GameCube

A few of the best GameCube-inspired controllers for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC are on sale for their best prices of the year at Amazon. NYXI’s Warrior and Wizard wireless controllers combine the GameCube form factor with modern features like Hall Effect sticks, remappable back buttons, microswitch triggers, and other customization options. The Warrior Lite Bluetooth Controller released earlier this year with the GameCube’s iconic purple color scheme. Normally $50, you can grab this versatile gamepad for $40, which is the best price yet.

If you also want 2.4GHz Wireless support for original GameCube and Wii hardware–and PC with the included adapter–you can step up to the Warrior for $55 (was $69).

NYXI Warrior Lite Bluetooth Controller for Switch 2, Switch, PC

And after being sold out for most of the year, the NYXI Wizard is back in stock and discounted to $56 (was $70). On the original Switch and Switch OLED, the Wizard can replace your left and right Joy-Con in handheld mode. It’s also a traditional wireless controller for Switch and Switch 2 when both sides are connected to the included bridge. It does not work in handheld mode on Switch 2.

We’ve tested the Warrior Lite, Warrior, and Wizard on Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, and PC. Take an in-depth look at each model below.

$40 (was $50)

Key Features

Bluetooth Wireless: Switch 2, Switch, PC, Mobile
Hall Effect sticks and triggers
Modern trigger and bumper design
Adjustable trigger locks
Two remappable back buttons
Swappable back button module
Swappable sticks and gates
Microswitch face buttons
8-way microswitch D-pad
6-axis gyroscope for motion controls
Adjustable dual-rumble motors
Turbo function
Up to 5 hours of battery life

The Warrior Lite replicates the general shape, layout, and color scheme of the original GameCube controller. It’s a bit chunkier and wider than the real thing, so it doesn’t have the same exact form factor, but it adds several compelling features that make it a versatile option for GameCube games on Switch Online as well as modern Nintendo games.

Beyond offering conventional bumpers and triggers, the Warrior Lite has two remappable back buttons. The right and left back buttons have a one-piece panel design that can be removed and switched with an alternate panel inside the box. The main difference between the two styles of back buttons is that one of them is textured and slightly raised for increased tactile feedback.

The Warrior Lite is equipped with anti-drift Hall Effect sticks. The right stick mimics the GameCube’s yellow C-stick, but you can swap it out for a yellow stick with a more conventional, larger grip. Similarly, you can switch between octagonal stick gates inspired by the GameCube controller and regular stick gates with a circular range of motion.

Face buttons, the 8-way D-pad, and shoulder bumpers are actuated by microswitches, giving them a mouse-click feel. Like the sticks, the triggers are activated with Hall Effect sensors, and can be set at two different stopping points with the locking switches on the back. Other core features include built-in, adjustable rumble and 6-axis motion controls.

The main downside here is battery life, as the Lite version has a smaller battery that only runs for up to five hours on a full charge. Like many Bluetooth controllers for Switch 2 and Switch, you can use the Warrior Lite on PC, mobile, Steam Deck, and other devices.

$55 (was $69) | Adds support for original GameCube hardware

Key Features:

Bluetooth Wireless: Switch 2, Switch, PC, Mobile
2.4GHz Wireless: GameCube, Wii, PC
Available in Purple, Orange, Black
Hall Effect sticks and triggers
Modern trigger and bumper design
Adjustable trigger locks
Two remappable back buttons
Swappable back button module
Swappable sticks and gates
Microswitch face buttons
8-way microswitch D-pad
6-axis gyroscope for motion controls
Adjustable dual-rumble motors
Turbo function
Up to 10 hours of battery life

NYXI released the original Warrior controller last year. The Warrior has the added benefit of working as a wireless controller on actual GameCube and Wii hardware. The included 2.4GHz receiver plugs into the GameCube’s controller port and can also be used on PC with the included USB adapter. The Warrior also has a larger battery that can run for up to 10 hours between charges, which is a nice perk.

While the Warrior Lite is only available in purple, the original Warrior has purple, black, and orange color options. All three are eligible for Amazon’s discount.

$56 (was $70) | Switch 2 – Docked Only / Switch – Handheld & Docked

Key Features

Replaces Joy-Cons in handheld mode on Switch & Switch OLED
Bluetooth Wireless: Switch 2, Switch, PC, Mobile
Available in Purple, Black, Silver, Orange
Hall Effect sticks
Mechanical triggers and bumpers
Two remappable back buttons
Octagonal and round stick gates
Illuminated ABXY buttons
4-way D-pad
6-axis gyroscope for motion controls
Adjustable dual-rumble motors
Turbo function
6-8 hours of battery life

The NYXI Wizard works on Nintendo Switch 2, but you can only use it for docked or tabletop modes. On the original Switch and Switch OLED, the Wizard can replace your Joy-Con in handheld mode. The left and right sides detach from the center bridge and connect to the console via sliding mechanisms. The Switch 2 uses a magnetic connection method for the updated Joy-Con 2 controllers, which makes the Wizard incompatible with Nintendo’s new console for portable play.

If you’re picking up one of NYXI’s GameCube-style controllers specifically for Nintendo Switch 2, most players should opt for the Warrior or Warrior Lite. But if you still use both consoles, the Wizard is potentially the more intriguing option. There are a few differences between the Warrior and Wizard controllers, though.

The Wizard has slimmer, mechanical triggers and bumpers. Unlike the Warrior, it doesn’t have dual trigger modes; all four shoulder buttons are activated via microswitches. These feel great, but you can’t switch to the traditional trigger pull action like you can on the Warrior. The two built-in, textured back buttons are located in natural spots and feel great.

The ABXY face button labels have customizable lighting effects, which is a cool addition, though the buttons and the 4-way D-pad ditch the microswitches for traditional membranes.

Regardless of which base color you choose, the Wizard comes with one gray and one yellow Hall Effect stick. Round and Octagonal stick gates are included inside the box, but if you want the smaller C-sticks, you’ll need to buy a thumbstick kit from NYXI for $10–unless you have one of the Warrior controllers, as they use the same sticks and gates.

Other features include 6-axis motion controls, adjustable rumble, and turbo buttons on each side. Battery life falls between the Warrior and Warrior Lite.

It’s worth noting that NYXI recently launched the Wizard 2. Just like the Wizard, the second-gen model works in handheld mode on Switch and Switch OLED. If you buy it for Switch 2, it will only work in TV mode. The Wizard 2 has upgraded TMR joysticks, dual trigger modes, and microswitch face buttons. Essentially, NYXI implemented some of the features found in its Warrior controllers, which are newer than the original Wizard. The Wizard 2 retails for $90 and hasn’t received any discounts yet.

NYXI Wizard in handheld mode on original Switch.

More GameCube Controllers for Switch 2 & Switch

From a customization perspective, the Warrior series is the most impressive GameCube-style controller we’ve tried, but there are other GameCube controllers for Switch 2 that offer a more authentic experience. As mentioned, Nintendo’s wireless GameCube controller for Switch 2 is as close to the original as you’ll find. It feels almost exactly like the original, just without the cable and with a few extra small buttons on the top: C button for GameChat, home/menu buttons, and a small ZL button to make up for the fact the GameCube controller only had one shoulder button. But while this is best option for GameCube games on Switch Online, the aforementioned tiny ZL button makes it less than ideal for modern games.

Unfortunately, the price of the official Nintendo Switch Online GameCube controller recently increased to $70.

Officially licensed GameCube-style controllers from PowerA and Hori add Nintendo-inspired designs and have modernized shoulder and trigger layouts. The form factor of these controllers is closer to the original GameCube controller, as they have slimmer profiles compared to the NYXI Warrior. PowerA also recently raised the price of its GameCube-style controller to $70.

Looking for a conventional Switch 2 or PC controller? Check out the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 and brand-new 8BitDo Pro 3 Wireless Controllers, both of which are discounted at Amazon this weekend.

Source link

It’s been 22 years since the last home console F-Zero game (not counting the handheld spin-offs and 2023’s F-Zero 99), but with the launch of Nintendo’s Switch 2 we finally got a chance to revisit the GameCube’s outstanding F-Zero GX. Despite some wonky controls, it’s a game that still stands up today. No wonder Nintendo hasn’t attempted to better it.

But there’s another Nintendo racing series that’s been on hiatus for even longer. Wave Race: Blue Storm was released back in 2001 as a launch window game for the GameCube, only the third in the series behind Wave Race 64 and, before that, the Game Boy original Wave Race. Since then? Nothing.

Pitches were made for a Wii entry, including holding the Wiimote sideways and using the Wii Balance Board, but these never came to fruition. I think it’s high time for Wave Race to make a splash on Switch 2, and that begins with the return of Blue Storm.

Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube

I know it’s a bit of an ongoing joke among gaming enthusiasts, but I still often find myself judging a game’s visuals by its water graphics: the shimmering translucency, the physics of rolling waves, its splashy wetness. Thing is, Wave Race: Blue Storm nailed it 23 years ago. That’s what made it so brilliant.

It’s a jet-ski racing game, you see, and with it being on water rather than a ground-based track, the course is always shifting. You don’t simply drive a car round a corner; you have to account for the height and power of each wave as you weave in and out of each buoy (or boo-ey as the announcer infuriatingly pronounces it, sorry Americans). There’s a high level of skill required, but with practice you can skim over cresting waves or dive beneath them to utilise shortcuts. This sort of water physics was incredibly impressive back in 2001, even if Wave Race 64 managed similarly on the previous hardware generation.

But then those water physics are taken a step further with each course. Perhaps you’re racing on the glass-like serene surface of a lake, or the choppy waters of a city harbour. On coastal courses the tide sweeps in and out, revealing hidden routes over multiple laps. One level has a collapsing glacier sending turbulent shockwaves in your wake. There’s a sense of dynamism to Blue Storm’s races that’s rarely seen in more traditional racing games.

Then there are the weather effects, ranging from pleasant sunny days to a raging tempest that sends violent waves crashing towards your jet-skiier. No race in Wave Race is ever the same and your skills are constantly being tested as you adapt to the water beneath you, subtly squeezing those adaptive triggers on the controller to angle around obstacles.

I also love how the water sports theme permeates the whole game. Sure, you can flip a jet-ski and perform hand stands to increase your speed boost. But the loading screens have a little bubble you can manoeuvre to watch ripples cascade across the screen; menus overlay a glistening aquatic backdrop; and sound effects are all splishes and splashes and droplets. Everything just looks so…wet. It’s enough to make you pee.

Perhaps what I remember most fondly about Blue Storm is its surf rock soundtrack, all electric guitars smothered in chorus and flange. What’s more, the music changes based on the weather, matching its calm undulations and stormy chaos. Along with the bright visuals, eccentric announcer, and goofy characters, it all lends Blue Storm a sense of cheesy cool that will forever take me back to the early 00s and that GameCube launch period. The skies were blue, the waters clear, and the games were all short and manageable. It was a better time.

This is why Wave Race: Blue Storm deserves to make a return on Switch 2. Yes, Nintendo will obviously bring back the likes of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Super Smash Bros. – all excellent games – but it’s the lesser known games I’m keen to see shine on the console’s GameCube service. If we can get Chibi Robo this week, there’s space for Blue Storm.

Better yet, perhaps the return of F-Zero GX and Wave Race: Blue Storm will convince Nintendo there are other racing series besides Mario Kart that deserve new outings on Switch 2. It’s been long enough now and the steering wheel and jet-ski handlebars don’t need to be reinvented. Just let me play Wave Race handheld with HD graphics in the bath for a proper 4D experience.

Which GameCube games do you most want to see return on Switch 2? Sound off in the comments!

Source link

Pro-Style GameCube Controller For Switch 1/2 & PC Is Only $40 This Weekend

$40 (was $50)

$55 (was $69) | Adds support for original GameCube hardware

$56 (was $70) | Switch 2 – Docked Only / Switch – Handheld & Docked

More GameCube Controllers for Switch 2 & Switch

I need Wave Race: Blue Storm and its cheesy cool to return to the Switch 2’s GameCube Classics collection