By now, the Classic Controller Pro is old news: it's been out in Japan for nearly a year now, and we've even seen the thing in the US at Nintendo's booth during the Electronic Entertainment Expo last year. But it's finally coming stateside, and Nintendo is using the release of Capcom's upcoming Monster Hunter Tri to unleash it into the western wild.
The Classic Controller Pro is, essentially, an updated version of the Classic Controller, an optional Nintendo-made controller released day and date with the launch of the Nintendo Wii in November 2006. It still plugs into the bottom of a Wii remote with a three foot cord, so you're not getting a full-on wireless controller with this update. But there are significant improvements to the design, including an updated ergonomic housing, analog sticks that are further apart from each other, and a shoulder button layout that mimics the PlayStation 2/3 and Xbox/360 controllers.
Classic Controller (Bottom), Classic Controller Pro (Top)
The Classic Controller Pro does not add any new control buttons to the Classic Controller design. In fact, if anything, it removes a couple of components from the original unit. First, the shoulder buttons are no longer analog triggers; the analog triggers of the Classic Controller were rarely used by any game, and since Wii never allowed the use of the Classic Controller for GameCube games, Nintendo could justify removing the analog triggers for cheaper digital buttons. The recent lawsuit with Anascape, where the company claims the Classic Controller infringed on its so called "game controller with analog pressure sensor" patent might have had something to do with it, too.
The other omission: the mysterious spring-loaded bracket on the back. It was never used on the Classic Controller, so when the peripheral got a redesign that baffling mechanism got the axe.
Because the button and analog stick count is identical, the Classic Controller Pro can be used for any game that supports the original Classic Controller. No game absolutely requires the Classic Controller: even with the Virtual Console games, you always have the option of plugging in a GameCube controller for games that need the extra buttons that the Wii Remote/Nunchuk can't supply. And Nintendo hasn't allowed any retail game to absolutely require the peripheral: any disc-based game that supports Classic Controller also features stock control support.
But it makes playing certain games far more intuitive, comfortable, and more fun. Not only did it enable the standard controls for Super NES and Nintendo 64 games on the Virtual Console. It allowed for developers making cross-platform games to quickly bring over more traditionally controlling games to the Wii platform.
Classic Controller (Top), Classic Controller Pro (Bottom)
And the Classic Controller Pro is a vast improvement over the original Classic Controller. Even though it looks like a standard Classic Controller with third-party "handles," the device fills the hands much more comfortably. The cable now comes out of the back of the device, shifting the weight and towards the rear, a small and subtle but certainly noticeable change. And the Z buttons are now much more accessible stacked underneath the L and R buttons, instead of stupidly shifted next to them as tiny toggles that were near impossible to press in the heat of battle.
The Classic Controller Pro hits shelves day and date with Monster Hunter Tri on April 20th in the US, both as a pack-in with the game (in black) or as a standalone (in black or white). By itself, the peripheral is $19.99, but getting the Monster Hunter Tri bundle will make the Classic Controller Pro only $10. And judging by our review of the game, Monster Hunter Tri is best played with the Classic Controller peripheral.
The Wii remote and nunchuk will always be the system standard -- but it's nice to have options for more traditional control options. And the Classic Controller Pro is a much improved alternative to the original Classic COntroller.
Text taken from
IGN 
Classic Controller Pro Impressions 
Linear Mode
