There is a new version or could just be a lower price point, but does anyone know if it has rumble?

Not that I'm aware of. Probably just lower price.

I haven't seen a new version or a lower priced one (although Target has a 10% off sale going). I have seen the new Mad Catz wireless Gamecube controller. I haven't heard anything about how good or bad it is, but it's smaller and more "stylish" than the Wavebird.

I've never bought a mad catz controller I thought was worth a crap.

It seems to me that adding rumble would increase the cost by a significant amount; the current wavebirds have a transmitter in the controller and the receiver is in the device that plugs into the Gamecube. To get rumble information to the controller, you'd need both a transmitter and a receiver in both places.

I'm just speculating that's the reason why there isn't rumble functionality right now; Nintendo could very well design such a unit, or perhaps there is a new unit out.

I can't really understand why anyone would want rumble these days anyway

Why's that?

Because it's pointless.

I was driving on the railroad tracks in San Andreas and I was this close to turning off the rumble..."Yes, I get it...I'm on railroad tracks..."

I used to hate the rumble, but it really adds to a game when done right. Now I can't live without it.

I just picked up a Wavebird, it says on the package that it doesn't include rumble to help preserve battery life.

By the way, if you want to buy any controllers, check prices before buying at Best Buy. Best Buy Gamecube Wavebird = $35, normal controller = $25. At Target, their regular prices are $5 less for each, plus the Wavebird was an additional 10% off, ending Jan. 1.

Edit: Just wanted to add that the Wavebird is a Nintendo product, seems to be great quality.