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News   WaveBird Impressions
- Posted By Eric Tajchman, 06.14.2002

Stepping away from the pile of crap that usually characterizes a wireless controller, the WaveBird controller from Nintendo is one of the best [wireless] controllers ever! You’ve heard the rumors and stories about how great the WaveBird is. Suffice it to say all of them are true. Yes, Nintendo made quite a doozy of a controller.

Quality:
First-party controllers are usually the cream of the crop when compared to third-party controllers. The WaveBird is made first-party by Nintendo. What this means is that it’s one of the most durable and nicely constructed controllers to grace the system. It’s just as durable and strong as the regular first-party controller, so expect this controller to last awhile.

Range:
I remember a time when X-Box fanboys made cracks about how their controller cord is 3 feet longer and can disconnect to avoid personal or system damage. They laughed and pointed and teased and made funny faces (everything you would expect from mature gamers, it seems) about it, and up until June 10, 2002, they had a reasonable right to do so. Now, it’s our turn to laugh.

It has an advertised distance of 20 feet, 10+ more feet than the X-Box controller. However, the WaveBird can go much, much farther. The farthest point in my house is about 50 feet away from my Cube, through 3 walls, and through a brick fireplace. There were no problems with reception, and there was no lag because of the distance. No more tripping over cards, dogs/cats chewing through cords, yanking cords toppling the GameCube and potentially causing damage . . .

. . . and all this for 5 dollars less than the normal X-Box controller. Oh, isn’t the irony intoxicating.

Rumble:
Yes, the only fault of this controller is the lack of rumble support. If Nintendo had included it, that would have drastically reduced battery life to a mere 2 to 5 hours. However, most won’t even notice the lack of rumble unless they make a conscious effort to notice it.

Battery Life:
The WaveBird runs on two AA batteries (which are included), and according to Nintendo, the batteries can last for up to 100 hours! It’s hard to tell if this is true as it mostly depends on factors such as room temperature, distance from the receiver, and time controller is left on. It’s logical to assume that if you maintain your controller properly, the average battery life could be from 75 to 100 hours of game time.

Overall:
No longer can a player be constrained with controller cables. The WaveBird a wireless improvement over the regular controller and nothing more. But the freedom and range you get with it is phenomenal. Though it may be a little pricey, $34.95, it is well worth every cent.