A controller that hard core old school gamers will appreciate

I got the wii classic controller for Christmas along with a new wii remote. I was glad though I wanted to try it but I didn’t want to spend any of my money on it, after playing it the last few weeks with my VC game I am glad I got it for Christmas, but I still wouldn’t have spend my own money on it.

What’s the classic controller?
Now one of the first things that Nintendo announce for the wii back in 05 was that it would be able to play classic Nintendo games. Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafix games were added at a later date. But anyways looking at the wii mote you can turn it on the sides and it’s an instant NES controller. With a little bit of work there is enough buttons to control a Sega Genesis game. But for the SNES and N64 games it’s severely lacking an analog stick and some extra buttons. So Nintendo introduced the classic controller a controller that looks like an SNES controller with a Playstation type analog stick on the side.

So how does it feel.
Well there are a few things that make the classic controller a bit different from the SNES controller. The analog sticks on the side for instance to weight it down just a bit, but the biggest change are were the L and R buttons on the top are located. There located further down and are smaller, they also not have analog controls to them now. Which confuses me since neither of the classic consoles listed would need analog L and R buttons. Further on top is the Z1, and Z2 buttons. And on the very top is an unknown button at the time, when you press it something in the back moves. Looks like you could plug in an extra attachment (like say a rumble pack) and this is were it will eject it.

On the face of the controller is the control pad. The control pad isn’t has loose as I would like it but the fact that it is bigger then the Wii controller and the gamecube does give it some advantages. Then on the other side are the action buttons exactly mapped out like an old school SNES controller. In the middle are plus and minus (start and select) buttons and the home button for exiting a game.

Now the worse part of the controller and what dampens the feel somewhat is how Nintendo decided to implement the device rather then A having it completely wireless, B wired to the gamecube out lets, or C doing a combination of both. Nintendo decide to connect it to the wii remote like you would the nun chuck. So you have to put it on your lap or dangle it on the floor adding what feels like extra weight if it falls of your lap or drags on the floor.

Also I should note the gamecube controller can play every VC game so far and the classic controller cannot play gamecube games, so the gamecube controller should be your choice for a all around controllers but even if the gamecube is all around better the classic does come in useful. Break down on the systems and the games I have played it on.

NES (Super Mario Bros and Gradius.)
Sorry classic controller both you and the gamecube loose to the wii remote. On the side the wii remote feels almost identical to the classic NES controller and feels really well. The NES only needs two buttons so no use for you here. On the NES game A and B work like well A and B should for the NES, you can also use the X and Y button in stead of the A and B but why anybody would want to is beyond me.

SNES. (F-Zero)
The classic controller wins this battle it looks and almost feels like the same thing. The L and R buttons being a bit different did mess me up at first in F-Zero but everything else feels just like it did on the SNES.

Sega Genesis.(Gunstar Heroes, Toe Jam and Earl)
The gamecube controller layout of the B, A, and X button mirror the Sega Genesis controllers quite a bit and while playing the games on the gamecube that is the style you get. The buttons change when playing with the classic controller but not in a bad way really. The controls work very well with the likes of Gunstar heroes and I liked that the Y button is situated were it is on the controller it made switching weapons in the game a bit easier then on the gamecube. Also the larger control pad again will make it easier to control some of the genesis more fast paced games like Sonic the Hedgehog.

Turbografix (Bonk and Bomberman)
Bonk felt pretty much the same on both controllers and uses the same buttons. Again It’s a bigger control pad VS a lighter controller it’s whichever one you feel is the best. Of course Bomberman doesn’t count since all you need is a control button and one button to play.

N64 (Super Mario 64)
The only game that justifiably uses the analog sticks is Mario 64. And the sticks do a good job. There loose and respond to motion well, but they don’t have to grove notches the gamecube does and feel like there cheap knock offs of the Sony controller. Making the gamecube a winner at least as far has Super Mario 64 is concern.

My recommendation.
If you haven’t own a gamecube and don’t have gamecube controllers buy a few before the stores clearance them all out. The classic controller should only be used by two people A people who don’t like the small control pad that the gamecube uses, or B people who are purists and want a controller that feels more like an old fasion controller. That said Nintendo could have done better and really milked us by releasing SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis controllers separately.