Thrustmaster T-Wireless Gamepad for Nintendo Wii

by ThrustMaster

Product Features

• 2.4 GHz wireless gamepad for Wii
• Radio receiver features a design assorted to the console, with a blue backlit connection button
• Low consumption (AAA batteries), automatic shutdown feature and On/Off power switch for extended autonomy
• On/Off switch enables users to activate/deactivate the vibration feature according to their preference, and offers extended autonomy
• all Virtual Console games: NES, SNES, N64, SEGA MEGA DRIVE, TURBOGRAFX (Pc Engine)

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000WRZTAC
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 2.7 x 7.8 inches ; 15.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,500 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Thrustmaster 2.4Ghz T-Wireless NW Gamepad for Ninetendo Wii. The first wireless, programmable and vibrating gamepad for Virtual Console¿, Gamecube¿ & Wii* games on Wii¿. * 2.4 GHz wireless gamepad for Wii. Connects to the Wii's Gamecube port. 2.4 GHz wireless technology: lag-free transmissions over a range exceeding 10m radius. Radio receiver features a design assorted to the console, with a blue backlit connection button. Runs on 3 AAA batteries (not included), which provide an autonomy similar to the Wii Remote's autonomy. Low consumption (AAA batteries), automatic shutdown feature and On/Off power switch for extended autonomy. Vibrations motor provides force feedback for Gamecube games running on Wii and for some Wii games. On/Off switch enables users to activate/deactivate the vibration feature according to their preference, and offers extended autonomy. Slow & Turbo buttons. For slow-motion or repeated action. Comfortable and non-slip offers optimum grip thanks to the sportswear rubber on handgrips and mini-sticks. Fully programmable. All buttons, mini-sticks and directional buttons can be relocated thanks to the Mapping feature. Fully compatible on Wii with all Virtual Console games: NES, SNES, N64, SEGA MEGA DRIVE, TURBOGRAFX (Pc Engine) all Gamecube games and some Wii games which are compatible with Gamecube controller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good controller worth the purchase, despite some faults, May 13, 2008

By 

Mike B. (CA USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Thrustmaster T-Wireless Gamepad for Nintendo Wii (Video Game)

Pros
-Very very good functionality: it works as a wireless gamecube AND vc controller, which is unprecedented, and the response time is excellent, no lagging
-button remapping
-optional rumble that is very strong
-It has a nice feel

Cons
-Everything is very tight, small, and close together: sometimes my thumb hits the left control stick when I'm using the + pad, and I have had more than one case of hitting the remap, turbo, or slow buttons while using the control stick. This is REALLY annoying, as it will result in weird things randomly happening , like a button suddenly not working, or the start screen suddenly popping on and off rapidly, etc., because you hit a button without realizing it. Just remember that if you are going to get / use this controller, you will need to be precise and pay attention when you use the buttons / sticks, if you don't want things like turbo and slow getting activated, which are really rather useless buttons anyway. The controller would be far better off without them. And would it have hurt to move these buttons up to the empty space at the top of the controller, rather than right in between the sticks where you're likely to hit them? I don't think so.

[Edit] - Over time, maybe it's just that I've gotten used to it, but my thumb hitting the turbo, map, and slow buttons isn't really a problem anymore. However, I still will have the occasional instance of hitting the slow button, usually during an intense gaming session. But the point is, you get used to it.

-The shoulder buttons are TERRIBLE, for gamecube or VC. It only registers as a full press if you push it down really hard, which is what you will have to do for VC games that use the shoulder buttons. For gamecube games that often use the sensitivity of the buttons, you will have to be really precise with how far you push it down if you want it to work. Pressing a shoulder-button partway doesn't read as a partial press, unlike the wavebird, when you first press it there's a dead zone, and then right before you reach the point where it's fully pushed in will it briefly read as a partial button-press. This is difficult to perform, but at least it's there.
-A couple minor quibbles to top it off - the control stick's sensitivity isn't ideal - when you first start to tilt, it does nothing, but then it starts to register, at relatively high sensitivity. You'll need to be precise. Also, the + pad does not feel as high quality as I had hoped it would.

[Edit] - The tightness & sensitivity of the thumbsticks is a little bit more of a problem than I originally thought it to be - you will have to have VERY precise thumbs in order to get the kind of precision needed for a game like timesplitters 2. Also, the rubber on the sticks wears off and has begun to peel off. Room for improvement here.


Additional Thoughts
You cannot save button remaps, every time the controller turns off or goes on standby mode (5 minutes of non-use) you will lose any button configuration you have set up. I didn't list this as a con, though, because the button remapping is easy, fast, and intuitive, and most controllers don't even have it as an option - so it's a welcomed addition. Also, keep in mind that when you turn the controller off the LED light on the receiver will blink endlessly, so the best option is just to always leave the controller on, as it will enter standby mode and neither controller nor receiver will flash. Another note - I was using the controller once when the light on the controller suddenly started flashing and it stopped working - I was severly frustrated as I was in the middle of an intense round of smash bros. However, I learned that this is an easily solveable problem - just press the connect button - and this has only happened once, anyways. I might've accidentaly pressed the connect button or something. To top it all off, this is a very useful controller due to it's unprecedented functionality and feature set, it just suffers from some flaws that can be annoying at times. The pros outweigh the cons, and I would definitely recommend this controller (especially considering the price). Just don't expect perfection.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not amazing, third party controller for the GameCube/Wii, March 10, 2008

By 

M. Donnelly (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Thrustmaster T-Wireless Gamepad for Nintendo Wii (Video Game)

The product is seemingly great. There's no lag, it runs for a long time on 3 AAA batteries, and it includes the options of remapping buttons and even a rumble feature, besting the original Nintendo Wavebird itself!

However, I have had problems with this controller. On the one hand, with a less skilled gamer who doesn't know what they're doing, I've seen buttons accidentally remapped. She could move left, up, or down, but when she pressed right, she wound up doing nothing, which took me a minute to figure out. (it was remapped to another button on the controller which is not normally used for the game we were playing)

Another very minimal problem is the dongle that attaches to the Wii. It's designed well in that it isn't a big block like the Wavebird receivers are, but they're also flimsy. They are glued together cheaply and the end cap has fallen off of both of my receivers. (I own 2 of these controllers) It doesn't affect the functionality, but it gave me a peek inside, and I can tell you right now these receivers are physically larger than they need to be, given the chip inside them. Again, it's nothing major, but it's something that irked me.

Beyond that my only other gripe with this controller is the analog sticks. I had a hard time adjusting to the analog sticks here, because they are definitely stiffer than the Wavebird ones. I never owned a Gamecube so I can't compare to the original wired contorllers, but I definitely have a problem playing Smash Bros at a fast pace with such stiff analog sticks. The rest of the controller is fantastic, but I just wish these analog sticks mimicked the Wavebird analogs a bit more, and the PS2/PS3 analogs a bit less...

I'd really give it a 3.5 if I could rather than a 3, but a 3 seems more fair than a 4 in my opinion. If you need a gamecube controller, it's a great alternative since the Wavebird can be hard to find brand new. The Wavebird still reigns on top in my opinion, but if you REALLY need rumble, or can't find one new, it's definitely worth checking out, especially for smaller hands (I have somewhat large hands and still liked the feel of the controller, so don't let that deter you) or slower paced games.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1st class controller for the price, October 19, 2008

By 

Gerry K "GK" (KS United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thrustmaster T-Wireless Gamepad for Nintendo Wii (Video Game)

My daughter loves this controller. It feels like a sturdy well made item. She took to it right away. Nearly no learning curve. It's Being wireless, means she doesn't have to sit on the floor. It is actually smaller than it appears in the pics. A good size for small hands. It sips the batteries. It's a great controller for those of us unwilling to give up on their game-cube games.