Hori Pad Mini Alternative? Should You Buy the retro Bit Tribute 64 N64 and USB Controller

In this video, we unbox and test the Retro-Bit's Tribute 64 controller.

In late 2018, retro-bit announced that they were releasing a new controller for the Nintendo 64. But this wasn't any controller, it was inspired by one of the most popular third-party controllers of all time. The Tribute 64, as it is known now, was influenced heavily by the Hori Pad 64, often sought out by collectors as something that was originally only available in Japan.

The Tribute 64 represents the new Platinum line from Retro-Bit. The Platinum line features higher-quality internals, more precision, and all-around better controllers. The Tribute 64 is available in two colors each, a solid red, and two Funtastic inspired colors. While this is definitely inspired by the Hori Pad, there are some clear changes throughout the to separate it.

Upon unboxing both versions, you can feel the quality in your hands. The molded composites feel great, the analog sticks are super precise, and all the buttons feel just right. Now I will say the A, B & C buttons all are slightly smaller than the Hori's, but they're still a very good size. The shoulder buttons are slightly lower profile than the Hori Pad's, they were also not labeled as far as L, R, or Z.

Having played around with a pre-production version at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, I knew how good these felt when playing, and I was very excited to play my own games with them. Everything seems very good and precise while playing, from Star Fox 64 which was the first thing I played with these, and while not shown, Super Mario 64, Kirby 64. Even games that required using the d-pad instead of the analog stick all felt great.

With the USB version, I hooked it up to my Switch and was able to play games right from the get-go. The start button becomes your home button, and some of the other buttons are remapped. When playing Cup Head I discovered just how much of the controller had been remapped versus a traditional N64 controller. A and B were not A and B. Thankfully, most games allow you to go through and remap the button so I was able to map the buttons to be what I wanted them to be

I did test the USB version out on Retro-Bits own Super Retrocade and, while it looked promising as I was navigating through the menus, the buttons did not respond. They also indicate that this should be compatible with the PlayStation 3, however, when trying to play Ducktales Remastered I could not start the game.

Why it RoX:
- Great price
- Slight size increase from the original Hori Pad makes it more comfortable
- Inspired by one of the most popular controllers of all time
- Quality materials used throughout
- The analog stick felt great
- The placement of the d-pad makes it easy to use to strafe in Goldeneye
- Compatible with all accessories that I tested
- 10 ft long controller cord

What could be improved?
- The shoulder buttons are a little bit too short for my liking
- Shoulder buttons not labeled
- More color options would be great
- Some players may not like how lightweight it feels

Should you buy one?
If you have been considering purchasing a Hori Pad & can't justify the cost, this is definitely a great alternative. I really liked how everything played, it really felt good. In an arena that is becoming more and more crowded, with the Brawler 64, the Admiral, and other Nintendo 64 controllers coming out, Retro-Bit did something interesting in finding inspiration from one of the most desired controllers for the platform. It is not a copy, but it definitely takes the right inspirations and builds upon them to make an amazing Nintendo 64 Controller here in 2019.

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

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