Traditional Wii remotes work just fine (for both single and multiplayer), and the tablet-controller's screen can be disabled through the regular Wii U menu.

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The project is part of a broader trend: Innovative consumer hits, like the iPhone, Google Earth, Second Life, and the Wii remotes and accessories, are increasingly put to unexpected -- and often unauthorized -- uses by outside researchers and tinkerers.

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Crafted from double-sided tape and two Wii remotes, the prototype brought forth ideas for Nintendo Land -- and if we're honest, is a fairly decent outline of what the final product resembled, with buttons and controls (including triggers) distributed across both sides of the screen.

ENGADGET: Nintendo's Wii U GamePad prototype revealed: Two Wii remotes, a display and some tape