Author: AfterTheFact

I’ll start this simply: If you own a Wii and play Virtual Console titles, you must own this controller.

The Super Famicom Classic Controller is exactly what it’s name implies. It’s a Wii extension controller (it plugs into a Wii Remote) designed to exactly replicate an original Super Famicom (SNES) controller. It is, in every way, a Super Famicom controller. The control pad and shoulder buttons all have the same squishy feel, the face buttons have the same responsiveness, and it’s even made of the same plastic.

For Virtual Console games, this controller just feels right. The buttons aren’t quite as clicky as the standard Classic Controller, and the control pad isn’t quite as responsive. Normally, those would be condemnations, but in this case it’s a benefit. For a number of classic titles, the Classic Controller is almost too responsive. When playing a fast game like F-Zero, it actually becomes significantly more difficult with the faster responses and looser control pad on the Classic. Remember, these games were originally designed around the (comparitively) mushier controllers of the era, so using an updated controller on them isn’t always the best thing.

That is not to say that the Super Famicom controller feels slushy or in any way inadequate. Quite to the contrary, actually; it only took me a minute or two to fall back right back into that familiar feeling from my youth. In every way, this controller feels like the real thing, and that feeling is amazing when you’re trudging through the Mushroom Kingdom or working your way through Dracula’s Castle. (On a side note: I found out after getting this that the control pad and button placement on the new Classic Controller is identical to the placement on the SNES controller, in spite of the different overall shape. Who knew?)

Here’s the catch: This controller was only released as a Club Nintendo bonus offer in Japan. It was never released for retail sale, nor was any version of it ever released in the States. In order to get one, you’ll probably have to resort to eBay, where they run between $50 and $65. That can be a bit of a wallet-shock, and I haven’t found one cheaper anywhere yet.

That’s $50 well spent, though, specially if you’re into classic games and download a lot of VC titles. Admittedly, playing non-SNES games with it was a little odd, at first (playing Sonic with a SNES controller is… interesting), but it’s still head and shoulders above the standard Classic Controller. If you see a lot of plumber jumping in your future, do yourself a huge favor and find one of these today!

Which games do I own again?

So you’ve started collecting games and before you know it, you’ve amassed so many titles that you can’t remember whether or not you’ve purchased a title. Eventually, you’ll find yourself purchasing duplicates and unless it’s an especially cheap purchase or a variant, that’s not good for your wallet or your collection. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to start cataloguing your games. There are numerous ways to accomplish this: the spreadsheet, the database, the checklist and the portable app.

The Video Game Trader iPhone app can be a useful base tool for cataloging your collection while out on the road. The app covers most systems released in the US and lists two prices per title: loose and complete. These prices are only updated once a month so they are often not completely accurate but can at least give an idea of an acceptable price to pay. The prices listed will generally at least give an idea of the rarity and desirability of a title so that you can decide whether or not the game is worth the given price. I rarely use this feature as I tend to pay the price that I think a title is worth based on experience but in checking it right now, I’d say the prices are fairly accurate if you plan on using normal eBay prices (I wouldn’t recommend it). In checking, I chose three of my favorite NES titles and compared the prices within the app to the current eBay prices (I know, I know… I hate eBay. But it currently has a broad selection of these particular titles from which to pull an average so I’m doing it).

First, the prices from the app:

Wall Street Kid: $10.75 (C) and $5.00 (L)

Wizards & Warriors: $18.50 (C) and $7.00 (L)

Uninvited: $31.25 (C) and $17.00 (L)

Averages on eBay including auction prices + shipping cost:

Wall Street Kid: $12 (C) and $6 (L)

Wizards & Warriors: $20.00 (C) and $6.00 (L)

Uninvited: $45.00 (C) and $20.00 (L)

The most important part of the app for my purposes is the “Have It/Want” it feature. This addition lets you mark whether or not you have a title in your collection or if it is a title you are currently looking for. The main drawback is that you can only mark items as “loose” or “complete”. This causes quite a few issues when your collection has grown to a point where you can no longer remember the state of your games. For instance, I have several games that are semi-complete (either missing a box but has the instructions or missing the instructions but owning the box). I also wish that I could tag each item with a phrase so that I would know the condition of the item. I have several items that I would love to find replacements for so having a tag of “replace box” or “rental manual” would be extremely helpful.

Currently the app has a price of $4.99 in the app store and, while I can’t recommend it wholeheartedly, if you’re looking for a basic app to catalog your loose carts, this might do the job for you. I contacted the developer and he has stated that they might add a note feature in the future but that an update is not currently in the works. If this “tag” update is ever released, this app would become one of the best tools a collector on the road could have.