Nintendo WaveBird (platinum)

February 13, 2008 01:36

4.5/5
This is a great controller. Now I know how much nicer it is to play with a wireless controller. Its is also very nice because its platinum. When I first got it I could barely tell the difference of the feeling in my hands. But it was much nicer to be able to sit down while I was playing, or to be able to move around.

- magsterg4

January 22, 2008 12:47

4.5/5
This is the best controller made for the 'Cube to date. (I haven't tried the new Thrustmaster T-Wireless, when it comes out we'll see.) The wireless is flawless - it has long range, and enough channel options (16) that you can find four signals that are clear for use. (In a house like mine where almost everything is wireless - that's an imparative feature.)

For the Wii, it works great for Gamecube games. However, as another reviewer mentioned, Virtual COnsole support is spotty. The main reason is the same complaint with all GCN controllers - the d-pad just stinks. However, you can't find a better GCN controller to use with the Wii. Er, that is - if you can find one.

Nintendo - in it's typical idiot savant self - releases a great product like the Wii, and give it backwards compatibility - you can even use your old controllers. There's the savant. Then, they pile on the idiot. One of the great things about the wimote is it's wireless. So why they can their Wireless GCN controller, but keep the wired version is completely baffling. The Wavebird is one of the most critically acclaimed controllers ever made - for any system. To stop production when it's still both usable and there's a demand (they're going for 100% over msrp now on ebay) doesn't make sense.

Okay, so let me wrap this all up. Overall, this is a great controller. It's missing rumble (so don't use it to play Turok) but otherwise it's as good as a Gamecube controller can get. But, good luck finding a new one, unless you're Mr. Moneybags or love the thrill of eBay. A new viable option might be the Thrustmaster controller, when it finally becomes available.

- deadtree9

December 20, 2007 08:55

4.5/5
I bought two of these on eBay to go with the new Wii, so that we could play Virtual Console games and good old Gamecube games. For Gamecube, it's great and it's worked great with some Nintendo 64 Virtual Console games too (I've used it with Super Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarina, and Mario Kart 64). However, it wasn't too great when I downloaded the old Super Nintendo Donkey Kong Country to have a good platformer to play with the wife. The reason for that is that the X and Y buttons on this controller are really small and located in a place where it's nearly impossible to press either of them at the same time as you press the A or B button. That was not the case on the Super NES controller, and it's really critical to some games ... including Donkey Kong. A little scared to try any other Super NES games with this for fear of the same problem, but I'd feel free to go for old NES games or N64.

- gabewintner

November 18, 2007 06:30

4.5/5
Despite what cnet says in the review for the MadCatz Microcon wireless controller there is no rumble feature for this otherwise perfect controller.

"The MicroCon is much smaller and lighter than the Nintendo WaveBird, weighing a scant 5.5 ounces to the WaveBird's 8.5. This is mostly because the MicroCon lacks the WaveBird's rumble feature. This issue is moot for Virtual Console games, which don't use rumble at all. Gamers might still miss the feature when playing their old GameCube games, however."

A great product, long battery life, great range, very low interferance.

Another very lazy review from Cnet. Incorrect information and the Micro Con / Wavebird reviews are worded identically for a good 2/3rd of the article.

- itsumishi

September 12, 2007 04:47

4.0/5
My wavebird is still alive after 4 years of frustrated gaming... I now use it on my wii and it still works the same. It really doesn't weigh that much more than the regular controller. its basically like taping 2 batteries to the regular one except way bulkier, but very unnoticable when paying attention to your game. I could play with the controller facing the opposite direction behind a wall without any interference (not like id want to). Really good range which by the time you exceed it, you can't even see the screen. Occasionally ill think the controller has finally had its last button pushed (i tend to get pissed easilly at it), but it turns out i just bumped the channel button to the wrong channel. The response of the controller is no different than wired controllers. The buttons haven't changed a bit so if you want to convert to wireless from an original, then you'll be used to it right away except for the fact that there's no rumble which nintendo specifies saves battery life, which by the way is extraordinary! I only actually remember running out of batteries once while playing and losing response. Otherwise ill just end up using the batteries elsewhere or thinking they're low and replacing them.

- nintendude7cubed

August 7, 2005 11:15

4.0/5
This is a very good controller. Because it is Nintendo brand and it is high quality and nice looking unlike its cheap imitations, if u dont mind spending 44.99 CDN what i paid because i live in Canada. It has a very good signal and even works upstairs when my gamecube is downstairs. Very smooth buttons but somewhat heavy. The on and of switch is a pain because i always leave mine on and it kills the batteries thats why i reccomend recharchable batteries for it. I would like to see more colours because i have an Indigo gamecube but silver is cool. It is good if you have a pet that trips over the wires or you hate tangled wires.

- eatship123