Must-HAVE N64 Switch Online Controller | Brawler64 BT NSO Edition
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- In this episode, we unbox and test out the Brawler64BT NSO Edition, intended to be the best controller available to play Nintendo Switch online Nintendo 64 games.
I know what you're thinking, another Brawler64? Trust me, I get that. Retro Fighters has released a number of Brawler64 iterations in the last 5 years. They've had the original, the different colored editions, USB, wired, wireless, and more. In 2022 they announced a new revision of the Brawler64, this one optimized for the Nintendo Switch Online Service (NSO) and featuring Bluetooth connectivity. That controller is what you see here.
Originally available as a Kickstarter project, the Brawler64 BT comes in three different colors. We chose Arctic White for our Kickstarter, but we have the other colors on the way. Out of the box, you get the controller itself, a USB-C cable, and your instruction sheet. I missed the days when Retro Fighters would include keychains, but if people weren't using them that's something they can eliminate and reduce their costs.
What makes this Brawler different than others previously released Is the software on board. They have released earlier versions of the Brawler that can be updated to be compatible with the Switch Online Service, but this is the first one that's designed to do so right out of the box. The cool thing is they have a swap button on the top of the unit that will allow you to go back and forth between NSO operation and standard Pro Controller operation, depending on which game you are playing. This makes sure your button mapping is what you want it to be depending on what you are playing. It also eliminates any sort of dongle requirement to plug into your Nintendo Switch to be able to play, that's the joy of being Bluetooth.
The other major addition here is the fact that this is the first Brawler to incorporate rumble. I know this may seem like a minor issue for some but it is honestly one of the things that has been a major sticking point for me with the Brawler64. You can increase or decrease the intensity of the rumble as well, so that way you don't feel like you're getting stung by a bunch of bees if it is too intense, or you don't feel like it's not there if it's not intense enough. This is a welcome addition and I'm glad to see Retro Fighters continue to evolve this platform.
The other buttons you would expect are all here, home, caption, plus, and minus. The analog stick feels wonderful as always, but I have to admit that the d-pad feels a little bit on the stiff side. I don't know if they have changed their materials compared to what they've utilized in the past, but it is something that I noticed.
Pairing the Brawler64BT to my Switch was super easy. You can also tell at a glance if you are in N64 online or Pro Controller mode by going to the change controller order screen. When it is in Switch online mode it will display an N64 controller icon, and Pro Controller mode displays a pro controller.
Testing the controller was an absolute joy. From the first screens in Mario 64, the analog stick felt amazing. They've gotten rid of some of the oversensitivity I have complained about in the past, increasing the deadband slightly so that you have a little bit more wiggle room around the center. Some may not like this, I absolutely love it. The face and shoulder buttons also work amazingly well too, whether I'm doing barrel rolls or hadoukins.
None of the current NSO N64 games rely too heavily on the d-pad, so to test that I went into Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Edition. Much like I felt initially, I think the d-pad is a little bit on the firm side but should free up with repeated usage. I was able to pull off all of my moves in Street Fighter wonderfully, and that's on top of the brilliant performance I experienced playing the Switch Online Games.
Why it RoX:
Pro controller and NSO controller mappings
Works with PC
Brilliant performance
Three different colors available
Rumble!
What could be improved:
More color options
D-pad a little stiff
No LED indicator to show Pro Controller or NSO Status
Should you buy one?
This is the N64 controller I have been waiting for. It's smooth, precise, extremely comfortable, and it rumbles! I am glad to see Retro Fighters has addressed most of the concerns that I've had with the Brawler64 over the years as this is simply the finest version of the controller they have ever made. If you are looking for a controller to play the N64 online games, don't waste your money on the official Nintendo one, it's not very good. This is the way you need to go, this is exceptional and how I will be playing the N64 online library moving forward.
#NintendoSwitchOnline #n64switchonline #brawler64 #RetroFighters
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I just bought this controller today and I can’t get it to pair. I was hoping your video would show the actual pairing (since I’m assuming I’m doing something wrong), but it skipped the pairing and went straight to mode selection. Is there any chance you have a video that shows the proper way to pair it with the switch?
Yeah, I think I’ll be picking one of these up. I’m sick of waiting for Nintendo to “give me the privilege” of buying one of their controllers. Plus I’ve really liked the other Retro Fighters controllers I’ve bought in the past. Glad to hear these new ones have rumble and more heft, as the weightlessness of the previous models was one of my only complaints. Thanks for the review, Gary.
Thanks for checking it out!
@@RoXolid perfect for Dreamcast
I will probably order one of these after Christmas! & I will use you link.
You should dig it
I've been looking forward to this, especially since the genuine n64 nso controller is sporadically in limited stock and is scalped to hell. Just placed an order for the NSO brawler64 in the blue/green model. Once it arrives, I will upgrade my NSO membership with the expansion pack and relive some glory days 😎
The Expansion pack is really fun, but I don't care for the price of a famiy plan!
Well, looks like I'm gonna be buying this controller, along with my OLED switch today! Early christmas present for myself! Can't wait to get back into Nintendo, after many many many years! Haven't played any Nintendo games, since the 64! I'm 100% hyped!
Got the n64 controller from Nintendo last week. Thanks for the video. I'll be letting my friends know about this one.
Very cool!
So…. I got one. And it works fine. But it just reminds me that N64 games haven’t aged well for me. Turns out I still hate Mario 64 even with C buttons. And I was let down that when switching to Pro Controller mode, the button layout is wonky. They should’ve mapped ABXY to the orientation of the C buttons. Small gripe since it’s editable in the Switch options.
Yeah I do think that people look at the N64 through rose colored glasses for sure
I became excited hearing goldeneye64. I thought we were going to see test with that game
I thought I did?
I'm thinking of picking this up.
The fact that you can set it as a pro controller means that you can remap the buttons, which means I can set certain actions to the C-buttons. I could use this to play Smash Ultimate.
Gonna party like it's 1999.
Very cool
I love the all white, but I'm afraid it would get dirty over time, just from hand oil.
I ordered one from Stoneage Gamer since it was on sale for $33 with a $10 coupon knocked it to $23. Can't wait to try it with Mario 64 and Turok Dinosaur Hunter 1/2 on PC.
Apparently Nintendo restocked the NSO 64 controller a week or so ago, during the few span of days that I DIDN'T check availability lol. So I said screw and finally bought this controller. Great review!
Thanks for watching!
I was weighing the yes or no decision of picking up an NSO controller after seeing they're in stock and having some money in my account again. But I ended up buying one of the Brawlers instead on a whim. Let you know how I get on it it!
Plan on getting one for Christmas.
I remember the first time I played Mario 64 it's clear as day I used to hear it on the radio but this one day I didn't know it was out I went over to my brother's house I slept over there I was a little kid and I didn't notice it at he took me into his room was watching Aladdin I went to the front room I saw Mario 64 on his system I got so happy I played it at his house for a couple of hours I think it was like 2 or 3 hours something like that my niece's mom she was young my niece her mom cooked bacon for us we just had a whole plate of bacon that was it I had fun
Hmmm, bacon
I've run into an issue that I don't see anybody addressing online anywhere with this controller involving remapping. The ZR trigger by default interrupts gameplay and activates the NSO menu in N64 mode. This is kind of annoying to me because the trigger is normally an essential gamplay button that I regularly use while playing. I prefer using the trigger buttons for gameplay, not menus. I also prefer using the trigger buttons instead of the shoulder buttons. I'd like to remap the MINUS button to open the NSO menu, and remap the R shoulder button to ZR. So I'd rather use the ZR button to use Link's shield instead of the shoulder R button so I can rest both index fingers on the triggers instead of keeping the left finger on a trigger, and right one on a shoulder. I naturally and instinctually press ZR to play the game, but it interrupts gameplay and brings up the NSO menu (and I do this often... Muscle memory). I'd like to remap it, but this can't really be done as far as I can tell. N64 mode can't be remapped on the Switch as of Feb 2023. The pro controller mode can be remapped, but CAN'T BE REMAPPED PROPERLY because switch doesn't allow you to remap the right joystick direction to a button... So games like zelda that require a tilt of a joystick as a C-INPUT can't be remapped on this controller. I don't know why the controller is set to use the right trigger as the NSO menu button. The minus button would be a much better choice for the menu. It's like assigning the pause menu to activate when hitting the A button or something. Anyway, it's a small gripe, but it's annoying enough for me to possibly return the item. I've searched the internet to see if there some sort of fix for this, but I can't find anything. I asked the company's customer service about this, and they said that there is a firmware update that allows the controller to swap ZR and ZL. This is probably useful for Goldeneye because it lets the right trigger fire the weapon instead of the left... But it still doesn't solve the menu issue. It just moves the menu from ZR to ZL. I'd rather use ZL to aim, and ZR to fire in goldeneye, but instinctually trying to aim with ZL just brings up the menu. Anyway, it's definitely a good controller. and this whole thing would be solved if Nintendo would just let you remap joystick directions to buttons. I'm hoping Nintendo does that soon, or I hope Retro Fighters addresses this remapping issue with a firmware update or something. But seriously MOST people seem extremely happy with this controller, so there may not be enough demand for them to address this. I may be out of luck!
In short:
-Remapping with this controller doesn't work very well.. or at all for N64 NSO
-If you prefer using both trigger buttons instead of shoulder buttons, you're out of luck.
-If you instinctually press ZR for gameplay, prepare to have your game interrupted with a pop-up menu (which is often for me
If someone knows a fix for this, please share. Thanks!
Not that I am aware of, have you reached out to Retro Fighters to see if there's something they can do on their end for CFW?
@@RoXolid I did indeed reach out. After a little back and forth, they first informed me that they do have the firmware update that allows the ZR button to switch to the ZL button. I further asked about remapping, or at least to see if it was possible to move the “open-menu” action off of the ZL/ZR buttons, and he eventually said this:
“Unfortunately, that is not possible as Nintendo has ZR designated as a menu button. We allowed the swapping as some people prefer using the right trigger over the left trigger.”
So it looks like it’s just not possible for now. I don’t see anybody on the internet/Reddit/youtube sharing my minor disappointment with the controller, so I wonder if Retro Fighers will ever address the issue. Oh well.
@@sajenfacedude4984 Yes this is annoying and something I noticed as well. I don't have this controller, but always wondered how ZR would work in N64 mode and it seems like it works the same as the official controller which, in this case with the redesign, hurts the experience. The Switch Online N64 Controller's ZR button is a tiny button that is so out of the way that you'd be hard pressed to ever touch it. In a dual Z button design it's just gonna mess with people's heads since both should work the same but won't.
Retro-Bit's wireless controller shows up a pro controller on the Switch but has different macros to make things easier. The macros at least make it so the face buttons and c buttons act as they should but I did notice that ZR is still ZR and ZL is still ZL. They get away with it on Retro-Bit's because you can remap the ZR button to ZL emulating dual Z inputs but the controller isn't Bluetooth or has an N64 mode.
Oh well, guess I'll have to keep waiting until Nintendo decides to make enough of the official NSO N64 controllers.
Is it just me or is that Mario 64 footage very choppy?
My first time playing Mario 64 was I think in 2022 I owned Mario 3D all-star for a while but I never got around to playing it till spring. I finally beat Sunshine for the first time but didn't finish Mario 64 got distracted with other games.
Be perfect for Dreamcast
They have the StrikerDC for Dreamcast
Maybe it's just me but for the Nintendo 64 the pro controller is not okay I'm finding it hard to get used to the buttons for the Nintendo 64 games it feels really awkward I should say a specific game Mario 64 it just feels awkward to use the pro controller
Interesting
Can you use this besides the N64 online function.. like for regular Nintendo switch games
Yes, I cover that in the video
I’m sorry if I didn’t hear it in the video, but can you connect multiple controller to a single switch at the same time?
Yes you can
Hi, can you remap / swap the ZR triggers around. It would be nice to be able to use the Z trigger on the "R2" side of the controller
Yes I remember clear as day when I first played Mario 64 still my favorite 3D Mario it was going to be Mario Odyssey but for me they kind of messed up when they put the moon shop it's a collectathon I didn't like that it turned me off
Very cool
Looks like it can be wired too, can it work as a 6-button fightpad too? Can the c-buttons be rebound as RT and RB?
The pro controller for the Nintendo switch is really awkward I could probably get used to it but my brain can't function as fast to get used to it
Really? I think it's quite good but I totally understand
@@RoXolid yeah I like it it's good but I'm talking about just for the Nintendo 64
@@RoXolid I think the pro controller is quite good
@@RoXolid it feels different playing Mario 64 with the pro controller
Are the Z triggers *triggers* or are they buttons? Does it have a full pull or short pull? Love the redesigns of the N64 controller, but prefer the Z button to be that, a button.
They are buttons I believe.
Can it work with an actual N64 with an adapter?
Yup, I have the same exact question.
Not that I know of
There is an Intec Gaming Bluetooth adapter for the N64. It works with the Pro Controller and is supposed to have a firmware update for the NSO 64 controller. I haven’t tried, yet.
What do you think of the dpad? Visually, it looks kind of mushy...
Do you know if this works wirelessly on PC? The instruction manual seems to imply it only works when plugged in.
I am thinking about returning my Tribute 64 Wireless controller (different issues, long story) and getting this one. The size and dpad looks much more appealing.
I think the d-pad is a bit on the firm side but still decent.
I believe it's only wired on PC
I don't have one but I can't see why it wouldn't connect to a PC wirelessly but it will probably show up just like a pro controller. If that's the case it would have all the limitations of a real pro controller. (As long as you're using Steam it would work fine. But in other cases hmm)
Hello. Witch is the diferencie between this and USB wireless versión?
The Bluetooth has software in it to mimic the button presses of an N64 Controller more closely, where in standard mode it is identical to the USB Version
@@RoXolid standard mode? Has it diferent modes?
The think is i prefer the dongle because i dont want configure nothing if i Connect It on my RGBuntu
@@Mecaguen Yes, I discuss this in the video
I got this one in my card I'm going to buy it when I get paid I hope that this is the best Nintendo 64 controller for Nintendo switch online for 2023 if there's a better one please let me know
I personally love the Brawler 64
@@RoXolid thank you I would definitely get it I got it on Amazon in my car I'm definitely going to buy it
Will this work on iOS?
Aaaaaaaaaand... it's Out of Stock, and Amazon lists it at 104$...
Nice...
Don't use Amazon, go to castlemania games, he should have them on the site shortly if not already.
So, I noticed in the manual you showed under getting it working for PC that it said to connect it via the USB cable.
Does it not work wirelessly on PC through BlueTooth?
I’m not doing wired.
I believe it does but I'm not a PC gamer so I've never tested that myself.
@@RoXolid By PC I don’t mean PC gamer but rather Console Emulators on PC such as RetroArch.
You don’t use emulators at all?
@@ChristopherJamesNeff I do not.
@@RoXolid Sounds like I might have to just contact them directly then to ask and be sure.
Can you use these controllers for retropie? To use it on the N64 emulators??
I don't use a retro pi so I can't test, sorry
So are each button their own button, or do two buttons share the same function?
Each button is independent of the other
So in my opinion Mario 64 is still the King
It's pretty decent
No issues with me importing N64 controllers from Japan as long as you pony up the money 💰🤑 lol
But they just don't work well, the analog stick on those are terrible. They're not nearly as good as the originals were
@@RoXolid I agree with you on that one, I just wish I had known ahead of time
So this one does not connect to n64 correct?
Correct
Does this work via Bluetooth to nvidia shield,pc etc
Haven't tried
@@RoXolid ok thanks.I have to do some research,I’m looking for an n64 that can be paired via Bluetooth
It has Bluetooth
@@timmymorris91 cool wasn’t sure if it was like the previous one which only uses dongles