The Ultimate OG Xbox Controller | Retro Fighters Hunter Review

In this episode, we unbox and test out what could be the ultimate controller for the Original Xbox, The Hunter wireless controller from Retro Fighters.

Almost a year ago, I had the chance to test out and provide feedback for a then-unannounced controller from Retro Fighters. Robert and company had produced controllers for Sega and Nintendo systems, even Playstation. But this was something totally different being a controller for the original Xbox. Named the Hunter, this introduces some amazing features for the system. Built-in rumble, wireless communication, and even Hall Effect sensors are all under the hood. The Hunter is also compatible, not only with the original Xbox, but also PC and the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED.

Out of the box, the Hunter includes 2 wireless dongles, one for the Xbox and one USB dongle. This is necessary due to the fact instead of using Bluetooth it uses 2.4GHz technology instead. One cool feature that Retro Fighters has added to the USB dongle for the Hunter is to actually label it as the dongle for the Hunter. This sounds dumb but as I have so many of these dongles this will make it easier for me to identify it down the road.

To charge the controller, Retro Fighters provides a USB-A to USB-C cable. Charging should take about 2 1/2 hours from completely dead and it should last about 10 hours per-charge. That's pretty impressive and I have to say that those are pretty accurate numbers.

To get things rolling, literally, I turned to a few suggestions from Jay from Square Pegs. First up was RallySport Challenge, a game Jay had recommended and I picked up a few months back. I've not had a chance to play it, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. As soon as I squeezed the trigger the rumble kicked in. Man, this was powerful! I was able to get the holeshot and ran in the top 2 for a bit, before I stoped overacheiving and ran out of luck. I quickly crashed as I overshot a corner, ran off track, and even accidently hit the reset button while looking for the camera button. However, this felt great! The steering, throttle, and brakes all felt smooth and precise.

Up next was Spider-Man for the Xbox, another game I have had for some time but not played before. The controls felt a bit wonky here, almost like a hybrid between regular and tank controls. Just playing the tutorial I can see potential, but not sure this is going to be that great of a game.

What is a great game, however, is Crimson Skies. I was blown away when I first played it and love getting behind the control stick anytime I can. The Hall Effect sensors really stood out here as the precise movements and inputs were represented perfectly on-screen. I was able to fly though tight areas that I could have been overwhelmed by, but instead navigated through perfectly. The rumble, again, was very good in this game as it was in the previous games.

Next up, I connected the USB dongle to my Nintendo Switch Dock, tapped the pairing button, and was up and playing in no-time. The first game I tested was the 30th Anniversary Super Street Figher. I started, as I always do, with the Analog stick as that's how I prefer to play Street Fighter. I was happy to discover that I was able to pull off all of the moves with Ryu with the analog stick. I normally struggle against T. Hawk, but I was able to battle him well and win the first round. The 2nd round I tried the D-Pad, which was good, but not as good for me as the Analog Stick. I did have some issues pulling off the dragon uppercut, where I had no such issues with the analog stick. To win the bout I switched back to the analog stick, and took the win.

The final test was playing Super Mario Wonder, and man, I love this game. The Hunter controller performed perfectly in this test, as was to be expected. Button presses felt great, as did the rumble yet again. Overall the Hunter performed ideally throughout all of my tests, and I couldn't have been much happier.

Why it RoX:
- 2 Different color options
- Hall Effect Sensor Analog Sticks
- PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Compatibility
- Amazing Rumble
- Great battery life
- Terrific ergonomics

What Could Be Improved:
- D-Pad isn't as good as the Analog Stick
- More color options
- LED lights would be nice

Should you buy one?
The Hunter is one of the finest controllers that Retro Fighters has ever produced. The overall build quality and quality is nothing short of excellent. As someone who does not care for the original Xbox controllers, the Hunter is something which will encourage me to play the Xbox even more, similar to the Striker DC and the Dreamcast. I am so glad to get my hands on the production version and cannot wait for more to be able to test it out for themselves.

#XBox #retrofighters #Hunter #Shorts #Microsoft #XboxLive