Hyperkin is rapidly becoming an established video game peripheral, accessory, and console manufacturer. They are especially well known for their retro consoles such as the recently announced RetroN 5 that has five cartridge ports for the NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, and GBA consoles.
Tomee is one of their controller and accessory brands known for offering exceptional products. We previously reviewed their NES USB controller which passed with flying colors. Now we have their SNES USB controller, and it looks like this is another top notch product.
Specifications
Interface: USB Compatibility: PC/Mac (Windows 98 SE or later, or OS X 10.0 or later) Eight-way directional pad Six digital buttons
Tomee’s USB controllers make playing your classic Nintendo games on your PC/Mac so much easier. With emulation on the rise with things like the Raspberry Pi and OUYA, having a retro controller to match with the right interface is essential.
The SNES USB controller comes in a very simple box that features the most information you could really have about this simple controller on the back and a picture of the controller itself and the USB connector next to it, same as the NES USB controller. Inside again, is literally just the USB controller wrapped in plastic – no driver disc or anything else.
Appearance-wise, Tomee got the retro SNES controller spot on. It even looks more like an SNES controller than the original SNES controller. The controller is the brand new gray color with a darker gray directional pad and four purple buttons, two light and two dark. The lighter purple buttons, Y and X, are concave while the darker purple buttons are not. This is something that a lot of other knock-offs get wrong and it’s a great little detail to get right.
The directional pad has rounded edges, also unlike other brands that usually have sharp, stiff edges. It is even softer than the NES USB controller’s directional pad. This company did a great job on replicating the design of the original Super Nintendo controller. The only difference is that the Start and Select buttons are not rubberized, which is a minor detail.
Installing the controller was super easy. As it was with the NES controller, the SNES controller features a convenient plug-n-play connectivity making it that much easier to start playing your games on the PC/Mac. From there it’s simply mapping the buttons to whatever program you’re using it for.
The controller is very comfortable during gameplay with correctly responsive buttons and a lightweight design. The L and R buttons feel especially nice, as this is usually a problem in other third party retro controllers. It also has that nostalgic feel looking down from your computer to see a brand new SNES controller in your hands. Nothing on the controller feels flimsy like it is going to fall apart anytime soon.
Overall, the Tomee SNES USB controller is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a retro USB controller. It’s exactly like taking your original SNES controller and giving it a USB interface. Plus its plug-n-play connectivity makes for an easy installation.
For more information on Hyperkin and its other brands, check out www.hyperkin.com .
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/review/hyperkin-tomee-snes-usb-controller-review?cid=roadrunner