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The Nintendo 64 was a great console, with a small but excellent library of games. The only drawback for some people was the controller. Its three pronged design looked ahead of it’s time but was functionally a bit of a ball ache (the analogue stick was great though, that can’t be disputed). It seems that there’s a bunch of like-minded folks out there, because a Kickstarter campaign was just fully-funded in under 48 hours, for a new third-party N64 pad with a distinctly modern take on the classic (for all the wrong reasons) controller.
Retro Fighters Next Gen N64 Controller looks pretty similar to the Xbox 360 or Switch Pro Controller. The controller has been remade with ‘next generation features and designs’, hence the name, ‘Next Gen N64 Controller’. The analogue stick has been moved to a more familiar position with the D-pad just below it. The C-buttons and the B and A buttons are on the right side, instantly looking far more agreeable. There are even slots for the N64 Rumble Pak and memory cards.
The controller costs £15. If you pledge more than £35 you’ll even get your name listed in the controllers instruction manual, which is a nice touch. More than $63,000 has been raised towards the project’s $13,000 goal, with 28 days to go. So it looks like the Next Gen N64 Controller project is a definite success.
Currently the Next Gen N64 controller only works on the actual N64 console, but depending on the success of the Kickstarter Retro Fighters may release a USB version of the controller. Now I have another reason to load up Goldeneye. Not that I really needed an excuse.
You can keep up to date on the progress on the Retro Fighters Kickstarter page.
