TTX Tech “Classic Controller” Review (SNES)
When it comes to game controllers, I am usually a first-party, official-or-bust kind of guy. This is especially true when it comes to retro game consoles. Generally speaking, official controllers have had the greatest amount of research and development put into them, they feature the highest quality parts (relatively speaking) and they just feel right for the platform they were designed to be used with.
However, once in a while I get the urge to try a variety of third-party options. These are rarely up to the same standard as official controllers, often using cheaper materials, but they have the benefit of costing less for consumers. For players on particularly tight budgets, these can be perfectly viable options. Also, the fact is that in this modern day and age, finding used official controllers in excellent condition can be tricky, or the price higher than expected.
Browsing at one of my local independent game retailers recently, this TTX Tech Wired Classic Controller for Super Nintendo caught my eye. Costing just ten dollars at retail, I went ahead and purchased it, then proceeded to spend a night with it and a variety of SNES titles. I can confirm that while it does feature many of the same caveats you find with other cheap, third-party retro console controllers, it also manages to nail other aspects (arguably the ones that matter the most).
Please keep in mind that this review is specifically covering models for the actual Super Nintendo Entertainment System, not the SNES Classic Edition. Despite the words “Classic Controller” being plastered over the box, this is a controller that will work on an actual Super Nintendo, not Nintendo’s more recent, tiny emulation box.
Photo Gallery From Initial Unboxing
Getting the bad stuff out of the way first, this controller is in a lot of ways exactly what you would expect from such a low-cost product. Cheap looking and cheap feeling plastic, short length of cabling, a front facing label that is off-center and an overall lack of weight gives it the feeling of a typical knock-off controller.
That said, there are other aspects that let me see this thing in a more positive light. The face buttons actually feel pretty good and snap back well enough. This is often a problem with modern third-party SNES controllers, where buttons don’t feel particularly responsive or they actually get stuck, basically poor mechanical design that is thankfully nowhere to be found here.
The shell is also pretty decent for what it is. It features some nice, rounded edges, is roughly the same height as an official SNES controller and as a result sits nice and comfortably in the hands.
Some solid attention to detail is here as well, like concave buttons for X and Y, convex buttons for A and B, along with some nice indentations on the d-pad like on an official Nintendo-branded controller. Despite not being centered correctly, the face label also has a nice texture to it that adds positively to the feel when playing a game.
My single biggest issue with modern knock-off NES and SNES controllers are poor directional pad designs. They often let the player smash down on the d-pad, activating more than two directions at a time. This has the negative effect of your character stopping any movement mid-motion and can also trigger directions/actions the player is unintending. For instance, moving diagonally when all is wanted is to move right. This poses major problems in games that rely on precision and accuracy, like with shooters, action/platformers or fighting games.
Thankfully the directional pad on this TTX controller features a solid pivot and as a result feels much like an official SNES controller. I had no issues playing games relying on heavy eight-way movement such as Gradius III, UN Squadron, Super R-Type and Super Smash T.V. Fighting games requiring constant, smooth rotation motions, like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II, worked without issue. I was able to pull off my moves with ease while also still being able to move in simple, straight directions when I wanted without fear of going diagonally by accident.
When it comes to usability, my main complaint is the positioning of the shoulder keys. The shape of the controller makes them sit slightly higher than I would like and as a result my hands can feel a little cramped when needing to rely on them. I got used to it but your mileage may vary depending on the shape of your hands and length of your fingers.
The Insides of the Controller
For those curious about the internals, it’s pretty standard stuff here. The shell houses a single large PCB with two smaller boards slotted in for the triggers. The face buttons and directional pad both have sets of thin rubber contacts, and the shoulder keys have one of them each as well. It’s difficult to say how long these will last, but as of right now they seem to get the job done.
The start and select buttons are one single rubber piece like on an OEM SNES controller. The d-pad, as mentioned previously, has a nice, solid pivot allowing for precise usage. The shoulder keys are all one single piece as well which was standard for cheaper third-party designs from the 1990s (for those unaware, the OEM SNES controller design used a multi-part approach for the triggers, where the shoulder actuators sat on metal rods).
Interestingly, the face buttons aren’t keyed uniquely. One could technically swap the buttons around for a custom configuration if desired. For instance, the rounded, convex buttons for A and B can be moved to the top row for X and Y. Or, one could purchase a second controller, take the rounded buttons and make an all-convex layout like was standard for Super Famicom controllers.
In Conclusion
Going in and expecting the worst, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this controller. For the price and functionality it’s hard to beat. I will always swear by official/OEM controllers, particularly when it comes to the Super Nintendo, but there’s something to be said for something as solid as this at as low of a price as it is.
If you’re someone with plenty of official controllers already, there’s probably little need to bother unless you simply want to expand your horizons. That said, if you’re a gamer on a budget, or if you’re someone needing a backup (maybe you want redundancy, or maybe you have the occasional friend over for some multiplayer Street Fighter II, Super Bomberman or NBA Jam sessions), then this TTX SNES Classic Controller will certainly do the trick.
Recommended.
