Review: Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3)

If you’ve got a Wii, and you have an interest in retro gaming, you’ve got a significant decision to make regarding game control. The Wii Remote controller is pretty different from the controllers that were used on the consoles that originally were home to the games that are appearing on the Virtual Console. As a result, you are likely to need another type of controller to play those games effectively, if at all. I’ll run through the majority of your options, and hit the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Wii Remote Controller

What did I just finish saying? Oh, right, NES games. If you turn the Wii Remote on its side with the d-pad to the left and the 1 and 2 buttons to the right, you might notice it somewhat strongly resembles a stock NES controller. This is no mistake, and it’s easily the most convenient way to play NES games on the Wii. It comes with the system, so if you’ve got a Wii, you’ve got at least one. It’s wireless, compact, lightweight, and you’ve already got it in your hand once you point at the game and start it up.

Unfortunately, it has its problems. It’s not exactly the same as an NES pad, being somewhat longer and deeper, while not as wide. As a result, some of the more action-packed NES games can feel a little odd if you played them the first time around. Of course, there’s also the concern that it can’t be used on many Virtual Console games at all: simply not enough buttons, and there’s no way to remap controls to try to work around that limitation.

Wii Classic Controller

The Wii Classic Controller is a first party add-on for the Wii Remote. This is an optional product, and does not come with the system. You plug a wire into the bottom of the Wii Remote, just as you would with the Nunchuk, and it runs into the bottom of this more traditionally-styled, oval-shaped controller. The Classic Controller boasts the same sharp look as the Wii Remote, with all the system buttons transplanted to the center of the face. It has symmetry, unlike the Gamecube controller, and while the brains are still in the attached Wii Remote, the Classic Controller is noticeably weighted in order to keep it from feeling like a cheap shell or something. The buttons are large, surprisingly deep, and very responsive. The d-pad is very large, comparable in size to the Hori Digital Controller, which is a beautiful thing for all the old digital games you’ll be playing. The identical analog sticks, which are nice and close together, are much springier than those on the Gamecube controller, and feel much nicer.

Unfortunately, there are some real issues with the controller that can be hard to understand, and nearly all of them have to do with how it connects to the Wii Remote. With all the Bluetooth guts and power source stuffed into the Wii Remote, there has to be a line between it and the Classic Controller. So the way it works is, you start your game using the Wii Remote, then toss it aside and hold the Classic Controller to play. The wire is short, but not short enough where the Remote is in the way, unless you’re playing standing up, which I sometimes do. This is tough, because it’s hard to imagine how they could have gotten around this issue, as the whole concept behind the Wii Remote was to make it very modular with add-ons that extend its functionality. The only idea I can come up with has already been done: connect the Remote and the Classic Controller in a more solid fashion, as with Nyko’s Wii Remote Mount… or the more widely available rubber bands. Then there’s the lack of rumble in both the Classic Controller and the software on the Virtual Console. This is functionality that’s actually been removed from many N64 games, but it didn’t have to be.

Finally, the Classic Controller cannot be used to play Gamecube games. Considering the options we’re given for playing Virtual Console games, we certainly are strapped for options when using our reverse compatibility: no access to the SD Card slot, and no access to the new controllers.

Gamecube Controller

While it’s got some pretty determined detractors, the stock Gamecube controller that ships with the system is a pretty great device. It’s compact but not too small, the button layout is very distinctive, making it easy to know what you’re pressing based on feel rather than memory, and it’s got a nice, solid rumble… which of course is useful only for Gamecube games. This is probably the most versatile option of the bunch, being fully compatible with every feature available on every game you can play on the Wii, except for the Wii games themselves.

Unfortunately, it’s wired as well, meaning you either need to sit within 6 feet of your Wii or buy a controller extension cable. Fortunately, they’re cheap, but it’s still something to buy for a console that really tries to push wireless in most situations. Also, you’ll still need your Wii Remote in hand to browse the Wii Menu to start up your game, because Nintendo neglected to make the tiny effort to include any non-IR navigation of the Wii Menu. Finally, there’s the fact that the button layout which works so well in Gamecube games simply falls flat with many Virtual Console games. Case in point: Super Mario World, whose controls place an unbridgeable gap between the run and jump buttons on the Gamecube controller, forcing you to use two fingers to do a running jump, rather than one with other controller options.

Wavebird Wireless Controller

Nintendo’s own first-party wireless controller is the best way to play any Gamecube game, and because it’s wireless, using RF with surprising range, you lose not only your tether to the console, but to the Wii Remote as well. This lets you start your game with the Wii Remote, then hang it up and play. Gamecube controller fans will find the heavier, bulkier Wavebird (which is wider in the middle to accommodate the RF transmitter) feels more balanced than the stock controller.

Unfortunately for these same players, there’s no rumble in the Wavebird, which is something you get used to almost to the point where you don’t remember what you’re missing without it. Of course, I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but there’s no rumble on the Virtual Console anyway, so unless you’re playing Cube games on your Wii (and who wouldn’t?) you might not care. The button map issue makes a return appearance with this controller as well.

Hori Digital “Game Boy Player” Controller

There are a number of Gamecube games that are far better to play with the Hori Digital Controller for Gamecube. This is an SNES-style gamepad, lacking any analog controls, sharing much of the Gamecube’s button map in a much more compact size, with a much larger d-pad, comparable in size to the Classic Controller’s. The Z-button is moved to the face, the Y-button is cloned to create a “select” button to the left of the “start” button, and the L and R buttons are much shallower, losing the Gamecube’s analog trigger functionality and retaining the digital response. Improved games include Soul Calibur II, Viewtiful Joe, and Ikaruga. Fixed games include Mega Man Anniversary Collection and Sonic Mega Collection. These are titles that are harder to play on a stock controller, mainly because of the size and location of the d-pad.

Of course, there are some that are broken as well, because they rely on analog controls. Mario Kart: Double Dash is an unfortunate squatter on that list, which is unnecessary. Nintendo simply failed to allow the player to steer – or do anything else – with the Gamecube’s largely vestigial d-pad in that game. This is a wired controller, and while it’s officially licensed and well built, it’s very lightweight, which can make it feel a little flimsy at times. The ABXY button map is the same as on a Gamecube controller, which can be a good or bad thing. Trying to play Super Mario World with this controller is still very challenging, but on the other hand, it’s the only way I’ll play Viewtiful Joe or Ikaruga, so it all boils down to priorities. Good luck finding one, though. It doesn’t appear they’re made any longer, and while they were eventually sold in the US, it was only very briefly.

Retroport and Super Retroport Controller Adapters

A company called Retrozone makes controller adapters that patch standard NES or SNES controllers into your Gamecube ports. The result is you can play Virtual Console games, or any other Gamecube controller-compatible NES or SNES game, with an NES or SNES controller. This is a brilliant idea, and while I haven’t had the opportunity to try these devices, it seems like the best way to play NES or SNES games: how they were originally designed. My only concern is that games on the Virtual Console are adjusted to the button layout of the Classic Controller. Depending on how they’re designed, this could, potentially, make some games’ controls not map as they were originally designed to.

The other concern is the cost. The adapters alone are $20, and this does not include the controller. You will also need one for each platform, so if you want to use a standard NES and SNES pad in place of a Gamecube controller, you will need an NES pad, a SNES pad, and two of these adapters. The lot of purchases could easily put you at $50 or more combined. I’ll save my final judgment on whether they’re worth it for when I actually give them a try at some point in the future.

In the end, what to do?

As appealing as it might be to play these games with their original controllers using the Retroports, you’re going to need a Gamecube or Classic Controller to play N64 games on the Wii. The Wii Remote can’t do that, and neither can the Wii Retroport Adapters, though for all we know, perhaps they plan to produce one for the N64 controller in the future. Beyond that, there aren’t adapters for TG-16 or Genesis games for the Wii. You’ll need a Gamecube controller for Gamecube games as well, so no matter what happens, if you ever intend to use the Gamecube reverse compatibility, you’re just going to need a Gamecube controller of some kind. The best arrangement might be to have one of each option, as there is no ideal solution. If your funds are extremely limited, my recommendation would be a Wavebird and a Wii Classic Controller.