New controller for the Wii alongside with Monster Hunter Tri

Traditionally, Nintendo launches new peripherals alongside its own software. Mario Kart Wii came bundled with a plastic wheel…But for the new Classic Controller Pro, Nintendo has turned to Capcom.

The new controller, which features a few tweaks to the original Classic Controller, will be bundled with copies of the newly released Monster Hunter Tri. In addition to supporting the controller, as well as a number other control schemes—including the original Classic Controller and the WiiMote and Nunchuk combo—the game will also make use of Wii Speak, so players can communicate via voice chat while playing online.

The Monster Hunter series has garnered an immense following in Japan, with a series of top-selling PSP releases. And the Wii release has already become the top-selling third-party Wii game in that territory as well,moving nearly 600,000 units in its first week alone.

It's common knowledge that, with few exceptions, the best selling games on the Wii are all published by Nintendo. The same goes for the majority of the titles that are able to garner much of an online audience. But with some strong backing from Nintendo, and a currently exclusive new controller, Monster Hunter Tri, which launches today, may be able to buck that trend.