A QA tester outs a shocking new image of a Nintendo Wii U tablet that appears to have undergone a redesign since last year’s E3.
The lead up to the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo has just hit ludicrous speed all thanks to one @MATTYBOOSH (no relation to the BBC comedy show) on Twitter, who decided, likely at the risk of his own employment at TT Games as a QA tester, to post new surprising images of the Nintendo Wii U’s tablet-shaped controller, revealing that the peripheral has gone under the knife since the previous E3.
Most dramatically in this face-lift, is the replacement of the dimpled circle pads, found on the 3DS, which have been given the boot in exchange for traditional analog sticks, Wii Nunchuk/Classic Controller style. Oh, but there’s other new quirks to this redesign, and look, we even have an awesome gif (not totally accurate) to easily show off the differences between what the tablet looked back in E3 2011 to now.
Image thanks to GoNintendo.
Here’s a quick list of the design changes to the Wii U’s tablet-controller that smart Internet-sleuths (thanks, gumshoes!) have been able to piece together so far:
1. A Wii U logo appears on bottom left-hand side of the tablet. I’m guessing this also means those reports of a potential console name change-up were bunk; I, for one, welcome our new Wii U overlords.
2. The Plus & Minus buttons have been moved to the right of the tablet’s 854×480 touch screen.
3. There are two strange, square-shaped indentations below the d-pad and between the power button and battery life indicator. Who knows what the wholly poo poo they’re for?
4. The Home button is surrounded by a ring light. Yes, comparisons to the one on the Xbox 360’s controller have been made.
5. If you notice carefully at the header picture, it seems the tablet’s edges look more beveled, pebble-smooth almost.
For any doubters out there that think Matty Boosh’s pictures are %100 fake, the Tweet and Tweeter in question that ignited this hot story are now gone (for legal reasons, no doubt) as those ill-fitting circle pads are (seriously, who down at Nintendo HQ thought that THAT was a good idea?! Probably the same dude who said, “Hey guys, how about having Team Ninja make a Metroid game? What could possibly go wrong!”).
Someone did manage to take a screenshot of the Tweet, for proof, before it was deleted though, and sniffing around Matt Boosh’s line of profession, he would be the kind of person who would be privy to such top-secret equipment. Who knows in the end though, we’ve been duped many times before. Anyway, what say you fine reader – yea or nay – on the redesign to the tablet-controller for the Nintendo Wii U?
Personally, I kind of dig it, especially the change in sticks. That right there makes all my concerns, and there weren’t that many from the start, honestly, for the Nintendo Wii U go down a notch or two. Can’t wait to see what else Nintendo has to show at E3 2012, but like you, we’ll have to wait till June 4 for that ripe goodness. In the meanwhile, enjoy these sweet-looking Star Wars abstract paint splatter portraits and incredible Iron Man sneakers.
