Retro Fighters Brawler64 Gamepad For Nintendo 64 (Original Grey)

I will preface by saying that this is my favorite N64 controller by far. It is very comfortable to hold, the buttons feel great, and the joystick is comfortable. I would highly recommend this controller to anybody who does not like the design of the original. However, there are a few flaws that if fixed, would make the controller even better. The first is the Z triggers. They have a lot of travel, which is unnecessary as they are digital buttons. According to Retro Fighters, the new 2.4 ghz wireless version of the Brawler64 will have updated Z triggers that "will have a more original "digital" press versus an "analog" pull", which is great to see, and I hope this comes to the wired version in the future. The second problem is the analog gates of the Joystick. While ... MoreI will preface by saying that this is my favorite N64 controller by far. It is very comfortable to hold, the buttons feel great, and the joystick is comfortable. I would highly recommend this controller to anybody who does not like the design of the original. However, there are a few flaws that if fixed, would make the controller even better. The first is the Z triggers. They have a lot of travel, which is unnecessary as they are digital buttons. According to Retro Fighters, the new 2.4 ghz wireless version of the Brawler64 will have updated Z triggers that "will have a more original "digital" press versus an "analog" pull", which is great to see, and I hope this comes to the wired version in the future. The second problem is the analog gates of the Joystick. While likely not to be noticed by many, the Joystick has a different analog gate than an original N64 controller. The Brawler64 has an perfect octagon, with all side lengths and angles being equal, while the N64 controller has an octagon with different angles at the corners vs the cardinal directions. On the current Kickstarter for the 2.4 ghz Wireless controller, in response to a question about this, Retro Fighters responded "We are currently fine tuning the software and testing extensively. We know how important the sensitivity levels are for all backers". Only time will tell if this translates to a more authentic feel. The third problem is the ability to disassemble the controller. There is a small bit of plastic that must be lifted over the Z triggers in order to disassemble to controller. This makes it difficult to fully remove the back piece of the shell, as it feels as though it will snap if attempted. That being said, I have not disassembled it (for fear of the shell breaking) so I can not confirm that it WILL break, only that it feels that it will. The final problem is the size of the joystick cap. When the joystick is tilted to a cardinal direction or a corner, the opposite side has a small gap between the controller and analog stick would hypothetically allow debris to collect inside. In practice, the joystick is likely only ever going to be tilted when in use, so debris is unlikely to fall in, but it is still an issue to be considered. Each of these problems is quite small, but overall in my opinion merits the loss of 1 star. I would still recommend this controller, however there are a couple flaws that can be fixed, and hopefully WILL be fixed in the upcoming wireless version.

Received my transparent blue controller today (a couple days earlier than listed and even a couple months earlier than originally told, so they are already off to a great start!)I turned it on and connected it pretty easily to my OLED switch. Wasn't the quickest connection to the system but it got there (I was also probably really excited so that made the wait seem longer than it probably was). I then fired up NSO and played a level of Mario 64. I was enjoying myself so I decided I would play a few levels of starfox 64 (the two games I spent the most time with as a kid so figured they would be a great comparison). I played a whole run of starfox!I didn't try to change the controller to pro mode but was happy it worked right out of the box in N64 mode. The ... MoreReceived my transparent blue controller today (a couple days earlier than listed and even a couple months earlier than originally told, so they are already off to a great start!)I turned it on and connected it pretty easily to my OLED switch. Wasn't the quickest connection to the system but it got there (I was also probably really excited so that made the wait seem longer than it probably was). I then fired up NSO and played a level of Mario 64. I was enjoying myself so I decided I would play a few levels of starfox 64 (the two games I spent the most time with as a kid so figured they would be a great comparison). I played a whole run of starfox!I didn't try to change the controller to pro mode but was happy it worked right out of the box in N64 mode. The controller was very comfortable and I didn't take too long to get used to the new layout for the buttons. Rumble also worked flawlessly.If you are looking for a controller to play those NSO 64 games then stop reading this review and click the buy now button. You won't regret it

As someone who never owned an N64 but wanted a way to play N64 games with a more proper arrangement, I'm happy to report this controller is exactly what I wanted. My switch detects it as either an N64 controller or a Pro controller depending on which setting its on. Swapping between N64 and Pro mode is quick and the button mapping is as expected. Playing games like Mario 64 was frustrating with the standard Switch controller options, but this N64 modern controller setup is great. Also, the large A and B buttons are very comfortable for games like Mario Kart where you hold it down for basically the whole run.

Absolutely fantastic!Never did I think that a third-party option could compare to first when it came to controllers. In this rare case, however, the third-party option doesn't just compare.. it outshines the original! Everything from the convenience of wireless, the smooth feel in your hand, the responsiveness of the buttons, the improved ergonomic design; the Brawler64 wireless is an absolute must-have for anyone still playing on original N64 hardware. I simply cannot recommend this product enough not only for the stellar product but for the bar none customer support from the team at RetroFighters, the latter I'll be detailing in a future review. Do yourself a huge favor and pick up a Brawler64 wireless & you'll see why these controllers are so raved about!

Bought 2 controllers, smoke gray and blue. I believe they are the best 3rd party controllers for the N64. They feel solid and not cheap.Tested on two games LoZ Ocarina of time and Smash brothers. Didn't see any different between an original controller (In good condition) and the Brawler64 controller in LoZ Ocarina of time.In Smash brothers it's almost perfect as the original just slight difference in accuracy in the movement but most people might not notice.Reason for the 4 Stars. The 2nd Blue controller expansion port is really tight when you insert a rumble pack. The smoke gray controller has no issues with this. Since I've plugging it in and taking it out, it seems to have a loosen up a bit so but I can see the plastic inside the port kind of get worn. The ... MoreBought 2 controllers, smoke gray and blue. I believe they are the best 3rd party controllers for the N64. They feel solid and not cheap.Tested on two games LoZ Ocarina of time and Smash brothers. Didn't see any different between an original controller (In good condition) and the Brawler64 controller in LoZ Ocarina of time.In Smash brothers it's almost perfect as the original just slight difference in accuracy in the movement but most people might not notice.Reason for the 4 Stars. The 2nd Blue controller expansion port is really tight when you insert a rumble pack. The smoke gray controller has no issues with this. Since I've plugging it in and taking it out, it seems to have a loosen up a bit so but I can see the plastic inside the port kind of get worn. The port works fine, I'm still happy with the controllers.

As a kid of the 90s, I grew up with the N64 and still play a lot today. Every experienced N64 player knows the problem with the old controllers, especially with the wear and tear of the analog stick. And anyone who has ever tried a third-party controller will know how disappointing they are!It's different here!If you have played N64 a lot, you can quickly tell whether a controller is good or not. Here you quickly notice that the controller is great. The reaction to the inputs cannot be distinguished from that of the original and the analog stick is at least as precise as the original and without a drift. I have only tested the controller for almost 10 hours and have been very satisfied so far. The only thing that "bothers" me is that the controller is lighter ... MoreAs a kid of the 90s, I grew up with the N64 and still play a lot today. Every experienced N64 player knows the problem with the old controllers, especially with the wear and tear of the analog stick. And anyone who has ever tried a third-party controller will know how disappointing they are!It's different here!If you have played N64 a lot, you can quickly tell whether a controller is good or not. Here you quickly notice that the controller is great. The reaction to the inputs cannot be distinguished from that of the original and the analog stick is at least as precise as the original and without a drift. I have only tested the controller for almost 10 hours and have been very satisfied so far. The only thing that "bothers" me is that the controller is lighter than the original and the position of the Z-buttons. But that's simply because you are used to it differently with the N64. Overall, absolute buy recommendation.

TLDR; Best N64 Controller on the market in my opinion, has some nice improvements over the original wired version.This is my favorite N64 controller. The controller feels great and is comfortable to hold, the buttons are great, and the joystick is responsive. This controller takes the original Brawler64 and improves on it in a few ways. The first and most obvious is the wireless functionality. I like wireless controllers, so that adding wireless is by far the best change for me. I have not personally noticed any added latency compared to the a wired controller. It may be there, but it is not noticeable to me. The next biggest change are the Z triggers. As they said they would, Retro Fighters has gone from a more analog "pull" to a more digital "push" on this new ... MoreTLDR; Best N64 Controller on the market in my opinion, has some nice improvements over the original wired version.This is my favorite N64 controller. The controller feels great and is comfortable to hold, the buttons are great, and the joystick is responsive. This controller takes the original Brawler64 and improves on it in a few ways. The first and most obvious is the wireless functionality. I like wireless controllers, so that adding wireless is by far the best change for me. I have not personally noticed any added latency compared to the a wired controller. It may be there, but it is not noticeable to me. The next biggest change are the Z triggers. As they said they would, Retro Fighters has gone from a more analog "pull" to a more digital "push" on this new controller. Since the N64 does not have analog triggers, the digital "push" feels much better. Rather than having to move your finger a significant distance to press down, causing a short delay in the button pressing on the wired version, the new Z triggers are much more responsive. Now onto some more minor changes. The bottom of the analog stick (the part that sits beneath the shell) is now slightly larger. This fixes an issue on the wired version where when tilted into any of the corners, a tiny gap between the analog stick and case appeared. While this is by no means a big deal, it is nice to see that this detail has been fixed. Additionally, the buttons feel slightly different from the wired version. The best way I can describe it is the wired version buttons feel a bit softer when pressed. The A and B buttons are raised slightly from the wired version. In my opinion this is very slightly better. The ONLY thing I do not 100% love about the controller is the analog stick range of movement. The analog stick sits in a perfect octagon. However, on the original N64 controller, the octagon is imperfect, tending slightly more towards a square. While I personally can not notice and difference in terms of actually using the stick in games, extremely high level players may. The difference in the analog stick can be seen in controller testing software run on an N64 flash cart, such as an Everdrive64. For me, this imperfect analog gate does not matter, and does not effect my gameplay, but it still would have been great to see some more adjustment to more closely mimic the original's range of movement.

Ultra cheap feeling

I guess I'll start with the things I do like.The controller functions very well and it feels comfortable to use. I didn't experience any lag and the analog precision feels pretty good. The layout works well enough, even for games like Turok and Yoshi's Story. It's nice that you can use a memory card with it, even though it looks ridiculous.Now for the things I don't like.The controller feels impossibly cheap. It's sturdy, but it's so light weight that it doesn't feel sturdy at all. It almost feels like the buttons were 3D printed. At this price, I really think it should be a high quality injection mold. Every time I pick the controller up, the battery seems to be dead. I haven't even had a chance to use it without having it plugged in to charge while I play. I ... MoreI guess I'll start with the things I do like.The controller functions very well and it feels comfortable to use. I didn't experience any lag and the analog precision feels pretty good. The layout works well enough, even for games like Turok and Yoshi's Story. It's nice that you can use a memory card with it, even though it looks ridiculous.Now for the things I don't like.The controller feels impossibly cheap. It's sturdy, but it's so light weight that it doesn't feel sturdy at all. It almost feels like the buttons were 3D printed. At this price, I really think it should be a high quality injection mold. Every time I pick the controller up, the battery seems to be dead. I haven't even had a chance to use it without having it plugged in to charge while I play. I don't know if this is because I don't use it very often and it slowly drains or if it's not holding a charge. It's annoying either way when I have other modern controllers that can sit for a very long time without being charged and still be usable for some time. You know how I said it's nice that you can use a memory card with it? Well, my generic memory card doesn't work with it. It works with a real N64 controller. Turok 3 just keeps telling me the memory card is corrupt and tries to fix it.The unfortunate thing is that I bought 2 of these based on the hyped reviews. There's a few reviews out there that echo my same experience, but I guess most people just don't care because they're excited to play their old game console or something.I'm still giving it 3 stars because it does work and it provides a usable experience (I assume official memory cards actually work with it). It really is just an "Okay" product. I definitely won't be buying the Dreamcast version or any other products made by Retro Fighters. This is a $15 controller at best.