to find a Wii (I bought it knowing they were hard to find).

Still, IMO it's worth waiting for FP controllers.

[FIR3BRDRACR @ Mar 21st 2007 9:49PM]

@ Ray
indeed, i completely agree with you

besides, anyone notice that these 3rd party controllers are MORE expensive than the official nintendo ones? and its mad catz...
forget it, i would avoid

(besides, i have all 4 remotes and nunchucks)

[enzo @ Mar 21st 2007 11:28PM]

Yeah, Engadget should consider moving Mad Catz products to the "keepin' it real fake" category.

[Garrett @ Mar 22nd 2007 2:17AM]

Ever since i bought a Mad Catz Controller that fried my N64 I will never trust that company again.

[garion @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:22AM]

I wouldn't go so far as to slam all 3rd party controllers. Though I'm not sure what they're up to these days (if they're even still in business), but Ascii made some wicked controllers for the SNES. I can't imagine gaming on the SNES without an Asciipad. I think they made a nice lil one handed RPG-oriented controller for the PS1 as well.

Good times.

[mykie @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:01PM]

As I understand it, Ascii actually manufactured the original SNES pads for Nintendo, and marketed their outstanding Ascii Pad for SNES separately.

[Randomness @ Mar 22nd 2007 2:09PM]

I want the wireless nunchuck. Have the chuck wireless, and a wireless adapter for the Wiimote. It won't be a problem telling which goes with which because of my LED mods for both to coordinate them :) Nintendo probably won't do it because then they'll have to put another strap on the nunchuck side...

[John Laur @ Mar 22nd 2007 2:33PM]

I wish someone would make some virtual console controllers that emulate the classic controller but are constructed with the physical form factors of the original systems' (NES, Genesis, TG16, SNES, N64) controllers.

[lettcco @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:01PM]

when I first glanced at the title I saw "Funchuk" without the n and hu