the reason the good OEM stick feels like the NSO controller is because the stick is fresh without wear. the older one is a little “mushy” meaning that its harder to reach the outer limit of the controllers edge where you would get those crispy turns in perfect dark. you can test that by going in smash bros versus menu by plugging into both controller ports and racing the finger pointer around. the mushy stick will actually move slower because it has trouble reaching the outer limit.
NSO controllers WILL wear. They are the exact same mechanism as original controllers with 0 improvements so while they are obviously going to be NIB quality, they are going to have the same problems as OG sticks down the line.
@@Mooseman_Videos They actually lubed the bowls in the NSO controllers though. They never did that in the past, or at least I've never seen any grease/lube survive long enough to be seen. They do use potentiometers instead of the optical wheels to read movement though those are the only changes to the stick. They will wear down around the stick and gate opening though for sure.
Yes boys and girls, take care of your original sticks. Clean and lube. Im glad I invested so much into multiple original controllers. I used to regret it. Now it's the only reason to keep my n64 collection. It would cost me 360$ to buy 4 NSO controllers and forget about being able to restore them with replacement parts when they wear.
@@SkullboyMus1c No way. the gamecube style stick has too much dead zone, too much sensitivity, and is not accurate to the types of controls the games were designed around. It makes FPS games like Goldeneye aim terribly where it doesnt aim smoothly and the crosshairs are shaky, makes platformers move in a jerky kind of way in which the character has limited range of motion where it doesnt turn smoothly or walk slowly but rather, jerks to specific angles quickly due to the dead zones. It also makes racers too sensitive to turn smoothly and slowly. You could get through a game using it but it is not a good experience and very much a down grade compared to the control stick in the original n64 controller.
Replacement parts for all of the parts that wear out (bowl, gears and stick) are available, Kitsch-Bent sells them, and they are cheap The only things you'd need to keep from an OEM joystick is the housing, board and encoder wheels
I think the tip-toe test is highly important to emulate sensitive controlling in games like SM64 and OoT, BK, and more. I notice a huge difference in these 3rd party controllers because the controls just don't feel the same as they do with 1st party controllers.
I think the wireless portion is doing things to the hall effect stick giving some weird results. I have a feeling it may potentially work a lot better when paired with an oem wired controller. Update: Someone I know just got this hall effect stick and did a benchmark test without the mod kit and battery/rumble pack. The shape is basically spot on to an new oem stick except it only reaches about 80 but I don't think that will effect the feel to much.
I'd be curious as to the "throw" of the stick. Its may be able to hit those OEM edges at 80, but how precise is it as it reaches the edge. Can you easily tip-toe in Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie (Tooie contains portions where tip-toeing is required) and how fluid is aiming in games like GoldenEye/PD and QUAKE? That would be my concern.
Okay but how is it at tiptoeing? N64 controllers have a lot of range and the characters are only supposed to break into a full sprint when you push all the way in many games. It may reach 80 but did he test whether the character only moved at full speed when reaching 80 or so?
i hope 8bitdo makes fully functional n64 Bluetooth/2.4G controller. with programable buttons and extra A and B buttons on the left side of the controller, this would help big time on Turok
They made an n64 stick that locks your movements into angular positions and doesn't allow you to moderate your movements the normal way the game meant to allow you to. You think that's awesome? They did a terrible job.
@@HBK22071980 if I was happy with my control stick I wouldn't be trying to buy one from 8bitdo. There is a complete lack of energy going into creating a good N64 stick replacement for the original n64 controller. Everyone wants modern, but the design of the games requires the specific gait and sensitivity of the old model, and we need a new product that mimics the old model, in the way that the new NSO controller does, but just for the stick compartment replacements to be available. It's hard enough just to get your hands on the NSO controller, much less repair it when the stick goes bad. Most of us die hard N64 fans have been replacing the gears and bowl inside the old stick compartments with cheap knock offs from a company called kitsch bent that get the job 80% done and lubricate it to last as long as it can. For such a legendary stapled time in gaming, why can't companies or people care about the preservation and restoration of the console the way they do others?
Two things absolutely beyond the capability and expertise of third party manufacturers: Accurate N64 thumbsticks, and Saturn 3D Analogue controllers. Everything else? No problem.
I have a jungle green OEM controller with a damaged cable. I ordered one of these today. I'll probably order some of these sticks if I like the feel of them and just replace all the ones I'm my other OEM controllers.
I'm mostly excited to have a bluetooth pcb that works with an OEM stick so that I can have a Bluetooth N64 controller with a steelbowl and readily available replacement gears. Using the NSO controller right now, but worried about long term wear of the gears and bowl, and there arent any replacements at the moment as far as I know.
Exactly what I was waiting to see.. Great vid! I was really hoping that 8 bitdo had created the end all joystick replacement for the N64.. nope lol. Its clear they gave the stick issue no real attention, which means they miss the point entirely w N64 control imo. Accuracy and feel is everything w the N64 stick.. and it looks like Nintendo actually did care about this w the NSO controller based on these test results.. nice. Ima still stick with Kitsch-Bent when restoring N64 controllers, but I cant deny that the bluetooth board alone is def still awesome!
Great comment. If you ever get a chance to get a low grade steel bowl, brass gears, nylon stick, do it. It feels amazing and long lasting design. It's a damn shame no one is taking to market quality steel sticks, only a handful of small scale hobbyists are accomplishing this.
you know i was disapointed that they didn't have a dongle with it for the n64, but i knew blue retro would work, still nice when you can get a paired thing though.
wow, all that's the same is the shell. I wonder if there's any replacement shells available that can be used instead. 100% new DIY Hall effect N64 controller could be pretty neat if there was a way to fix the sensitivity ramp and gate issues, I love hall effect joysticks, so I see some real potential here
Probably already mentioned but the OEM N64 stick and seemingly the NSO stick have a wider output range(? im sure there is a better word) versus modern analog sticks. It was a bit overkill but being the first included analog stick for a console, Nintendo was paving new ground. With that said, some games took advantage of the increased output range (?) - like Mario's tiptoe-ing. A really good example of why an oem stick is important for some N64 titles is the Jet Force Gemini. Try aiming a gun, especially the sniper rifle, accurately with an OEM vs modern analog stick. The modern analog will be jumping back and forth and it will be nearly impossible to hit anything from a distance.
Honestly why doesn’t 8bitdo make the ultimate n64 controller, I like the idea of using parts from a genuine n64 controller but then you have to pay for one outside of the mod kit, really should have a sn30pro quality controller for n64 to play on pc, switch, n64, etc.
This is fantastic! Thanks for the overhaul and review, I have two OEM controllers (yellow ultimate favorite) been wanting to do this to and best part is no cutting or soldering so everything can go back to stock if wanting to at the end of the day.
I expected more from 8bitdo. It should be obvious to them the gc style stick never matched the range of the oem stick. They should release an adapter so you can use the og controller wireless like they did for gc controller. ☮️
At least you can connect the oem stick to the bt pcb which is really a nice move from 8bitdo. Btw i have probably 10 controllers from 8bitdo. ^^ im not hating on the company. Their work is impressive imo.
Your tests with the 8bitdo controller were similar to when I play Super Mario 64 on Mario 3D All-stars on the Nintendo Switch using joycons. The gates of modern controllers don't have the same range as the original N64.
One glaring problem was not addressed in this video: the fact that is uses the Controller Pak slot. I hate that! It prevents you from playing several games (like my favorite: Shadow Man) that won't save on the cartridge. Because if you remove that adapter to plug the Controller Pak, the controller itself won't work anymore. It should use the hole on top of the controller (where the wire originally comes out) as the USB out, like many other PCBs do (the SNES, for example). Also, the best test for the analog stick is trying to do a quick spin attack in Zelda, because OEM analog stick does that 100% of the time, while GC analog stick only very rarely can replicate a perfect 360 degree spin.
Strange that the 8bitdo Hall Effect stick acts like the Taiwanese gamecube-style stick using the 8bitdo bluetooth board... I ordered just the stick from 8bitdo and put it in my OEM grey N64, and I have to say, it feels freaking perfect! I feel like I have more control over Mario's tip-toe speed and have an easier time keeping that speed while I turn, as well as having an easier time aiming precisely in Goldeneye (the TRUE gamer's FPS, lol) using the 8bitdo stick without the mod kit. Doesn't feel too sensitive like the Taiwanese crap. Maybe the 8bitdo mod kit reads the hall effect stick inputs differently? If that's the case, then I'd expect 8bitdo to release firmware updates for their mod kit that makes their stick feel better. I also wonder if the Blue Retro receiver is altering how the controller's read... Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend getting just the 8bitdo hall effect stick to replace the stick in your OEM controller, especially since there's nothing to wear the stick down.
Can you do us a favour and test out a few things? First of all, Smash attacks in Smash Bros, Repeated chain spin attacks in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask, and double back flips and barrel rolls in Wave Race 64. Almost all other sticks that aren't the OEM sticks have problems being able to do all of these things as well as all the third party controllers that are currently out there.
Two half and hour videos in less than a week! Cool!!😮 Some other thing to consider is that the NSO controller is very hard to buy. They’re rarely in stock
Definitely need to be mindful of the L and R cables. I'd recommend watching the demo video by 8bitdo so as to bend and shape the cables as they do in the video. Otherwise you will squish them and risk damaging them. I got mine yesterday and have been using it the last 2 days and I think it's great. HOWEVER...it seems to be a running problem with 8bitdo where they just can't nail down the D-Pad. All 8bitdo controllers have false reading with D-Pad input and occasionally you'll hit some left and rights when hitting up and down. Not a major issue as so few games rely on D-Pad directly, but I was playing DOOM 64 using D-Pad to move with my left hand and thumbstick for turning and looking. I was struggling a bit with the D-Pad. BUT.... By and large I love this kit. It's delivering what the NS0 controller is at significantly less the cost. I say money well spent for me. No regrets.
FYI, when these launched the bundle with the replacement stick said it was out of stock even though you could buy both the DIY board and the stick separately for 10 more. Later that day they finally made the bundle available. Point is, it’s optional. Your tweet about unknown compatibility with original sticks didn’t seem to be aware of that and some parts of this video just outright say it’s included. There is actually a drop-down to pick your bundle before adding to cart. Three options: DIY board - 30 Hall Effect stick - 20 DIY board with Hall Effect stick - 40 Edit: I see you got there in the end. Awesome!
I also prefer a slightly broken in N64 controller, maybe it's because my first N64 was a hand me down but new controllers feel too stiff for me (I just play a couple rounds of 90 turns Mario party 1 to break them in) controllers just gotta get that bit of gamer grease on them first.
I unfortunately think the bluetooth module or receiver is the issue and not the stick. The stick on my end is getting absolutely perfect 80s across the board inside a real N64 controller on a real board and has none of the problems you describe. If you have an original board, try again and see if you have the same issues.
im sure one of the bigger issues is the gamecube style controller is too short so it adds sensitivity ontop of the already sensitive hal effect sensor. i really wish companies would make a longer stick to compensate
I love the fact they incorporated the memory card slot into this design. Those kinda little touches is what nintendo should take note of in there products.
@@matthewbrown4549 The first pokemon stadium for the N64 allowed you to play Pokemon Gen 1 games (red/blue/yellow) on your TV by using a rumble pack adapter that you would put the gameboy cartridge into. It also allowed you to use your current lineup of Pokemon gameboy save file the game cartridge to play Stadium itself.
I appreciate you did these. This is exactly the info I wanted. I ordered my kit with the hall effect stick right away but my package is still in hong kong 😢. I thought the hall effect sensor was sus but I have some perfect tight n64 sticks I can use for this so I'm not worried about it too much. I kept getting shafted on NSO cons so now I can finally have a wireless n64 controller with rumble and original form factor. Finally.
When you were assembling the cobtroller😂, It happened exactly the same way to me, I was thinking this seems easy, then when I was going to close I forgot the small plastic piece, then the controller won’t close because the cables where on the way. I was so scared to break the cables. Finally I was able to close it, but the Z button something was off, didn’t clic, so I had to open all over again, moved a little bit the cable and it was fixed. Then the R button also didn’t clic, so I had to open again, finally after opening 6 times, finally it was perfect. Then I was a little disappointed with the BlueRetro adapter, I updated and connected the controller with no problem. But there is a glitch, all buttons where scrambled, so I entered the configuration page, and connected by Bluetooth, I spent like 2 hours trying to figure the buttons, the only button missing was the C-Right button. So I looked in some blogs and one person said he tyred all combinations putting my every same action to all buttons, but the C-Right button does not work. The controller is fine, all buttons works, this has to do with the firmware of the BlueRetro, so in the end for now there is no point in using. But, I waited so many years, so maybe I can wait a little longer for 8bitdo to finally release a n64 wireless adapter, or to wait for the BlueRetro to get an update and get this fixed. So I will put my new n64 8bitdo mod kit in a box, and open it again finally maybe in some months or years. For now I will be playing using the brawler fighter 64, I forgot the name of this controller. Excelent review
the problem your having with the controller might me more an issue with the analog they pair with it though so if you got a good original analog to use it probably doesn't jolt a bit when you go full throw
Fun Fact: One N64 game was released with corrupted, glitched music, with lots of Midi errors, corrupted instrument samples and more. It's called Donald Duck Goin Quackers, which is actually a port of the Dreamcast/PC version (that actually has some great, underrated music!) The game's TCRF article explains a lot of the music errors. It's crazy!
8BitDo says on its website that the stick is perfectly compatible with the OG motherboard. They sell the kit without the Hall stick, and the stick on its own, so you could just put the original stick in the bluetooth converted one or the new one in your N64 original controller.
The main issue I've had that's caused me to swear off 8bitdo kits and probably blue tooth in general is input lag. It seems like it should be possible to have instant wireless communication, but nope, you lose a frame of latency. And if you're playing a on an hdtv with a scaler device, you're gonna lose another frame at least. When you hit 2+ frames of lag it starts to feel really bad. You can't see it but you can feel it when playing intently. Might not be as noticeable on N64 where everything is running at 20fps, but I would still avoid it.
The best levels of Goldeneye are in Perfect Dark, and all the guns too. It's really hard to go back to play Goldeneye when you experience the Perfect multiplayer :)
Screw Nintendo. Their wireless N64 Switch controller has been sold out since it was released. I cannot fathom how much they are losing on sales by not being able to ship that product in at least a year now.
i picked up some brawler64 controllers. haven't looked back, and unless someone releases a hall effect mod for them, i won't even try to find something better. and no taking anything apart. wired, wireless, usb, your choice. and colors if you're lucky enough to catch the production cycle right (or grey if you're not, since its the least popular option), with a few other options for other systems. overall, i've had no complaints beyond that hall effect quibble, and honestly, by the time it matters, i can't imagine they won't have gone that route in the newer models.
bump, i am having the same issue. assuming you mean when plugged into your N64 via the blueretro adapter? i was able to get the blueretro to use the mempak function, but i get no rumble when i press the home button again to switch back to rumble mode.
@@snakesolid2001 i contacted 8bitdo support. hopefully there’s a firmware update coming that will fix that. i also have the same issue in this vid where the BR adapter doesn’t remember the 8bitdo controller. hopefully that’s fixed as well!
Some people will kill for an OEM optical-gate stick that they can refurbish whenever people who don't know any better replace a loose stick with a crappy aftermarket module and throw the old one out.
I think it's pronounced 8BitDo as in the word Do. Many people think it's Do as in Nintendo but if you listen to the power on sound on the speaker that 8BitDo sells it says 8BitDo as in the word do and not Nintendo.
Good review! The 8BitDo is definitely a solid option. As much as I love the NSO one, it is a bit pricey and you'd have to drop a bit of cash if you want 4 player (unless everyone buys their own controller). Where does the Brawler64 controller fit into all of this, though? 🤔
When playing the legend of Zelda majora‘s mask playing any of the bow and arrow shooting games it’s always more enjoyable using the Nintendo 64 joystick because it drags a little bit making aiming more precise unlike using the game cube controller joystick it’s springy I tend to overshoot the target more often using it. Sometimes I just skip the OCTO rock shooting game Very frustrating. Also makes the Swamp Road shooting gallery game take twice as long to complete.
i just did the pcb swap and several of the buttons feel like they have slightly less travel than before. esp L and R. is the 8bitdo pcb slightly thicker material maybe??
Very disappointed that the Hall Effect Stick doesn't perform close to the original. I really want to play these old shooter games on my N64 but so far looks like I'm stuck with the original or maybe buy a Brawler64.
the alignment of this kit sucks. I kept having to take apart my controller because the screws wouldn't sit right to get the controller screwed in flush.
I'm still waiting for a kit to convert an original gamecube controller to bluetooth.. Because there's no way Nintendo, if they ever add gamecube to NSO, won't turn the triggers into digital buttons. Nintendo of today seems to have an aversion to analogue triggers
I can't belive you didn't notice it right away when you were playing. And didn't notice again when editing. The GCN style joystick has insanely harsh preference for cardinal directions that's why you are having such a hard time holding angles off the 45 degrees of the cardinals. This is because for GCN style controllers the axis are totally independent, so you can get to the edge of both axis at the same time. Where as on the OEM controller the axis are mechanically linked together so going to an angle in between the two forces the axis to be away from the extremes. N64 games know about this "problem" with the N64 controllers joystick so have their sensitivity to the joystick setup to compensate for this non linearity. So when you put a perfectly linear joystick into them it ruins the input from your perspective. You can't just put an octagonal gate on a regular joystick and have it work for this reason. Even if you scale the inputs correctly and shape the gate so that it creates this non linearity you are going to have this weird star shaped gate that's not going to feel nice to rotate around even if it only produces the same range of motion of a real N64 stick. You need a joystick design that ramps the diagonals less intensely than the cardinals to get the same feel as a real N64 stick, this is considered a flaw in modern stick design so there's nothing that properly emulates it.
I was thinking of getting one of these kits but I wonder if you lose the ability to have a rumble pak? The BlueRetro wireless receiver contains memory pak function so that's covered
So i have this combo. 8 bitdo pcb and same bluetooth sender. Only problem is that it's switched round the A and B buttons. Anyone else had this or knows how to fix?
Why didn't you just remove the stick from the oem controller you had already used and put it in the wireless? That would have been a true control so you could know if wireless was the impact
I got 2 of these, first one worked no problem, second one has no left or right on the joystick. Up and down work fine. Tried multiple sticks and swapped the rumble packs so the issue has to be on the board itself. Any ideas?
I hope the drive behind this products creation was a middle finger to nintendo for making a dumb limited amount of switch wireless n64 controllers that are basicly just for scalpers.
I had the exact same thought. I managed to get a NSO N64 controller from the UK Nintendo store and the price is steep and availability very limited. On the plus side the quality is excellent.
Disappointed to hear about the oversensitivity. Was looking forward to it when I saw the original announcement, but it just falls into the same pitfalls as every other analog stick replacement before it.
Not all N64 games save internally playing on a OEM Nintendo 64 console. How does everyone use their memory packs with the console? I seen the BT dongle from Hyperkin. Not certain if it will pair with other BT controllers…
2 minutes in and I’m already disappointed. Using the back controller slot for the bluetooth transmitter means we can’t use it for anything else like a Transfer Pak 😭 you had my hopes up too
Transfer Pak wouldn’t work with Switch Online anyway. Remember: This is now a Bluetooth controller. BlueRetro is the only reason we’re able to still use it with N64.
@@dubesinhower guess so lol I’m surprised no one has tried to just take the insides from an NSO controller and put them in an OEM controller to keep all the back slot functionality.
@@emmettturner9452 well that’s exactly what I was hoping for lol I don’t care about using an OEM controller with NSO. I have the Special Pikachu Edition N64 so I was one day hoping to somehow make the special Pokémon controller wireless
@@JamesonTylerBynum Yeah, it’s just that 8BitDo would have to make a Bluetooth adapter for that to be possible. This is just intended to turn it into a Switch Online controller so they just looked for something else to do with that slot.
the reason the good OEM stick feels like the NSO controller is because the stick is fresh without wear. the older one is a little “mushy” meaning that its harder to reach the outer limit of the controllers edge where you would get those crispy turns in perfect dark. you can test that by going in smash bros versus menu by plugging into both controller ports and racing the finger pointer around. the mushy stick will actually move slower because it has trouble reaching the outer limit.
Ah that makes sense
NSO controllers WILL wear. They are the exact same mechanism as original controllers with 0 improvements so while they are obviously going to be NIB quality, they are going to have the same problems as OG sticks down the line.
@@Mooseman_Videos They actually lubed the bowls in the NSO controllers though. They never did that in the past, or at least I've never seen any grease/lube survive long enough to be seen. They do use potentiometers instead of the optical wheels to read movement though those are the only changes to the stick. They will wear down around the stick and gate opening though for sure.
cant believe we still dont have a good joystick replacement. I'm sticking with the NSO controller, Im used to it now and its close enough.
Yes boys and girls, take care of your original sticks. Clean and lube. Im glad I invested so much into multiple original controllers. I used to regret it. Now it's the only reason to keep my n64 collection. It would cost me 360$ to buy 4 NSO controllers and forget about being able to restore them with replacement parts when they wear.
what about that n64 to gamecube stick replacement? i thought that was good
@@SkullboyMus1c No way. the gamecube style stick has too much dead zone, too much sensitivity, and is not accurate to the types of controls the games were designed around. It makes FPS games like Goldeneye aim terribly where it doesnt aim smoothly and the crosshairs are shaky, makes platformers move in a jerky kind of way in which the character has limited range of motion where it doesnt turn smoothly or walk slowly but rather, jerks to specific angles quickly due to the dead zones. It also makes racers too sensitive to turn smoothly and slowly. You could get through a game using it but it is not a good experience and very much a down grade compared to the control stick in the original n64 controller.
@@shaun8062 ah okay
Replacement parts for all of the parts that wear out (bowl, gears and stick) are available, Kitsch-Bent sells them, and they are cheap
The only things you'd need to keep from an OEM joystick is the housing, board and encoder wheels
I think the tip-toe test is highly important to emulate sensitive controlling in games like SM64 and OoT, BK, and more. I notice a huge difference in these 3rd party controllers because the controls just don't feel the same as they do with 1st party controllers.
I think the wireless portion is doing things to the hall effect stick giving some weird results. I have a feeling it may potentially work a lot better when paired with an oem wired controller.
Update: Someone I know just got this hall effect stick and did a benchmark test without the mod kit and battery/rumble pack. The shape is basically spot on to an new oem stick except it only reaches about 80 but I don't think that will effect the feel to much.
I'd be curious as to the "throw" of the stick. Its may be able to hit those OEM edges at 80, but how precise is it as it reaches the edge. Can you easily tip-toe in Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie (Tooie contains portions where tip-toeing is required) and how fluid is aiming in games like GoldenEye/PD and QUAKE?
That would be my concern.
Thanks, I was really curious what the stick benchmarks would be on a wired controller!
Okay but how is it at tiptoeing? N64 controllers have a lot of range and the characters are only supposed to break into a full sprint when you push all the way in many games. It may reach 80 but did he test whether the character only moved at full speed when reaching 80 or so?
i hope 8bitdo makes fully functional n64 Bluetooth/2.4G controller. with programable buttons and extra A and B buttons on the left side of the controller, this would help big time on Turok
8BitDo is so awesome. Hope sometime there is a Dreamcast Controller DIY Modkit available. :)
They made an n64 stick that locks your movements into angular positions and doesn't allow you to moderate your movements the normal way the game meant to allow you to. You think that's awesome? They did a terrible job.
@@shaun8062 you can use the original Control Stick btw
@@HBK22071980 if I was happy with my control stick I wouldn't be trying to buy one from 8bitdo. There is a complete lack of energy going into creating a good N64 stick replacement for the original n64 controller. Everyone wants modern, but the design of the games requires the specific gait and sensitivity of the old model, and we need a new product that mimics the old model, in the way that the new NSO controller does, but just for the stick compartment replacements to be available. It's hard enough just to get your hands on the NSO controller, much less repair it when the stick goes bad. Most of us die hard N64 fans have been replacing the gears and bowl inside the old stick compartments with cheap knock offs from a company called kitsch bent that get the job 80% done and lubricate it to last as long as it can. For such a legendary stapled time in gaming, why can't companies or people care about the preservation and restoration of the console the way they do others?
Two things absolutely beyond the capability and expertise of third party manufacturers: Accurate N64 thumbsticks, and Saturn 3D Analogue controllers. Everything else? No problem.
@@Fattydeposit Agreed, I am so fed up with the lack of a true N64 stick replacement in this day and age. I'm let down by my fellow humans.
I have a jungle green OEM controller with a damaged cable. I ordered one of these today. I'll probably order some of these sticks if I like the feel of them and just replace all the ones I'm my other OEM controllers.
I'm mostly excited to have a bluetooth pcb that works with an OEM stick so that I can have a Bluetooth N64 controller with a steelbowl and readily available replacement gears. Using the NSO controller right now, but worried about long term wear of the gears and bowl, and there arent any replacements at the moment as far as I know.
Looks like the 8bitdo controller is pretty similar to the replacement gamecube style ones that have been out forever.
Which suck ass
They're better I have Nes SNES and n64 for my Wii ... I need GC next and maybe a Sega Genesis later on
Bro it’s an oem are u dumb
Exactly what I was waiting to see.. Great vid! I was really hoping that 8 bitdo had created the end all joystick replacement for the N64.. nope lol. Its clear they gave the stick issue no real attention, which means they miss the point entirely w N64 control imo. Accuracy and feel is everything w the N64 stick.. and it looks like Nintendo actually did care about this w the NSO controller based on these test results.. nice. Ima still stick with Kitsch-Bent when restoring N64 controllers, but I cant deny that the bluetooth board alone is def still awesome!
Great comment. If you ever get a chance to get a low grade steel bowl, brass gears, nylon stick, do it. It feels amazing and long lasting design. It's a damn shame no one is taking to market quality steel sticks, only a handful of small scale hobbyists are accomplishing this.
you know i was disapointed that they didn't have a dongle with it for the n64, but i knew blue retro would work, still nice when you can get a paired thing though.
wow, all that's the same is the shell. I wonder if there's any replacement shells available that can be used instead.
100% new DIY Hall effect N64 controller could be pretty neat if there was a way to fix the sensitivity ramp and gate issues, I love hall effect joysticks, so I see some real potential here
Probably already mentioned but the OEM N64 stick and seemingly the NSO stick have a wider output range(? im sure there is a better word) versus modern analog sticks. It was a bit overkill but being the first included analog stick for a console, Nintendo was paving new ground. With that said, some games took advantage of the increased output range (?) - like Mario's tiptoe-ing. A really good example of why an oem stick is important for some N64 titles is the Jet Force Gemini. Try aiming a gun, especially the sniper rifle, accurately with an OEM vs modern analog stick. The modern analog will be jumping back and forth and it will be nearly impossible to hit anything from a distance.
With that said, really glad the 8bitdo kit allows for using an oem stick. I have an NSO controller I use on my N64 but would like more controllers.
Honestly why doesn’t 8bitdo make the ultimate n64 controller, I like the idea of using parts from a genuine n64 controller but then you have to pay for one outside of the mod kit, really should have a sn30pro quality controller for n64 to play on pc, switch, n64, etc.
This is fantastic! Thanks for the overhaul and review, I have two OEM controllers (yellow ultimate favorite) been wanting to do this to and best part is no cutting or soldering so everything can go back to stock if wanting to at the end of the day.
I expected more from 8bitdo. It should be obvious to them the gc style stick never matched the range of the oem stick. They should release an adapter so you can use the og controller wireless like they did for gc controller. ☮️
At least you can connect the oem stick to the bt pcb which is really a nice move from 8bitdo. Btw i have probably 10 controllers from 8bitdo. ^^ im not hating on the company. Their work is impressive imo.
That true gamer part about Perfect Dark and Goldeneye is true.
Your tests with the 8bitdo controller were similar to when I play Super Mario 64 on Mario 3D All-stars on the Nintendo Switch using joycons. The gates of modern controllers don't have the same range as the original N64.
One glaring problem was not addressed in this video: the fact that is uses the Controller Pak slot. I hate that! It prevents you from playing several games (like my favorite: Shadow Man) that won't save on the cartridge. Because if you remove that adapter to plug the Controller Pak, the controller itself won't work anymore. It should use the hole on top of the controller (where the wire originally comes out) as the USB out, like many other PCBs do (the SNES, for example). Also, the best test for the analog stick is trying to do a quick spin attack in Zelda, because OEM analog stick does that 100% of the time, while GC analog stick only very rarely can replicate a perfect 360 degree spin.
The 8BitMods BlueRetro adapter has virtual memory pak support. Yes, it is unfortunate that the transfer pak won't work
Well, this was made for the switch, it's why the transmitter pack has 4 more buttons on it, including "ZR" and "screenshot".
Strange that the 8bitdo Hall Effect stick acts like the Taiwanese gamecube-style stick using the 8bitdo bluetooth board...
I ordered just the stick from 8bitdo and put it in my OEM grey N64, and I have to say, it feels freaking perfect! I feel like I have more control over Mario's tip-toe speed and have an easier time keeping that speed while I turn, as well as having an easier time aiming precisely in Goldeneye (the TRUE gamer's FPS, lol) using the 8bitdo stick without the mod kit. Doesn't feel too sensitive like the Taiwanese crap.
Maybe the 8bitdo mod kit reads the hall effect stick inputs differently? If that's the case, then I'd expect 8bitdo to release firmware updates for their mod kit that makes their stick feel better. I also wonder if the Blue Retro receiver is altering how the controller's read... Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend getting just the 8bitdo hall effect stick to replace the stick in your OEM controller, especially since there's nothing to wear the stick down.
How are ya'll already getting yours?? Mine just shipped, and says it's randomly coming from Hong Kong...
Can you do us a favour and test out a few things? First of all, Smash attacks in Smash Bros, Repeated chain spin attacks in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask, and double back flips and barrel rolls in Wave Race 64. Almost all other sticks that aren't the OEM sticks have problems being able to do all of these things as well as all the third party controllers that are currently out there.
Two half and hour videos in less than a week! Cool!!😮
Some other thing to consider is that the NSO controller is very hard to buy. They’re rarely in stock
Definitely need to be mindful of the L and R cables. I'd recommend watching the demo video by 8bitdo so as to bend and shape the cables as they do in the video. Otherwise you will squish them and risk damaging them.
I got mine yesterday and have been using it the last 2 days and I think it's great. HOWEVER...it seems to be a running problem with 8bitdo where they just can't nail down the D-Pad. All 8bitdo controllers have false reading with D-Pad input and occasionally you'll hit some left and rights when hitting up and down.
Not a major issue as so few games rely on D-Pad directly, but I was playing DOOM 64 using D-Pad to move with my left hand and thumbstick for turning and looking. I was struggling a bit with the D-Pad.
BUT....
By and large I love this kit. It's delivering what the NS0 controller is at significantly less the cost. I say money well spent for me. No regrets.
FYI, when these launched the bundle with the replacement stick said it was out of stock even though you could buy both the DIY board and the stick separately for 10 more. Later that day they finally made the bundle available. Point is, it’s optional. Your tweet about unknown compatibility with original sticks didn’t seem to be aware of that and some parts of this video just outright say it’s included.
There is actually a drop-down to pick your bundle before adding to cart. Three options:
DIY board - 30
Hall Effect stick - 20
DIY board with Hall Effect stick - 40
Edit: I see you got there in the end. Awesome!
I always thought a good n64 stick was one that was broken in a little. Otherwise they are pretty sensitive as well at first.
Yea but this one locks you into specific angles of movement. It is absolute trash.
@@shaun8062 That wasn't really the point I was making because I agree with that sentiment, just to clarify.
I also prefer a slightly broken in N64 controller, maybe it's because my first N64 was a hand me down but new controllers feel too stiff for me (I just play a couple rounds of 90 turns Mario party 1 to break them in) controllers just gotta get that bit of gamer grease on them first.
I unfortunately think the bluetooth module or receiver is the issue and not the stick. The stick on my end is getting absolutely perfect 80s across the board inside a real N64 controller on a real board and has none of the problems you describe. If you have an original board, try again and see if you have the same issues.
Did you mod an original controller with a bluetooth module?
Can you try the 8bitdo stick in an otherwise stock controller? That would be the best way to test the stick itself without any Bluetooth funkiness.
its a cheap generic stick, it would be best to use the oem stick with the blutooth mod etc.
im sure one of the bigger issues is the gamecube style controller is too short so it adds sensitivity ontop of the already sensitive hal effect sensor. i really wish companies would make a longer stick to compensate
I’m almost positive they make off brand kontrol freaks that raise them up and fit a GameCube controller
now im gonna try it with my atomic purple controller thanks
The stick is absolutely perfect for me. Much more than I expected. It's the first time I like a replacement stick.
I love the fact they incorporated the memory card slot into this design. Those kinda little touches is what nintendo should take note of in there products.
Sucks that you won't be able to play Pokemon stadium though.
@@TwistyTravoh what's the story here? Missed this
@@matthewbrown4549 The first pokemon stadium for the N64 allowed you to play Pokemon Gen 1 games (red/blue/yellow) on your TV by using a rumble pack adapter that you would put the gameboy cartridge into. It also allowed you to use your current lineup of Pokemon gameboy save file the game cartridge to play Stadium itself.
@@TwistyTravwhen I was a kid I loved playing Pokemon games on dodrio mode on Pokemon stadium lol. It was so fun being able to move faster
@@XxxXxx-br7eq The mini games on Pokemon Stadium were wayyyy underrated. So much fun with friends.
I appreciate you did these. This is exactly the info I wanted. I ordered my kit with the hall effect stick right away but my package is still in hong kong 😢.
I thought the hall effect sensor was sus but I have some perfect tight n64 sticks I can use for this so I'm not worried about it too much. I kept getting shafted on NSO cons so now I can finally have a wireless n64 controller with rumble and original form factor. Finally.
It’s about TIME 8bitdo!!!!
When you were assembling the cobtroller😂, It happened exactly the same way to me, I was thinking this seems easy, then when I was going to close I forgot the small plastic piece, then the controller won’t close because the cables where on the way. I was so scared to break the cables. Finally I was able to close it, but the Z button something was off, didn’t clic, so I had to open all over again, moved a little bit the cable and it was fixed. Then the R button also didn’t clic, so I had to open again, finally after opening 6 times, finally it was perfect.
Then I was a little disappointed with the BlueRetro adapter, I updated and connected the controller with no problem. But there is a glitch, all buttons where scrambled, so I entered the configuration page, and connected by Bluetooth, I spent like 2 hours trying to figure the buttons, the only button missing was the C-Right button. So I looked in some blogs and one person said he tyred all combinations putting my every same action to all buttons, but the C-Right button does not work. The controller is fine, all buttons works, this has to do with the firmware of the BlueRetro, so in the end for now there is no point in using. But, I waited so many years, so maybe I can wait a little longer for 8bitdo to finally release a n64 wireless adapter, or to wait for the BlueRetro to get an update and get this fixed. So I will put my new n64 8bitdo mod kit in a box, and open it again finally maybe in some months or years. For now I will be playing using the brawler fighter 64, I forgot the name of this controller.
Excelent review
This is great, I have a broken oem controller (start button doesn’t work) that I’m gonna turn into a bt controller now
the problem your having with the controller might me more an issue with the analog they pair with it though so if you got a good original analog to use it probably doesn't jolt a bit when you go full throw
Fun Fact: One N64 game was released with corrupted, glitched music, with lots of Midi errors, corrupted instrument samples and more.
It's called Donald Duck Goin Quackers, which is actually a port of the Dreamcast/PC version (that actually has some great, underrated music!)
The game's TCRF article explains a lot of the music errors. It's crazy!
Same Problem with all the Sitck mods. To sensitiv. Best experience was now with the Brawler controller. Beste N64 Original or NSO
13:49 True!
Im still trying to get one of these.
Thanks for doing this video!
8BitDo says on its website that the stick is perfectly compatible with the OG motherboard. They sell the kit without the Hall stick, and the stick on its own, so you could just put the original stick in the bluetooth converted one or the new one in your N64 original controller.
The main issue I've had that's caused me to swear off 8bitdo kits and probably blue tooth in general is input lag. It seems like it should be possible to have instant wireless communication, but nope, you lose a frame of latency. And if you're playing a on an hdtv with a scaler device, you're gonna lose another frame at least. When you hit 2+ frames of lag it starts to feel really bad. You can't see it but you can feel it when playing intently.
Might not be as noticeable on N64 where everything is running at 20fps, but I would still avoid it.
I've always been a big fan of 8bitdo. Excellent company!
"Real gamers play Perfect Dark and not Goldeneye."
Wo, wo, wo. Them's fightin' words.
Haha
The best levels of Goldeneye are in Perfect Dark, and all the guns too. It's really hard to go back to play Goldeneye when you experience the Perfect multiplayer :)
It is a better game in every way. Not sure what a “real gamer” is though.
Screw Nintendo. Their wireless N64 Switch controller has been sold out since it was released. I cannot fathom how much they are losing on sales by not being able to ship that product in at least a year now.
i picked up some brawler64 controllers. haven't looked back, and unless someone releases a hall effect mod for them, i won't even try to find something better.
and no taking anything apart. wired, wireless, usb, your choice. and colors if you're lucky enough to catch the production cycle right (or grey if you're not, since its the least popular option), with a few other options for other systems.
overall, i've had no complaints beyond that hall effect quibble, and honestly, by the time it matters, i can't imagine they won't have gone that route in the newer models.
were you able to make it rumble? I can't make it rumble , I tried pressing the home button but nothing.
bump, i am having the same issue. assuming you mean when plugged into your N64 via the blueretro adapter? i was able to get the blueretro to use the mempak function, but i get no rumble when i press the home button again to switch back to rumble mode.
@@ATompkins1991 yep with the blueretro adapter on the n64. It does not rumble at all.
@@snakesolid2001 i contacted 8bitdo support. hopefully there’s a firmware update coming that will fix that.
i also have the same issue in this vid where the BR adapter doesn’t remember the 8bitdo controller. hopefully that’s fixed as well!
@Austin Tompkins I also wrote to 8bitdo support. Their answer: "we do not support the n64 adapter"
@@snakesolid2001 i got the same response lol. i am hoping there’s a firmware update coming regardless!
Dose it have rumble? That would be so cool and make it perfect knkwing you can use stock sticks.
Some people will kill for an OEM optical-gate stick that they can refurbish whenever people who don't know any better replace a loose stick with a crappy aftermarket module and throw the old one out.
Awesome ❤🔥
Maybe firmware needs tweaking a bit for use on an actual N64, may be better on the switch or PC via Direct input mode.
how to was the rumble?
DO you know if the rumble works on pc with project 64?
Yes. You can.
However...I cannot help explain to you as to how. I've tried 3 times now and every time UA-cam says...NOPE...and my reply vanishes.
Think I'd only get the replacement stick. The kit's neat, but I want keep a wired controller for the other peripherals like the Game Boy adapter.
replacement stick is trash, always stear clear of anything advertised as gamecube style for the n64
I want a Hall effect stick that actually looks/feels like the original n64 stick. I don’t know why they assumed we’d want it to be like a GameCube
"Real players play Perfect Dark and not GoldenEye." Followed by "Obviously auto aim is on and stuff." 🤣
I'm doing the mobile app of the BlueRetro config
I think it's pronounced 8BitDo as in the word Do. Many people think it's Do as in Nintendo but if you listen to the power on sound on the speaker that 8BitDo sells it says 8BitDo as in the word do and not Nintendo.
ua-cam.com/video/mj0YFEravEU/v-deo.html
Interesting, I didn't know that
That's how I've always pounced it.
8 bit doooo instead of 8 bit doh.
I have a different issue with the adapter, in my case it will connect again but the mapping for A and B is flipped unless I pair again.
I have this exact same issue. Did you eventually fix this?
@@neilroby4063 The latest blueretro firmware fixed the issue for me.
Good review! The 8BitDo is definitely a solid option. As much as I love the NSO one, it is a bit pricey and you'd have to drop a bit of cash if you want 4 player (unless everyone buys their own controller).
Where does the Brawler64 controller fit into all of this, though? 🤔
I think a white pcb would looked cleaner with the clear shell controllers
Can you use the 8bitdo controller wired, from the USB-C port in the"rumble pack"?
Yes. Plugging it in with USB will make it wired if you don't have bluetooth or are concerned with latency.
That controller is beautiful 😍
When playing the legend of Zelda majora‘s mask playing any of the bow and arrow shooting games it’s always more enjoyable using the Nintendo 64 joystick because it drags a little bit making aiming more precise unlike using the game cube controller joystick it’s springy I tend to overshoot the target more often using it. Sometimes I just skip the OCTO rock shooting game Very frustrating. Also makes the Swamp Road shooting gallery game take twice as long to complete.
7 months late here, but you can adjust the stick sensitivity using the blueretro config settings.
i just did the pcb swap and several of the buttons feel like they have slightly less travel than before. esp L and R. is the 8bitdo pcb slightly thicker material maybe??
I noticed this too especially L + R like you say
Now the question is what about the original, plus 8bitdo Board, plus original Stick
Very disappointed that the Hall Effect Stick doesn't perform close to the original. I really want to play these old shooter games on my N64 but so far looks like I'm stuck with the original or maybe buy a Brawler64.
the alignment of this kit sucks. I kept having to take apart my controller because the screws wouldn't sit right to get the controller screwed in flush.
I'm still waiting for a kit to convert an original gamecube controller to bluetooth..
Because there's no way Nintendo, if they ever add gamecube to NSO, won't turn the triggers into digital buttons. Nintendo of today seems to have an aversion to analogue triggers
How dare you get an early release and show it off before it's officially out.
? I bought this when they were first available for purchase
@@dubesinhower lol yeah same, I just received my mod kit too. It had a previous pre-order date where they shipped out the kits on June 17th
You really should using F-Zero X to test the controllers.
13:40 - why is "new" in quotations?
Is it "barely used original"?
I can't belive you didn't notice it right away when you were playing. And didn't notice again when editing. The GCN style joystick has insanely harsh preference for cardinal directions that's why you are having such a hard time holding angles off the 45 degrees of the cardinals. This is because for GCN style controllers the axis are totally independent, so you can get to the edge of both axis at the same time. Where as on the OEM controller the axis are mechanically linked together so going to an angle in between the two forces the axis to be away from the extremes. N64 games know about this "problem" with the N64 controllers joystick so have their sensitivity to the joystick setup to compensate for this non linearity. So when you put a perfectly linear joystick into them it ruins the input from your perspective.
You can't just put an octagonal gate on a regular joystick and have it work for this reason. Even if you scale the inputs correctly and shape the gate so that it creates this non linearity you are going to have this weird star shaped gate that's not going to feel nice to rotate around even if it only produces the same range of motion of a real N64 stick. You need a joystick design that ramps the diagonals less intensely than the cardinals to get the same feel as a real N64 stick, this is considered a flaw in modern stick design so there's nothing that properly emulates it.
I was thinking of getting one of these kits but I wonder if you lose the ability to have a rumble pak? The BlueRetro wireless receiver contains memory pak function so that's covered
So i have this combo. 8 bitdo pcb and same bluetooth sender. Only problem is that it's switched round the A and B buttons.
Anyone else had this or knows how to fix?
Excuse me,
OEM N64 controller used in the video,
Is it an nintendo official controller?
Yes, every controller I used was OEM
can you do a test with the hall effect stick in the oem wired controller?
How is support for original rumble, memory, and transfer paks when using the new board?
Have you came across any differences with the GameCube style stick when playing N64 games on Switch?
if you dont like the joystick height try to put it a wii nunchuck thumbstick
Nice video
Can you tweak the sensitivity of the blue retro for the GameCube style stick to make it any better?
"real gamers play Perfect Dark"
"OK, I can't beat the first level"😝
nice comparision though
How did y'all get NSO controllers? Lucky? Timing? Lots of money?
Why didn't you just remove the stick from the oem controller you had already used and put it in the wireless? That would have been a true control so you could know if wireless was the impact
I got 2 of these, first one worked no problem, second one has no left or right on the joystick. Up and down work fine. Tried multiple sticks and swapped the rumble packs so the issue has to be on the board itself. Any ideas?
What about trying the original stick with the 8bitdo? Or is that not possible?
I did test it later in the video
@@dubesinhower lol. Guess I should’ve waited til the end before commenting. Does the 8bitdo have rumble support?
I need this😊
I hope the drive behind this products creation was a middle finger to nintendo for making a dumb limited amount of switch wireless n64 controllers that are basicly just for scalpers.
I had the exact same thought. I managed to get a NSO N64 controller from the UK Nintendo store and the price is steep and availability very limited. On the plus side the quality is excellent.
Anybody know can you use/get the original stick with the mod? Would prefer as close to OEM as possible. Thanks
Does rumble work when using the blue retro adapter on original n64?
Disappointed to hear about the oversensitivity.
Was looking forward to it when I saw the original announcement, but it just falls into the same pitfalls as every other analog stick replacement before it.
11:18 lol that's a deal breaker. haha that's hilariously bad
8bitdo have any controller pak option or capacity? A lot of games need it
Not all N64 games save internally playing on a OEM Nintendo 64 console. How does everyone use their memory packs with the console? I seen the BT dongle from Hyperkin. Not certain if it will pair with other BT controllers…
The blue retro receiver has the memory pack banks built into it. So you wouldn't need to use an oem memory pack.
2 minutes in and I’m already disappointed. Using the back controller slot for the bluetooth transmitter means we can’t use it for anything else like a Transfer Pak 😭 you had my hopes up too
Ah I didn't even think of that... I guess wired controllers need to stick around a little longer
Transfer Pak wouldn’t work with Switch Online anyway. Remember: This is now a Bluetooth controller. BlueRetro is the only reason we’re able to still use it with N64.
@@dubesinhower guess so lol I’m surprised no one has tried to just take the insides from an NSO controller and put them in an OEM controller to keep all the back slot functionality.
@@emmettturner9452 well that’s exactly what I was hoping for lol I don’t care about using an OEM controller with NSO. I have the Special Pikachu Edition N64 so I was one day hoping to somehow make the special Pokémon controller wireless
@@JamesonTylerBynum Yeah, it’s just that 8BitDo would have to make a Bluetooth adapter for that to be possible. This is just intended to turn it into a Switch Online controller so they just looked for something else to do with that slot.
“Real gamers play Perfect Dark, and not Goldeneye.” LOL 😂🙄
How do you close out the application with the controller?
I imagine that some resistors on the GameCube thumb stick may bring down the sensitivity on the potentiometers.
Would you know if the 8bit controller would connect to a Nintendo Switch?
I want to get this for the N64 gamnes on NSO. Have you tried it there?