A few months ago we had a look at the SNES Classic Controller, which was a Japanese exclusive for Club Nintendo members.
Now they’re fairly common though they do fetch upwards of $70AU in most cases. For most people that’s a bit out of reach for a controller, & what if you don’t like using the original SNES controller? What if you prefer to use a Honeybee or SN controller? The SNES Classic Controller can’t really help you there. That’s where this device comes in:
This is simply called the NES/SNES to Wii Adapter. It’s a simple name but I like it. It gets to the point of what this device actually is & what it does. Let’s have a look at it & see how it works. First thing’s first, you have a look at the packaging & see a diagram showing how a NES & SNES controller plug into it, then into the Wiimote:
Pretty simple, just plug one or the other into the adapter, then straight into the Wiimote & the gaming can begin. It also tells you how to enable turbo fire on the controller. You can assign turbo to individual buttons on the controller. But hold on… what’s this?
Well I see a SNES port, but that other port is a standard 9PIN controller port used by Sega, Amstrad & Atari consoles. That’s not going to fit in a NES controller.
It’s not easy to see in the picture, but anyone with a NES controller can just take a quick look now & see that it won’t fit into this device. Note it doesn’t say “Famicom” either, the packaging clearly says NES. The NES controller port has been standard across both NES models & the Famicom AV, so where they got the idea that this 9PIN port will work with the NES is just beyond me. So anyway, that’s not going to work. Let’s plug in a SNES controller & see how it goes:
Excellent, & unlike the SNES Classic Controller I can use my American controller that has a nice long cable. Let’s see what happens when we play Super Mario World:
Great, it operates just like the SNES Classic Controller. You could easily forget that this is the Virtual Console on a Wii. How about 3rd party controllers? I’ve always been rather partial to the SN Propad myself. Let’s see that in action:
Again it works very well. Obviously the images on the screen are paused, but I got them to where they were with the controller in the image. The turbo & autofire options on the SN Propad also work, so if you have a controller with a specific feature you want to use then you should be well catered for here.
Now I did get curious about that alleged “NES port” though. Would it work with other controllers that actually fit into it? I got a Sega Master System, Sega Genesis & Amstrad GX4000 controller to see what would happen. First the Sega Genesis:
What’s this? Nothing works, but if I push down on the controller & the Wii menu comes up. So Mario doesn’t want to play with Sega. Let’s try a Sega emulator on the Wii. First we’ll put in the SN Propad again:
The game of choice is Rolo to the Rescue. The Propad works just as it should, so no problems there. Let’s try that Genesis controller again:
Again, none of the controls work except pressing Down which acts as the “Home” button on the Wiimote which takes you back to the emulator menu. Let’s try Amstrad’s controller & see what happens.
Please excuse Dale my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the bottom of the shot. He wouldn’t move when he was told to. As you can see the Amstrad controller works exactly the same as the Genesis: Down is “Home” & nothing else works. Maybe we should try a different emulator & a different controller. Let’s try a Gameboy Advance emulator with a Master System controller:
Dale decided to move which was nice, but as you can see the Master System controller behaves the same as the other 2 I tried. I don’t honestly know what this other port is supposed to be used for. A NES controller won’t fit, Genesis, Master System & GX4000 controllers won’t work other than pushing down for the “Home” menu. If someone works it out feel free to email us.
For those disappointed at the lack of other controllers working, look at it this way: Nintendo achieved perfection when they made the SNES controller. Yes I know that’s a controversial statement, but it’s my opinion. With postage this cost me just under $20, so if you have a SNES controller lying around & don’t feel like forking out the big biccies for a SNES Classic Controller then this is the device for you. Just don’t expect it to work on anything else.
Nintendo have released their classic games many times on many of their systems. From Super Mario All Stars on the SNES to the limited edition Zelda collection on the Gamecube, Nintendo have seized every opportunity to release their most popular games over & over again. The Wii added a new dimension, allowing you to buy games online & store them on the console itself. This way you don’t need a disc, or a cartridge to play your favourites. Just switch on the console, point & press the A button.
To play these classic games Nintendo released their Classic Controller. The problem is this controller is… well it’s downright horrible to use. I know some people like it, but most people I’ve spoken to have a few issues with it. Added to this, because it’s not the original controller, it just FEELS like emulation. Nintendo & SNK realised this & have made efforts to give gamers the experience they want. For this article, we will focus on Nintendo’s effort.
So, what happens when you take these 2 devices & put them together?
The answer is this:
Yes, Nintendo of Japan released the Super Famicom Classic Controller through Club Nintendo. I believe recently Club Nintendo has been introduced in other countries, but it doesn’t offer even half the benefits the Japanese get. Now I know a some of you may have seen these devices being sold all over the place & they’re reasonably expensive for a controller. You’re probably wondering, are they any good?
Well I booted up Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Wii to find out. I played through the whole game & while it started out as a bit of a review of the controller, I have to say there were times I forgot I was even on the Wii. Yes it’s true, the right controller really DOES enhance the gaming experience.
When you purchase this, providing you get the WHOLE kit it should come in a fairly plain looking white box like this:
When you remove the contents of the white box you get this:
Beautiful isn’t it? I bought 2 of them, one to use & one to keep in its box. I kinda wish I bought a 3rd one for 2 player games, but they’re still easily obtainable so I can still always do that.
As you can see from the picture, Nintendo even provide instructions on how to access the Virtual Console store & a list of available SNES games for purchase. Here’s a closer look at the pamphlet that came with it:
Please excuse the slightly blurry pictures.
So is this a worthwhile purchase? If you’re going to be playing SNES games it definitely is the ultimate retrogaming experience. If you’re playing Megadrive/Genesis, Master System, NES, Neo Geo maybe not so much. It is a darn sight better than the classic controller though, so you may want to give it a go.
Ultimately with controllers it all come down to whether it feels right using them or not. This is a perfect replica of the Super Famicom controller, so if you don’t like using SNES/SFC controllers then it’s probably not for you. However, if you’re a fan & grew up using them then you MUST have one.
Finally, a test. Which is the real one, & which is the classic controller?
