Use Modern Bluetooth Controllers on NES, Super NES, & Super Famicom!

In this episode, we show you how you can use Xbox, PlayStation, and other Bluetooth-enabled controllers on the Nintendo Entertainment System & the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.Show more

As a fan of retro games, one of the bummers is having to deal with cords tethering you from the controller to your system. Oftentimes, they are far too short, meaning you either have to sit closer to your TV than you would really want, or you're having to use extensions to achieve the proper length. As time is gone on, some game players may not like the ergonomics on the older system controllers, preferring some of the newer designs that are out there. Well, the team at Brook Gaming has released a number of their Wingman wireless controller adapters for other systems, including the Sega Genesis and the Sega Dreamcast. They've turned their expertise towards two of my favorite systems of all time, the NES and the Super NES for a wireless solution they call the Wingman SNES.

Simple in its design, the Wingman SNES is essentially a gray box with a pairing button on the top of it, a USB port on the front for firmware updates, another USB port, which will allow you to use USB controllers, and an NES & SNES connector to plug into your systems. There is also a multicolor LED on the top of the unit to let you know when you are in pairing mode, USB mode, and wireless mode. The Wingman SNES is compatible with just about any Bluetooth-enabled controller, but for fans of Xbox controllers, you'll want to make sure you download their firmware update to enable maximum compatibility.

Pairing to my PlayStation 4 DualShock controller was super easy. I connected the USB cable between the Wingman SNES and my controller, I pressed the pairing key for one second on the Wingman SNES, pressed the PlayStation button on my controller, and I was paired. Once this was done, I could disconnect my USB cable and simply get to playing. On a DualShock controller, the buttons on either side of the touchpad act as your start and select. Select. The cross and the circle buttons are your A and b, and triangle and square don't do anything out of the box.

Gameplay was phenomenal using this, with no inherent lag or latency over and above any other wireless controller that I've used in the past for my systems. It did feel a little bizarre using a PlayStation controller, or an Xbox controller, with my NES or Super NES, but they simply worked. I pulled my 8BitDo SN30 Pro out of mothballs, charged it up, and it also paired directly to the Wingman. This was probably the most natural feeling for me on any of the systems that I tested it with owing to the Super Nintendo-inspired ergonomics.

Why it RoX:
- Compatible with PS 3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Bluetooth, 8BitDo Bluetooth, and other Bluetooth controllers.
- Compatible with USB-enabled controllers.
- Good responsiveness.
- Relatively easy pairing
- Additional features such as Turbo
- Analog sticks work as well as the d-pads

What could be improved:
- Unless I really wanted to use a modern controller with a retro system, this doesn't fix a need I had.

Should you buy one?
Unlike in the '80S and '90S, there are a number of quality options available out there for wireless controllers for both the NES and the Super NES. Many of those also closely mimic the design and layout of the original controllers, giving you an authentic experience. I've never really felt the need to play my Super NES or NES with an Xbox or PlayStation controller, if anything, the PlayStation controller is the more natural evolution due to the Nintendo Play Station. My experiences were overall positive, but I don't know that this necessarily fills a need that I had. It wasn't a bad experience by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't know that it's an experience that I'll be using anytime soon.

#BrookGaming #WingmanSNES #Nintendo

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)