Customer Reviews

Retrolink USB Super Nintendo SNES Classic Controller

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I simultaneously purchased a NES Retro Classic Controller USB and a Retrolink USB Super Nintendo SNES Classic Controller (this product). I was pleasantly surprised with the NES controller quality and sadly disappointed by the SNES controller quality.

Cons:
(-) Dpad is much too stiff, it actually made my thumb start to get sore after about 15 minutes of casual play. It was also much less responsive than an SNES controller: responsive enough to do SF2 fireballs but not enough to do uppercuts with any kind of consistency.
(-) The main buttons feel 'muddy' and don't have a good "spring back" to them at all. It's not easy to tell by feel if you have button pushed in all the way or not (as compared to a quality controller that gives a distinct feeling when the button is fully depressed).
(-) The L and R buttons only register button pushes on the outside edge and can barely be pushed in on the inside edge where it is comfortable to hold them.
(-) The main buttons were surrounded by a sticker showing the Y X B A labels but the sticker either didn't fit or was poorly placed or both. It looks cheap & terrible, with the edges sticking out unevenly on different sides.

Pros:
(+) Long cord makes for easy hookups whether it's to a usb slot on the back of your computer or the PS3 sitting in your entertainment center.
(+) Rubber start/select buttons are a nice touch for replica accuracy.

Overall:
While I would recommend the Retrolink NES controller to friends, I would not recommend this controller to anyone. Unless you're on a severe budget and you find this very cheap somewhere ($10 or less), skip this brand. Much better quality controllers can be had for around the same price. For the quality of this product (or lack thereof), it should be half the current price or less.

The picture and the product are two very different objects entirely. Depicted on the Amazon website a a picture of what looks to be the original console controller with a USB connector. But once you receive your package you are immediately greeted with an off color branded device. The color and brand logo can be forgiven assuming it works and feels like the real McCoy. After opening the package you notice that the texture is wrong, buttons stick, and a very distracting indent on the back of the controller. Closer examination reveals that even the buttons are the wrong size and shape. Plugging it in becomes an unpleasant thought. But then it occurs to you that doing so will probably yield proof of a "Plug and Play" driver that just won't work, thus driving the final nail in the coffin of this tenuous product. I plan to return mine, or at least no pay for it considering that it's not the product that was represented by the picture.

Got it yesterday. It is a little rough around the edges and kind of ugly. The d-pad is stiff and the button and axis configuration is a little strange (axis 3 and 4 used instead of 0 and 1 and buttons not in same order as some other controllers.) On the games I've played, however, it felt a lot better than trying to play with an analog stick. I'm not sure how well it would hold up in the long run.

For what it is, it should have been sold for maybe $7 instead of $19.

I would have liked a RetroZone controller, but at the time I was looking around it said they were sold out and I didn't know how long I would have to wait. It seems they have more now, so that might be the better option. It costs more, but it's probably worth it.

Another better option would have been to forget about classic SNES nostalgia and got a Logitec Precision for a lot less and it would have been much higher quality.

That being said, I might just keep using this controller and use it until it breaks -- which hopefully isn't too quickly.

So my first review for this product was great, fast, prompt shipping... Then less than a month later this product has died, stopped being recognized by the computer... i thought maybe the drivers had just been affected... did some research and its not the drivers. its the product.. many people having the same problem... fun while it lasted... now its just another controller in the pile of many...

The controllers seem to fade in and out of wanting to work properly. I have used them (I bought two) on more than one computer with this same result. They look great and, when they're working properly, are great. Overall, I am displeased with my purchase and wish I had spent the extra money to buy something better.

It should be pretty simple to make a game controller these days, so it's surprising that this one can be so bad. Thhe buttons are sticky and the D-pad is INCREDIBLY stiff. Playing an SNES game where you need to move in multiple directions is basically impossible.

Please save yourself by heeding this review, a mistake that I made.

I bought this controller and it was fine at first but after using it about ten minutes, the d-pad started to make squeaky noises. The real problem is that it stopped working after using it about 3 times, the usb would not recognize this controller at all and I've tried it on at least five different computers. I asked the seller if there was a driver I could download or maybe exchange it for another controller but he pretty much said I was s**t out of luck. So now I'm stuck with this worthless piece of plastic.

This controller would have been great except for a few flaws which make it just about unplayable on some games.

First this that is messed with this is the L and R buttons. The design is so much different from the OEM controller. The position of the electronic button underneath the plastic one you tap is such that it will not register most of the time. This makes games like Street Fighter II about unplayable and will piss you off to no end. You have to hit the L and R buttons on the very outsides to register a click, which is totally unnatural for the grip.

Secondly, the arrow buttons are very notchy and again it makes games like Street Fighter II miss some of the moves.

Finally, the controller feels very much cheaper than an original and the buttons will rattle a bit and the controller will flex.

In conclusion, This controller would have been great had it not been for these things. I cannot reccomend it. I will be paying allot more and buying an original factory controller and getting a USB adapter but it's worth it. This will go in a garage sale or something.

I have to say I am very suprised at this company for making this controller so flawed. Their NES controller is perfect, but then again it is very simple which is what this company should stick to I guess.

This product is up on Amazon twice so I put my review in both places, just in case. I assure you they are the same controllers. Shop around, I think you can get them cheaper elsewhere on the internet.

I was frightened when I read the first review. However, I think this controller is fine. I've played some Super Smash TV with it so far and the buttons seem responsive and not too "mushy" as the previous reviewer stated. I am just as bad at Super smash TV as I remember with my parents SNES. It is very lightweight and a little hollow compared to the original, but it doesn't feel like it is going to break in my hands. I have two controllers, but one of them has a bit of a "mushy" start button, but given that it is the start button, I really don't care much about it sticking every once in a while. Since I just received this product, I will leave a comment attached to this review if I change my mind and it breaks or something.

EDITED 10/09/2009
Controllers are still holding strong, even after playing many games of Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball and then getting angry and hitting my cheater of a boyfriend...Anyhow, I use them a couple times a week, and I am not super gentle with anything, let alone gaming paraphernalia, so I would say that these are pretty good quality. I will still keep you informed on their status in the future so you don't end up with a dud.

Product was easy to set up and use. The D-pad was overly-sensitive. After the first or second use, the wire casing pulled out of the controller. With continued use, the wiring broke rendering the entire device useless.