Summary
In a surprising move, the Wii is getting a newGuitar Herocontroller in 2025. This may surprise many, considering the Wii and theGuitar Heroseries are both defunct, and have been quite for some time.
The Wii was a triumphant return for Nintendo at the time, after theGameCube relatively falteredcompared to the PS2. However, the Wii’s heyday is long gone, with the console no longer being produced after 2013, over a decade ago. Similarly, the last mainlineGuitar Herogame was 2015’sGuitar Hero Live, while the last entry to appear on the Wii launched in 2010 withGuitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Most gamers have long since moved on from both the console and the game series.
With that said, Hyperkin is releasing a newGuitar Herocontroller, specifically for the Wii versions of the game. According to Hyperkin, the Hyper Strummer guitar controller can be used withGuitar Herogames and theRock Bandgames that launched on the Wii, namelyRock Band 2,3,The Beatles,Green Day, andLego Rock Band. It’s not compatible with the originalRock Band. The Hyper Strummer is an updated model of a priorGuitar Herocontroller released by the company, and can be used by plugging in theWiiMotein the back of the controller. The Hyperkin Hyper Strummer controller launches on January 8, with a price of $76.99 on Amazon.
Why Release a Guitar Hero Wii Controller Now?
A question many gamers may have is who this controller is intended for. With theGuitar Heroseries and Wii console both discontinued, this controller isn’t likely to fly off store shelves. However, it’s something many retro gamers may be happy to purchase.Guitar HeroandRock Bandperipherals tend to take a beating over time, and many players may have given up on the games after their controllers gave out, especially as the official ones that launched alongside the games stopped being produced. The Hyperkin Hyper Strummer givesnostalgicGuitar Herofansa chance to get back into the games.
Guitar Herohas also seen something of a resurgence in interest lately for a couple of reasons. One is the addition ofFortnite Festival inFortnite, which introduced aRock BandandGuitar Hero-esqueexperience for the online game. Gamers are also challenging themselves to do things like beat every song inGuitar Herowithout missing a note. Having a controller that won’t miss any inputs is key for those hoping to complete similar challenges, so picking up a fresh controller from Hyperkin may be attractive to those gamers.
