This $45 Nintendo knockoff surprised me

My first video game console was a Nintendo 64, and I’ve been gaming ever since. While I don’t have regrets about starting with that, especially since it meant I got to play Ocarina of Time and Super Smash Bros., I did miss out on what many people consider to be one of the best Nintendo consoles of all time — the SNES.

The SNES was home to many classics, including the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, Earthbound, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, and countless others. With my Switch, I have access to many of these titles through a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, so I’m grateful for that. When I got around to playing them, I wanted to do it with a SNES controller for a closer to authentic experience. Nintendo sells an SNES controller that never seems to be in stock, so instead of waiting and waiting, I went with the next best thing. I picked up the SN30 Pro from 8bitdo, and I have to say that I’m highly impressed with it.

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The SN30 Pro feels and plays a lot like an SNES controller, and the only real difference I can note is the addition of a pair of analog sticks. These sticks allow me to play so many more games than SNES games through Nintendo Switch Online, so I’m thankful for that. I can also use the controller on platforms other than my Switch, which is another underrated element of the SN30 Pro. What’s even better is that I have the model with the updated joysticks, so I don’t have to worry about them drifting anymore.

I should clarify that I eventually grabbed an SNES controller when it came back in stock because I was lucky enough to check the site at the right time. Unfortunately, I don’t get a lot of use from it thanks to my SN30 Pro, but that’s not the controller’s fault. It sets out to be a recreation of the original controller, and it pulls that off nicely. There are some downsides to it, and I think it’s loyal to a fault. Having a dedicated home button to go back to the home screen on the Switch would be nice. That’s something future controllers like the N64 and GameCube handled, but Nintendo hasn’t updated the SNES one to have that functionality.

As somebody who uses my Switch mostly handheld, I don’t use controllers other than my JoyCons all that often. At least, that was the case until I picked up the SN30 Pro controller. I have a Switch Pro Controller, and while I love the feel of it, it didn’t help me change my ways. Since getting the SN30 Pro, I found myself using my Switch 2 in tabletop mode more often than I ever did previously. I decided to give Donkey Kong Country a go for the first time in my life, and I’m not sure if I would enjoy it half as much if I wasn’t playing on this controller. Side note: I can’t believe how difficult this game is.

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Don’t have blind brand loyalty

For a long time, I was a stickler about using officially branded products. To be fair, a lot of this came from using Mad Catz controllers growing up and the quality being largely hit or miss. The controllers were nice for people with small hands, but I don’t think they really compared to the first-party offerings. Third-party controllers were often cheaper than first-party options, and in my mind, that meant lower quality.

It wasn’t until I found out about companies like 8bitdo that my thinking began to shift. Although the SN30 Pro costs $45, it’s a very solid controller. In comparison, the SNES controller costs $30, but it does require you to have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to purchase it for whatever reason. To take the comparison even further, this $45 controller pales in comparison to the price of Switch 2 Pro Controller as that one will run you $85. That’s a massive price hike, and while the Pro Controller is nice, I don’t know if it’s $40 more nice.

While it may have been a problem a decade or two ago, I don’t think shopping for third-party controllers is as much of a crap shoot as it used to be. If you’re sticking to well-known brands, you should find some decent stuff. For example, PowerA controllers offer an appealing price for somebody on a budget, but you’re better off going for something from a more reputable brand. There’s no sense buying something you have to replace in under a year when you can just spend more on something that lasts a lot longer. That’s a mistake I ran into time and time again, and it finally made me realize that it’s better to get something better from the start.

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It gets annoying

I understand running out of stock for a new console, especially since the Switch 2 is nice and shiny, but the SNES controller debuted more than five years ago. It’s very strange to me that it’s constantly in and out of stock, but I’m glad it eventually led me to discover the SN30 Pro. I don’t know if I would’ve done that on my own, so in a way, I’m grateful to Nintendo.

On the other hand, there’s so much I miss out from Nintendo whether it’s an Amiibo that has suddenly become rare due to stocking issues, limited-time releases like Super Mario 3D All Stars, or these Nintendo Switch Online exclusives that are rarely available. For a company as big and successful as Nintendo, it feels odd to see these types of blunders being so common. Then again, things seem to be working just fine, and I had no problem walking into a store and getting a Switch 2 without a pre-order two days after its release.

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