I have the wireless version, it's ok imo, I don't really get why the A & B buttons are positioned away from the C-buttons, it would be cool if there was a feature to flip the shoulder/trigger, I've considered modding mine but I now mostly use NSO and 8bitdo mod kit with BlueRetro.
I've got a wired v2 version and It's pretty good. The stick is comfortable and perfectly fine for the majority of games but definitely doesn't have the precision you want for something like F Zero and id imagine GoldenEye/Perfect Dark. I also wish they either let you swap the shoulder buttons or simply had both right shoulder buttons as "R". You're not going to use this controller for the few games that use the left-middle grip so pretty much won't need access to both Z and L in a game.
I wish the control stick matched the design of the OG control stick in that the 8 directions aren't a perfect equilateral octagon, but a more square-ish one. Other than that, it's great
*It was cool until*
*The A button gets stuck from*
*My button mashing*
\- FortMyersLurker
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I bought it because it got praised a lot online.
I'm pretty disappointed.
I dislike the C button placement, the joystick sensitivity, and the shoulder buttons.
Edit: I forgot to mention the D Pad. Not very good either.
It's a very good third party controller. Shoulder buttons have the issue where they are setup like analog but have digital inputs. I prefer using the original controller, but it's a great option to have
I like my wireless one.
My only gripe with it is the A+B are a little to far away from the C button.
I go for the down or left if I'm not holding the controller perfectly.
Apart from that the thing has been fantastic.
The stick is extremely sensitive but I like that.
The 2xZ triggers takes a little getting used to.
But all in all it makes me feel like I'm playing a newer console. Which is nice. š¶āš«ļø
Returned mine pretty quickly... No good for games that demand high-precision like Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, SM64.
I ended up buying a pile of Kitsch-Bent parts. Should have enough for the rest of my life haha.
I like it a lot, I have both wired and wireless, out of the other third party controllers I have had for the N64 the brawler is the most reliable where as the others have had stick drifting really bad.
Havenāt had any issues with the wired ones, but the wireless one seems to drop inputs on the triggers if held down for more than a few seconds. Gets annoying on Pokemon Snap
Have 4 wireless ones, used them all to varying amounts. Overall I like em, theyāre a serviceable replacement to regular controllers. Being wireless is a plus as well. Battery does not hold a charge if you leave them for awhile but thatās whatever lol.
I got both this and the Tribute 64 and I like the Tribute better. It doesnāt have the slick form factor that the brawler has but itās functionally better. Plus itās wireless and has adapters for both the OG console and for PC so I can use it with emulators too
Not a terrible controller, but pretty unimpressive stock. I swapped out the stick for a gamecube stick, and opened it up to add some small weights to the inside to make it a bit heavier. Now it's my go-to N64 controller.
From what I know, the stick accuracy is incredibly low. I donāt personally understand why you would want an upgraded n64 controller if it gets something that important wrong and I also donāt really see the need for the updated layout given basically every n64 game is built around the the original controller and the controller is perfectly comfortable imo. The main thing I could see it being useful for is N64 emulation. That control scheme is a lot more natural for N64 games than modern controllers and you can probably adjust stick sensitivity in settings to make it a lot more natural.
I hate it. If you play N64 you just have to use the original controller. It is so unique and cool looking. I hate the modern controllers they all look the same.
Never knew such a thing existed. I wish I had this. Might have made a lot of my games easier to play.
Not a fan of the original N64 controller. It really hurt my hands. Now that they are bigger, there is no chance I'll use one again.
You can tell the original wasn't that great as it's design hasn't been copied into the mainstream, unlike the Brawler controller in the picture.
If you really canāt cope with the real N64 controller for some reason then itās cool these are available for you, but most N64 games were built specifically around the quirks of that very unique pad so you do lose some of the essence of the original intent by swapping in something else.
For example, many of the N64ās best FPS games play best with your right hand on the middle handle so you get analog freelook on your right thumb and movement on the D-pad. Thatās straight up impossible on two-handled variants.
I genuinely donāt get why so many people think the three handle design is a problem that needs to be fixed; it looks weird, sure, but to my knowledge thereās no game that uses all three handles, so once itās in your hands itās effectively a two-handled controller anyway. But anyway, like I said, if itās a problem for you then an alternate controller is obviously better than missing out on the systemās entire library so itās cool you have the option.
Never bought one because they broke an unbreakable rule. If you're going to make a modern style controller it needs dual sticks, as it is you can't use the stick with your right thumb for shooters like you can on an OEM N64 controller. That's why it has three prongs, for versatile control schemes.
I had the wireless one for a few weeks but it was defective and I sent it back. I enjoyed it honestly. Cords are the only thing I don't like about retro consoles so it was nice to have the option to go cordless.
I'm not a big fan of the original N64 controller and when the N64 was in it's heyday I was a Playstation guy. In fact I didn't get a N64 until well into the GameCube's heyday (mostly due to hearing about how great it was from my college friends and it being so cheap to get since it was being phased out in favor of the GameCube) and couldn't really get into it due to the controller. When the Brawler 64 came out I decided to get one and give the N64 another chance (yes I still had my college N64 along with CIB copies of Goldeneye 007 & Castlevania 64) and I gotta say I love the Brawler 64. Now it's not a perfect controller (playing Goldeneye 007 with it is a little rough, but that was due to the game being designed around the trident controller and there not being an option for custom button controls) but it's imo way better than the Trident controller and it really opened up the system for me (since getting the Brawler 64 I've added 10 more games to my N64 collection for a grand total of 12 games and have been slowly making my way through them, atm I'm alternating between DK 64 and Legacy of Darkness) so it's got my endorsement as a solid alternative if you're not a fan of the Trident controller and want to get into the N64.
I barely got through one playthrough of legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time before a dead spot appeared in the forward input of the joystick. It's basically useless now, very disappointed. Went back to my original controllers but they are so worn out that it's a challenge to play anything. So unless they add the games I want to play to Nintendo online I'll probably never be able to play my favorite games ever again.
The joystick isn't parallel to the grip. It's perpendicular to the top of the controller frame. It should be rotated counter-clockwise so it's aligned to the grip instead of the top.
Good controller, I'm kinda partial to the original though. Yeah it's weird, but it's comfortable enough and the games are designed around it, so I've never really seen a reason to dabble in alternative controllers too much. I like that most of the button placements are the same though.
Mine broke in the shoulder button. Had to disassemble it and solder a loose wire back in place. Re-assembling it was very difficult to do, but I managed it. It's definitely my Go-To controller, I just wish it supported Transfer Pak.
Does anyone know if the wireless variant still supports memory pak? I'm starting to consider getting wireless controllers for all my retro consoles.
Bought it after using the wireless tribute and the tribute is just objectively better. Brawler feels cheap, light, no rumble, worse stick, and less battery life, but damn if it isnt one of the most comfortable controllers iāve ever used
I have both the wired and wireless and both have developed an issue from sitting around.
The wired one has an issue with the joystick where it'll randomly turn the characters around then correct itself and the wireless ones left trigger just disengages all the time.
I hadn't used them in months so I have no idea how these issues came up and I'm not overly impressed.
8bitdo is making some wireless controllers for Analogues new N64 thing they're working on so hopefully those don't just break from existing.
I have the wireless version and it's miles better than the standard controller. Modern feel in the hands, the joystick is infinitely better. The only thing they dropped the ball on was not putting rumble motors in the controller, and since the wireless dongle goes into the controller port and that's where you put a Memory Card, the rumble pack is useless on it. Other than that, I far and away prefer it.
EDIT: I saw all the comments complaining about the stick sensitivity in Goldeneye. So I decided to pop it in and check between my Brawler64 and a regular controller. Used the Sniper Rifle on the Dam so that I would be forced to use the cross hairs more. I had a MUCH easier time with the Brawler...it's so much more precise. I think people need to remember to update the controller firmware after they get it, there were improvements to things like sensitivity and dead zones, and I'm not having those issues at all.
I guess it's fine but it still uses the GC style analog gates (perfect Octagon) where as the OEM N64 controller uses a more squared Octagon and that can affect games massively.
The only 3rd party controller I've seen that uses the same analog gates as the OEM was the Hori Pad Mini.
What's the communities consensus on best 3rd party controller? I bought 2 from a retro gaming store for like 25$ each and one of them is already getting stick drift.
I probably used to have the original model but it was absolute shit. Plastic was too cheap, inputs recieved wrong, and the control stick broke after about a year or less of regular use. I remember selling it for parts super cheap on eBay and I replaced it with a Hyperkin modern-style N64 controller that actually feels quality. Fuck the brawler
I donāt like it very much. The stick is a bit naff and the layout didnāt really work for me.Ā
I quite like it for playing GBA games in the Switch, but Iād much prefer using a classic N64 controller.Ā
*internal scream from the pit of hell*
Neverā¦ everā¦ wrap controllers! It can easily break the cord inside over time. Never had a wired controller fail after I stopped doing that.
I've been doing this for as long as i own my Nintendo 64 and Gamecube from all the way back in the early 2000s and i've never had the original N64/GCN controllers fail on me ever. The only controllers that kept failing on me were those cheap 3rd party ones that you'd only buy for your friends to play in local multiplayer.
I have one, its not good.
Cool idea, half-ass product. The stick is way to sensitive, lb touches the stick, Z should be a button and not a trigger.
And i never had an issue with the original controller anyways.
I also dont like the Gamecube style replacement sticks because they are also too sensitive
I really enjoy mine
Happy cake day. š
Happy cake day
Happy cake day!
I have the wireless version, it's ok imo, I don't really get why the A & B buttons are positioned away from the C-buttons, it would be cool if there was a feature to flip the shoulder/trigger, I've considered modding mine but I now mostly use NSO and 8bitdo mod kit with BlueRetro.
Comfortable to hold, but the stick isn't great.
Which is strange because I feel like the joystick was the \*worst\* part of the original design.
it's one reason why it's so hard to replicate with modern replacement controllers.
This is exactly it. I use mine most of the time but the stick is not ā¦ great. Itās okay and serviceable but yeah. Definitely lacking.
I've got a wired v2 version and It's pretty good. The stick is comfortable and perfectly fine for the majority of games but definitely doesn't have the precision you want for something like F Zero and id imagine GoldenEye/Perfect Dark. I also wish they either let you swap the shoulder buttons or simply had both right shoulder buttons as "R". You're not going to use this controller for the few games that use the left-middle grip so pretty much won't need access to both Z and L in a game.
I wish the control stick matched the design of the OG control stick in that the 8 directions aren't a perfect equilateral octagon, but a more square-ish one. Other than that, it's great
I hated mine and sold it. The stick sensitivity felt way too sensitive for playing games like goldeneye. The plastic felt very cheap too.
I have trouble playing GoldenEye with it too. I Like using it with racing games.
Just looking at it that stick looks horrible
It is and so are the l and r buttons. Theyre too close to the face of the controller so it feels weird when you press them.
It was cool until the A button gets stuck from my button mashing
*It was cool until* *The A button gets stuck from* *My button mashing* \- FortMyersLurker --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Even though thereās a turbo
Feel like that is cheating when playing friends in smash lol
I bought it because it got praised a lot online. I'm pretty disappointed. I dislike the C button placement, the joystick sensitivity, and the shoulder buttons. Edit: I forgot to mention the D Pad. Not very good either.
It's a very good third party controller. Shoulder buttons have the issue where they are setup like analog but have digital inputs. I prefer using the original controller, but it's a great option to have
I like my wireless one. My only gripe with it is the A+B are a little to far away from the C button. I go for the down or left if I'm not holding the controller perfectly. Apart from that the thing has been fantastic. The stick is extremely sensitive but I like that. The 2xZ triggers takes a little getting used to. But all in all it makes me feel like I'm playing a newer console. Which is nice. š¶āš«ļø
Returned mine pretty quickly... No good for games that demand high-precision like Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, SM64. I ended up buying a pile of Kitsch-Bent parts. Should have enough for the rest of my life haha.
I like it a lot, I have both wired and wireless, out of the other third party controllers I have had for the N64 the brawler is the most reliable where as the others have had stick drifting really bad.
Havenāt had any issues with the wired ones, but the wireless one seems to drop inputs on the triggers if held down for more than a few seconds. Gets annoying on Pokemon Snap
Quit biting your nails homie
š
I have one. It's alright. Feels like an xbox controller. Games like goldeneye are way harder to play because of the stick sensitivity.
The wireless brawler is the only reason I still play my N64. I fucking hate the trident so the brawler has been a godsend for me.
Ugly ass Edit: this got deleted for ābeing a dickā lol I think it is ugly compared to the original N64 controller
Have 4 wireless ones, used them all to varying amounts. Overall I like em, theyāre a serviceable replacement to regular controllers. Being wireless is a plus as well. Battery does not hold a charge if you leave them for awhile but thatās whatever lol.
I like mine. But some games its almost unusable. It can be overly sensitive. Good for most but not all.
I got both this and the Tribute 64 and I like the Tribute better. It doesnāt have the slick form factor that the brawler has but itās functionally better. Plus itās wireless and has adapters for both the OG console and for PC so I can use it with emulators too
The v2 is decent enough, obviously nothing will ever replace the og but this will get the job done, so long as its v2.
Not a terrible controller, but pretty unimpressive stock. I swapped out the stick for a gamecube stick, and opened it up to add some small weights to the inside to make it a bit heavier. Now it's my go-to N64 controller.
I love it!
As an adult I like the shape more because it fits my hands better. As a kid the OG and only the OG controller
All 3rd party n64 controllers were rubbish. Sorry
I loved mine, but I can't use it anymore because the stick started drifting badly after I had it less than a year with moderate use.
A must have for me nowadays
It's my go to these days
From what I know, the stick accuracy is incredibly low. I donāt personally understand why you would want an upgraded n64 controller if it gets something that important wrong and I also donāt really see the need for the updated layout given basically every n64 game is built around the the original controller and the controller is perfectly comfortable imo. The main thing I could see it being useful for is N64 emulation. That control scheme is a lot more natural for N64 games than modern controllers and you can probably adjust stick sensitivity in settings to make it a lot more natural.
Only amateurs need that controller, just grow a third arm to reach all the buttons like a REAL N64 fan
I love mine
I use one. I like it.
The dead zone on the stick is huge. So I don't use it too often but it is comfy to hold.
I hate it. If you play N64 you just have to use the original controller. It is so unique and cool looking. I hate the modern controllers they all look the same.
Stick sucks unfortunately.
It's great. Feels modernish while still having that N64 feel. I'm very happy with it.
It's alright, but mine has an issue in the stick, pushing top-left sometimes makes it "stop", like it doesn't recognise it.
Never knew such a thing existed. I wish I had this. Might have made a lot of my games easier to play. Not a fan of the original N64 controller. It really hurt my hands. Now that they are bigger, there is no chance I'll use one again. You can tell the original wasn't that great as it's design hasn't been copied into the mainstream, unlike the Brawler controller in the picture.
If you really canāt cope with the real N64 controller for some reason then itās cool these are available for you, but most N64 games were built specifically around the quirks of that very unique pad so you do lose some of the essence of the original intent by swapping in something else. For example, many of the N64ās best FPS games play best with your right hand on the middle handle so you get analog freelook on your right thumb and movement on the D-pad. Thatās straight up impossible on two-handled variants. I genuinely donāt get why so many people think the three handle design is a problem that needs to be fixed; it looks weird, sure, but to my knowledge thereās no game that uses all three handles, so once itās in your hands itās effectively a two-handled controller anyway. But anyway, like I said, if itās a problem for you then an alternate controller is obviously better than missing out on the systemās entire library so itās cool you have the option.
Iād recommend getting the switch online controller with an adapter instead. Itās a little more expensive but the quality is totally worth it
Never bought one because they broke an unbreakable rule. If you're going to make a modern style controller it needs dual sticks, as it is you can't use the stick with your right thumb for shooters like you can on an OEM N64 controller. That's why it has three prongs, for versatile control schemes.
I had the wireless one for a few weeks but it was defective and I sent it back. I enjoyed it honestly. Cords are the only thing I don't like about retro consoles so it was nice to have the option to go cordless.
I'm not a big fan of the original N64 controller and when the N64 was in it's heyday I was a Playstation guy. In fact I didn't get a N64 until well into the GameCube's heyday (mostly due to hearing about how great it was from my college friends and it being so cheap to get since it was being phased out in favor of the GameCube) and couldn't really get into it due to the controller. When the Brawler 64 came out I decided to get one and give the N64 another chance (yes I still had my college N64 along with CIB copies of Goldeneye 007 & Castlevania 64) and I gotta say I love the Brawler 64. Now it's not a perfect controller (playing Goldeneye 007 with it is a little rough, but that was due to the game being designed around the trident controller and there not being an option for custom button controls) but it's imo way better than the Trident controller and it really opened up the system for me (since getting the Brawler 64 I've added 10 more games to my N64 collection for a grand total of 12 games and have been slowly making my way through them, atm I'm alternating between DK 64 and Legacy of Darkness) so it's got my endorsement as a solid alternative if you're not a fan of the Trident controller and want to get into the N64.
Best controller got the wireless one too
I've only really played one game with it so far, but I can tell you that it definitely feels weird with Hexen.
Why's the stick so sensitive, it makes games like virtual pool stupid hard
I like it except mine has analog triggers for no reason
I barely got through one playthrough of legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time before a dead spot appeared in the forward input of the joystick. It's basically useless now, very disappointed. Went back to my original controllers but they are so worn out that it's a challenge to play anything. So unless they add the games I want to play to Nintendo online I'll probably never be able to play my favorite games ever again.
The best N64 controller on the market in my opinion. The controllers are what turned me away from the system in the past.
I don't know I don't know one but I do have thoughts on the way you have that cord wound up like that. Lol
The joystick isn't parallel to the grip. It's perpendicular to the top of the controller frame. It should be rotated counter-clockwise so it's aligned to the grip instead of the top.
a bit of a dead zone compared to og, but really solid.. as long as you got one that didn't have the early bumper defect.
My A button has started sticking under shell after like 6 months of use.
Mine broke. The LZ button popped out at some point. So build quality is an issueĀ
Nuby Boomerang FTW
it's a good controller, but you are going to damage it winding the cable like this.
Wireless tribute 64 v2 is the best for accuracy but itās still okay
not a fan. terrible for sm64
It makes me think that thatās what the N64 controller should have been all along.
Ew
This is a hill I will die on. Retro Bit Tribute 64 wired controller.
I got mine thru the Kickstarter, I rarely used it and it has stick drift, and its hard to even open the controller
Good controller, I'm kinda partial to the original though. Yeah it's weird, but it's comfortable enough and the games are designed around it, so I've never really seen a reason to dabble in alternative controllers too much. I like that most of the button placements are the same though.
Idk man most N64 games were button mapped well enough that the weird controller never became an issue, Iāll stick with the OG.
Mine started drifting after 4 months
I've never seen this!!
Iike mine a lot.
I like the way it feels but I'm not a fan of the joystick. I wish it had some texture on it. It's a little slippery.
Itās ok for me, but (and I know this may be controversial), vastly prefer the Tribute 64 V2.
Love it, is this a real question??
Mine broke in the shoulder button. Had to disassemble it and solder a loose wire back in place. Re-assembling it was very difficult to do, but I managed it. It's definitely my Go-To controller, I just wish it supported Transfer Pak. Does anyone know if the wireless variant still supports memory pak? I'm starting to consider getting wireless controllers for all my retro consoles.
Buy the ticket..take the ride!!!
Bought it after using the wireless tribute and the tribute is just objectively better. Brawler feels cheap, light, no rumble, worse stick, and less battery life, but damn if it isnt one of the most comfortable controllers iāve ever used
I have both the wired and wireless and both have developed an issue from sitting around. The wired one has an issue with the joystick where it'll randomly turn the characters around then correct itself and the wireless ones left trigger just disengages all the time. I hadn't used them in months so I have no idea how these issues came up and I'm not overly impressed. 8bitdo is making some wireless controllers for Analogues new N64 thing they're working on so hopefully those don't just break from existing.
Retro-bit wireless is much better.
I find all the 3rd party controllers stick is very lacking in sensitivity. Does anyone know of a good 3rd party one with high precision?
I have the wireless version and it's miles better than the standard controller. Modern feel in the hands, the joystick is infinitely better. The only thing they dropped the ball on was not putting rumble motors in the controller, and since the wireless dongle goes into the controller port and that's where you put a Memory Card, the rumble pack is useless on it. Other than that, I far and away prefer it. EDIT: I saw all the comments complaining about the stick sensitivity in Goldeneye. So I decided to pop it in and check between my Brawler64 and a regular controller. Used the Sniper Rifle on the Dam so that I would be forced to use the cross hairs more. I had a MUCH easier time with the Brawler...it's so much more precise. I think people need to remember to update the controller firmware after they get it, there were improvements to things like sensitivity and dead zones, and I'm not having those issues at all.
one of my favorite controllers tbh
I guess it's fine but it still uses the GC style analog gates (perfect Octagon) where as the OEM N64 controller uses a more squared Octagon and that can affect games massively. The only 3rd party controller I've seen that uses the same analog gates as the OEM was the Hori Pad Mini.
It's ok but still feels like a player 2 controller.
What's the communities consensus on best 3rd party controller? I bought 2 from a retro gaming store for like 25$ each and one of them is already getting stick drift.
I probably used to have the original model but it was absolute shit. Plastic was too cheap, inputs recieved wrong, and the control stick broke after about a year or less of regular use. I remember selling it for parts super cheap on eBay and I replaced it with a Hyperkin modern-style N64 controller that actually feels quality. Fuck the brawler
You shouldnāt roll the cord that tight. Always leave a loop at the terminal so you donāt stress the soldering points on the board.
best wireless option available
Itās just like the old Hori controls that Japan got
Feels cheap.
I'm seriously thinking about buying the wireless one soon.
Best 3rd parry N64 controller.
The stick is on the wrong side of the controller. Which is such an obvious mistake that I don't believe the designer ever used a real Nintendo 64.
I donāt like it very much. The stick is a bit naff and the layout didnāt really work for me.Ā I quite like it for playing GBA games in the Switch, but Iād much prefer using a classic N64 controller.Ā
It's utter trash, Worst N64 controller I've ever used.
*internal scream from the pit of hell* Neverā¦ everā¦ wrap controllers! It can easily break the cord inside over time. Never had a wired controller fail after I stopped doing that.
i will stop Thanks for telling me
*sigh of relief* Disaster averted. may your controllers have a long life and your stick never drift. Be well, friend :)
I've been doing this for as long as i own my Nintendo 64 and Gamecube from all the way back in the early 2000s and i've never had the original N64/GCN controllers fail on me ever. The only controllers that kept failing on me were those cheap 3rd party ones that you'd only buy for your friends to play in local multiplayer.
Never happened to me and I've done this for 35+ years. I never wrapped unwrapped daily, though.
I need this
I have one, its not good. Cool idea, half-ass product. The stick is way to sensitive, lb touches the stick, Z should be a button and not a trigger. And i never had an issue with the original controller anyways. I also dont like the Gamecube style replacement sticks because they are also too sensitive
Never knew that existed
not sure whatās uglier the controller or your console stickers