The controllers featured in today's review
were provided courtesy of Retro-Bit.
The Sega Saturn is a console that many overlook
these days in the world of retro gaming.
Having lost to both the Sony PlayStation and
Nintendo 64 in sales and game releases, only
the fans know exactly what non-Saturn players
have missed out on!
Having only joined the Sega Saturn fan club
back in 2016, there were a lot of things I
really never knew about the console; for example,
it has built-in memory!
The downside to finally jumping into the Saturn
world is the cost of getting games and replacement
parts.
Getting a decent 1st-party Saturn controller
really isn’t hard to do, but it can be slightly
cost prohibitive depending on the model.
But now thanks to a new collaboration announced
back in 2018 between Sega and Retro-Bit, getting
a new Saturn controller is no longer a financial
risk!
Better yet, it boasts the same quality as
those from Sega themselves.
The boxes Retro-Bit made to house their new
Saturn Controllers are an amazing approximation
to the original boxes from Sega!
The Saturn controller takes center stage and
exhibits a nice shine from its glossy finish.
To the left of the controller, we see the
original Sega Saturn logo in all its 90’s
glory!
The logo also has a glossy finish which really
lets it shine out from the striped white/off-white
alternating background.
This design is also matched by Sega Saturn
games, so it looks really good on display
here!
Underneath the controller we can see which
color edition our controller is; I opted for
the Slate Grey scheme which is modeled after
the Japanese exclusive Cool Pad from 1997.
Below this, we also see that the controller
is for use with the Sega Saturn console.
If you are picking up the USB variant, here
is where you will see that it is compatible
with PC, Mac and Steam.
At the top right of the box, there is a brightly
foiled patch that simply says “Controller”
or “Controller with USB” for USB versions.
Moving down to the bottom right of the box
we can see the official Sega seal of quality,
which will surely delight any Sega fan.
Just below the seal we see the Retro-Bit logo,
the only indication on the box that these
controllers are indeed a third-party product
and not Sega declaring the Sega Saturn is
back from the dead.
Moving on to the sides of the box, we can
observe the Sega Saturn Logo taking center
stage.
In the right-hand corners, we once again see
the foiled patch that we saw on the front
of the box that states “Controller.”
The top of the box shares this same design
with Saturn logo and foil patch present.
But, the top of the box also features a shelf
hook that keeps the same white/off white alternating
pattern present on the whole product.
Along the bottom, we are greeted only with
the alternating pattern.
Shifting our attention to the back, we once
again see the Sega Saturn logo and foiled
“Controller” patch.
Just below this, we are greeted with an introduction
to the controller and one of the upgrades
it has received over the originals.
Next, we can see the bullet points that outline
this controller is officially licensed by
Sega and boasts “Original Grade Quality”,
a claim I will be testing extensively!
The next bullet point once again points out
the compatibility of whichever model controller
you decided to pick up, original port or USB.
One interesting thing to note on the USB controllers
compatibility section, the French language
section includes an entry about the Retro-Bit
Super Retro-Cade console, not found in the
other languages.
The final bullet point also states that yes,
indeed, these controllers have a 10-foot long
cord instead of the 6-foot cord found on original
Saturn controllers.
The last things of note on the back are a
couple of close-up shots of the controllers
left shoulder button and face buttons, the
UPC and the Sega and Retro-Bit logos.
Upon opening the controller for the first
time we are greeted with the plastic housing
which keeps the controller in place during
transport.
This plastic also has an indentation which
allows the cord to be safely routed to the
underside of the plastic housing without any
severe bends or pinches.
Aside from the controller and housing, no
other items are included, such as a users
manual or warranty card.
The Slate Grey Retro-Bit Saturn controller
is a perfect recreation of the classic Japanese
Cool Pad!
Every aesthetic touch is perfectly in place
with pink shoulder and Start buttons, dark
grey D-Pad, light grey X/Y/Z buttons and green/yellow/blue
A/B/C buttons respectively.
The light grey controller cord found uniquely
on lighter color controllers is also in use
here with a lighter grey connector.
The transparent smokey grey of the controller
is also very authentic!
The plastic in use along the sides, top and
back of the controller features a rougher
texture than the smooth center where the buttons
are located.
Smack dab in the middle of the controller
we can see the Sega logo (or if you picked
up one of the Black controllers, the Saturn
logo), taking up residence in a nice indented
section of plastic!
The Sega logo can also be found on the connector
of original console model controllers.
Sorry USB owners, you only get the USB logo.
Another little attention to detail I am glad
Retro-Bit kept intact on these new Sega Saturn
controllers is the inclusion of all the original
media player labels found on the originals!
Interestingly enough, these media labels were
only ever found on model 2 controllers.
If not for the Retro-Bit logo on the back
and the RETRO BIT marker on the circuit board,
these controllers would be indistinguishable
from the originals!
As far as build quality is concerned, Retro-Bit
has crafted one heck of a beast.
I subjected the new Saturn controllers to
an unhealthy amount of punishment to really
test the claim of “Original Grade Quality.”
Swing the controllers around by the cords,
check.
Smash them into the floor, check.
Throw them into the wall, check.
Rage monster mash on em, check.
Jump on them, check!
Each test resulted in a perfectly functional
controller that was just ready to move on
to the next gaming session!
Now that we know the controller is up to the
task of gaming, not only in its aesthetics
but also build quality, let’s take a look
at what it's like to play games with the new
Retro-Bit Saturn controller!
If I could sum up the experience in a single
word it would be superb.
Playing Mega Man X4 felt absolutely perfect.
Every dash, shot and jump occurred right when
I wanted them to.
I never once felt that buttons would miss
an input and better yet each one required
the perfect amount of pressure to trigger
for my tastes!
Unlike my model 1 controller, it even felt
good to have my dash button properly mapped
to the shoulder button for easy use.
Playing Virtua Fighter 2 was also quite a
treat with a very accurate and responsive
D-Pad.
I mean I am bad at the game but at least it
has nothing to do with the controller!
To further test the D-Pad I decided to pit
it against one of my favorite games of all
time: Command and Conquer.
Sure enough, selecting units and managing
the battlefield proved to be little trouble.
The D-Pad was also perfect for enjoying a
shooter like Panzer Dragoon II!
For testing the USB version of the Saturn
controller, I decided to first try it out
on emulated versions of each of the prior
test games to see if there were any notable
differences.
Thankfully everything worked out just as on
the real hardware!
The USB version of Retro-Bit’s Saturn controller
supports both the Xinput and Direct Input
standards which gives it a ton of flexibility
when it comes to PC gaming and emulation.
I was able to use the controller with ease
on a variety of different emulated platforms
like 3DO and Sega Genesis.
I even used it to play more Mega Man games
through the GameCube emulator Dolphin.
Using the controller on Steam, I did run into
an interesting snafu.
In the Direct Input mode, I wasn’t receiving
input from the shoulder buttons.
A quick visit to the controller settings in
Steam was able to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately, this remapping also caused
the D-Pad to spaz out in Dead or Alive 6 for
some reason.
Holding down the Start button to switch the
controller into Xinput mode solved the issue
for that night.
I have tried to replicate the issue I had
that night multiple times since it occurred,
without success, so I am going to put no fault
into the controller but on my computer or
Steam.
By the way, did I mention how great it is
to play fighting games with a 6 face button
controller?!
Dead or Alive 6 played like an absolute dream.
Pulling off combos in training and during
actual fights was registered perfectly.
I was even stuck on a few challenges when
using my other PC controllers.
Seriously I don’t think I will ever play
a fighting game on another pad again.
I also found the controller ideal for many
side-scrollers and, for some random reason,
Devil May Cry 4.
Not content to call it there for testing,
I decided to try one more experiment, using
the controller on an Xbox One through the
use of the Xbox App on Windows 10.
Sure enough, it was detected perfectly fine
in Xinput mode and just like that I was playing
more Mega Man on my Xbox One using a Saturn
controller!
I also decided to check out the compatibility
with the Super Retro-Cade that was listed
under the French section of the box.
It worked fine but I did usually end up changing
the default control bindings to better suit
my preferences.
I also decided to try the controller out on
PS4 and Switch just to see what would happen,
but unfortunately, neither system worked with
it.
Although if you are determined to use your
new USB Saturn controller on as many consoles
as possible, it does work on PS3, where I
used it to play some Tekken 2 and, you guessed
it: Mega Man X4!
As far as any complaints and gripes with the
new Retro-Bit Saturn controllers go, I have
none.
I had the one odd issue that never showed
up again and that was it, so I’d say it
was a one-off fluke more than anything.
I also hope that Retro-Bit might potentially
release more color variants of the controller
as time goes on.
Retro-Bit has constructed a glorious recreation
of the model 2 Saturn controllers and I honestly
couldn’t be happier to play games with it!
Games felt better to play with it than on
my model 1 controller, and the 10-foot cord
also meant I could use the controller anywhere
in my gaming setup.
The quality between the original model and
USB version was also identical, making the
Retro-Bit Saturn controller one of the best
options for PC fighting game fans who like
6 button controller layouts.
Best yet, these controllers are available
at a reasonable price and are brand new, unlike
genuine Sega model 2 controllers.
They are also built like a tank, so you know
your investment is secure.
If you are in the market for new Saturn controllers
or just a great controller for PC fighting
games, look no further than the Retro-Bit
Saturn Controller!
Grab some today!
