Retro Fighters StrikerDC Dreamcast Controller
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Questions & Answers
I haven't heard anything yet, but other companies are working on a wireless gamepad for DC.
It's wired, with a longer cord than the standard Dreamcast controller.
Check out Retro Fighters' website, but I don't believe a USB version has been released yet. Perhaps someday.
If you get a DC-based computer, make sure it's a DC-based computer into- It might work with a USB adapter, but I'm not sure if such an adapter exists.
Selected User Reviews For Retro Fighters StrikerDC Dreamcast Controller
This controller had a lot of potential for me. I'm afraid I can't recommend it due to the price. First and foremost, given the price, it should be wireless. Because the grips are angled down, your fingers and thumbs are forced to move down to compensate, which is uncomfortable. The buttons make a lot of noise, and it's difficult to keep your thumb on the left analog stick. br> I was constantly resting my thumb on the analog stick's lower rim, which quickly became uncomfortable. I'm so disappointed.
br>br>First and foremost, the controller is attractive and functional; however, for the price, it could be a little better. Also, don't take this review as a personal attack on Retrofighters; I bought the Brawler64, and it's now my favorite Nintendo 64 controller. br>br>Main Criticism:br>The triggers are terrible. The triggers were one of the better features of the original controller, in my opinion (and I've owned a Dreamcast since it was released). Along with the standard triggers, they added shoulder/bumpers. This is useful in games where pressing a button rather than pulling a trigger is more convenient. However, the way it is implemented is quite poor. The triggers are small, and they've even extended beyond the trigger's actual base to give you more room. The bottom of this lip is extremely sharp and unattractive (I'll attach a photo). They don't feel as good as the originals, which are much more smooth and less wobbly. br>br>2nd Gripe:br>In contrast to the plastic original, the thumbstick has a nice rubber feel (and is smaller). It does, however, have a bad deadzone in the stick, and I don't mean a mental deadzone. Some games have deadzone on newer controllers, but this stick literally has to be moved a long way before it has tension and registers. In terms of games, it's not bad, but I think it should be a little better given the price tag. br>br>3rd Gripe/Aestheticsbr>The VMU protrudes significantly beyond the controller's end. It has no effect but, in my opinion (pic included), it looks pretty bad. Buttons: br>br> br>Aside from that (D-) Pad, Start, Turbo, Clear, A, X, B, Y) are all fine, nice and clicky but not too much so. br>br>Overall, I'm confident that this controller was a wise investment, given the scarcity of parts (VMU slots, connectors) for these devices. I understand why it's $50, but I'm not convinced the quality is good enough for the money; I'd expect Retrobit's offering to be both affordable and of good quality. Their Tribute64 is nearly as good as the Brawler64, but it costs $10 less. Overall, I would recommend this if you really want to try it and don't mind the issues I mentioned earlier. If I had to do it all over again, I'd wait until the Retrobit came out.
When I couldn't move between items in the main Dreamcast menu (disc ejected), I realized something was wrong. To make a selection, I'd have to push one way with the dpad and move the other way with the analog stick. br>br>I got a new one, and the dpad worked perfectly in the menu and in games. Until I noticed a problem, the joystick worked fine in the menu and appeared to work in games. br>br>Games with two speeds when using the analog stick didn't work properly, and something wasn't quite right. Sonic Adventure required only a slight movement of the stick in any direction to make Sonic walk as intended. Pushing the stick all the way down should have made him run, and it did in all directions except 11 o'clock. Sonic would simply take a step in that direction. br>Similarly, in games like Time Stalkers, the character could not run in that direction. So, in games where the character moves at a 45° angle, I couldn't run if I wanted to, depending on where I was going. These controllers are what we need as a backup plan if they can figure out the quality control issues. br>br> Although I prefer the original controller, having the option to use a brand new controller that is shaped like a modern controller is very cool. br>br>Also, I usually don't review products on Amazon, but I figured this might help others avoid them until they get better, or perhaps give the company some constructive criticism so they can figure out why these issues are occurring and fix them. br>br>I'm surprised that none of the YouTubers who have reviewed these have mentioned any problems; all they seem to talk about is how cool the bonus keychains are. Most of them, on the other hand, have a variety of colors that the company has assigned to them. Given that the only two I received were defective, you'd think they'd have problems as well based on the numbers. Hmm.
The D-button is too clicky, and the face buttons are too clicky. The pad doesn't roll well, and the triggers are the worst I've ever felt: light, mushy, and with low resistance. The controller does not sit flat on the table, but this isn't a major issue. Only the joystick and overall grip appeal to me. br>br> A modern grip controller with turbo would be nice, but the feel of the components is too much for me.
Retro Fighters has a serious problem with quality control. First and foremost, I like the design and how it feels in my hands; in fact, I prefer it to the first party. My unit, on the other hand, worked for a brief period before encountering an error and disconnecting. My dreamcast is pretty barebones and has no internal mod whatsoever, so it no longer responds after that, whereas all of my first party games work fine. At first, I thought the main fuse had blown, but all of the other controllers function normally, and even third-party accessories work as they should. It was replaced by Amazon with a new one. The second didn't fare much better than the first; most of the buttons worked this time, and the vmu actually powered up, but the START button didn't. Because most Dreamcast games require you to press START on the title screen, the controller is rendered useless. I really want to like the controller, but I'm already two for two, and I don't have the time or patience for a third.
It outperforms the original OEM controller, but only by a small margin.
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