Platinum Hybrid GameCube Controllers

Regions: US
Sold on the Nintendo Online Store
Rarity: Rare
Release dates:
- US: From ? to March 4th 2012 (last known date)
Retail Prices (standalone):
- US: $24.95

Black cable, length: 2m
Internals variations: T1 to T3 (?)
Stamp variations: Blank / CE / CE•

Description

Full body Platinum shell painted over standard colored shells with a white “Nintendo GameCube” logo. It was sold as a standalone accessory through the US Nintendo Online Store up until 2012 exclusively.

Trivia

These controllers were offered through the US Nintendo Online store up until 2012 for $29.95, with May 4th being the last recorded day through the Wayback Machine. See the original listing here.
The Platinum paint was applied on top of standard colored shells, with Indigo, Jet Black and Indigo/Clear (back) being confirmed variants.
A Spice Orange variant has never been seen, but it is presumed to exist. Other colors are unlikely as they were not offered to the US market.
The controllers were most likely refurbished from returns or old stock that did not sell, and painted Platinum since it was a more popular color and was more likely to be sold (Source).
The parts are often mismatched, so the internals wouldn’t match the stamp on the back of the shell, and you’d most often end up with a full Platinum half and another painted over half. The plug ends does not seem to have ever been painted over, so it would often not match the shell’s Platinum color. Due to this, this variant does not follow the stickbox variants guide in the Guides section, and is the only controller variant to do so.
The shells are often damaged or scratched, with the paint applied over those scuffs giving the shells a strange texture.
The packaging for this controller is unknown.
For a more informal telling of this information, see my blogpost.
A standard Platinum front shell was found with a darker logo, identical to the one on the JP Whites. Likely to be from the same production, see my blogpost for more information.

Standalone Packaging

– Unknown

Official Artwork (as seen in the original listing)