Official Nintendo 64 Online Controller - Not a Great Experience
313In this episode, we unbox and test out the official Nintendo N64 online wireless controller and compare it to the original.
Even though Nintendo has not delivered a true virtual console like the Wii and the Wii U had before it, the Nintendo Switch Online Service is getting better almost every day. When Nintendo announced the Expansion Pack featuring Nintendo 64 games, they also announced an N64 wireless controller to provide the most authentic gaming experience. Since that announcement, this controller has been extremely difficult to get a hold of as Nintendo has not been able to keep up with demand. Thanks to Cheap Ass Gamer on Twitter, we were able to snag one recently, and we needed to put it through its paces.
Out of the box, the N64 wireless controller is virtually identical to the original inspiration. There do appear to be some minor differences, the d-pad is a little bit smaller, and there's no expansion port for a rumble pack or memory card, but beyond these things, it is a pretty much one-to-one duplicate. It does have a few additional Switch-specific features, such as a ZR button to take you back to the menu, a capture button, and a home button. To charge the onboard battery, the controller is equipped with a USB-C port and Nintendo includes a USB cable.
One area of concern with long-time N64 game players has to be the controller's analog stick. Over time, any and all N64 controllers develop some sort of slop due to the way the stick was designed. At first glance, there appear to be some minor changes to the top of the stick itself, but the mechanics look identical. At a time when Nintendo could have refined and addressed some of the issues with their original design, they went with the status quo.
Pairing to the Nintendo Switch is extremely easy, something I was very glad to see. Once charged up and paired, I was able to navigate through all the Nintendo Switch menus without any issue. This is exactly how it should work, easy to pair, easy to navigate, it just works.
I fired up one of my favorite N64 games of all time, Mario 64, and got to playing. From the word go, an issue immediately came to the surface for me. The analog stick is far too sensitive around center, and the springs just did not feel right. I could play Mario 64, but I didn't feel like I had the precise control as to when using other controllers, be it Nintendo's own Pro controller, the Retro-bit Tribute 64, or my personal N64 Controller of choice the Retro Fighters Brawler 64. It felt like I was fighting the analog stick versus utilizing it.
There were some games where the analog stick did feel a little bit better than others, but it never felt great. Star Fox 64 felt okay, but again I felt like I was snapping the controller stick around versus actually navigating it. Even with these issues with the control stick, playing Star Fox 64, Yoshi's Story, and Mario Kart 64 all felt more natural due to the placement of the Z-trigger along the center grip. Barrel rolls left and right felt more natural because the triggers were actually left and right versus a Z and a ZR button on other controllers.
One of the strongest performance areas on this controller has to be the rumble, Nintendo nailed that. Anytime when rumble needed to be activated in a game the controller vibrated accordingly, and powerfully. It did not feel off-balance, and it didn't take away from the gaming experience but added to it.
Finally, I did test out the N64 controller using other games and systems. NES and Super NES titles worked perfectly, and the D-pad, albeit a little bit smaller, worked without issue. In fact, I would describe the D-pad as excellent, vastly superior to the analog stick.
Why it RoX:
- Nearly identical shape and size to the original
- Good d-pad and button responsiveness
- Excellent rumble
- Easy pairing
- USB-C equipped
- Works with more than just N64 titles
What could be improved:
- Analog stick is worse than the original
- Expensive
- Poor stock availability
- No Funtastic color options
Should you buy one?
When I saw these originally announced, I wasn't going to buy one as I already had other really good options for playing N64 games through the Switch. Retro-bit and Retro Fighters have both updated the firmware on their controllers to make them work even better. Now that I have this in my possession, I definitely feel like this is more of a cash grab than a performance option. The analog stick is truly not good, and it hurts the performance of the controller overall. I am not glad that I have this in my collection now. This may be something that I end up selling eventually, as I will be going back to using the Tribute 64 and Brawler 64 for Nintendo Switch Online playing. They are both more accurate options when looking for precise gaming control.
#SwitchOnline #Nintendo64 #ExpansionPack #SwitchController
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