Remembering the first great wireless controller, the Wavebird.

When I got my Gamecube in 2004, I had used only one wireless controller previously - the Sega Saturn 'Naki' brand....and it sucked (I've since acquired the official Sega Saturn one, which is good, but still has limitations). The old infrared wireless controllers needed a line of sight between the controller and receiver to work properly, and there was often serious input lag. But I decided to take a chance on the Wavebird, since this was an actual Nintendo brand product, and I'm glad I did. The Wavebird was an exceptional controller that worked just as well as any wired one, and managed to keep the form factor and approximate its weight (with batteries added). The trade off was not including a rumble option, to preserve battery life, but it wasn't a necessity to me. Had many good times with the Wavebird playing and replaying Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime with it. Kudos to Nintendo for being a pioneer in the wireless controller realm. Here's a neat article from the old 'Gamespotting' column about the Wavebird.

web.archive.org/web/20030625020815/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/gamespotting/062102/p2_01.html

It's an excellent controller. I have four of them. The first one I got was around the time they came out and it still works perfectly. I didn't want to deal with wires anymore, so I gradually built up the others. It might not have rumble, but I can live without it.

I remember the Wavebird coming out around launch. I remember it was one of the only orange Gamecube things released here - it was odd, considering we never got that color Gamecube in the US.

I had wanted to buy a Wavebird for a while, but at the time I was just starting high school and still had no income. I would save up my allowance, but usually would want to use it toward the great selection of games that the system had. I could just never see the reason in spending close to the amount of an actual game on another controller, whenever the two I had worked fine.

It was always interesting to me that Nintendo released the Wavebird pretty much on or near launch, yet their reason for the Gamecube having a handle on the back of it was so that the player could "pull the console towards them" as they play a game and "feel that connection to the console". So Nintendo was simultaneously telling us we were free of cords and could sit anywhere in a room while playing the Gamecube, but also assuming we would sit right in front of the Gamecube.

The Wavebird is a wonderful controller. Too bad 2 of mine don't work quite as well as they used to....

I liked the wavebird, I still own four of them...but it didn't have vibration.

Also, the wireless Logitech controllers were amazing and highly rated. I owned two of them and they had vibration.

Ah classic. It was so cool when it came out.

Link make me cry. Simpler times...

Of course, post-gerstmann (for whom, btw, I really never cared one way or another -- I assume he'd feel the same towards me), the mods took over and saying things like "unfarted" in unions and boards were leading to suspensions and bans. God, were the moderators total fucking dicks around hear when the site was "good".

Totally ruined a good thing. And, yes, once they got a hard on for you, they lurked and rode your ass for every little thing.

From then it was one **** you after another to the community until you have what you see now.

Anyway, even though I was never a gerstmann fan, the damage was done and irreversible; it was the first, true harbinger of the soulless shit sandwich this site was going to shove down our throats, corporate-style.

Oh, and the Wavebird? Never had one, but, of course, I always wanted one. I'm going to back, read that article and weep now. Thanks.

My comment got erased. **** these lurking assholes.

Third try, no swearing.

Hellz yeah. Great blog!

@BravoOneActual: thanks bro!

Yeah. I seem to remember loving mine right up until the moment *someone* spilled juice on it. It was a sad, sad day to have to go back to the wired controller, especially as GC controller cords are (if memory serves) unusually short.