Unboxing the Retro-Bit 2.4GHz Wireless Tribute64 N64 Controller
117In this episode, we unbox and get our first looks at the production version of the Retro-bit's wireless Tribute64 and Tribute64 Ultra Edition.
One of the things that may have hurt the overall performance of the Nintendo 64 over its life had to have been that Trident style controller. Many people did not care for it, it had issues with slop developing on the analog stick, and it was just very different from anything else out there. Thankfully, manufacturers have been addressing the need for updated controllers for this marvelous system. Retro-bit released their terrific Tribute64 wired version a few years back, and they have now updated the size, style, layout, and added wireless technology to this very popular controller.
In recent years, Retro-Bit has done a great job with 3rd party controllers for multiple retro and modern game systems. The Platinum Series features a more premium feel and performance over standard controllers. When I last attended the Portland Retro Gaming Expo in 2019, I interviewed Richard from Retro-Bit who showed off their, at the time in development, 2.4 GHz Wireless version of their popular Tribute64 controller. While their initial plans were to have it released in 2020, the global pandemic caused significant delays. Thankfully, they never stopped working on the project and the results are what you see here, the Tribute64 2.4 GHz Wireless Edition.
Comparing it to the wired Tribute64, the first thing I noticed was that the wireless version was a bit wider. This allowed designers to move the D-Pad into a more natural position, and uncramped the overall layout. Where at first glance one could understandably mistake the wired Tribute64 for the Hori gamepad for the N64, the wireless Tribute64 is clearly a fresh clean sheet of paper design.
The face of the controller houses the analog stick, Start button, A and B buttons, the C-buttons, and two additional buttons directly above the Start button. The top of the controller features L & R buttons, along with dual Z-triggers. The overall button layout feels terrific, the buttons feel responsive and clicky, and the analog stick is buttery smooth.
To connect the wireless Tribute64 to a N64 or other devices two different dongles are included. A USB dongle which looks virtually identical to the one included with the wireless Genesis and Saturn controller allows you to connect to USB devices such as a Switch, a RetroPie, Android TV, or other such device. A more traditional dongle for the N64 is also included and also features a memory card slot. Interesting that it has a switch to go back and forth between rumble and memory card, as there would be no reason to insert a rumble pack into this dongle so I'm wondering what this exactly does. I will be reaching out to Retro-bit for further clarification as this is not covered well in the manual.
The wireless Tribute64 is available in three colors at this time, gray, atomic purple, and the limited Ultra Edition. Out of the two that I received, the gray and the Ultra Edition, they look and feel fantastic. I really feel that Retro-bit has nailed the aesthetics properly on these, and for those looking for something that has a definite influence from original Nintendo hardware, I think you'll be very happy with how these look.
Make sure you are subscribed to the channel as our full-blown gameplay review will be coming soon. That episode will focus solely on gameplay.
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