Since the release of the USB version of Retro Fighters Brawler GEN Sega style controller, I have been eagerly anticipating the real console version. The USB Brawler GEN proved to be a very capable controller and the addition of a thumbstick for certain Genesis titles featured on the Sega Genesis Mini was a game-changer. If you missed my previous coverage on the USB Brawler GEN you can click here to check it out! With the real console version of the Brawler GEN I expected to find a similar experience to what I had with the USB version, only this time with more Sega Saturn! While this was pretty much exactly what happened, there were some interesting things that happened throughout my testing so let’s dig in.
What’s In The Box
The Brawler GEN comes in a box that is identical to the USB version with the only difference being the list of supported systems. A large glossy depiction of the controller takes up nearly the entirety of the box's front while a smaller depiction inhabits the side. I really love Retro Fighters’ use of colors on the Brawler GEN boxes. The blue, black and grey look very aesthetically pleasing while still letting the controller stand out. Along the back is a bullet point list outlining functionality and ergonomics. Diving into the box we have the Brawler GEN, Retro Fighters key chain, and a user manual. The user manual details a few noteworthy compatibility features including using the Mode button for 3-button Genesis titles, and that there may be some games that won’t recognize the controller at all.
Aesthetics And Build Quality
The Brawler GEN itself is, again, practically identical to the previously released USB version. The familiar Retro Fighters aesthetic is here in all of its comfortable glory! I love how the Brawler GEN feels to hold. The handles are long enough for all of my fingers to grip without worry. Each of the buttons along with the D-pad and thumbstick are easy to reach without having to adjust position during gameplay. Each button also has a nice tactile response when pressed that doesn’t require too much pressure to use. The rocker-style D-pad also feels great to roll and manipulate. The included thumbstick utilizes the same type of thumb cap found on an Xbox One controller giving it a good grip. The stick also has a great level of resistance landing right in my preferred sensitivity zone!
The cord is 10 feet long, making it perfect for most setups, so you shouldn’t have to pull anything out of its place or sit on the floor to use. At the end of the cord is a dual plug design, with one plug for Genesis and the other for Saturn. Both plugs fit well into their respective consoles with no signs of being too tight or loose. One thing I found interesting was that the end connector for the Saturn plug was finished completely in plastic. Real Saturn controllers, and by extension the reprints from Retro-Bit along with other 3rd-party offerings I have seen, have a metal connector. It doesn’t affect functionality at all, I just hadn’t seen it before and felt it worth noting.
Gameplay
Now I thought I knew what to expect as I plugged in the Brawler GEN for the first time to play. What actually ended up happening though was even better! From performing my first dash in Mega Man X4 I couldn’t stop grinning. The Brawler GEN is very responsive, rivaling any Saturn controller I have used to date. The actuation distance of the buttons felt perfect and the D-pad handled input superbly. I could even do Zero’s down special without issue which gives me a bit of trouble on my Model 1 Saturn controllers. After quickly defeating Mega Man X4 I couldn’t wait to test out more of my Saturn library on it!
Loading up Command & Conquer and Sim City 2000 I was once again impressed by how well the D-pad handled input. I felt very in control of where my cursor was at all times and pinpoint selection didn’t feel difficult to do. The Brawler GEN’s thumbstick also felt great to use in these titles as a method of input, and over the course of playing I transitioned completely over to it. Again I had no issues with fine unit selection and control. The better use of the thumbstick though came when playing games like Tomb Raider and Panzer Dragoon. Neither game natively supported the Saturn 3D Controller, and having faux analog support made both games far more enjoyable to play. Yes, I say faux analog since the Brawler GEN mirrors D-pad input to the thumbstick. This is why the controller doesn’t feature a digital/analog mode switch like that found on an official 3D Controller.
By loading up Panzer Dragoon 2, which does have native 3D controller support, I was able to get a visual difference between how the true analog handled vs the faux analog. As you can see in the video, using a real Saturn 3D Controller in analog mode will allow for much faster aiming compared to using the controller in digital mode with the D-pad. When using the Brawler GEN both the D-pad and thumbstick offer the same lower speed aiming. Now, I didn’t even conduct this test until after I had beaten the game and the Brawler GEN felt great to play on. Sadly, I don’t have many 3D Controller compatible games to test further but the ones I do have performed very well with the Brawler GEN, to the point that I would be hard-pressed to tell the differences between it and a 3D Controller in most cases without a side by side.
The Brawler Gen’s performance on the Genesis was the same story as that of Saturn. The input was very responsive and D-pad accurate. Loading up Street Fighter II I was happy to find that the one hiccup I had with the USB Brawler GEN with misread D-pad inputs didn’t return for the real console version! While that problem did eventually go away over time, I am glad to see that it was either a bug in the controller I had received or Retro Fighters fixed it at manufacturing. Either way, I am glad it is gone and the gaming experience with the Brawler GEN is better for it! Like my previous Genesis Mini testing, I really enjoy playing racing or flying games with the analog stick. Something about it just feels so much more natural and I think I do better with it. For Genesis games that don’t work with 6-button controllers, the Brawler GEN can be loaded up into a 3-button mode by holding the Mode button while the console is being powered on.
Now for a quick word about system compatibility, I was able to use the Brawler GEN without any issue on both a Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio+ and a Hyperkin Retron 5 as well as my original hardware. Sadly, I don’t have an Analogue Mega SG to test with but I imagine it would work flawlessly as well. All the games in my possession were also able to work without issue for Genesis, 32X, Sega CD and Saturn. I could even use the Brawler GEN for Sega Master System games with a Power Base converter as a nice added bonus!
What It Could Have Done Better
As far as problems with the Brawler GEN go, I didn’t encounter any during my testing. All the games I tried worked without issue and I was able to use every function of the controller without any trouble. Now that isn’t to say I don’t have complaints though. Just as with the USB version of the Brawler GEN, the face of the controller has no lines or markings, making it kind of dull to look at, as if it were a prototype device. A splash of color or even indentations like those found on the Brawler 64 would have gone a long way for the Brawler GEN’s presentation. Yeah, it is a great thing when the only aspect of a controller I can criticize is its aesthetics, since those are so subjective to begin with!
Verdict
The Retro Fighters Brawler GEN for real consoles is a superb, if bland looking, controller! The price is a bit on the higher side compared to options from other companies, but the ergonomics and performance are here along with compatibility for 2 Sega consoles in one purchase. Well, 3 I guess if you count Master System! The price also rivals that of used official Sega Saturn 3D Controllers, while offering a similar feel in a much more comfortable design. Next time you are in the market for a new Sega controller, the Brawler GEN from Retro Fighters is a strong option to keep in mind!
