Hori RAP. V HAYABUSA for Nintendo Switch Review

The Nintendo Switch is the first Nintendo console since the Wii that has gotten a fair number of fighters, and likely the first since the Gamecube that saw a lot of mainstream fighting franchises on it. Of course, the last decent arcade stick for a Nintendo system was probably the Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom stick for the Wii or the Soul Calibur joystick for the Gamecube. As great as those consoles are, many AAA publishers like Capcom, and Warner Bros. or Namco didn’t bring a lot of their top fighting games over to the Wii since the hardware couldn’t run their advanced graphics of the time, and the Wii U didn’t have the desirable sales figures. But over in the realm of the PlayStation and Xbox brands, there were many of them. As such a lot of high-quality arcade sticks came out to go along with them for tournament players. One of these companies is Hori. They’ve been making arcade-quality controllers and joysticks for eons.

PROS: Arcade-quality stick, and buttons. It also works with your Windows-based PC!

CONS: You’ll have to plug it into your dock. You can’t use it to play Splatoon 2.

SHORYUKEN: There are reskinned versions with fancy Street Fighter II art.

The Hori Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa is an absolutely fantastic controller. It comes in a metal frame, something very rare as cost-cutting is a very major business move in video game peripherals. The red piano gloss finish makes it stand out when placed on your coffee table or desk, and it has a very nice rubberized material underneath it to ensure it doesn’t slide all over the place while you’re using it.

The joystick has an arcade-quality construction as do the pressure-sensitive buttons. Often times just grazing the buttons can denote an input, so you really won’t need to beat on this thing. The microswitches in the joystick give it that familiar clicking you’ll remember from your days in the arcade after school if you grew up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. For everyone else that means a fairly accurate directional input which is a must if you’re looking to play a lot of fighting games with it.

The Nintendo Switch has gotten plenty of fighting games too. While it launched with Ultra Street Fighter II and a few Neo Geo classics via its e-shop, it has since seen several collections as well as newer releases like Mortal Kombat 11, Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, and Samurai Shodown alongside their Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows releases. If you’ve been buying a lot of these, you’re really going to love this controller.

On the face, of course, are the stick, Y, B, A, X, L, R, ZL, ZR, and + buttons. But along the right, you’ll have your screenshot button, – button, Home button, as well as buttons to set up Turbo settings, remap key configurations, as well as a switch to configure the controller’s stick to behave as either the left or right joycon stick. there’s also a switch to toggle between Nintendo Switch mode and PC mode.

That last bit is a Godsend because if you’re like me and you buy games on your computer as well as for your Switch it means you don’t need to own two arcade sticks. If you play Tekken 7, Street Fighter V, Killer Instinct, or other major fighting games on your computer this is also going to be a terrific accessory for you to own.

And it isn’t just going to benefit those who eat, sleep, and breathe fighting games. This controller is great for many a retro gamer too. Playing old-school arcade compilations on this has been great. While not every arcade game is ideal (Twin-stick shooters are still going to be better with a gamepad. TrackBall games are still best with a mouse or a TrackBall. Paddle games just aren’t the same without one.) most of them are. Playing Final Fight, Pac-Man, Rolling Thunder, Dig Dug, and other games is absolutely fantastic. And there are a number of new games that go along great with it as well. Especially many of the great indie games that pay homage to many of those arcade games of yore. Those who love to play shoot ’em ups may also want to invest in one of these. I was able to play the aforementioned titles as well as Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams and Blazing Chrome on my PC with the stick with few if any issues.

One other feature I really like is the trap door on the back, where you can snake the USB cable when you’re not using the stick. It makes it easy to put away, as well as less of a nuisance if you’re going to bring the controller to a friend or relative’s home, or if you’re a fighting game enthusiast going to a local Street Fighter II tournament. It’s just a small space covered by a piece of plastic, but it’s a very nice touch that solves an annoyance one might not normally think about.

Like I said earlier, this isn’t going to be a good all-purpose controller. Games that require analog controls like 3D Platformers or open-world RPGs obviously don’t work with it, nor do some other experiences like First or Third-Person Shooters or action games. So it isn’t going to be something everyone will want. But I can say, if you do love fighting games and have been on the fence about getting an arcade stick this will definitely fit the bill. It’s sleek, durable, and just feels so comfortable when you’re using it. The fact that it’s also a great PC controller means you can easily go between both platforms. Especially nice for those who might play the same game on both platforms.

And while it’s a shame I can’t really play Splatoon 2 with it, the fact it goes so well with classic arcade genres like Beat ’em ups, Shoot ’em ups, maze games, and more makes it very versatile for retro experiences. If I were to complain about anything with this controller, I would say some are going to find they may not have space for it in their entertainment center. As wonderful as it is, it is a little large. Lengthwise it’s slightly larger than a beefy PC keyboard at around 17 inches and 9.5 inches deep. It’s also around 5 inches tall. So that’s essentially the He-Man of joysticks. On the other hand, He-Man is the greatest action figure of all time and the most powerful man in the universe. So why wouldn’t you want this?

Be that as it may, this one is still smaller than many of the arcade sticks you’ll find on the market without having to go down to something cost-reduced with lower quality parts to get the size down. So it is a good balance between size and performance if you can manage to have it at your desk or on your TV stand. The only two things I guess I can nitpick from there are the fact that the cable length may be too short in some living rooms. At a computer desk, it’s perfect, but I can see some scenarios where you may need a USB extension cable to get from the dock to your couch. The only other thing is that while the finish on the joystick is exemplary, it does collect dust, and palm prints quickly and easily. So if you plan on leaving it out as a conversation piece you’ll want a microfibre cloth to clean it up pretty regularly.

Beyond a couple of very minor quibbles, the RAP V Hayabusa is one terrific controller. I can’t go as far as calling it essential. But for arcade and fighting game enthusiasts it’s an investment you’ll really be happy with. Especially since it works with PC as it you’ll still likely be using it long after Nintendo retires the Switch. Hori has done a fantastic job here. If you’re in the market for an arcade stick you may want to get yourself this one. Hori also has Street Fighter II-themed variants of the same stick including a rather nice one that mimics the look of the original arcade cabinet. Whether you get one of those or this original switch themed one it’s still the same components.

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10

 

Horipad Wired Controller Review

The Nintendo Switch is a great console, that plays a lot of great games. The controllers it comes with, while innovative, aren’t always the best option in every scenario. On the go, they’re great. They’re small, compact, and you can divide them to make two controllers. But at home, those two joycons are likely going in the comfort grip. So when a friend comes over, or your significant other, spouse, siblings or roommate want to play with you, what to do?

PROS: Quality build. Versatile. Inexpensive.

CONS: Doesn’t have the gyroscopic functions.

WEIRD: The D-pad design.

There are a surprisingly high number of controller options emerging for Nintendo’s gaming tablet. Obviously Nintendo’s own solutions are pretty great. You can roll with another set of joycons, which will double as two controllers, and that gets you set for four player games. But you have that small size issue which in a home setting, and on certain games may feel cumbersome for larger hands. You can also go for Nintendo’s Pro Controller. It’s nice, does everything the joycons can, and it’s got a hefty, yet comfortable design. But it also costs more than a lot of games do the day they come out.

For a lot of us, buying a Pro Controller for ourselves, or to have on hand for a second player, may be cost prohibitive. There are a wealth of third-party solutions coming out now to address this. But many of them have lackluster build quality, using cheap plastics or sub par wiring. Enter the Horipad. Hori isn’t generally known for what most might call general purpose controllers. They’re known for expensive, professional grade arcade fighting sticks. Go to any local Street Fighter or Tekken tournament, and you’ll find a lot of arcade joysticks made by Hori.

Anyway, the Horipad is a pretty good solution for anyone looking for a controller for a second player, or to leave connected so they don’t have to take the joycons off at home. It has a solid build quality. It doesn’t have the heft of Nintendo’s own controller, however it doesn’t feel brittle, and thin either. It feels about as solid as Microsoft’s own Xbox 360 controllers did.  The thumb sticks feel really comfortable, and all of the buttons, and triggers are very responsive.

Beyond that, the controller also has the +, and – buttons to pull up menus. It has the home button, and even included the screen capture button. Hori even put a turbo button into the controller, and it works wonderfully. Simply hold a button down, press turbo, and it will just rapid fire along when you hold it from that point on. Let go of everything, press the turbo button again, and everything goes back to normal.

Frankly, this would be an utterly flawless solution if not for a couple of things. The worst is the lack of gyroscopic functions. This means that for a handful of games, you really won’t be able to use it properly. Super Mario Galaxy, for instance, requires gestures for some of the moves. Using the joycons, or pro controller won’t be a problem, as you can swing or shake them when needed. You can’t do them with the Horipad. The pad does work in Splatoon 2, but you won’t be able to use mouse-look like you can with the joycons or pro controller. There aren’t gobs, and gobs of games that require the gyroscopic tech. But if you buy one, do know you’ll have to use the joycons. I do applaud Hori for mentioning this on the back of the box though. It’s nice to know this going in.

The other thing some won’t like is the D-pad. Rather than get rid of the C-buttons, and put a traditional D-pad in their place, they kept the C-buttons. The solution they came up with was to put a peg hole in between the buttons, and make a D-pad that plugs into it. It does work fairly well. In most games that benefit from a D-pad this works fine. Press “Up”, and get the desired result. However it ends up feeling like the D-pad on the original Xbox 360 controller.  So it isn’t quite as good as a dedicated D-pad but it’s still an improvement over the C-buttons on the  left joycon.

 

But there is one really, cool thing about this controller, and that’s its versatility. You can also use this on any Windows 10 computer. Plug it in, and it is seen no problem. However the buttons are still mapped as if you were playing on the Switch. So in games where you’re used to using Microsoft’s layout, you’ll have to go into the menu, and re-bind keys. The overwhelming majority of PC games let you do this. But the bottom line is that, you can repurpose this as a game pad for your PC. Which means although you’re getting a second controller for your Switch, you don’t need to buy an Xbox or Steam controller for your computer. Assuming you haven’t already.

 

All in all, this is a great all around controller for the overwhelming majority of games on the Switch. Especially if you want something a cut above most other third-party controllers in terms of quality while still coming in at a budget price. Those who require a traditional D-pad might want to look at other solutions. But again, this is still a cut above the build of a lot of third-party solutions. The fact that it can also be used as a PC game pad is also a really great feature. It’s also a really comfortable fit for about anybody’s hands. About the only major drawback is the exclusion of the gyroscopic features seen in Nintendo’s own Pro Controller. Be that as it may, you can get two of these pads for the cost of Nintendo’s wireless one. For someone who needs a solid controller at an affordable price, the Horipad is a contender.

Final Score: 8 out of 10.

Steam Controller Review

A few years ago now, Valve unveiled its plan to get PC’s in the living room. This wasn’t an entirely new idea. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) PC Builders have tried this for years with a handful of minor successes. The late, Gateway had its Destination series. Hewlett-Packard built a line of computers with cards that could output to TVs. Dell attempted it, even boutique companies have tried this before partnering with Valve.

But Valve wanted theirs to be a little bit closer to a mass market attempt, rather than an entirely niche one. It was, and is an attempt to get more console owners to try gaming on a computer. After a number of delays, their Steam machine partners have put out these Home Theatre PCs. One of the key differences is past attempts from other companies were Windows based, where Valve’s partners are using Valve’s Linux based Steam OS. The other part of Valve’s plan however doesn’t involve a Steam OS based computer. It’s centered around a versatile new controller.

PROS: Versatile. Comfortable. Compatible with most anything on Steam.

CONS: Not quite as simplified for games not on Steam.

ELABORATE: The packaging is very ritzy.

The beautiful thing about the Steam controller is that you don’t have to have a Steam machine to use it. It will work with pretty much any computer made in the last 15 years. Provided of course you are on at least Windows 7, Mac OS 10.10 or Steam OS, and have a Steam account. Outside of Steam, the pad is seen as a keyboard, and a mouse. Although it has no keys, so you can’t type with it. But you can navigate your Operating System’s GUI using the trackpad, and cursors as a mouse. Once you fire up Steam though, it gets really interesting, really quickly.

The first thing that will happen upon firing up Steam, is a prompt to go into Steam’s Big Picture Mode. Once you do it will want to link the controller to your account. You can skip the process, but doing so won’t let you get all of the functionality. Once it is linked to your account it will give you the ability to customize boot settings, and save key binds to it. The controller includes USB dongles so that you can use it wirelessly, or as a wired controller. It includes 2 AA Duracell alkaline batteries. But you can use also use rechargeable AA batteries instead.

Once you’ve done all of that, Steam will prompt you to download the latest firmware updates. Once that is finished, it takes a brief moment to install, and you’re almost set. You can then calibrate the gamepad. A handy screen comes up with a blueprint. Once you press all of the buttons, and test the trackpads you’re set.

Every game in the Steam store works with the controller on some level. The controller has preset profiles in it that will fit the bill in many cases. There’s a set up to mimic a console gamepad, keyboard, and mouse, along with a few others. Most of the time, you’ll fire up a game with it, and play without a hitch. For those times where things don’t feel quite comfortable or convenient enough for you, you can press the Steam button to pull up a controller menu. You can tinker with the settings yourself, rebind buttons, and even upload your layout to the Steam community. Likewise you can search for a layout for the game you’re playing, and download the one you like best.

These profiles can also be stored on the controller. So if you take the pad to a friend or relative’s for couch gaming, you won’t have to reconfigure your controller settings. You can also toggle an onscreen controller HUD, showing you where you’re pressing as you play. You may find this handy as you’re experimenting, trying to get things the way you want them.

When playing games that require you to type, or if you’re just surfing with the Steam browser, a handy onscreen keyboard comes up. Unlike the old days of slowly moving a cursor with a D pad or thumb stick letter by letter, you can quickly use your thumbs. The trackpads simulate the feel of texting on a smartphone. It won’t be quite as nice as an actual keyboard. But if you are using your TV as a monitor, with your computer in the entertainment center, it is quite convenient.

Which is really what the controller sets out to do. Make PC gaming, and other tasks viable from your couch. It’s very successful in that regard. The interface feels quick, and comfortable. Navigating Steam with it is intuitive most of the time. With Valve adding more functionality to Big Picture Mode, even playing your albums, or browsing sites online becomes fairly easy from the couch.

I put mine through the paces, and found I was pleasantly surprised with it. Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams was very easy to play with it, though using the left trackpad as a D pad took a little getting used to. The face X,Y,A,B buttons, are laid out exactly the same way as on the Xbox 360, and Xbox One controllers, so it wasn’t long before I was jumping, and twirling to victory.

Broforce also played very well with the pad. I had no issues running, dashing, jumping, and shooting. I was able to do everything about as easily as I could using a 360 controller. In some rounds it was easier, as the 360 pad is notorious for registering angled commands when you’re certain you’ve pressed directly horizontal, or vertical commands.

Speaking of which, I also used the controller with Ultra Street Fighter IV. This also worked favorably. Once I downloaded a 360 pad profile to the controller anyway. The only other issue I had with the game is that while the left track worked wonderfully as a D pad for vertical, and horizontal movement, it wasn’t ideal for the quarter circle, or charging moves. I found myself using the thumb stick instead. Beyond that, I was able to control the game nicely.

FPS are another genre the pad works with very well. I fired up Rainbow Six Siege, and had no issues with it. The right trackpad is much closer to the responsiveness of a mouse than a thumb stick ever could be. It felt about as responsive as Nintendo’s Wii Remote Motion Plus. Having that precision on a traditionally shaped controller could be a Godsend to anyone who prefers playing shooters with a game pad. It still isn’t as precise as a good mouse, but for the comfort of gaming from your couch it is a viable alternative.

Strategy games also benefit, as the right trackpad, again makes mouse movement palatable for fans of game pads. When it comes to any current games, this controller is actually a really good solution. But that’s not all. You can also get many old games, and games you don’t have in your library to work with it. Adding shortcuts in Steam using the Add non-Steam game to my library option means you’ll be able to use the controller with those as well. This is nice because you can fire up your Origin or Uplay account through the Steam client to play your EA, and Ubisoft games. Or your retail disc games.

That being said, in some of these cases you might have to go through many hoops to get things working properly. Either through painstakingly making your key bind list, or having to do file edits or tweaks. In these instances you may just prefer to use a cordless keyboard or mouse since it is a lot less you’ll have to deal with.

But overall I’d say the Steam controller does succeed in making HTPC’s a viable option. It’s cool to be able to fire up your computer into Big Picture Mode, and control almost everything with the controller. Some people will notice that almost anything on the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 is also on the Steam store. Then they may realize that these titles can be played on their big screen HDTV as well. This may make some of them pause, and wonder why they don’t use a computer in their living rooms instead.

But it still doesn’t have the mass market appeal needed to ignite that grand exodus. The simplicity of a game system isn’t quite there. Though this controller, in conjunction with Big Picture does display the massive gains made on the way to satisfying that goal. If you’re serious about building or buying a Home Theatre PC for living room gaming, the Steam controller is an excellent choice. Just know there will still be a few situations where you may still need a traditional keyboard, and mouse.

If you’re PC gaming at a desk, and need a controller for genres where a game pad is preferable, then there are a couple of contenders. The Steam controller again, is an excellent choice. When compared to the bulk of PC gamepads, there’s really no comparison. But Microsoft’s Xbox One pad is going to be a little bit more convenient. Any multiplatform game is going to recognize it in Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 since the OS has drivers for it. But it isn’t an open, and shut case since you’ll need something like Xpadder to map buttons for old PC games, and titles with no modern controller support anyway. Moreover, the Steam controller’s trackpads are again, much more responsive than the thumb sticks on the console controllers.

As far as the overall feel, and build of the device, it stacks up positively against the competition. It’s around the same size as Microsoft’s controller, with the lighter feel of Nintendo’s Wii U Pro controller. It’s easy to get to the buttons on the face, and top. There are also two buttons under the battery cover. One on each side. The battery cover is designed to be pressed to click either of these. Being able to use it wired or wirelessly is also a nice touch.

Ultimately, the controller is geared more toward those interested in gaming on an HTPC. But it’s still a very nice option for gaming at the desk. While it isn’t quite as plug, and play as an Xbox One pad, it still has some big advantages. Being able to save custom key settings is a great feature. The trackpads are much more accurate than a thumb stick, making RTS, FPS, and other genres easier to play. Most other genres play just as easily with the right settings. It’s not going to be perfect for everyone, but that doesn’t make the controller any less versatile. Valve’s controller is a highly recommended peripheral.

Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.

TTX Tech Classic Controller for Wii & Wii U Review

With the fourth Super Smash Bros. having been out on the Wii U for a few months now, many are starting to look at controller options. Of course when  you want to invite company over for those 8 player match ups you’ll need to have enough controllers to go around. Obviously the most popular set up among the most devoted fans involves two of Nintendo’s Gamecube controller hubs, and eight Gamecube controllers. But considering the rarity of the hubs, that can get pretty difficult to pull off. If you’re frugal you may want to repurpose your original Wii accessories instead.

But what if you don’t have quite enough game pads for your Wii motes, and want some new alternatives? Ever since Atari was king of the console hill there have been third-party controllers. In almost every case they’ve been barely passable options when compared with the first-party originals. But they usually seem to do just well enough to continue seeing releases. Yet every so often one comes along that is pretty close to the performance of an original controller. Today’s contender is the TTX Tech Classic Controller.

PROS: Similar form factor to the Nintendo Classic Controller with some innovations.

CONS: The altered textures on the thumb sticks take some getting used to.

LIES: Contrary to what the box tells you, it does not plug directly into the console.

The TTX Tech Classic Controller is one of the better non Nintendo branded controllers you can pick up.  For the most part it works on par with the Nintendo Classic Controller. It has the same layout as that controller, so all of the buttons will be as easy to get to as the first party option. There are also a few minor improvements to boot.  The Z buttons on the top of the controller between the L, and R buttons have a nicer click to them.  They feel more mechanical. It becomes clearer that you’ve fully pressed them down, than on Nintendo’s own controller. The L, and R buttons also have a very minor change in sculpt that some might find a little more comfortable.

Comfort is king, and that’s where this peripheral tries to make an improvement. By adding rubberized grips. To be honest, this doesn’t really do much to improve grip or comfort to the experience. It doesn’t do anything particularly wrong, but it doesn’t really feel necessary. Nintendo’s controller is already pretty comfortable, so it feels like a case of trying to solve a problem that isn’t there. Nevertheless, there are probably some who might prefer the rubberized grips during long marathon sessions.

The controller is also surprisingly durable. So often peripheral makers will cut corners by using brittle plastics that easily crack on impact. If a sore loser shows up at your gaming shindig, they may end up in pieces after a string of losses. That isn’t to say that TTX Tech’s offering will survive that kind of onslaught. But if you drop the controller, or really clamp down on one of the buttons during game play, it probably won’t break. The quality of the plastics aren’t going to be quite as good as what Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony demand the contracted factories produce for themselves. But it also isn’t flimsy stuff. There’s still a nice heft to the controller, while being light enough to retain a comfortable feel. It also has some added flex to the wiring going into the controller to prevent kinks or breaks inside the cable. Overall the construction here is pretty nice compared with other controllers.

 

On the face of the controller are the X, B, Y, A buttons,  +, -, Home buttons along with the D pad, and two thumb sticks. All of them work as you’d expect them to, performing the way they’re supposed to. The one change that sticks out here is the difference in the texture on the thumb sticks. The rubber is a heavier, thicker style. They also have a much different feel than Nintendo’s offering. The end result is that while the response time is almost identical, it might take you some getting used to. Especially if you’re already used to using the Nintendo Classic Controller.

I put the controller through the paces in Super Smash Bros Wii U. I was able to play the game with this pad just as well as I could while using Nintendo’s own pad. Even advanced techniques like combos, and pivoting were achievable using it. The different feel of the thumb sticks, again, did take some getting used to.  But for anyone other than the absolutely most unwavering enthusiast, it is a pretty good option for Smash.

 

Other games ran perfectly fine with it as well. I had no problems playing Punch-Out!!, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, or Metal Gear Slug Collection in Wii Mode at all. Tekken Tag Tournament 2,  Mario Kart 8, and  Super Mario 3D World seemed perfectly playable with it too. Even classic ROMs from the Nintendo Eshop ran fine. Mega Man, Donkey Kong, and Super Ghouls N’ Ghosts gave me no trouble. The controller had no serious signs of input lag. Nothing seemed odd or unresponsive. Certainly not enough to affect my experience playing games with it.

 

To sum everything up, the TTX Tech version of the Classic Controller is a pretty competitive facsimile. It’s on par with Nintendo’s product in almost every way imaginable. If I had any complaints with it, it would have to be the different feel of the thumb sticks, and the needless addition of rubberized grips. There aren’t any functional problems with the controller. If you’re looking for an alternative to Nintendo’s first party offerings that isn’t going to give a detrimental experience, give this one a spin. Ultimately, Nintendo’s controllers are still going to be the preferred options. But if you need to save money, or simply want to try something else, the TTX Tech Classic Controller might be what you’re looking for.

Final Score: 8 out of 10