Nintendo announced quite a few retro-related things in the September 23rd direct, however one of the most interesting things for us is the release of two controllers that haven’t got much love over the years: The N64 and Genesis 3-button controller. These bluetooth controllers will be available to purchase for $50 only for Nintendo Direct members.
While I love that we’re finally getting a wireless Genesis 3-button controller, the fact that it’s bluetooth and made by Nintendo is worrying. According to the (very accurate) controller latency test database, the SNES bluetooth controllers previously offered to Switch Online members averaged 20ms (over a frame) of lag, with the Switch “Pro” controller offering similar results. Alternatively, the 8bitdo NES30 controller in Switch mode averaged about 6ms of lag, making it a much better choice for retro gaming.
Who knows, maybe Nintendo will have taken lag seriously this time (lol ;p) and the controllers will perform well on MiSTer and other emulation? Don’t hold your breath though…
Nintendo also announced they’ll be adding a new “Expansion Pack” membership plan to their Switch online service. This new plan will be added in late October and will allow you to play a handful of emulated titles from the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis. There’s no word on the cost or details, but they specifically said current members can “switch over to the new plan”…which probably means they’re going to charge you more. I’m (as always) curbing my expectations for this one, but if you’re interested, here’s the list of launch games:
Nintendo 64 Games Available At Launch
- Super Mario 64
- Mario Kart 64
- Star Fox 64
- Yoshi’s Story
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- WinBack
- Mario Tennis 64
- Dr. Mario 64
- Sin and Punishment
Sega Genesis Games Available At Launch
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- M.U.S.H.A.
- Phantasy Star IV
- Ristar
- Shining Force
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Streets of Rage 2
- Strider
