Shane Battye a renowned gaming preservationist has managed to get his hands on early N64 controller prototype and has posted about his discovery on Twitter listing out his observations. The controller looks a bit different from the retail version, with one having the joystick with padding and appears thicker than the model available in the market. The colors of A, B, and C are also different.

Retro Gaming Preservationist discovers a rare Nintendo 64 Prototype controller. Before the public even gets a glimpse of the new console, the N64 controller is made available to developers in prototype before it gets launched.

According to standard procedure, new games are available before the console’s launch such that it can be classified based on specifications and capacities.

But thanks to strict NDA’s and contracts these prototypes are rarely revealed to the public.

However, Shane Battye has secretly managed to get a look of the gaming controller. A notable difference which has been marked is the addition of a cord that somehow seems like a technical rendition for development purposes.

The unit was previously called the Ultra 64, but due to some legal issues, Nintendo switched the name and eventually came up with N64. Nintendo highly endorsed the console much before its scheduled release by leaving a photo of the almost finished design.

By the first-hand look of the controller revealed by Shane Battye, it can be well assumed what he N64 would have looked like but still requires verification from the SGI Indy UNIX Workstation for understanding why Nintendo changed the joystick.