MrNinjaSquirrel
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This is from my blog. You can read the original here if you like
It started as a dial. It evolved into a joystick. Buttons were added, analog sticks were invented, and the Home button found a place in the center. Video game controllers are one of the single most important aspects to a console. Without one, we couldn't save the princess, kill the aliens, win the tournament; decide our destiny. They allow us to interact in a way no other medium can offer, and give us the control and precision to conquer any task. But not all controllers are created equal. The world is littered with the remains of failed ideas and concepts. But there are some that shine through, that become the template others are based on, and that live on for years to come. I'll be taking a look at as many controllers as I can get my hands on, to find the ones that succeed, and those that fail. Today's victim: the Wii Classic Controller Pro, Nintendo's answer to those wanting a more traditional controller on Wii. But does it deliver on those promises?
Ergonomics
Nintendo controllers have always been rather unique in there design, for better or worse, but one area they often fail in is how the controller feels to hold (anyone that's spent a good amount of time with an NES controller will know this well). The Classic Controller Pro (I'll just refer to it as CCP for the rest of this review) on the other hand feels fantastic to play with. My fingers immediately fell in love with the gentle contours of it's body, and found their place without any sort of guess work. The only thing that feels a bit off is using the secondary triggers. For whatever reason, it's just a bit off. But as these buttons are rarely actually used in games that support the controller, this is a mild inconvenience.
Ascetics
Though it feels great, I can't say I'm a huge fan of the way the CCP looks. Nintendo pretty much stuck a 3DS hand grip to the bottom of a standard Classic Controller, and didn't really bother to hide it. This is much more obvious on the White model than the Black, but it's definitely rather strange looking no matter the variety. There are several things about the CCP that look very nice though, particularly the difference between the A/B and X/Y buttons, with the former being clear like the A button on the Wii Remote, and the later matching the white of the controller. The glossy finish is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, making me wish the top half matched the matte finish on the bottom.
Control
Nintendo isn't trying to reinvent the wheel with the CCP, and as such went with the (forgive the pun) classic Dualshock design for the D-Pad and analog sticks. These have to be some of the tightest sticks I've felt on a gamepad, with pretty much zero wiggle room or deadzone. The raised edges feel a little weird, but I expect most will get used to them pretty quickly. The biggest reason to buy the CCP or original CC is to have dual stick control in Wii games, and the CCP doesn't disappoint. As you'd expect from a Nintendo controller, the D-Pad is excellent. This is especially important for Virtual Console games, so it's great that it works so well. One thing that I can't understand though is the almost sand paper like finish on the D-Pad. It doesn't really help in anyway, and can be irritating at times to use.
Buttons and Triggers
The original Classic Controller had a rather obtuse trigger placement, choosing to place the secondary LZ and RZ between the other two triggers. The CCP ditches this to the much more user friendly stacking of triggers. The triggers are pretty good, but I would have liked them to be analog or even just the dual use feature from the Gamecube gamepad. The face buttons are very responsive, with zero squishiness and a very nice clicking feeling (without any actual click). The Select, Start, and Home buttons all work as expected, with nothing noteworthy to report.
Special Features
Like the Nunchuck, the CCP has to be plugged into the bottom of the Wii Remote to work. This could be a problem for many looking to purchase this controller to use in multiplayer games, as you would have to have a Wii Remote and CCP for every player (you can do the math on that). I appreciate that Nintendo put the cord on the top instead of the bottom, but obviously it would have been best if it was completely wireless. Definitely the biggest feature the CCP is lacking though is any sort of rumble. If you only want to play VC games with it, you'd likely not notice, as most of these never had rumble support to begin with. On Wii games such as Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. though it becomes very obvious that it's missing. It also makes the controller feel too light and even a little cheap. I expect Nintendo chose not to include it in order to keep the price down, but I think most everyone would have paid a bit more if it meant a full rumble support.
Verdict
Though overall I like it a lot, the Classic Controller Pro is not a perfect controller by any means. The lack of rumble is a big oversight in today's video game market, and makes it not nearly as much fun to use. It also looks pretty weird, and feels surprisingly cheap for a Nintendo product. Otherwise though virtually everything about the controller is great, with a perfect D-Pad essential for older games, and a more usable trigger layout than the original Classic controller. It's a great option, and pretty much the only option, for those wanting to play Virtual Console games or use a more traditional control scheme for many Wii games, on newer Wii consoles that no longer support Gamecube games or controllers. For those that already have Gamecube controllers lying around, it's not nearly as appealing, and is really only worth it if there is a particular game you want to play that doesn't support them (such as Monster Hunter Tri or Rayman Origins). If Nintendo changes the design just a bit and adds rumble support, this could be the controller to beat. As it is, it's just alright.
Final Opinion: 7/10 Good
Note, this review is of the new Classic Controller Pro, and should not be confused with the previous model, titled simply the Classic Controller.
It started as a dial. It evolved into a joystick. Buttons were added, analog sticks were invented, and the Home button found a place in the center. Video game controllers are one of the single most important aspects to a console. Without one, we couldn't save the princess, kill the aliens, win the tournament; decide our destiny. They allow us to interact in a way no other medium can offer, and give us the control and precision to conquer any task. But not all controllers are created equal. The world is littered with the remains of failed ideas and concepts. But there are some that shine through, that become the template others are based on, and that live on for years to come. I'll be taking a look at as many controllers as I can get my hands on, to find the ones that succeed, and those that fail. Today's victim: the Wii Classic Controller Pro, Nintendo's answer to those wanting a more traditional controller on Wii. But does it deliver on those promises?
Ergonomics
Nintendo controllers have always been rather unique in there design, for better or worse, but one area they often fail in is how the controller feels to hold (anyone that's spent a good amount of time with an NES controller will know this well). The Classic Controller Pro (I'll just refer to it as CCP for the rest of this review) on the other hand feels fantastic to play with. My fingers immediately fell in love with the gentle contours of it's body, and found their place without any sort of guess work. The only thing that feels a bit off is using the secondary triggers. For whatever reason, it's just a bit off. But as these buttons are rarely actually used in games that support the controller, this is a mild inconvenience.
Ascetics
Though it feels great, I can't say I'm a huge fan of the way the CCP looks. Nintendo pretty much stuck a 3DS hand grip to the bottom of a standard Classic Controller, and didn't really bother to hide it. This is much more obvious on the White model than the Black, but it's definitely rather strange looking no matter the variety. There are several things about the CCP that look very nice though, particularly the difference between the A/B and X/Y buttons, with the former being clear like the A button on the Wii Remote, and the later matching the white of the controller. The glossy finish is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, making me wish the top half matched the matte finish on the bottom.
Control
Nintendo isn't trying to reinvent the wheel with the CCP, and as such went with the (forgive the pun) classic Dualshock design for the D-Pad and analog sticks. These have to be some of the tightest sticks I've felt on a gamepad, with pretty much zero wiggle room or deadzone. The raised edges feel a little weird, but I expect most will get used to them pretty quickly. The biggest reason to buy the CCP or original CC is to have dual stick control in Wii games, and the CCP doesn't disappoint. As you'd expect from a Nintendo controller, the D-Pad is excellent. This is especially important for Virtual Console games, so it's great that it works so well. One thing that I can't understand though is the almost sand paper like finish on the D-Pad. It doesn't really help in anyway, and can be irritating at times to use.
Buttons and Triggers
The original Classic Controller had a rather obtuse trigger placement, choosing to place the secondary LZ and RZ between the other two triggers. The CCP ditches this to the much more user friendly stacking of triggers. The triggers are pretty good, but I would have liked them to be analog or even just the dual use feature from the Gamecube gamepad. The face buttons are very responsive, with zero squishiness and a very nice clicking feeling (without any actual click). The Select, Start, and Home buttons all work as expected, with nothing noteworthy to report.
Special Features
Like the Nunchuck, the CCP has to be plugged into the bottom of the Wii Remote to work. This could be a problem for many looking to purchase this controller to use in multiplayer games, as you would have to have a Wii Remote and CCP for every player (you can do the math on that). I appreciate that Nintendo put the cord on the top instead of the bottom, but obviously it would have been best if it was completely wireless. Definitely the biggest feature the CCP is lacking though is any sort of rumble. If you only want to play VC games with it, you'd likely not notice, as most of these never had rumble support to begin with. On Wii games such as Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. though it becomes very obvious that it's missing. It also makes the controller feel too light and even a little cheap. I expect Nintendo chose not to include it in order to keep the price down, but I think most everyone would have paid a bit more if it meant a full rumble support.
Verdict
Though overall I like it a lot, the Classic Controller Pro is not a perfect controller by any means. The lack of rumble is a big oversight in today's video game market, and makes it not nearly as much fun to use. It also looks pretty weird, and feels surprisingly cheap for a Nintendo product. Otherwise though virtually everything about the controller is great, with a perfect D-Pad essential for older games, and a more usable trigger layout than the original Classic controller. It's a great option, and pretty much the only option, for those wanting to play Virtual Console games or use a more traditional control scheme for many Wii games, on newer Wii consoles that no longer support Gamecube games or controllers. For those that already have Gamecube controllers lying around, it's not nearly as appealing, and is really only worth it if there is a particular game you want to play that doesn't support them (such as Monster Hunter Tri or Rayman Origins). If Nintendo changes the design just a bit and adds rumble support, this could be the controller to beat. As it is, it's just alright.
Final Opinion: 7/10 Good
Note, this review is of the new Classic Controller Pro, and should not be confused with the previous model, titled simply the Classic Controller.