8Bitdo Classic Console Controllers

It was about 10 years ago when Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition. This miniaturized, modernized NES console was plug and play with modern HD tvs, and came preloaded with 30 games and a replica controller. The build quality was excellent, the game selection also great, and it came with modern quality of life improvements like save states. It came packaged with a branded HDMI cable, power brick, usb cable, and one controller that had an alarmingly short cord. This was all included for $60, a fantastic bargain. Additional controllers could be purchased reasonably for $10.

Needless to say, it was sold out immediately, and the secondary market had upcharges of nearly 200%. Nintendo followed this up the next year with the Super Nintendo Classic Edition. This miniature Super Nintendo has the same top tier build quality as its predecessor, and was packaged with two controllers this time around. As before, it was highly sought after, and scalpers rejoiced.  

Realizing that there was money to be made through nostalgia, Sony, Sega, Konami, and Neo Geo followed suit and released the Playstation Classic, Genesis Mini (more than one), Turbografx-16 Mini, and Neo Geo Mini, respectively. These had mixed levels of success, but they were still bought up. 

Many NES games benefited from turbo fire.

Through all of this, 8Bitdo, a third party controller company, produced wireless controllers using the 2.4ghz frequency for the Nintendo, Sega, Turbo-Grafx, and Neo Geo mini consoles. In my opinion, 8Bitdo makes the highest quality retro-styled controllers. They are all firmware updatable, have great build quality, and have excellent form and function. Battery life is good as well.

Their NES Classic controller has turbo buttons and a home button built in, in addition to retaining the true form of an NES controller. The d-pad is a very close approximation to the original, as are all the buttons. The size and weight are spot on as well. Even the textured top finish evokes the tactile character of the original. Their SNES Classic controller has the same feel and form as a real SNES controller, only with fresh membranes. Both have minor visual design tweaks to sidestep legal issues. The wireless dongle has a Wii-style connection, since that is what was built in to the NES and SNES Classic Editions. This does limit the versatility of these controllers. 

A Classic, even if the art detail had to be changed.

8Bitdo released a version of their popular M30 controller for the Sega Genesis Mini. This six button controller feels like a cross between the six-button Genesis controller and the model 2 Saturn controller. The d-pad is slightly floaty and nearly and perfect.  It doesn't fatigue your thumb, has the perfect amount of resistance, and diagonals have a definite position. In my mind, the d-pad is the most important part of a Sega retro styled controller, and this is as good as it gets. It also includes a turbo and home button, which are much welcomed these days. New additions are the L and R shoulder buttons, which were not a thing on the Sega Genesis, but were present on the Saturn controller. The overall shape is smooth and melts into your hands. 

The M30 replicates the best d-pad ever.

The Turbografx-16 also recieved some 8Bitdo love, with a dedicated 2.4ghz controller release as well. This controller had some alterations to it that make it differ the most from the source inspiration. The original controller had three-position switches, for varying amount of turbo fire. The 8Bitdo has turbo buttons, much like their NES Classic controllers. This is very odd, but one can surmise that they were possibly recycling the pcb board from that production run for use here as well, reducing R&D costs. Also different is the overall dimensions, with this modern entry being smaller by a few centimeters in width, and with more rounded corners. I personally don't like this smaller size. The d-pad is very similar to the original, which was a small circular disk. Between the smaller d-pad and smaller width, playing for a normal amount of time gives me hand cramps. I don't recommend this offering. 

Turbo buttons instead of switches was an interesting design choice.

The Neo Geo Mini console was a little different from the others in that it was a little arcade cabinet, with a screen and joystick. It could be hooked up to an HDTV via HDMI, and USB ports allowed for external controllers to be used. Produced alongside the unit were wired Neo Geo controllers that were intended to be replicas of the Neo Geo CD controller, but reports were not kind to the poor execution, lack of microswitches, and re-labeled button order. 8Bitdo jumped in to save the day with their version of a wireless Neo Geo CD controller, with micro-switched circular d-pad. This was a small production run, and finding these on the used market is pricey.

The second wave of Neo Geo controllers were styled with art from King of Fighters '97, where the first run were plain black.

The Neo Geo wireless controller can be switched from Bluetooth to 2.4 ghz

By now most people who own mini consoles have packed them up, sold them, or forgot about them. They were the hot items in the retro gaming world, but have now lost their luster. Even though they are not used much anymore, the 8Bitdo controllers can be used on other devices and consoles. It would be a shame to let the high quality controllers rot in a shoebox. As mentioned earlier, the 8Bitdo NES and SNES Mini controllers had Wii-styled connections on their dongles. These can easily be used on USB devices with an adapter made by a company called Raphnet. These adapters are excellent. There is no perceptible added latency. I use this for using my 8Bitdo NES and SNES Classic controllers with my MISTer FPGA stack. I have not found a better NES or SNES style wireless controller for it. 

The 2.4ghz M30 controller already comes with a USB dongle, so that works perfectly on the MISTer without the need for any adapter. Same goes for the Turbografx and Neo Geo controllers. I have also used these on Raspberry Pi computers as well, and all work seamlessly. 

It should be mentioned that 8Bitdo also makes bluetooth versions of the NES, SNES, and M30 controllers. They have a bluetooth dongle for sale separately. This post is not about those as I do not have those variants. Generally speaking, 2.4 ghz offers lower latency than bluetooth. 

In summary, 8Bitdo makes some awesome retro gaming controllers. If you have any of their Classic Edition controllers they can still be used and enjoyed on other current devices. They are my favorite way to play retro games on modern devices. 

Review: The Octopus Arcade Stick

 Arcade sticks have always been popular in the gaming scene. Whether they are used to fighting games or shmups, they are mostly utilized by hardcore gamers who want to get more out of the game than a standard controller provides. Companies like Hori, Qanba, Razer, Nacon, and Mad Catz have all contributed to the offerings in recent years, supporting the leading consoles. The levels of offerings vary, from introductory, budget friendly models like the Hori Fighting Stick Mini, to the high end, with the Victrix Pro. 

Going all the way back to the 8-bit generation, the NES Advantage was the first arcade stick that I recall being for sale for home consoles. Even at the time, it felt like a premium experience with it's precise lever, large buttons, and turbo fire options. Each subsequent generation had a line of arcade sticks. The Sega Genesis had the Arcade Power Sticks, the Super Nintendo had the Super Advantage, the Turbo Grafx-16 had the Turbo Stick, and so on. As hardware ages and fails, using original controllers and arcade sticks becomes more difficult. The company Brook has been making adapters allowing for modern arcade sticks and controllers to be used on legacy hardware, and they do a great job. I have several, and I reviewed some here a few years back. They have adapters for nearly every mainstream console, retro and modern. Brook also makes pcb controller boards, that can be installed into arcade sticks, increasing the number of consoles that arcade stick is compatible with. These require some minimal modding. They also make the Retro Board pcb, which focuses primarily on a plethora of retro consoles, making for a vast value proposition. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with is the Sega Genesis or Neo Geo, otherwise I would have one already.

New on the scene is the Octopus, a preorder only premium arcade stick made by TR Fightstick. This is made from all premium components, like an aluminum shell, custom VMU (virtual memory unit) for Dreamcast enthusiasts, Sanwa lever and buttons, and a custom pcb that is compatible with almost every retro and modern console. The compatibility listing is: NES, Super NES, Genesis, PC-Engine (TG-16), Neo Geo, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5 (fighting games only), Saturn, Dreamcast, N64, Gamecube, Switch, Xbox 360, PC, Steam Deck, MISTer FPGA, Analog Pocket Dock, Genesis Mini, and Playstation Classic Mini.  This is the most compatible arcade stick ever made, and a hardcore Retro Gamer's dream come true. 

Three input ports covers all potential consoles

Compatibility is offered through a custom Brook pcb, and console specific, detachable cords. The Octopus has three ports: USB-C (for modern consoles),  Jamma (for Neo Geo and Sega Genesis), and RJ45 (for nearly everything else). Included is a reference sheet for startup button combinations to activate the various console compatibility modes. For example, holding 2P and 4P while powering the console puts the stick into PC Engine mode. With so much compatibility, it is necessary to have the guide nearby and double check the button combinations. In addition, certain consoles have different modes depending on controller configuration, like the 3 or 6 button Genesis controllers, 2 or 6 button PC Engine controllers. 

The build quality of the stick is very high. It is large and heavy, with rubber matting underneath to prevent slipping. Tournament features like a start lock out switch are included, and a toggle for dpad, left stick or right stick. Turbo functionality is built in as well. The integrated VMU has the capacity of 10 VMU units, and displays text just as a real one would.  The Sanwa parts are just as one who is familiar with the brand would expect. I swapped my lever out for a Seimitsu LS-56 lever, as I prefer the shorter throw distance and higher resistance. Modding the buttons and lever as intuitive and user friendly, once you unscrew the bottom panel. 

The stick comes in three base colors: natural aluminum, white, and black. The artwork can be selected, and is interchangeable. I chose the Sega Astro City artwork, as I always do when it comes to arcade sticks. I do believe there are other third party vendors that will customize artwork as well. Changing our the artwork is intuitive.

Gen X'ers may remember these as phone line connectors

Each console has a unique cord (obviously) that needs to be purchased separately. I recommend ordering all the cords that you might possibly want to use at the time of preorder. My order included NES, SNES, Genesis,  Neo Geo, Playstation 1/2, PC Engine, Saturn, and Dreamcast. The stick comes with a USB cord for Switch, PS3/4/5, and Xbox 360. The cords are braided and about 8 feet long. The RJ45 connections are a sturdy fit, with a satisfying click. USB is USB. The Neo Geo/Geneis cords use a Jamma connection that is a firm, tight fit on the arcade stick side, but the Genesis fit is a tad loose for my taste. If you are sitting close enough where there is some cord slack it is not an issue. 

The one thing I see a potential problem with is the start button. It is a membrane button that is incorporated into the body of the panel, underneath a plastic layer, kinda like a microwave button. With the frequency of use for a start button, I think that a standard action button, like a 24mm OBS button would have been a better choice. I get that the turbo, VMU switching, select, and menu buttons are relatively low use buttons, and for those this kind of button is fine, but a start button is used often. I think that this will be worn out fairly quickly, and it is not replaceable as it is integrated into the entire surface of the stick panel.

I am a slightly worried about the longevity of the start button.

As far as latency, it performs just as well as any of the past Brook tech, which is to say, very good. I do not have a technical setup that can determine frame data, but I consider myself a seasoned hardcore gamer, and I do not detect any lag. I should mention that I am not really a fighting game player, I primarily play shooters on retro consoles. The fast response and latency are just as, if not more important in those older shmups as they are in fighting games, so I think that my opinion still carries water.

The last thing to discuss is price. $450 for the base stick, and $18 for each console cord other than USB can be an expensive proposition. People will definitely balk at this price. The thing to consider is that this a boutique item, and not something that you can buy off of Amazon. It's compatibility range is unmatched, there is no stick that offers what this does. Imagine what it would cost you to build one of these yourself, and then consider the level of quality offered. Or, imagine if you had purchased a stick of similar quality for all the consoles. Either way, this comes out ahead in terms of value, even if it does not appear so at the onset. I have many arcade sticks, at least one for each console, retro and modern, that I am considering downsizing as many of those are now made redundant.   

The glass top makes this stick stand out

Overall, the TR Octopus fightstick is a fantastic premium level arcade stick, with unmatched console compatibility. Even if you do not have an interest compatibility with retro consoles, it is the only out of the box arcade stick compatible with current Switch and Playstation consoles. It truly is one stick to rule them all.