But the Wavebird came out after the original GameCube controller so it seems like a regression. I imagine there was some legitimate reason for it, like the battery was already dying too fast.
Considering used AA batteries I would say that battery was definitely a factor. It basically brought in the era of wireless controllers, though, so I’d say it was pretty good.
A friend of mine dabbles in video game collecting so I knew the price was high there for a bit. My OG Wavebird is in a plastic tub in my parent’s basement with the rest of my old video game gear.