One of the best N64 controller alternatives is now available for the PC and other USB capable devices! The Brawler 64 made a splash upon its release back in 2018 as a modern take on the N64’s unique 3 pronged controllers. Now the release of a USB version of the Brawler 64 shouldn’t really come as a surprise, as the original Kickstarter did make mention of plans to release it in the future. Well, the future is here and the USB Brawler 64 makes quite an interesting input option for Switch, PS3, and PC gaming. Oh, and a great option for N64 emulation!
What’s In The Box
USB Brawler 64 provided for review by Retro Fighters.
The USB Brawler 64 comes in an insanely smaller box compared to the original Brawler 64. It is almost as if Retro Fighters has gotten into the baby craze; look how cute! The original design aesthetics remain intact with the Brawler taking up residence on the front and left sides of the box. The N64 style red stripe is retained and looks as nostalgic as ever! System compatibility has also changed from N64 to PC/Mac/Switch. Interestingly, PS3 compatibility isn’t mentioned anywhere on the packaging.
On the back of the box, you can find the usual bullet points of features. I do wish that a new description text had been made to cover more of the uses the USB version of the controller has. Instead, it is just using the same description found on the N64 version of the Brawler. Upon opening the box we have the USB Brawler 64, Retro Fighters keychain and a user manual. This is where we finally get details about PS3 compatibility, thanks to its inclusion on the button mapping chart. Not sure what the N64 column is there for though; oh well!
Aesthetics And Build Quality
While the USB Brawler 64 is still a Brawler 64, it does have one major design change: the back expansion port for N64 accessories has been removed, leaving the controller with a smooth back. Retro Fighters didn’t have to remove this port from their molds as I am sure many of us would have just accepted it being there, as this is an N64 controller after all. This design change does show to me that this release isn’t just some afterthought. While this may be the biggest change from the original Brawler 64, it isn’t the only one; a number of subtle but important changes have been made since the original 2018 models I own.
First is the jump from a 6-foot cord length to 10 feet. This makes using the USB brawler 64 far more convenient in my setup, especially since I have everything behind me. The face buttons have all received an upgrade to make them feel far better to the touch. Shoulder buttons likewise are far more solid than on my original models, with no more wiggling and no interference on the L button when using the thumbstick. Again, I could have had my original shoulder buttons replaced for free as a Kickstarter backer, but chose not to because they never bothered me. It is great to finally see the redesign in action though! The Z buttons also received an upgrade, so the triggers actually feature a hard stop now compared to the old design that could be pushed up into the controller. It is also worth noting that the thumbstick now features a clickable button.
As a whole, the entirety of the Brawler 64 also feels less hollow and more sturdy than the original and I am happy to see that Retro Fighters has continued to tweak their original design even after release! Now, if you have picked up the Funtastic versions of the Brawler 64 or a newer grey version, you have probably already been using these redesigns, but for the original Kickstarter models, this feels like a substantial upgrade overall.
Gameplay
I began my testing on PS3 this time around since I am in the middle of a project involving Prince of Persia The Sands of Time. My initial playthrough of the title on PS3 was done completely with the Brawler 64 as it is a game that can be completed with relative ease without a second thumbstick. Once you get used to the awkward button mapping there is a lot to like with the USB Brawler 64. Buttons, despite being in a weird layout, are very responsive and give no signs of dropped input. Likewise, the thumbstick was accurate to my inputs making the platforming segments a breeze.
Unlike some other controllers I have recently tested for the platform, the guide button also works, allowing for a full DualShock 3 free experience. To get a better feel for the USB Brawler 64, I loaded up Mega Man X4 to pit it against my muscle memory for the title. Once again I found it to perform exceptionally well. X4 also makes for a great initial test of the D-pad but I will cover that in more detail later. Oh, in case you were needing just a bit more visual indication for the odd button mapping, here you are. It's not so bad when the game you're playing let's you remap.
Though I spent a number of hours with the controller on PS3, PC usage was what I was most interested in trying out so I am just going to skip over the other PS3 games I tested and get right to what I think most everyone is looking to use the controller for: N64 emulation. The USB Brawler 64 is capable of using both the Xinput and Direct Input standards on PC, making it perfect for different types of games and emulators. For my testing in Retroarch, I opted to use Direct Input as it gave me access to using the controller’s Start button. By default in Xinput mode, the Start button is assigned as guide, making the button unavailable to be remapped by the emulator.
Anyways, I was able to get my controller perfectly mapped to that of a real N64 controller and the fun really began! After the amount of time I have spent with the original Brawler 64, this part of my testing felt like a continuation of my prior testing. The analog stick again provided solid results with games feeling great to play. It is worth noting that if you aren’t used to the wider range provided by the Brawler thumbstick, it will feel over sensitive at first. Buttons also maintained their responsiveness without much in the way of emulation input lag. I must say this again though: I have no love for the spring design of the Z buttons. On the USB Brawler 64, these buttons are still digital-only, so I find the design unnecessary and slows repeated input. It does feel like the actuation range has been shortened on the USB version so that is a plus at least. D-pad input is also accurate and makes playing games like Tony Hawk or Wrestlemania 2000 a breeze.
The USB Brawler 64 is almost a perfect N64 emulation controller, but sadly it does suffer from one problem when using perfectly 1:1 button mapped controls to a real N64 controller. When playing shooters like Turok or Goldeneye with movement assigned to the C-buttons, you will often trigger the controller’s built-in mode switching macro. This results in a loss of controls momentarily as the controller reconnects as Xinput. Then when the controller reconnects, it won’t have the proper mapping due to the way buttons shift. You then have to trigger the macro again to fix it which results in another loss of controls as it changes back to Direct Input. In the midst of a firefight, this whole process is likely to get you killed. It is unfortunate the macro is placed on the C Right and C Up buttons instead of using a button in conjunction with the Start button as that would have resulted in far fewer conflicts with gameplay.
Of course, the USB Brawler 64 does have far more use on PC than just N64 emulation. With its one thumbstick design, it will be limited on what games will be compatible, but the design is just right for a number of early and pre 2000’s games. Again, thanks to being able to switch between Xinput and Direct Input, the USB Brawler 64 can be used on older computer systems back to Windows 98, making it a great option for retro PC enthusiasts. I had a blast playing a number of old N64 PC ports with an N64 controller. I had an especially fun time playing some Phantasy Star Online with the USB Brawler 64 and it felt like an interesting mashup of playing the game with a GameCube and Dreamcast controller. Interesting, to say the least, but it worked very well!
Unfortunately, my next area of testing is when I ran into some problems. Plugging in the USB Brawler 64 into the Nintendo Switch resulted in an unusable controller. The System was able to detect that the controller had been plugged in, but no inputs would work on the Nintendo console. No matter what I tried to do I was unable to ever get the USB Brawler 64 to work on the platform. Obviously this is a defect in the unit I received, but it is interesting that one platform would have such an issue while the other two worked absolutely perfectly.
What It Could Have Done Better
Nintendo Switch not working aside, there are 2 areas of complaint I have with the USB Brawler 64 and both have to do with button mapping. N64 controllers are a design of the past and nothing makes that more clear than the default button mappings when using the USB Brawler 64 on PS3 or a PC game that doesn’t allow remapping. I also would have preferred home and Select be mapped to the turbo and clear buttons instead of to the Start and Up C button, thus allowing Start to be on Start and the extra 2 buttons could have been assigned to L3 and R3. Having the macro to change input functionality assigned to 2 face buttons that are going to be pressed simultaneously in what is likely a common usage for the controller is also unfortunate. Lastly, I think it was a missed opportunity to not include rumble motors since the USB Brawler 64 can only be used on a Rumble capable system.
Verdict
In the end, the USB Brawler 64 does continue the fine legacy started by the original Brawler 64. The uses for the controller are going to be limited just by the nature of its design and I suspect anyone looking to pick this guy up for a modern system is already well aware of that. That being said, I am bummed that the unit I received doesn’t work at all for the Switch. But, to be fair, Switch and PS3 usage are not what I am going to use the USB Brawler 64 for in the first place due to weird button mapping and the lack of thumbstick. Instead, I think the true potential and strength of the USB Brawler 64 comes from its use on PC where you can freely adjust every aspect of the controller to your liking. The use for N64 emulation is almost perfect with the minor hiccup of the button macro, and the wide variety of older titles fit the controller perfectly. Based on these uses alone, retro game enthusiasts should find something to love in the USB Brawler 64.
