What's the Difference?
BattlerGC
vs.
BladeGC
You asked. We listened.
The BattlerGC and the BladeGC are identical in every way, except for the location of the analog stick. If Smash Brothers is your thing, you'll love the placement of the analog stick located at the top-left of the BattlerGC.
If you like to play GameBoy games, you may prefer the larger D-pad on the BladeGC.
Or, better yet, why choose? Get 'em both!
The GameCube Controller
Re-imagined
From its ergonomic shape, feel and placement of buttons to its colors and high-tech internal components, every part of the BladeGC has been thoughtfully engineered to bring you the best gaming experience.
Mouse-over or tap on the hotspots to learn more about each feature.
Ergonomic Design
Pressure sensitive analog triggers
Comfortable and accurate D-pad
Responsive analog sticks
Dual "Z" shoulder buttons
2.4GHz wireless technology with 30ft range
Rechargeable battery with 10+ hours of battery life per charge and LED battery meter
USB-C charging port
The Hori Digital Controller for the GameCube is one of my “grail” controllers. For over a decade I’ve casually eyed this controller, seeing its price rise from high double digits to what it is now. Still, I don’t think the price is that bad for such a unique controller. I love it when companies take their own, fresh perspective on standard controller layouts without making them unwieldy. Comfort is usually the driving force for change, as well as quality-of-life improvements. 8BitDo has been doing a fantastic job in this regard, and now Retro Fighters isn’t far behind.
Retro Fighters (“RF”) is doing wonderful things in the controller world. My first controller was the Brawler64 when it came out in different colors. (While I was aware of the Kickstarter, I avoided it out of personal reasons with Kickstarter itself.) It was love at first touch. It perfectly conformed to my hand and felt wonderful. The d-pad could use some refinement, but overall it’s great. Fast-forwarding through a bunch of controllers, we arrive at the BladeGC. I knew I had to have it. Initially, I thought 8BitDo would release a controller like this, or at least some other company, so I was super excited when Retro Fighters announced it. Though I’d still like to get the Hori one some day, it’s no longer a must; it’s wired and doesn’t have features for modern systems. Let’s list the upgrades:
– grip
– analog sticks
– two more shoulder buttons
– vibration
– Switch/PC buttons
– wireless (and 2.4 GHz to boot!), with both a dongle for the GameCube and one for USB
Already this is the perfect upgrade to the Hori Digital Controller. The little Z button is missing on the front, but of course it’s not a requirement.
I’ll start with commenting on the d-pad. It’s…phenomenal. I’m *very* picky about d-pads. Nintendo’s of course are best, with Hori a close second. 8BitDo’s may feel nice, but they have a habit of mis-presses. This can be remedied by opening the controller and applying binder reinforcement tabs; not ideal, but definitely alleviates the issue. But this d-pad? Damn… My thumb *skates* across it. When I first opened it, I was a bit disappointed with how it felt. It’s low and has straight corners. But during play is when I noticed how marvelous it is. I tried Crash Team Racing, Stardew Valley, and Shredder’s Revenge. Every input was precise and correct, and my thumb was able to just skate across it with speed and accuracy. Mein Gott.
I haven’t extensively used the analog sticks since I didn’t get this controller for them, but I tested them with Smash. There’s an octagonal gate for each stick, and each movement was comfortable and, for the time I spent using them, precise as well. They’re smooth but don’t let your thumbs slide off. The tops are flat, with the outer ring (textured for gripping pleasure) jutting up just enough to prevent thumbs from steering off. They don’t have as wide an area to move as the GameCube controller, or maybe that’s because they’re not as tall, but they work well enough. Because of how wonderful this controller feels, I now plan to get the BattlerGC.
The vibration is subtle. I’m unsure whether there’s an option to change the strength, but the manual doesn’t indicate that so I don’t think so. It’s not too low so as not to feel it; in fact, I think it’s the perfect strength if you prefer a little feedback without it dominating the hands. I’ve had some third-party controllers that freakin’ rattled the whole controller. Super uncomfortable. The BladeGC’s gives you just a small jolt to remind you that you got hit, loser.
And the wireless connectivity? A non-issue. Since this is not Bluetooth, it can’t be used with the Switch when in handheld mode; instead, the USB dongle plugs directly to the dock. The Switch then reads it as a wired controller (which must be turned on in settings) and away you go. There is no discernible lag from what I noticed.
Now on to the “bad.”
Material. The controller is already light enough, but the quality of the plastic is very light and feels hollow. There is no grip texture. Rather, the whole thing is smooth and my hands can slide a bit easily. This is something I noticed with other RF controllers, so I know it isn’t just this. Based on how it feels, it doesn’t feel like a premium controller, though I certainly consider it one.
Stick placement. There is little distance between the right stick and the B button. I have relatively small hands (5’8″, so whatever size hand that coordinates to) and haven’t moved the stick accidentally, but I always feel it when pressing the B button. This made me wonder how people with bigger thumbs will experience the controller.
But that’s it. No more bad. Everything good. Oh, maybe the back shoulder buttons. I prefer ones that stop with a noticeable press, but these go just straight down like a lot of modern shoulder buttons. Gross. Maybe the sticks can be bigger too, but I’ll wait until I try the BattlerGC to comment on that.
This will be my main controller for RPGs, or any other game that utilizes the d-pad and A button a lot.
B for materials and stick placement, A+ for everything else.
Awesome controller, will definitely be getting another one
Works great with GC games played on my Wii. Easy enough to set up. No input lag.