Even if I couldnвЂ™t find a myriad of uses for the Retrolink controller, the idea that I now had a reliable source for replacement buttons for my NES controllers was a huge relief to me. The rubber beneath the plastic and the d-pad and buttons were virtually identical, and enough so to be swapped between the two.

The wire even nested inside the box the same way. Opening the controllers, the only differences on the inside were the PCB boards and the wires, which really came as no surprise considering that one was USB and the other proprietary to its console. It should have been an obvious sign when the Retrolink used the same number and size of screw as my NES controllers did, that taking them apart was an identical process for both controllers. If you are looking for a one-handed mechanical gaming keyboard with 42 keys, 7-onboard macro keys, and a detachable wrist rest, read our Redragon K585 DITI review. But I had to know just how deep this homage to retro gamingвЂ™s commitment went, so I took to my toolbox for a comparison. The directional pad is made out of the same plastic, the buttons are concave and red like its namesake, and the select and start buttons are still the same pliant rubber that they were always meant to be. The Retrolink NES controller is precisely the same size and shape of the controller itвЂ™s modeled after, but the attention to detail doesnвЂ™t stop there. Back in the day, it was one of the best gaming accessories to own. No aspect of the now-antiquated yet refreshingly simple original NES controller was overlooked. When I saw the Retrolink USB NES controller, I knew instinctively from years of gaming that this was the real deal. The last time I held one was a couple of days ago, playing old games with my controllers so worn down that certain buttons donвЂ™t work right, that I cramp my hand slightly when making my character move left due to deteriorated responsiveness. ItвЂ™s been roughly 25 years since the last time I can say with certainty that IвЂ™ve held a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System controller.

How to set up retrolink nes controller