Gamecube Wavebird Wireless Controller Review
The joys of wireless. From wireless networking to cordless phones to wireless video cameras, I wish everything could be wireless. Cables are a mess. When playing videogames, they always seem to get in the way and tether you to the game console.
So one of the first purchases I made for my Gamecube was a Nintendo Wavebird Wireless Controller.
Let me start out by saying that I normally hate third party controllers. Their layouts usually stink, they never work the way I expect, and the quality is horrible. In the past, I have always stuck with the manufacturers controller that have come with the game console. Needless to say, when I heard about the Wavebird Controller that is both Wireless and made by Nintendo (not third party) I was excited!
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to play with the Wavebird for a while, I can say that I have not been disappointed. In fact, this is by far the best controller I have ever used — wireless or not!
The layout of the Wavebird controller is identical to the Nintendo controller that ships with the Gamecube except for the addition of an on / off switch and power indicator light in the middle and a wireless channel selector dial on the bottom. The size of the Wavebird is also very similar to the standard controller — the Wavebird is slightly larger overall, but in use this doesn’t seem to make a difference and I didn’t even notice the difference in size until I examined both controllers closely for this review.
The one big difference between the Wavebird and the standard Nintendo controller is the lack of the rumble feature. On the standard Nintendo controller, most games will activate the rumble motor in the controller to vibrate the controller and simulate some sort of action in the game with physical feedback. The Wavebird does not have this rumble feature — I’m assuming Nintendo left it out because of battery life issues. While some may think this is a big negative (as I did at first), I have found that after not having it for a while, I don’t miss the rumble feature at all. In fact, now when I use the standard controller with the rumble, I find the effect kind of cheesy and it just seems to get in the way of the gameplay.
Battery life with the Wavebird is excellent. While I don’t have exact statistics, I think I’ve had to replace the batteries once every couple of months. Plus, the power light is also an indicator of battery strength — as the batteries weaken, the light will dim — a nice feature.
Overall, the Wavebird is an excellent controller that is as good as the standard Nintendo Controller in every way — quality, accuracy, and layout. Plus, it is wireless — so you can play from the comfort of any location in the room and when it’s time to put it away, there are no messy cables to get in the way — just turn it off and put it away!
Buy the Nintendo Wavebird Wireless Controller from Amazon.com
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