Hardware Review: NYXI Wizard Wireless Joy-pad for Nintendo Switch
4For all of you WaveBird lovers out there, Nyxi has got you covered… and in style!
Oh, to go back a few generations to the GameCube era. While it may have had its issues as a console, there was just something very fun and exciting about that system. Granted, some of the craziness tied to someone I knew who went to Japan to get one (since it was released there earlier than in the US) is likely tied to that, but it was just a cool time. While some of the games from that system have absolutely stuck with me, there’s actually one particular remnant of that generation that I still remember with fondness, and it seems I’m not alone. This was the era of the WaveBird, Nintendo’s glorious first-party wireless controller that for me was a sort of gold standard since it felt great in my hands and pretty well performed flawlessly.
It seems that nostalgic quality hasn’t been lost on the folks at Nyxi, so they’ve gone and done something pretty remarkable… and it is the Wizard Wireless Joy-Pad. While it may not share quite the same heft and trigger feel of that classic controller, visually it’s remarkably similar. One glance at it could be enough to give WaveBird fans a bit of a flutter, especially if you opt for the one that’s even in OG GameCube purple.
In pretty much every way, possibly even somewhat to its detriment, it honors the somewhat unorthodox design of the GameCube era controllers. That includes the large A button, surrounded in a circle by the bean-like X and Y buttons, and the smaller B button. It also has the much more nub-like right joystick that at the time it seemed Nintendo only envisioned being used for a camera, or at least in a more passive manner, not requiring a full-on normal joystick. It even has the octagonal guards around both joysticks, helping you with your absolute directions (though thankfully you can switch these out for circular ones).
As a bonus, it also shares pretty well every one of Nyxi’s trademark additional features, including added rear triggers that are comfortably at your fingertips that can be programmed, turbo, variable rumble, and at least some modest lighting. If you prefer this controller layout though, the other massive benefit is that you can split it apart to replace your itsy bitsy JoyCon with something more meaty and with those great pretty well built-in handles from the WaveBird design. It travels as a bit of a wide load, but it is also very comfortable, or at least I found it that way.
The thing is, at the end of the day, this is either the return of a classic design that should be celebrated or one that should have stayed in the past for anyone familiar with it. Going between it and a normal controller is not an easy task, as the button layouts are substantially different and take retraining for a bit to get reacclimated when switching back and forth. That said, there was obviously an audience that was interested, and the folks at Nyxi have really come through with a controller that shows some real love and care, mixing that classic design with some excellent modern conveniences. While I’d prefer the normal modern layout offered by the Hyperion Pro, as a former WaveBird fan I truly appreciate the care shown in creating this controller.
Final score: 8.9
If you're interested in picking one up, you can find it on the Nyxi website at: https://nyxigame.com/products/nyxi-wizard-wirleless-joy-pad-for-switch-switch-oled