Nintendo Wii Fanboy

As much as we'd love to import one of these gorgeous arcade sticks -- modeled after the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick -- $59.90, not including steep shipping fees for the 4+ lb. controller, is just too rich for our blood, especially since it's only compatible with a limited selection of Wii games. For Virtual Console games, however, this would be the business.

For now, we'll just have to live through David Spreckley who bought one of these sticks from an Akihabara shop and posted photos of the unboxed product online to torment jealous gamers. Down, Down Forward, Forward + Punch past the post break for another glamour shot of the Neo Geo Stick 2.

Much to our delight, SNK's Neo Geo Stick 2 for the Wii will retain that classic black look of the original and PS2 controllers, foregoing the predictable white case that Hori opted for. Jeux France has uncovered several photos of the arcade stick, unboxed and beside its packaging, and it is gorgeous. Leaving one of these displayed on your coffee table sends a clear message to your visitors: "This guy is serious business." Just make sure not to break up that illusion by letting them see your Chewbacca bedsheets -- you don't want people to think that the business you're serious about is living like a twelve-year-old.

Back on topic, the Neo Geo Stick 2 supports both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. Retailers in Japan won't begin selling the arcade controller until April 10th, but you can preorder one now from import shop Play Asia for as cheap as $59.90. Step past the break for more photos from SNK's product page.

As much as we adore Hori's arcade sticks, we love hardware with the words Neo Geo printed on them even more! Both Amazon.jp and Japanese retailer Rakuten have posted product pages for a Wii version of the Neo Geo Stick 2, an arcade-style, ball-top controller previously put together by SNK-Playmore and Sega Logistics for the PS2.

If it's anything like the PS2 remake of the original Neo Geo Stick (see above image), this new edition will also have non-analog L and R buttons hugging its four primary convex buttons like a set of parentheses. Hopefully, the Wii version will keep that classy black color; it would be a travesty if it didn't!

The Neo Geo Stick 2 is scheduled to arrive in Japan this April 10th, selling for ¥5,040 (approximately $47). According to Rakuten, the controller will support both Wii games and Virtual Console titles. With this announced, a Wii release for SNK Arcade Classics seems like a sure thing!

[Via Arcade Renaissance]