Review - T-Wireless Controller (Wii)
The Thrustmaster Wii controller has apparently been a hot item because it's been very hard to find. After an initial shipment practically no one has had them in stock. What caught my attention was the controller's ability to remap the buttons which could be a life saver for those pesky games that don't give you any options - like Virtual Console games. I was optimistic about this one and I was excited when I finally found it in stock again, but sadly it's not as good as I had hoped.
The first thing you notice when you see this thing close up is that it's pretty small - five inches at the widest. And while the general shape isn't much smaller than other controllers the setup is tiny. Everything, from the buttons to the analog sticks is very close together - too close in fact. The T-wireless sports 1.1cm of space between the Y & A buttons while the Classic Controller has 1.6cm. I don't consider myself to have large hands and yet I can't hit a button without bumping into the others. I usually press the (B) button with the lower part of my thumb, but that's impossible with this controller.
Speaking of buttons they are all very small and squishy with the shoulder buttons being the worst of the bunch. They completely break from the ergonomic design of the controller suddenly turning in sharply and squarely. This awkward shape makes registering a button press uncomfortable. They are also the most squishy and are slow to respond sometimes. The D-pad is okay, and the analog sticks worked well.
The major feature of the controller is the button mapping feature and it's amazingly simple. You press the map button then press the button you want to change and it's destination. You can even remap buttons to the analog sticks. This feature is simply amazing and a Godsend for games that don't give you the basic ability to set up your controls the way you want. It's especially great for the Virtual Console since most games have no options and you are forced to play with whatever horrible setup the code monkeys give you. Resetting is as simple as holding down the map button for a few seconds.
The T-wireless also features a turbo button that you can set to work with any button, though it's not very fast, and a slow-mo button that is completely useless as all it does is repeatedly hit the pause button. There is also no (select) button, and even though the left (Z) button usually takes its place it's still one button short of a Classic Controller. I don't foresee this being that much of a problem if you primarily use if for VC games though. There is a rumble feature that you can easily turn on or off, and I greatly appreciate it's clear labeling unlike other controllers that have blinking lights or some other easily mis-understandable nonsense that makes you waste batteries because you thought the rumble was off when it wasn't.
Setup is pretty simple requiring you to plug the adapter into the Gamecube controller port on top of the Wii and then turning on the controller. If you have problems connecting you have a connect button on the controller and the adapter to play with. The 2.4 wireless response was perfect the times I've used it and I've never had a problem. The only issue, if you can call it that, is one of aesthetics and the fact that some gamers won't want the adapter dangling off the side of the Wii. To remedy this two small velcro dots are included to help you place the adapter where you like.
The most ridiculous flaw of the controller is the horrible design on the bottom. For some reason they decided that a large, square box would work great right smack in the center where it could cramp your fingers to death. Again, this controller is very small and cramped and the large battery box at the back just makes it that much more small and cramped. What's worse is that the box only holds three AAA batteries and leaves a whole lot of empty space inside, making you wonder why they couldn't have put the batteries flush against the body where no space would be wasted. It such an obviously bad design that you have to wonder what they were thinking.
Simply put the T-wireless is a poorly designed, uncomfortable controller with some awesome features. It's a shame that the design couldn't have been better, but I think the features of this controller can make gamers overlook the lack of comfort. I'm willing to trade off some comfort and precision for great wireless and amazing button mapping for my VC games so I'll tolerate the T-wireless until something better comes along.
I GIVE THE T-WIRELESS CONTROLLER A 6/10 [OKAY]
PROS:
- Awesome button mapping function
- Great wireless
- Turbo button
- On/Off power button
- On/off rumble button
CONS:
- Too small
- Too cramped
- Squishy shoulder buttons with little tactile response
- Only 9 usable buttons instead of 10
- Slow-mo is useless
- Turbo isn't very fast
- Battery box is too big and in a horrible spot
- No (select) button
VALUE:
- Considering it's in very short supply and the price is being jacked up to $40 in some places I'd say get it as cheap as you can. Normally, I wouldn't pay more than $10 new for this.
