PowerA Is Releasing Mario And Zelda Themed Switch Controllers

They look nice, though I'm not sure about having Link's image in the bottom right corner. It's a good cheap alternative, though they do lack HD Rumble.

@Forde999 The cable is detachable.

I wonder if it has a better D-pad than the Pro's crappy one?Can't believe how much they messed that up, they invented the thing.

Available from Argos in the UK.

Yes can confirm available in Argos (UK)

Does it have any rumble at all? I kind of like rumble feedback but I think I could manage without HD Rumble for $40 less.

Does the Switch tablet have any USB ports or is this strictly for TV?

10' would barely make it though. And I'm guessing no amiibo support either. Could be a problem for SMO. hmm

@rjejr : TV/docked only.

@rjejr You should be able to use a USB to USB-C connector for playing undocked. I know this works for the Arcade Stick so should work for these too. They only cost a couple of quid. I have one for transferring files too and from my phone.

When it comes out a review would be nice

@OorWullie no, they actually didn't. They changed it and then only patented it.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yes, I would have loved a more "simple" design, like the Windwaker Wii U Gamepad or the Skyward Sword WiiMotion Plus.

"...a 10 foot removable USB cable..", "...naturally with the downsides that these are wired..."

I don't know what to think anymore. I need an Alex video telling me I'm lovely.

Also hope more variants come out for FE:W and XC.

Love the design of both controllers. When I saw them on twitter last night I thought they'd be instant buys but being wired makes them a hard pass. Where are the wireless 3rd party options?

@H1B1Esquire Trust in me.

@OorWullie USB to USB-C connector

I thought about that after posting, but then remembered the USB-C port is on the bottom, so it still wouldn't work in tabletop mode, unless I then buy a holder when I buy the USB adaptor, at which pint I might as well just buy a wireless controller for more money.

@sillygostly TV/docked only

Thanks.

Overall, I kind of feel like this article skimped on all of the negatives and why this controller is only $30, you can only realistically use it in 1 of 3 modes. And I still dont' know about amiibo, but I'm guessing not. I know a lot of people hate using amiibo, but I used them daily in Zelda BotW on my Wii U. And we dont' know how they'll work in SMO.

@Forde999 Did you not mention amiibo b/c it's a given it has NFC support or b/c it's a given it doesn't have NFC support?

@rjejr You can get a USB to USB C Converter this worked for me https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019W93I0S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xvtSzbXJ2TXTJ

Seems like the guy who wrote this article didnt do too much research into it.
But did make sure the links are affiliate links

http://imgur.com/a/GEVHc

My imgur album for anyone who is interested. The controller is a decent cheaper alternative.

And my comments:

Pros:

Only £30 in a choice of Zelda or Mario themes

Better Dpad. Doesn't seem to have the issue of occasional multi directional input that the pro controller has.

Bigger analogue sticks. This leads to better control than with the relatively tiny sticks on the pro controller. In my opinion this is its best feature, which is enhanced by the 6 additional sticks provided to find your preference.

Better resting place for all trigger buttons. I find that on the pro controller my trigger fingers rest on the ZL and ZR buttons. This is all well and good for shooters but not so much for Pokken where, bizarrely, L and R are used. The Power A controller has your trigger fingers rest in the middle of each of the trigger buttons on both sides. Much better in my opinion.

Cons:

No gyro, NFC or HD rumble. (I'm not even sure if it is has any rumble at all)

The face buttons, ABXY and Dpad, are smaller than on the pro controller. Takes some getting used to.

Lighter than I would like, probably due to having no internal battery. Not as light as the original Dual shock 3 however.

All buttons have a more significant click than the pro controller, the mark of a cheaper controller, but no actual issues with input lag that I noticed.

Conclusion:

I am definitely happy with my purchase and will be using this pad for any games that prefer a Dpad, Pokken and some Indies, as well as FIFA and the inevitable Smash. Don't go in expecting the build quality of the pro controller and you will be pleasantly surprised.

I might consider picking two of these up, and then getting Minecraft so that I can play that with more of my siblings, because we currently have four joy-cons, not enough for 4-player minecraft.

I like the Mario one, but the Zelda one has a little too much going on.

I would like a pro controller but £60-£70 is far too much for it, so I may get one of these.

Mario for me! Like it much more than the Zelda on for some reason.

I've reserved one in my Dublin Argos to collect later today. If anyone in Ireland is looking for one, here's the (mario) link.....
https://m.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&productId=1254056

I like the look of the red one, I'm just slightly concerned that at half the price of the regular pro controller it might be a bit rubbish.

Almost seems too good to be true, what's the catch.

If it's simply the lack of HD rumble then I could live with that

@Kiz3000 Thanks a lot for that in depth write up. Forgot all about gyro, which I'm guessing is used in Splatoon 2 w/ the Pro (still don't own a Switch, waiting on Mario) and for bow & arrow in Zelda BotW. I used gyro a lot playing on Wii U with the Gamepad. Not sure if Mario or XC2 would make use of the gyro - the 2 games I most want a Pro for - but it's something to consider. Mario does have the binoculars that lets you look around an area, that should be gyro controlled but probably also work w/ the stick.

@ZukutoBen Thanks. Just covered that 2 minutes before your post. Still on the fence.

I really feel that archer artwork is over used.

For a significantly cheaper price, sure I'd go wired, & sacrifice rumble. If, & when I get a Switch, I'm probably not going to take it on the road, so I'm good for docked mode.

Yes, that archer artwork is kinda over-used. Edit: I think it's the stock Link image/pose for BotW.

Love them both, particularly the Zelda controller.

I couldn't care less about HD Rumble or NFC, but I would like to know if it has the motion controls. If not it's useless for Splatoon

@Kiz3000 thanks for your comment, it touches on many points the article left uncovered.
I still am unsure about a couple of things, could you please answer these too?
1) Does it only work in docked mode?
2) Does it work without the cable attached? (i.e. is it wired only?)
3) This hasn't been mentioned yet, I think (probably cause it's unlikely): is it compatible with any other device?

Thank you in advance

@clvr My answers aren't great but here you are:

1) I do not have a USB female to USB C male lead to attach the controller to the switch in tabletop mode. Sorry.

2) Yes it only works wired. No internal battery for wireless functionality.

3) I do not have any PC to test on that. I do have a PS4 but I highly doubt it would work on that.

@Kiz3000 thank you, much appreciated!

I would've got one if they were wireless. Hopefully next time lol

@OorWullie The weirdest thing about it is that it's almost exactly the same as the Wii U's D-Pad mechanically. The only real difference is that the rubber pads on the membrane above each switch are slightly thicker, and that slight extra thickness is enough to make the controller too sensitive. If you replace the membrane with one from a Wii U controller, it pretty much fixes everything. Granted, it should've been like this to begin with. Apparently newer controllers are better (Splatoon ones in particular), and I've also heard Nintendo will replace the pad if you sent it in.

Nice.

@rjejr if you had a usb type c to usb adapter it would work like that but I think it can also be wireless.

Bought a Mario one at Wal-Mart. Fyi it's a cheaper variant. $24.99 8ft cable and no interchangeable thumb sticks.

Bought one and they are great, but lacking important features such as they have no motion sensor so games like Mario Odyssey that tell you to shake controller won’t do anything. Also no way to tap amiibos on these controllers

These are complete junk, no motion controls basically junks your game play and the crap cord that comes with it is cheap and has issues. I bought both of these for my kids and I've had to return them both twice and finally got a refund the 3rd time because the stupid things constantly disconnect every time you move them. Save your money an just get the wireless one from Nintendo and avoid this scam.