With the release of the Wireless Brawler 64, N64 fans were treated to their first taste of excellent wireless gaming on Nintendo’s 5th gen console! With numerous improvements in form and functionality over its wired counterpart in most regards, the controller makes for a solid addition to any N64 player’s collection. One of the things I put on blast in my review for the controller though, was its lack of PC support. It was unfortunate to me at the time that I couldn’t use the controller to get an excellent N64 emulation experience on my PC to mirror what I was getting on the console. But now, Retro Fighters has released a new USB version of the Wireless Brawler 64, and just as I had hoped, it can prove very useful for N64 emulation, amongst other things!
What’s In The Box
Review sample provided by Retro Fighters
The USB Wireless Brawler 64 comes in a box nearly identical to that of its N64 counterpart. You get the same look at the Wireless Brawler 64 and N64 inspired stripe. The box still takes on the color scheme of the controller itself and gives you an outline of all of its key specs. The only difference between the two is the notation for PC and Switch compatibility instead of N64. Inside the box, you will find your Wireless Brawler 64, USB receiver, USB-C Charging Cable, Retro Fighters Keychain, and finally a Users Guide.
Aesthetics And Build Quality
Alright, so just to get this out of the way, the controllers included with these new USB Wireless Brawler 64 bundles are the same ones that come in the N64 receiver versions. You get the same great ergonomic design with punchy buttons and a stick with great resistance. The redesigned Z buttons remain a personal highlight over the wired originals. The only difference design-wise between the two comes from the back label, which now features a USB designation as well as a macro for changing the controller between Direct Input and Xinput modes. Because the controllers are the same, I am taking the liberty to assume that they share the same durability. I can’t stomach tossing another one of these beauties from the balcony. And for those of you wondering, yes that one does still work all these months later! The included USB receiver has a nice design with the Retro Fighters logo and ridged sides. An LED indicator resides just under the logo, and a cap is placed over the USB connector for when it is not in use. The classic grey color scheme matches the controller well!
Gameplay
Hooking the USB Wireless Brawler 64 up to a PC is very straightforward: plug the USB receiver into your PC and sync up the controller. The controller defaults into its Direct Input mode but you can change to Xinput on the fly for better compatibility in modern titles. My main focus with the USB Wireless Brawler 64 is, of course, its use as a controller for N64 emulation. I have become quite accustomed to how the controller handles on real hardware and after initial setup, I am quite pleased with what we have on PC. For the most part, the experience is nearly identical, with only some minor dead zone variances being detectable between the 2 from my observation. With some further tweaks to controller tuning, this could most likely be reduced even further, but in my opinion, it is fairly negligible. For fans of N64 emulation, this means you can expect practically console-level performance with a proper modern N64 button layout!
It never gets old playing through my assortment of N64 games on PC with a proper controller. Each game in my collection that I have been able to spend time with has behaved as intended, making the only real noticeable difference between the two experiences higher visual quality. Having proper C button controls is the biggest difference between using a Wireless Brawler 64 over an Xbox, Playstation, or any other twin-stick controller. The lack of a second analog stick does make the controller less ideal for an overwhelming majority of modern titles, but it can still be of use in indie games or fighting games quite well. With Direct Input functionality it can also be used as a great Retro PC controller under older operating systems. Funny how well a controller meant to be used on a console from 1996 works great for games around 1996, isn’t it?!
If you have a number of Wireless Brawler 64’s in your possession, each one can be paired with the new USB receiver at any time. So as an example, if you just picked up the sleek-looking Ultra Edition Wireless Brawler 64, you can now use it on PC or Switch as well as your real console! When connected to a PC or Switch, the Turbo and Clear buttons get reassigned to Select and Home. Back on N64, the buttons resume their original purposes. Hopefully down the line, we can see the USB receiver offered as a separate purchase for all current Wireless Brawler 64 owners who would like to take advantage of their current controllers on PC.
What It Could Have Done Better
Unfortunately, the USB Wireless Brawler 64 does share all the problems with its traditional N64 variant, which isn’t unexpected considering they are interchangeable. The lack of a rollable D-Pad and rumble still sting my own personal tastes. But this also means that the momentary input dropouts that can occur on the triggers are still present while in use on PC. For most games, this is completely unnoticeable, but for fans of Mario Kart 64, this can be more problematic. For what it’s worth, games that rely on the triggers for throttle are much less problematic than when they are used for item storing, and as such Mario Kart 64 is about the only game this problem is noticeable to me.
Switch usage is also a bit more limited than I would have hoped for. The receiver doesn’t show up as a Pro Controller, meaning there are no remapping options available for the default button mapping which is a bit interesting, to say the least. Unfortunately, there are also no other button mapping macros available to change things around from the default. So while it does work for the same types of games as on PC, it is less than ideal and I have reservations about if the controller can be used properly for the N64 games coming to Switch, which would be an ideal use case.
Verdict
With its new USB receiver allowing for use on PC, the Wireless Brawler 64 has expanded its uses beyond its N64 console roots. Emulation fans will be pleased by its faithful handling of N64 titles, while additional PC titles can also be played, as long as they are not hampered by the controller’s lack of a second analog stick, that is. While the USB Brawler 64 still suffers from random input dropouts on its triggers, it shouldn’t be noticeable in most cases. Usage on Switch does feel a bit underwhelming though, with it not showing up as a Pro Controller and the lack of additional button mapping macros. With all of these various pros and cons and specific use cases (or lack of), the USB Wireless Brawler 64 is best suited for N64 emulation enthusiasts wanting to cover all their bases. Take stock of your current lineup and playstyle and see if this model is right for you!
