Customer Reviews

GameCube Wavebird Wireless Controller

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a long-time Playstation owner, who recently gave in and bought a GameCube system for my Pokemon-obsessed son. We decided that since the GameCube has excellent 4 player titles, we would bite the bullet and buy 4 WaveBird controllers and focus on the multiplayer titles only. This has been an excellent move. I have them setup on channels 1-6-11-16 and they all play well together. I have big hands and I like the feel of the controller and I like the heft of it. It has a definite feel of quality and I like the way the sticks and buttons are setup on the WaveBird. To address previous reviewers issues, we have 2.4 GHz phones and WiFi and have not seen any interference issues. The previous reviewer who was having issues with interference with his remote is likely the exception to the rule, since most people do not have RF remotes, but the standard infrared variety. We have been using the controllers for about 2 weeks now without a glitch and I anticipate they will stand the test of time. My biggest rave for these controllers is the ease in which they can be pulled out of the storage bin and then put back away, when we are done with them. Oh yeah, and it's nice to have my floor back (e.g. not having to worry about tripping over cables when crossing it). The reason that I called this review "perfect enough" is that the main (and really only) complaint from some reviewers is that there is no rumble feature. I say to those who want the rumble feature when playing, simply revert to your corded controller for that particular game! The system comes with one so use it! I'd rather have the extended battery life and the rumble feature in a lot of games ends up being more of an annoyance than a help.

I was having a hard time with the controller that came with my gamecube. I mean, it didn't even reach my couch! Well, I bought an extension cord which are pretty cheap online and it came in a set of 2 and the first one broke and when it was connected all of a sudden I had about 12 feet of cord and it was a mess. Anybody who owns a platinum GameCube knows that you will not find extra controllers anywhere, which pretty much forces you to buy a color that doesn't match your system or to buy a WaveBird...which I ultimatley did. It's exactly the same as the original controller, although it feels a bit lighter. The built in rumble feature has been replaced with a place for batteries, and of course there is no cord. It is a shame that the rumble feature had to be dropped, but it makes sense. It would have eaten the battery much more quickly. The controller gets plenty of battery life out of 2 AA batteries which is a major plus!

If you own a GameCube, I hope you enjoy the ergonomic design of the controllers as much as I do. When Nintendo announced it was releasing a first party wireless controller I was very excited. This controller doesn't disappoint, with the same button and stick layouts as the wired first-party controllers.

You choose a frequency to use (by rotating a numbered dial on both the controller and the receiver that plugs into the controller port on the Cube), which allows you to use up to 4 Wavebirds at a time (should an aggressive Super Smash Bros Melee match be in your future).

The controller also has an on/off switch, which allows you to shut it off and save extra battery life, which is a nice touch. I also appreciate the red light on the receiver, which lights up when it receives the signal from the Wavebird (making it very easy to tell if you are in range).

The only complaint that I have is one that Nintendo has addressed, namely the lack of Rumble functionality. To paraphrase Nintendo, to add the rumble feature would have greatly shortened the battery life of the controller. For many games, the lack of rumble feature isn't an issue, and the WaveBird works perfectly. For those games that rumble is a major part of, I just use an extension cable for my wired controller. ;)

I am a hardcore gamer. I have had many systems, and gamecube is my favorite. But I have tried wireless controllers for Sega Saturn, Playstation, and Playstation 2. None work as well as the Wavebird for Gamecube.

Durability- 10/10 The durability of this thing is awesome. I have extremely large dogs (an English Mastiff and a Chocolate Lab) and they have stepped on, slobbered on, and knocked this thing off of a four foot table, but this thing works fine!!! It has taken quite a beating.

Precision- 10/10 The precision is just as good as a first party controller. Since the Wavebird is from Nintendo, I'm not suprised. I have bought (along with the Wavebird) Resident Evil 4, where bad aim is your downfall. The controller hasn't failed me yet.

Battery Life- 10/10 This pad lasts 100 hours on a single charge (2 AA batteries included). To preserve battery life, Nintendo took the Rumble feature off. You won't notice it's gone, and if you do, you need a more exciting game.

Price- 7/10 The controller is THIRTY dollars. That's expensive. I bought this thing new at a local GameXchange, and I was suprised by how much it cost. But if you have large dogs or small children in your house, then it is worth it.

This controller is excellent, and Nintendo made it well. But if you don't live in an enviroment where spending $30 for a wireless controller makes life easier, I recommend buying an extension cable.

We've had this controller for almost 2 years now. I bought it because my son got close to yanking the whole game system off of his dresser a few times. I was a little skeptical as to whether it would REALLY work. Well, it does, even 2 years later. We've even had a dog chew on it and it still works. Now my son sits on his bed 12 feet away and can play, no longer tethered to the system. We (I) love this controller.

I've used it for racing games like Burnout and Need for Speed, and sports games like Madden 2005 and NBA Street, and others like Mario and Animal Crossing. It seems to work fine for me - but I'm no pro gamer either, so take that for what it's worth.

I like the durability, reliability, and ease of this product. It was more than worth the money.

This is slightly bigger than the regular controllers but it's not a big deal. We use a big screen and play about 10-15 feet away from the TV. The wirless is so great because you don't have to move the GameCube from the shelf and mess with all the cords. There is no lag in response time either. Such a great controlller. We tried to see how far away we could be when the GameCube would stop receiveing signal. We got to the opposite side of the house and it was still working. Ha!!

This Controller ROCKS! The regular controllers cord is way too short. I had to buy a 6 foot controller extension just to keep from accidently pulling out the cord. Well now thats not a problem. Pictures make it look bulky but the extra culk where the batterys go goes completely unnoticed during play. After 10 minutes of playing with this you won't even notice that it does'nt have a rumble reature.
And it has 16 diffrerent radio frequancies, so more than 1 wavebird can be playing in the same room. someone who cheats at games can switch thier radio signal to the same as yours to interfere, but thats the good thing about having so many different frequancies, noone has to know yours.
This is by far the best controller out there, and the batterys really do last at least 60 hours with mine and their still not dead. plus i played through 2 wall(i could'nt see of course)
but my friend said it worked.

If you own a 'Cube, you must get this. In the past, wireless controllers ate up batteries quickly and required the player to aim the thing at the receiver to work. Step up to the future! This Wavebird is amazing beyond words. I've had the same batteries in it for a couple months of use (2 "AA" cells), and they still work flawlessly! Also, the 'Cube is in the bedroom so I powered it up, turned the sound up, and took the Wavebird downstairs into the kitchen. As I could hear, it worked perfectly (the wireless signal passed through the walls with no problem)! There is a small green LED light on the tiny receiver that lights when any button on the controller is pushed, and the controller itself has an orange light confirming power is on (a good reminder to shut it off when done playing). For some reason this unit seems better than the included GC controller; it is lighter and more comfortable to use. Only thing missing is rumble feature but that isn't even missed at all compared to the freedom this offers. There are 16 frequencies selectable via a rotating wheel (one on the controller and one on the receiver) that lock in place and are numbered (look closely), so 4 of them can be used at once on one system without interference. Thank you Nintendo! Excellent product. Don't own a 'Cube without it!

Nintendo has the best controllers. Xbox and Playstation haven't been able to meet them. They are so ergonomically comfortable is almost impossible to believe. Now, these ones are wireless and they work awesomely! You will never have problems with them losing signal, they rock.

This is the first wireless control to knock sucks off. I can't see why anybody would have any sort of problems with this wonderful controller. It's very responsive and it never fails in signal. I love this controller so much that I usually end up buying a game on the GameCube (if available) simply because I can play with the Wavebird. The signal of this controller goes through walls, I don't know why you'd wanna play from another room, but you could if that's your thing. I usually play under the covers where it's nice and warm, about 10 feet away from my GC and I have no problems. Get it, you won't regret it!