Wii U Hardware Updates: Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller

As many of you know by now, Nintendo kicked off E3 a bit earlier than expected with their Pre E3 2012 video. This 30-minute video showcased various hardware changes and confirmations. While no major improvements were announced over last year's offers, the presentation clarified several things about the odd-looking gamepad.

Nintendo now officially calls it the Wii U GamePad (surprised?). It has been slightly redesigned to provide a greater sense of comfort. The joysticks are also a bit longer and do not follow the 3DS-like style shown in last year's prototype. There's also a "TV" button sitting comfortably at the bottom, which allows players to switch a game between the TV and the tablet itself. To this day, we find this feature incredibly useful.

This is the official Wii U GamePad:

Although it still looks rather clunky when compared to traditional gaming controllers, we are optimistic and confident it will revolutionize the gaming arena as much as the Wii U controller once did.

An unexpected surprise, however, came in the form of a more conventional-looking controller, which resembles an Xbox 360 gamepad's shape. We don't know how much use we'll have for it, but it sure looks impressive. Nintendo has officially named it the Wii U Pro Controller:

Nintendo's next console seems to be looking bright so far. A massive list of games is already on the horizon, many which are for the hardcore gamer in you. Now let's see what else the company has to show off this Tuesday at the official Nintendo press conference.