Better Than Hori? Old Skool GameCube Digital Game Pad Review

In this episode, we unbox and test out the Digital Gamepad for the Nintendo GameCube from Old Skool.

Chapters:
0:00 - Introductions
3:07 - Unboxing
6:13 - Comparing to Hori

Game Boy Player:
9:08 - Metroid 2
10:24 - Super Mario Land 2
12:10 - Donkey Kong Country

Testing on Wii
13:33 - Super Mario Kart Super Circuit

I will openly admit to not being the biggest fan of Old Skool products. That being said, when they release an interesting product I try to give them a fair shake. I recently saw them post a photo of a new controller to their Twitter feed, and this one was quite interesting. Hori, manufacturer of some of the best peripherals and accessories for a variety of gaming systems over the decades, had released a Digital Gamepad for the Nintendo GameCube. Why? Primarily to be used with the Game Boy player and those games, the digital gamepad gave you a more traditional gamepad style for playing these action platformer games.

Like many of Hori's controllers over the years, the digital game pad for the GameCube has skyrocketed in price. $75 to $100 is fairly typical. This is where the folks at Old Skool have gone to work to bring that experience and performance forward at a more reasonable cost. The results are the controller that you see here in this video.

The first time I saw the Old Skool controller, I was shocked at how closely it resembled its inspiration. It looks like a 1-for-1 duplication. I was so intrigued by this I broke out my calipers and confirmed, yes, that is literally what this is. The measurements and dimensions are so precisely duplicated that if Hori's patent and trademark were still in place I would think Old Skool would be in some very serious trouble.

One area where Old Skool differs from the Hori GamePad is the length of the included controller cable. As has been the standard for third party controllers now for a number of years, the Hori GamePad now uses a 10-ft long controller cable. This is a welcome change and addition.

Upon plugging the controller into my GameCube and firing up my Game Boy player, performance was nothing short of great. If you would have handed me this controller, blind taste test-style, I would have told you that this was the Hori controller. That is how good the performance, fit, finish, and feel of this controller was. While the membranes under the D-Pad and the buttons felt a little bit different from my Hori pad, it was not jarringly so. Overall, Old Skool hit this one out of the park and it is easily the best product of theirs that I have ever tested.

Why it RoX:
- Under $25
- Duplication of the size, shape, and design of the original
- Nearly identical performance to the original
- 10 ft long controller cable

What could be improved?
- More color options
- Color of the a button is slightly off
- I've already spent the $100 on the Hori pad

Should you buy one?
If you are considering showing out the big money for the original Hori Digital Gamepad, give this a shot first. If you like this and you absolutely must have the original, go ahead and spend the money. But in the meantime, this is an exceptional duplication of the original, something that makes me wonder if they have not licensed the molds or acquired the molds. The duplication is that identical, and that's a great thing. Old Skool has easily produced their finest product to date with their Digital Gamepad, and I am hoping this is a sign of things to come from them in the future.

#Hori #OldSkool #GameCube

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

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

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. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

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.)