I got a chance to take a quick look at the current Nintendo Revolution controller prototype today--but unfortunately, no chance to take pictures. At first, I thought it was a Wavebird.
That's because it looks just like a Wavebird, except that the GameCube face button scheme with the big A, small B, and X & Y kidney shaped buttons has been switched out for four small round buttons in a cross configuration, i.e. the traditional SNES/Playstation/Xbox setup. I believe the button color scheme used on the Revolution prototype is as follows: X (top) button = indigo, Y button = yellow, A button = green, B button = red.
Instead of the "Nintendo GameCube" logo in the across the center of the controller, it said "Nintendo Revolution," using the same GameCube font. The analog sticks were placed in the same locations as on a GameCube pad, as were the shoulder triggers. Keep in mind I only got a brief look at an image of the controller (5-10 seconds) and it was a top-down view so I couldn't see what was going on on the bottom side of the pad.
I was told that it'll evidently be wireless by default and no highly rumored special functions like gyroscopic technology or touchscreen pads were currently implemented or had even been hinted at by Nintendo. Also, "this is just a prototype, sometimes they change a lot before system launch, or sometimes, like in the case of the N64, the prototype was nearly the same as the final controller."
I realize this is pretty anticlimactic since the Revolution controller is being hyped as the super-secret linchpin of Nintendo's radically different next console, and here is it looking like a Wavebird with a different button configuration. Just remember, it's possible that Nintendo could still be holding back a lot of functions from the developers until later in order to preserve the shock & awe...
At least this should at least put to rest all those bogus rumors about prototypes people have seen at developers' offices with touchscreens, gyroscopes, hologram interaction, etc. As it stands, this is all developers have access to.
