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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. But I had to know just how deep this homage to retro gaming’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 it’s modeled after, but the attention to detail doesn’t stop there. 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.
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The last time I held one was a couple of days ago, playing old games with my controllers so worn down that certain buttons don’t work right, that I cramp my hand slightly when making my character move left due to deteriorated responsiveness.
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It’s been roughly 25 years since the last time I can say with certainty that I’ve held a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System controller.