For the past few months, the gaming world has been abuzz with anticipation over Nintendo’s new game console and its supposedly revolutionary new controller. Well, while delivering his keynote speech from the Tokyo Game Show yesterday, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata finally put an end to the suspense, unveiling the controller that will be used for Nintendo’s next generation console.

The new controller resembles a TV remote more than it does a conventional game controller, and it is designed to be held like a TV remote, with the thumb falling on the cross pad and large ‘A’ button below it, and the index finger gripping the ‘B’ trigger underneath the controller. Midway down the face of the controller are the Home button (whose purpose Nintendo has yet to elaborate on) flanked by the requisite Start and Select buttons. Further down are the alternate ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons, placed such that the controller can be turned on its side and used as a standard NES controller.

The industrial design of the controller exudes a very iPod-like air of understated beauty, as does the console itself. Both console and controller will be available in a variety of colors.

The controller’s most striking feature, however, cannot be seen. The entire controller features sophisticated aiming and motion-tracking features, thanks to a built-in gyroscope and a pair external motion sensors mounted on either side of the display. The controller can also be used to “aim” at things on-screen, with the game replicating the controller’s movements in 3D space. Nintendo showed off various demos illustrating how the controller could be used to manipulate objects on screen.

The controller will also be able to accept a variety of attachments designed to be operated by the free hand, such as the analog thumbstick seen here. The attachments connect to the main controller through a port on the underside of the controller.  The entire array connects wirelessly to the console itself, with one of the four blue indicators at the bottom signaling which virtual controller port you are using.

For older games, Nintendo includes ports for a standard GameCube controller in the top of the console itself, hidden under a protective flap which also hides two GameCube memory slots.

It remains to be seen how third-parties will react to the new controller, but Nintendo is fully committed to it.

All pictures courtesy Nintendo.