REVIEW-Retrobit’s Wireless Hypermode N64 Controller

A Product Review by Greg Dabkey

Product - Retrobit’s Wireless Hypermode N64 Controller
Version – N64  
Price – $29.99
Obtained – Review copy courtesy of Innovations

The N64 launched back in 1996 and over fifteen years later there is now a new controller for the console.  Will it be able to hold up to the controllers of today or will it be cast aside?

Handling/Design

The controller  holds up incredibly similar to the stock N64 controller.  While holding it in my hands (and not looking down at it) it can be difficult to identify it as a third party controller.  The buttons and layout of the controller is identical to the stock controller.  The main addition is the hypermode options above the start button.  The player can toggle between turbo and auto where the difference is holding down the button to trigger turbo pressing of that button.  Auto assumes the button is continually pressed without any action from the player.  The controller weight is very comparable to the stock controller, so it should not feel significantly heavier or lighter than what the player was accustomed to.  A battery pack is inserted into where a memory card would go on the stock controller.  A memory card slot is on the receiver that plugs into the controller port for use with that particular controller.

One honorable mention is that it does not have rumble built in. However, since this wasn’t implemented as a permanent feature of a controller till the GameCube generation, this is a non-issue as fewer games use the feature since it was a pack that plugged into the back of the controller for the Nintendo 64. It cannot be plugged into the receiver for obvious reasons. The receiver plugs into the console and has the same connector that a stock controller has. When I met with Retrobit, they had informed me that the joystick issue has been corrected with this design. Previously on the stock controller after excessive use of the joystick, it would have trouble staying in a vertical position. Since I haven’t had an excessive amount of play time with it, I’m unable to deny Retrobit’s claim.

Use

Since I only have two N64 games at the present time (don’t worry I’m trying to expand it again, after previously selling them off). For the most part the controls handled perfectly. I noticed while playing Donkey Kong 64, that at times it seemed like the joystick might stick just slightly off-center. If I wiggled it in circles for a few seconds, it would reset the position. However, if you are trying to cross a narrow gap or make a tricky jump, or stand still on a small platform, or even attempt to use the Kong’s gun, you could see the character or cursor moving ever so slowly in a particular direction. I had noticed this on every play session (meaning different days/times). I was able to adjust to counter it and fixed it when I needed to by using that workaround. This may be an non-issue since the controller may not be fully broken in and the controller stick is just a little stiff.

I had no problem syncing the controller to the receiver, nor had any sort of lag issues while playing the game. I tested the range within my house and I can get it work at least 15-20 feet or so. At E3 the rep told me it could go up to 30 feet, but I wasn’t able to test that in a more realistic environment. In terms of the battery life, so far it hasn’t really drained a whole lot from what I can tell. I can further update this post when the batteries die. However, there has been numerous days worth of the batteries being idle and unused. I would also update this post if the joystick issue becomes a non-issue. To date, I’ve had 3 multi-hour play sessions in a 10 day period and haven’t noticed an issue or had to replace the batteries.

Conclusion 

I thoroughly enjoyed being able to use this N64 controller. It is definitely worth having despite the possible issues since the consoles of today are connected to an HD TV that is not five feet in front of our faces. It is now closer to ten feet if not further away, and the last two generations of video games have had wireless controllers. This controller fits right into the mold of society and allows gamers to be able to play the N64 from a safe distance from the TV. The controller is designed and shaped to be as close to the stock controller as possible making it an excellent choice for a third party controller. I would recommend this to anyone that still enjoys playing their Nintendo 64 and those seeking a brand new controller for their console.

Final Score: 8.5 out of 10

+ Wireless
+ Has hypermode options
+ Feels authentic (like an official controller)
+ Excellent range
+ Easy to sync
+ Reasonable battery life (so far)
- Non-rechargable battery (batteries also not included)
- Issue with joystick not always centered while using

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Mad Genius break-apart motion controller is for the serious Skyrim sniper

by Richard Mitchell on May 13th 2013 9:00PM

Split controller designs are nothing new. We've seen them implemented by third parties such as SplitFish and, of course, major players – Nintendo's Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and Sony's PS Move and Navigation Controller. Now, Mad Genius is looking to up the ante with its new break-apart motion controller.

Mad Genius says the controller is capable of tracking movements as minute as 1/100 of an inch. A video demonstrates the controller being used in an unmodified version of Skyrim on Xbox 360, tracking the player's body movement to make the character move in the game world. A more practical application is splitting the controller apart to aim and fire a bow in-game.

Holding the two halves like a bow and arrow, the game automatically equips and begins aiming the bow. The control is so fine, according to Mad Genius, that players will actually have to hold their breath to steady their shots, lest a tiny movement knock them off target.

The motion-tracking system will work with any game on any platform, including even outmoded platforms such as the original PlayStation (though it's not clear how you would actually connect the two together). Mad Genius is planning to launch a Kickstarter to fund the final version of the controller, which will be wireless and, presumably, a bit sleeker.

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Nikkei confirms touchscreen controller for Wii successor

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[E3'12, Wii U] Nintendo announce the Wii U Pro Controller, for traditional games

[E3'12, Wii U] Nintendo announce the Wii U Pro Controller, for traditional games
Don't you fret, traditional gamers. Nintendo is once again providing a traditional gamepad for those among you who are scared of a giant touch-screen controller (or for the developers that cannot get it to work for their game).
As you can see, it clearly takes some cues from the Xbox 360 gamepad. A more traditional option for those games that just won't work on the tablet controller (such as Super Smash Bros. and Call of Duty).

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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RE: [E3'12, Wii U] Nintendo announce the Wii U Pro Controller, for traditional games
I'm not at all a fan of the buttons being below the control stick on the right side... ManaBurnX
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RE: [E3'12, Wii U] Nintendo announce the Wii U Pro Controller, for traditional games
After years of using pads I can say that the Home button is way to close to other buttons.
The power button on the controller is a bad idea

Maybe move them to the top?

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Look at these adorable Epic Mickey 2 Wii controller prototypes

by JC Fletcher on Mar 23rd 2012 1:00PM

You may not get HD graphics if you stick with the Wii for Epic Mickey 2, but you will have the opportunity to experience a more tactile verisimilitude. During a preview event for the sequel, Junction Point showed off prototypes for two new Nunchuk controllers based on in-game items.

The first is an updated version of PDP's "Paintbrush Chuk" accessory, designed to mimic Mickey's paintbrush. The new version has the Epic Mickey 2 logo and a glowing blue paint blob at the end of the brush. The second, and inexplicably more desirable of the two, is a Nunchuk based on Oswald's remote device, silver and boxy. It's like a literal "Wii Remote" (except, of course, it's a Nunchuk attached to an existing Wii Remote).

Being that these were both prototypes, and the game hadn't even technically been officially announced yet, there weren't any details to be had about pricing or availability. We'll keep you updated, because these silly controllers are fun.

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Playstation Move Navigation Controller

Sony 98059 Gaming Pad 98059 Video Game Controllers

Price: $39.99

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Nintendo - Controller Bi-fold Wallet

Licensed Nintendo Merchandise. Features pockets for cash and cards. Materials: Rubber, PVC, and Polyester. Size: 4" x 3.25" folded.

Price: $30.00

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Wii U controller has a DS-style touch screen

by JC Fletcher on Jun 7th 2011 8:05PM

While earlier dalliances with the Wii U's "WiiPad" controller didn't include touchscreen interaction, a hands-on session with the "Measure Up" tech demo told me all I needed to know about the touchscreen technology behind the device.

It has a stylus. A recess in the upper left of the unit hides a small, white, roughly DS Lite-size stylus. Interacting with it brings up the familiar feeling of poking at a DS screen. Much like the handheld's bottom screen, the Wii U touchscreen doesn't respond perfectly to tracing with a finger. And multitouch is right out. Touching two spots caused the line I was drawing to jump to a point between them, much like the DS.

That suggests that Nintendo opted for a cheaper resistive touchscreen, instead of a capacitive touchscreen like the iPhone uses.

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Hands on with the Wii U controller

by JC Fletcher on Jun 7th 2011 3:03PM

Immediately after introducing the Wii U and its bizarro controller, Nintendo gave some press the opportunity to play a selection of demos with the device. With the limited time I had before running to tell you about what I played in my limited time, I chose "Shield Pose," a distinctly Rhythm Heaven-like minigame designed to show off the motion controls in the Wii U controller, which I'm going to coin the "WiiPad" right this second.
"Shield Pose" tasks you with pointing the WiiPad like a shield, either to the center, left, right, or above, to block darts being shot at you by pirates in a fleet of ships. This is done to the rhythm, so you get musical cues about when to point which direction. "Left, right, over!" and then a beat, and then you move to the left, right, and top of the screen in the same cadence. When you correctly point the shield, the darts appear on screen as if they stuck to the virtual "shield," and then you must shake downward to remove them. And that functionality, the darts on the virtual shield, is literally the only thing about it that couldn't be done with a Wiimote.

At the end of the demo, I was asked to "dance" -- shake the pad to build up power for the fireball attack I had for some reason -- and fire it back at the pirates.

But that's not the important part. What's the thing feel like? In an artificially extended word, awwwwkwaaaaard. It's designed so that the players holds sort of the top area of the controller, and my (admittedly small) hands were placed such that my thumbs fell naturally onto the analog sticks. But not the buttons. Though the Shield Pose demo didn't require buttons, I tried it, and I had to make a very conscious effort to actually hit the face buttons instead of unconsciously tapping the circle pads while I was going to do something.

The demo also didn't make use of the touchscreen, so I can't speak of its quality or ease of use at the moment. Other demos did use this feature, and I will get hands on as soon as the opportunity arises, along with more detailed impressions of the rest of the functions. I will say that while the display on the touchscreen looked really similar in quality to the Shield Pose demo, it didn't appear to be HD itself -- and the Shield Pose game was extremely graphically simple, in the style of first-party "Wii" series games.

I also played the New Super Mario Bros. Mii demo, but I was one of the Wiimote-based players, which meant that the experience for me was "Oh, hey, New Super Mario Bros. Wii."

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Take a closer look at the Wii U's crazy controller

by Ben Gilbert on Jun 7th 2011 2:25PM

You've seen the press conference, you've read all about the games in development for the Wii U, and now we've got our first hands-on with the Wii successor's enormous, crazy controller. We'll have a full writeup for you as the day goes on, but we figured you might wanna take a closer look at the pseudo-tablet right now.

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Wii U controller revealed

by David Hinkle on Jun 7th 2011 12:46PM

You can play games solely on the controller, which handles like a tablet and presumably includes the stylus we saw interacting with it during the reveal. It's got a 6.2 inch screen, is backward compatible with all Wii games, Wii Remotes and other accessories -- a video showed showed it being used with the Balance Board and as a Wii Remote, so it's got motion controls built in. An example during the reveal showed an individual using it in a golf game, just like a Wiimote.

It's got rumble, trigger buttons, bumper buttons, a touch-screen, microphone and speakers, and an accelerometer. It's also got a camera built in. Iwata says it's got support for the "widest variety of games can be supported" and can play games independently of the Wii itself. Oh, and it's HD.

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Rumor: Wii successor has controller with giant touchscreen, also uses motion controls

by JC Fletcher on Apr 21st 2011 3:20PM

Some purported new information about the still-unannounced Wii successor paints a surprisingly specific picture of the device's controller. Kotaku reports that, according to unnamed sources, the controller for the "Project Cafe" device will have eight buttons, two analog sticks, a camera ... and an enormous 6.2" touchscreen.

For reference, the DSi XL has 4.2" screens. The Kindle has a 6" screen. If these rumors are true, this controller will likely be crazy expensive. We honestly can't see Nintendo getting away with selling $200+ controllers.

Kotaku also reports that this won't be the only accepted control method. "Project Cafe" will also reportedly support "Wii Remote-style controllers," the site says, though it's currently unknown whether that means the existing Wiimote or a new motion device.

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Rumor: Wii 2 codenamed Project Cafe, controller includes built-in touchscreen

by Griffin McElroy on Apr 15th 2011 1:00PM

The towering pile of rumors regarding Nintendo's next generation console, supposedly to be announced at E3, continues to grow today with a report from French news site 01net (which divined the hardware specs of the NGP before its official unveiling). Citing unnamed sources, the site claims the system is currently codenamed "Project Café," and adds that it does feature hardware resembling that of the Xbox 360, such as a three-core IBM PowerPC CPU.

The real meat of the report isn't in the specs of the console, but rather, its controller. According to 01net, the peripheral will feature a six-inch single-input touchscreen -- which corroborates a similar report published by CVG yesterday. The French site also says the controller features a standard set of buttons, a front-mounted camera (what?) and can even function as a Wii sensor bar, should the player choose to indulge in the console's built-in backwards compatibility. That's actually pretty believable -- after all, the same effect can be achieved using a pair of candles.

We'll keep an ear to the ground for any additional reports of a touchscreen-infused remote for the heavily rumored console. At the very least, we can be certain that over the course of the next few nights, visions of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures will be dancing through our heads.

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Logitech PS3/PS2 Wireless Drum Controller

Logitech Wireless Drum Controller PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 Compatible

Price: $229.99

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LEGO Nintendo <b>Wii</b> Controller » Coolest Gadgets

by Edwin - on January 12th, 2011

We know that the Nintendo Wii tends to target kids more than adults, what with the bunch of shovelware out there that concentrates a whole lot more on easy and fun experiences without much depth. Well, to make life more colorful, how about getting your little ones the LEGO Nintendo Wii Controller then? At £34.99 a pop, it might be rather pricey, but at least it offers a LEGO twist to a fully operational Wiimote. This is a fully licensed LEGO product that has the collective nod of agreement from the suits over at Nintendo as well, sporting a speaker, accelerometers, rumble effects, control buttons and a wrist strap. After all, having this fly and hit your TV or someone squarely in the face is going to hurt even more. Nice to know you need not work on constructing all the innards, otherwise a rocket science degree might be required.

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