Best Nintendo 64 Controllers | Brawler 64, Tribute 64, Hori Mini Pad, Admiral and more!

[@uncannyx]

0:51 - Honorable Mention - Retro-bit x 8bitdo RB8-64 1:51 - OEM w/ 3rd party GameCube analog / Hyperkin Captain 3:00 - Brawler 64 (Version 2.0 only!) 5:23 - OEM w/ Original Analog (In Good Condition) 6:23 - Hyperkin Admiral 7:44 - Retrobit Tribute 64 8:47 - Horipad Mini 64 (by Hori)

[@howardlucca7949]

instablaster...

[@fidelsolis6070]

Im a brawler. So which one is the best 4 me.

[@teosanchez4375]

I use Retro-bit x 8bitdo RB8-64

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

I look forward to hearing how the 3rd party replacement stick holds up 20 years from now.

[@uncannyx]

I will be looking you up, you will be the first to know

[@shaun8062]

@@uncannyx Which replacement stick model and brand did you use?

[@16BitJay]

Glad I saw this review, I've seen the retro bit controllers and wondered as they seem decently priced so I wouldn't struggle to justify buying one.

[@neetrain]

Can we appreciate that we have that many options for 20 year old console?

[@LITTLE1994]

*25

[@Gamedraco]

This video helps me a ton. I am literally looking now at these N64 Controllers mainly because I know the OEM N64 controllers are super hard to find in good condition at a decent price now.

[@uncannyx]

which one will you try out?

[@Gamedraco]

​@@uncannyx Zeroing in on the 2nd place controller. The Hori MiniPad like the OEM controller is super hard to find in decent condition for a decent price now, and I do not trust buying used stuff like this online. Also my hands are big, which is I why I like that the 2nd place knock off of it is slightly bigger. Got super lucky in finding an unopened OEM N64 controller for a decent price in 2016, but I know I will not get that lucky again.

[@uncannyx]

Luckily, one of my OEM N64 controllers was barely used... I ended up selling my N64 about a month after buying that controller (20-25 years ago), but I kept the controller this whole time, so when I got another N64 like 15 years ago, I was already set to play

[@MyDecade]

Get an official Nintendo Switch Online N64 controller + N64 BlueRetro adapter 👍

[@devackroyd]

After basically an eternity of trying to decide what controller to buy. I have a plethora of good N64 games I literally can't play because my controllers are awful. It was a hand me down growing up so the controllers to begin with werent great, but got even worse given how much my sister and I played Mario Party lmao, they are beyond flaccid and some are just broken now. I pulled the trigger on the Tribute 64 Grey Model, I think its price to performance is relatively unrivaled here.

[@Majora_T]

This was a great video. Thanks for showcasing all of these units. I enjoy using the Retro-bit but it is a bit on the small side.

[@joshmartimez2235]

I have about six of the original Nintendo 64 controllers and two have good working thumb sticks. The Retrobit Tribute 64 is my favorite controller for the system i have had green one for nearly a year and a few days ago bought a clear blue one. Great video!

[@brigar2122]

The hori mini pad it's the very best one one problem tho it's so rare to find and expensive but it's worth it

[@shaun8062]

The Brawler 64 has the worst D-pad, and here's why: The best games to test this are ones that require multiple directions to be pressed a the same time, such as up+Left, up+Right in instances like doing tricks in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series. Anyone who's slightly proficient in doing a trick combination in these games will immediately notice the D-pad fails to register two directions half the time. I have owned four Brawler 64 controllers of the latest model type. The hyperkin D-pad has the same issue. The best D-pads are on the original N64 controller and on the Hori Pad mini. However, the Hori pad's D-pad is slightly less comfortable to reach. Now, concerning the control or analogue sticks: The original and the Hori pad mini have the most precise input. The Brawler comes in 3rd on the analog stick input, but still pretty good. All other analogue or control sticks from controllers are either too sensitive, have dead zones, or simply have limited and rigid directional transitions or adjustments for minute movements which become important when playing platformers, racing, aiming, and pretty much most styles of games.

[@forestmanzpedia]

I think you need to make an updated version of this video. Roughly 7-9 months ago (I don't remember) the Retrobit and 8Bitdo analog sticks were released for the original N64 controller. You can skip the Retrobit version because the 8bitdo analog is the most closest to the original OEM stick according to benchmarks. The previous Gamecube analog sticks like mentioned in the video are too sensitive and have between movements of the analog sticks input lags and it doesn't register every input. The 8bitdo analog is really great in that matter.

[@pandurlolgg5780]

As a big Nintendo 64 fan, who invested huge amounts of money in the system, games and accessories, here's my experience so far with the different brands: 8bitdo: Upside: It's 8bitdo. Quality is great, price is reasonable. Downside: Can't be used on original hardware, as far as I know. Also, they do not get produced anymore. Hyperkin GameCube Stick/Hyperkin Captain/Hyperkin Admiral: Upside: Availability is good. They do work. Downside: It's Hyperkin. Low quality plastic. Hardware tends to die early. Price is high for the low quality they offer. Gotta say that I'm not a big fan of Hyperkin. The replacement Stick works, but is not very good for shooters or precise movement. Deadzone feels weird. Doesn't feel calibrated properly. Hori Pad Mini: Upside: Very good controller. People say it's the best replacement for the original controller. Some even say it's better than OEM. Downside: Big Hands are a problem, since the controller is tiny. You can barely get them anymore in good condition. And if you manage to find one, they are very expensive. (Between 100-200 bucks) 3rd Party OEM replacement: Sucks. Retro Bit: Upside: Good controller, good availability. Fair price. Good option for the Hori Pad Mini. Downsides: Also tiny. Brawler 64: Upside: Probably the best after market controller you can get atm. Price is reasonable, availability is good. Works with big hands. Downside: If you live outside of the US, they are not easy to get. There are european shops that sell them, but they are way more expensive and more often than not out of stock. Shipping is expensive, and depending on where you live, import tax can be up to 20%. Conclusion: The most reasonable options are the Brawler64 or the Tribute64. Personally, I'd go for the Brawler64. Or the Retro Bit Tribute 64, if you can't get your hands on the Brawler64. If you don't care about money, buy the Hori Pad Mini. Avoid Hyperkin, the 3rd party OEM replacement sticks and the 10 bucks 3rd Party controllers you can find on eBay or Amazon.

[@E_-_-]

Thanks

[@Itsfayd]

I have the tribute 64 and the admiral wireless controller. I use admiral most since it’s wireless but the best one is the tribute 64. I’m Considering to get the brawler 64 wireless controller that just came out tho

[@uncannyx]

I just received that wireless Brawler 64, so maybe I will do an updated video and include all of my new ones

[@el_cores]

Good and informative video man but I have to strongly disagree with your statement regarding the Brawler's D-pad. I can't play that good Killer Instinct Gold or Pokemon Puzzle League. Maybe I'm not that used to it (?)

[@shaun8062]

I strongly agree. I have two brawlers and the d pads are terrible.

[@BigJoker]

My hyperkin procube for the Wii U had the same issue your Admiral does. The joystick didn't sit right in the hole and it couldn't reach one side as easily as it could the other. They made a revision and issued a free replacement. I stay away from hyperkin now. Just terrible.

[@nicolasmellalopez3684]

I got one more question. Which one of these controllers is compatible with the pokemon stadium transfer pack? Have you been able to try them out for this purpose?

[@CHOKOJV]

Which b can be use with the transfer Pak?

[@mrgatogris8863]

The video is perfect ! Got to the point

[@sandman8920]

I have the brawler 64 and I really struggle to aim in fps games but it’s fantastic for everything else.

[@Resenses]

Would love to know how steel sticks compares.

[@DisneyTLK110]

I have one myself. The Steelstick64 uses the same sensors as an original stick, so in short: it works exactly like the original, and it obviously won't wear out anytime soon.

[@uncannyx]

i didn't know about those, interesting...

[@Resenses]

@@uncannyx Ye would love to have one myself never original without wear and tear.

[@uncannyx]

it looks like they sell out often, and $125 is a hefty price tag for just the analog part... it better last forever lol

[@zipple41]

If you care about input lag, the Hyperkin seems like a bad idea. This definitely should've been addressed. Bluetooth connections have notorious lag.

[@kranibal]

What a great video. No choice but to sub.

[@josephyoungs8046]

Which controller is best for first person shooters? Every N64 controller I have used is too sensitive when trying to aim, especially in GoldenEye. Please help me guys

[@Shikaku11373]

great video been trying to see what options are out there for N64 for today. I think I am going with Tribute 64, Amazon has it $19.

[@ozzyp97]

I've got two of them, and there's a rather obvious problem which never seems to be mentioned: The analog gate isn't quite centered on the stick, it can't even reach the rightmost notch. The gate is also the wrong shape, but this is unfortunately true for all modern controllers. Mine were pretty early, so it's possible they fixed it. Just tread carefully.

[@Shikaku11373]

@@ozzyp97 That is very good to know. I think I will give 1 a try and see how it goes.

[@despeckt]

How come no one talks about how tight the RetroBit 64 is in the control ports, you literally need to hit the gym in order to put it in and take it out

[@Junedude433]

I have some constructive criticism for you. Disclaimer: I haven't seen any of your other videos, so I don't know if you have improved, but I'm assuming your quality is roughly the same since this video is about one month old. You should include timestamps. This is a pretty long video, and your giving short reviews about each controller. That's great, but what if I just want to know about a few specific controllers and don't care about the rest? It would be very convenient to be able to skip to that part of the video directly. There's no reason to include raw gameplay footage of you're reviewing a controller. We can't see how the controller is working via a capture card recorded gameplay clip. The only time I could think of where showing gameplay could be useful is if you are showing if there's input lag. Overall, it's a good video.

[@mbe102]

Wow, nice, he went back and did it. Thats a great suggestion, and its awesome that he listens to constructive feedback. That earns my sub, easy!

[@shaun8062]

I STRONGLY DISAGREE with the D-pad being the best on the brawler64. I play tony hawk pro skater with the original controller D-pad as well as 007 Goldeneye, as I use it for strafing. The tony hawk proskater allowes me to compare the D pad to playstations D pad as I am competitive in that game. The brawler 64 D-pad is not nimble enough and does not register fast enough (by far, and noticeable by two other friends of mine).

[@jimmypage9283]

You should be putting the prices up on these, the hyperkin is at least £40.00!

[@dertyturtle5528]

Do any work with the transfer paks?

[@MyDecade]

17 more years until that follow up video

[@mazurthc]

thanks, i will get retrobit one

[@uncannyx]

good choice!

[@LeonXfilm]

Wow great work

[@robweymouth9044]

Love hearing the Duke Nukem music

[@voidtensa]

Which one is the cheapest and sold at stores

[@Where_is_Waldo]

0:19 and none of these are wireless. Nevermind, I have a wireless Hyperkin (pretty good) and I know about the slightly better but more expensive Brawler 64 wireless controller and I don't intend to game with a wired controller so... when it's in my budget I'll be getting three wireless Brawler 64s. (Unless someone knows of an even better wireless N64 controller)

[@sandman8920]

I haven’t got a hori pad but I do have a mako pad. And it’s actually my favourite I also have the brawler 64 and although it’s comfortable the analog stick just isn’t accurate enough I can’t play goldeneye etc with it I just can’t aim with it.

[@jeffm3984]

Which controller do you prefer for super smash bros 64?

[@xninja83x67]

I think I am going to steel stick my n64 controller as soon as parts are back in stock

[@RotableStar]

5:00 CHRIS?

[@rgerber]

The song at the end sounds so Banjo Kazooie! But i don't know what it is

[@uncannyx]

donkey kong 64 - angry aztec

[@charlesurias]

What video mods/set-up do you have running on that 64 you captured from; it looks amazing.

[@showbizpizzaarchive5055]

What game is the background footage of at 0:51?

[@cristianarreola7246]

Looks like one of the games in the Gex trilogy.

[@KYBlueJedi]

What about input lag? Which controller has the least amount of input lag?

[@uncannyx]

none of the wired ones have any lag at all... maybe the wireless one, but I have been using that a lot recently, it's probably my preferred controller because of the wireless aspect and haven't noticed any

[@dominicmiller7866]

You can get a n64 controller with a game cube joystick. That fixes half of its problems

[@lyonking1820]

Irrelevant i know but how do i stop my xbox controller from going off on ps4 on the titan one. I have a usb hub but cant get it to work

[@uncannyx]

i don't think titan one supports usb hubs

[@lyonking1820]

@@uncannyx found out the hard way. Still looking for solutions though. I realise with my ps4 set to where it logs into my account automatically, that during authentication checks, it cuts for less than a second and is back up. However, im wanting to use my headset as well, which i would need another controller for which brings me back to the problem of controller going off, and me having to log back in. Do you think I could instead use a 3.5mm to usb adapter and connect my headset directly into the playstation?

[@uncannyx]

@@lyonking1820 yeah, there is one that i used called the "kotion each", but that is like 2 years old and i am sure there are better options

[@lyonking1820]

@@uncannyx thx ill look into it. You suppose it has to be a name brand or would any cheap 3.5mm to usb adapter work

[@uncannyx]

@@lyonking1820 just make sure it says it works on the ps4, any cheap one should do the trick, i bought a cheap one for just a few dollars and it works fine

[@nicolasmellalopez3684]

Excellent review! Thank u so much. Question....What do you mean by accuracy? Analogue sensitivity? Does the Hori mini analogue leads in analogue sensitivity? In my experience, for example, the 8 retro bit overcomes "sensitivity" issues as an alternative control for nes. However, I do not know if this is the best alternative brand for n64 when it comes to analogue sensitivity. Thanks again!

[@ozzyp97]

Pretty much every controller on the list is overly sensitive, including the Hori. This will mess with your input accuracy, since you will reach maximum speed with smaller movements of the stick. Besides being less extreme than most others, Hori is preferred because the cutout for the stick is the correct shape, and not a perfect hexagon like basically all the modern options. With a perfect hexagon the diagonals end up feeling more sensitive than cardinal directions, making the accuracy issue even worse.

[@nicolasmellalopez3684]

@@ozzyp97 Thank u so much for your response. It was very informative and techincally supported

[@joshuaharper4439]

Is the controller in your number one slot still available? If so, where can I get it? Appreciate any help

[@juanchol21]

Ebay

[@fidelsolis6070]

Got it Brawler. 2.0 orange controller

[@ElGatoLoco698]

I don't understand drifting in Mario Kart. To me it throws the physics of racing off. It just doesn't make sense that you actually gain speed by drifting.

[@luisnava1989]

Retro bit tribute my favorite

[@bland9876]

the admeral looks like a better version of the hyperkin yet it get lower score hmm that stick must be pretty bad.

[@7thangelad586]

Those original controllers weren’t very intuitive for my hands! I love the GameCube style.

[@LITTLE1994]

I ONLY use original, authentic controllers, as long as they're still in good condition. 3rd-party ones never have the right feel, D-pad, and especially not stick.

[@captinkilo]

1 year 19 years to go

[@uncannyx]

so far so good!

[@Pan_Z]

Hori's build quality is indisputable, but I heard their stuff has longevity issues. How's the mini holding up?

[@marcuslopez5370]

Is that roxolid productions

[@shaun8062]

Only the original for me.

[@swires1]

They're all sold out now lol

[@ryoandr]

Hey I found another Elecman / Journey soundalike ! :) Raiden hiscore name entry kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6K7fZmFm8-KfMk

[@SydneyDrums]

Bueller.. Bueller.. Bueller ..?