Retro tech: The best game pads for the Wii

Will Greenwald, Associate Editor May 14, 2008

The Nintendo Wiimote is darn fun, but it can only go so far. Sure, you can swing it around in Wii Sports or Zelda Twilight Princess, and you can even turn it sideways for old-school NES games on the Virtual Console. Beyond that, however, it's sorely lacking. You can't use the controller to play GameCube games or most Virtual Console titles. Fortunately, Nintendo thought ahead and made the Wiimote accept additional accesory controllers and put four conventional GameCube controller ports on the Nintendo Wii itself. Here are the three top wireless game pads you can use with the Wii. The Classic Controller is by far the most comfortable for Virtual Console games, but it won't play GameCube games at all. The Mad Catz MicroCon Wireless Controller is the least expensive, but it doesn't rumble and doesn't feel quite right in large hands. The Mad Catz MicroCon Wireless Controller is the least expensive, but it doesn't feel quite right in large hands. In the end, we have to side with the good old Nintendo WaveBird. It works with any game you throw at it and feels good in the hand.

More Resources

Nintendo Wii review,

Must-have Wii accessories,

Top GameCube games for the Wii,

Nintendo Wii: Everything you need to know