Black Wii Remote, Nunchuk hit US Nov. 16

North American gamers who have grown weary of the Wii's white-hued hardware will soon have another option--at least as far as the console's controllers are concerned.

Starting on November 16, Nintendo of America will begin selling a black Wii Remote bundled with a Wii MotionPlus attachment. The $49.99 package will also include a matte-black silicone sleeve for the unit, unlike the translucent clear sleeves currently packed in with the Wii, Wii Remote, Wii MotionPlus, and the best-selling Wii Play, which includes a Wii Remote.

To match the Wii Remote, Nintendo is also releasing a $19.99 black Nunchuk attachment. It is not, however, releasing a black version of the Wii itself, which was reduced to $199 last month in the US. On August 1, the Japanese market got a black Wii model, although Nintendo has announced no plans to release it in Europe or North America.

Ironically, it was a black-finish Wii--then called the "Revolution"--that Nintendo first unveiled at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo. At the same time, the company released concept art of red, silver, black, white, and lime-green consoles (pictured), although only the white and black have seen production.

When asked for comment, all a Nintendo rep would say is, "We have nothing to announce about the availability of the black Wii console outside of Japan at this time."