Retro Fighters Brawler64 Gamepad For Nintendo 64 V2 (Extreme Greeen)

Let me preface this review by saying that I'm probably not the target market for this controller. I'm a Nintendo guy to my core, but the N64 is my least-favorite Nintendo system and it's not even close. However, that's like pointing out your least-favorite kid - obviously you still love it a ton, even if you wish it could have have turned out better. Since N64 emulation isn't in nearly as good of a place as its two older brothers, the original hardware is still the best way to experience N64 glory. Unlike other consoles, however, finding a decent controller is a HUGE pain in the ass. OEM controllers are notorious for loose or broken analog sticks, and third-party controllers notoriously suck. The fact that the N64 pad's layout is tightly tied to the design and ... MoreLet me preface this review by saying that I'm probably not the target market for this controller. I'm a Nintendo guy to my core, but the N64 is my least-favorite Nintendo system and it's not even close. However, that's like pointing out your least-favorite kid - obviously you still love it a ton, even if you wish it could have have turned out better. Since N64 emulation isn't in nearly as good of a place as its two older brothers, the original hardware is still the best way to experience N64 glory. Unlike other consoles, however, finding a decent controller is a HUGE pain in the ass. OEM controllers are notorious for loose or broken analog sticks, and third-party controllers notoriously suck. The fact that the N64 pad's layout is tightly tied to the design and function of its games in a way that makes it hard to replicate the experience with a different controller compounds that pain. So what's a desperate retro gamer to do? Enter Retro Fighters and their Brawler64, a smart, thoughtful, and modern take on the original N64 pad. The short version is that it's excellent, and I'm probably buying at least one more of them, but it requires reprogramming some muscle memory to fully enjoy.I recently bought a RetroTINK 2X and have been enjoying all of my old consoles in glorious HD, and that's what prompted my purchase of an Ice Blue Brawler64.The first thing that strikes you about the Brawler64 is how danged LIGHT it is. It's clearly modeled on the Switch Pro Controller, and I was expecting a similar heft, but since there are no accelerometers or rumble motors in there, the lightness makes sense. I also went and held an OEM controller just before I started writing this, and it's honestly pretty close to its weight (also, holy hell, that thing's barely heavier than an SNES controller). I also love the packaging, which is inspired by Nintendo's N64 branding. The buttons are clicky, responsive, and feel great. It works fantastic and lag-free on my actual N64 in all situations. The build quality seems high and likely to stand up to many hours of abuse. I bet you could twirl that analog stick like a madman in Mario Party and not break it. I know that some of the early backers reported issues with the first production run, but I didn't see anything like that in mine.The one complaint I have, and it's really more of complaint about ME than the controller, is that the layout's not EXACTLY the same as the OEM pad, and my brain's still getting used to it. The L and R buttons function normally, but both of the triggers function as a press of the Z button, so one of them is kind of superfluous. I've never hit it by accident, but it's possible. Also, I miss the little raised arrows on the C-buttons, and they're a little bigger than the original, but neither thing has stopped me from nailing headshots in Turok or combos in KI Gold.Bottom line: the Brawler64 is the first third-party N64 controller which not only DOESN'T suck, but which might actually be superior to the original. Buy with confidence.

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.

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.

Solid Wireless Game Pad for the N64. I actually did compare this to the Wireless Tribute 64 Game Pad. Both are great but I do like the Retro Fighters Wireless Brawler 64 Game Pad more because it's more ergonomic and more comfortable to hold. The plastic does not feel cheap at all. The Joystick is one of the best Joysticks I've experienced for an N64 controller. The face buttons are comfortable and respond very well. The L and R buttons along with the Dual Z Buttons work just as great with the Z buttons being an improvement from the wired version. Also, the Z buttons don't suffer from dead zone issues like the 1st wave of Wireless Game Pads did.

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.

Only N64 Controller You'll Need

I've been buying N64 controllers from various sites, hoping to finally get one without a loose stick or one that wasn't clearly mishandled in the past. I never had any luck. After seeing an advertisement for the Brawler64 controller, I decided to give buying controllers one last try. After getting this one, I'll never need another N64 controller (unless I buy a 2nd one of these for multiplayer.) The controller being wireless is a huge benefit and it works perfectly with no signal interruptions. The control stick feels smooth and fantastic, making every game I've tried play perfectly. Everything is incredibly responsive, and having dual Z buttons makes games like Banjo-Kazooie and Mario 64 even easier to control. The Turbo option also helps tremendously for spots ... MoreI've been buying N64 controllers from various sites, hoping to finally get one without a loose stick or one that wasn't clearly mishandled in the past. I never had any luck. After seeing an advertisement for the Brawler64 controller, I decided to give buying controllers one last try. After getting this one, I'll never need another N64 controller (unless I buy a 2nd one of these for multiplayer.) The controller being wireless is a huge benefit and it works perfectly with no signal interruptions. The control stick feels smooth and fantastic, making every game I've tried play perfectly. Everything is incredibly responsive, and having dual Z buttons makes games like Banjo-Kazooie and Mario 64 even easier to control. The Turbo option also helps tremendously for spots that required exhausting mashing way back in the '90s. Being able to use a Controller Pak for the few games that require it for saving is also a great plus. If you're looking for an N64 controller that you won't need to replace in the span of a few years or give a lot of maintenance to, grab one of these. You'll love it.

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.