Review: Retro Fighters Brawler64 Controller
The Nintendo 64 was a revolutionary console when it hit the market in 1996, but let’s face it, the controller was awkward to say the least. The oddly-shaped trident controller has always been one of the N64’s weak points, and finding a first party controller that has a joystick that hasn’t been grinded into plastic dust by intense Mario Party sessions is a rarity. There have been some good third party options in the past, mainly the Hori Pad Mini, but there hasn’t quite been a solution that gives the Nintendo 64 a modern gaming feel – that is until the release of Retro Fighter’s Brawler64.
On first glance you’ll notice the Brawler64 controller has a similar form factor and feel as one of the best modern controllers on the market: the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. The joystick has been relocated to the top left of the controller and the joystick itself has been replaced with a much smoother, more tactile material that doesn’t feel like you’ll get massive palm blisters next time you fire up Mario Party 2. The directional pad looks very similar to the original but feels improved and more responsive on the Brawler64.
The biggest difference between the original Nintendo 64 controller design and the Brawler64 is the relocation and redesign of the Z button. What was once a flat button located at the back of the middle handle of the trident controller is now two trigger-like shoulder buttons tucked behind the original L and R buttons. These two buttons have the same function and you can use either or both, which ever feels most comfortable for you. When testing this out on multiple games across several different genres, the new and improved Z buttons had mostly good results, along with some minor issues.
When playing first-person shooter titles like Goldeneye and Perfect Dark the Z trigger buttons felt much more natural compared to trying the old design. 3D Platformers, which were the Nintendo 64’s bread and butter, yielded a different result. For the most part the controller as a whole worked perfectly for games like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Donkey Kong 64, but there were some instances where the Z triggers had issues with any moves requiring precise timing on the button presses. The main example of this was Mario’s long jump in Super Mario 64, which requires the player to press both the A and Z buttons simultaneously. It was a struggle to perform this jump reliably at first, but eventually I was able to get the hang of it with the right Z trigger, but not as consistently with the left. It’s a minor nitpick, but definitely something noteworthy to mention.
A nice little addition that Retro Fighters have added with the Brawler64 is a Turbo button. It’s not likely something that will excite the video game purists out there, but it’s a great way to spice up your next playthrough of Star Fox 64 if you choose to try it out.
The Brawler64 comes in many colour variations to match your N64 console, whether it be the Jungle Green, Fire Orange, Atomic Purple, or just the standard Grey to match the stock controller. The Brawler 64 also comes with a cord that spans over 9 feet in length, which is considerably longer than the original Nintendo 64 controller’s cord of roughly 6 feet.
Overall the Retro Fighters Brawler64 controller is hands-down the best controller on the market for the Nintendo 64. The list of improvements on the original design are endless, with its modern, more ergonomic form factor, the improved joystick and button placements, and an extended cord to make reaching from console to couch that much easier. If you’re a retro enthusiast who loves the N64, or just someone who likes to play a few games of Mario Kart 64 or Goldeneye every now and then, the Retro Fighters Brawler 64 controller is a must-have. You’ll never want to use another N64 controller again.
