Handheld Gamecube?!? | Retroflag Nintendo Switch Handheld Grip
124In this episode, we unbox and test out a new grip for the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED from Retro Flag which will provide you GameCube-like ergonomics for playing on the Nintendo Switch
One of the most popular video game controllers of all time has to be the one for GameCube. People absolutely love this controller, and for good reason. The GameCube controller is comfortable, well-balanced, and has great triggers, In fact, people still use it to this day in different fighting game tournaments like for Smash Brothers. The team over at Retro Flag, known for their accessories for RetroPis has released a new ergonomic grip for the Nintendo Switch to give it the feel of a GameCube controller.
Out of the box, the Retro Flag grip is elegant in its simplicity. Designed as a single piece, you slide either your Switch or your Switch OLED into the grip. From here, there is a USB-C port at the bottom that allows pass-through for charging. That's important as there is no onboard battery. It also has built-in rumble, although they don't call it HD rumble. The left side has a very smooth analog stick featuring hall sensors and a traditional d-pad. The right-hand side features your A, B, X, and Y buttons, and an analog stick shaped like a C-stick from the GameCube. Overall it is well-balanced and put out together.
Retro Flag does indicate that this should work with both the Switch and the Switch OLED. I tried it first with my original Switch, and, well, it was not an elegant integration. The rails are spread further apart than the Switch, and there are no spacers or anything like that included to take up the extra width of this over the Switch OLED. It took me a few minutes to get everything lined up, but once I did I was able to play without any issues. Not an elegant integration, but it works.
Up next was the Switch OLED, and the installation process was much smoother here. You can tell that this was designed to work with the Switch OLED. It's slid right into place, everything aligned, and it just worked. It's one of those things that can't be understated how much better this fits with the OLED than the standard Switch.
While we do not have a Nintendo Switch GameCube online offering, we do have Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Sunshine. I threw that in and got the testing. From the word go, this just felt really comfortable to use. It felt well-balanced, and I can't speak highly enough of the rumble. The rumble on this is really good. The analog sticks did not feel overly sensitive or touchy, they felt extremely smooth and dialed in. I attribute that to the fact that they use Hall sensors which are notably smoother by design.
Moving over to some other titles, playing Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition and Star Fox, felt great for both of them. I did feel like the D-pad was not quite as responsive as I would have liked in Street Fighter, but I also tested after a very long day and I was tired and may not have been playing my best. In Star Fox, it worked great, especially the turbo fire mode. I absolutely loved it.
Why it RoX:
- Very comfortable ergonomics
- Recreates the analog stick and C-stick from the GameCube controller
- Adds a d-pad to the left joy-con
- Exceptional rumble
- Smooth analog sticks
- Adjustable turbo
What could be improved:
- No on-board battery
- GameCube buttons would have been nice
- Back of the case interferes with the cartridge slot door
- No Amiibo support
Should you buy one?
For a company known for making cases for RetroPis, this is a hell of a good controller! It's really well-balanced, it's comfortable, and it just works. The analog sticks feel terrific, and the overall balance is great. The fact that this has rumble support is a huge plus as well. It does miss a few things, there is no onboard battery, and it's not compatible with Amiibo, but overall this looks and plays terrifically. It makes me wish we had more GameCube titles on the Nintendo Switch.
#Nintendo #Switch #RetroFlag #SwitchGrip #SwitchAccessories #Gamecube #SwitchGamecubeController #mariosunshine