When Nintendo’s GameCube console was released in 2001, it immediately stood out thanks to its cube-like design, indigo colorway and lunchbox-like handle. The controller was also unique, with a layout that GameCube-first games could take full advantage of – and caused some headaches for ported multi-platform games even today. Enter Retro Fighters and the wireless BattlerGC Pro, a $65 gamepad that stays true to that iconic controller layout, while providing a more modern and familiar foundation.
This just might be the best way to play a variety of GameCube games on your Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, GameCube, Wii, or PC. And thanks to some of its improvements, it might even be a go-to for some non-GameCube games as well.
Retro Fighters BattlerGC Pro – Options and Design
The RetroFighters BattlerGC Pro is available in Purple (Indigo) and Black (Jet Black) colorways to match two of the original GameCube console variations, as well as Glacier, which is like a transparent Purple. In the box is the controller, GameCube controller port wireless dongle, USB-A wireless dongle, 5.8-foot USB-C to USB-A charging and data cable, a Retro Fighters BattlerGC Pro pin, and a Quick Start Instruction Manual. The wireless dongles match the controller.
The BattlerGC Pro is compatible out of the box with Nintendo GameCube (including Nintendo Game Boy Player), Switch, Switch 2, and Windows and Mac computer platforms, as well as Android and iOS devices if you use Bluetooth. Wii console owners need a model with GameCube controller ports, while Wii U owners need the Nintendo Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter (a popular option for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U), or an equivalent.
There are three connectivity options: wireless dongle, Bluetooth, or USB wired. Both the GameCube and USB-A wireless dongles use 2.4GHz, with the latter working on Switch series consoles and PC, as do the Bluetooth and USB wired connections.
As expected, the BattlerGC Pro mimics the unique layout of the GameCube’s left analog stick, d-pad, c-stick (right analog stick), large green A button, smaller red B button, and curved medium-sized grey Y and X buttons that flank the opposite side of the B button. The GameCube controller also has a Z button on the upper right of the controller, which the Battler GC Pro marks as an R Shoulder button, as well as L and R triggers, which are now ZL and ZR.
Unique to the BattlerGC Pro is an left shoulder button above ZL, and programmable P1 and P2 buttons on the rear of the handles. Instead of the GameCube controller’s single center start/pause button, the BattlerGC Pro has a home/pairing button that’s flanked by a minus button on the left and a plus button on the right. Both the plus and left shoulder buttons on the BattlerGC Pro act the same as the start/pause button when functioning as a GameCube controller.
At the top of the BattlerGC Pro, between the L and R buttons, is a Nintendo Switch-compatible screenshot button and the USB-C port. On the rear, between the P1 and P2 buttons, is a Bluetooth/2.4Ghz switch and reset/turn off button. The reset/turn off button needs to be pressed each time before you change wireless connection modes with the Bluetooth/2.4 GHz switch.
Four vertical LEDs between the d-pad and c-stick indicate whether the controller is player one through four, or if it’s in Xinput, Dinput, or GameCube modes, as well as Android, iOS, or Windows and Mac Bluetooth modes. When charging the controller, these lights also indicate charge status.
Retro Fighters BattlerGC Pro – Configuration and Performance
Although the controller is compatible with a range of platforms, the only way to update the firmware (using Retro Fighters’ firmware update instructions) is using a Windows PC over USB. Unfortunately, there’s no way to check what firmware version your controller is on, so you just need to trust that the executable will do its job, as it provides only a simple confirmation pop-up at completion. I had no issues applying the update from my Windows 11 desktop, but I’d prefer a more descriptive process, as well as more ways to update, particularly given Switch 2 connectivity is gated behind a recent firmware update.
As of firmware V1.4, there’s still no way to connect to Nintendo Switch 2 consoles outside of Bluetooth. USB-A wireless dongle and USB wired modes are promised for the future, but it’s a bummer that the one modern platform officially authorized to play GameCube games is limited to Bluetooth.
Outside of the limitations previously indicated, I had no issues with using the BattlerGC Pro on a GameCube, Wii, Android tablet, or my PC. Since I don’t personally have Nintendo’s famous Wavebird Wireless Controller for my GameCube, this is easily my preferred way to play on that console, particularly since those classic controllers lack a rumble feature. I have always liked, and continue to like, the original GameCube wired controllers, but there’s something special about sitting back wire-free from a console that I’ve become spoiled by.
With all of that said, I suspect most purchasers of this controller, like me, will mostly want to use it with the Nintendo Switch 2. At the moment, there are only a handful of suitable games available as part of Nintendo Switch Online: Chibi-Robo!, F-Zero GX, Luigi’s Mansion, Soul Calibur II, Super Mario Strikers, and The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker.
Each of the games played great with the controller, with a few notable exceptions. Because analog triggers aren’t supported over Bluetooth, Luigi’s Mansion (with its analog suction power) and F-Zero GX (with its analog sharp turns) suffered. While fewer than two dozen GameCube games actually make use of analog triggers, there are some notable standouts, making a future firmware update all but essential. Right now, for full functionality on the Switch 2, the only alternative is to use something like the aforementioned Wii U GameCube Controller Adapter and the GameCube controller port wireless dongle, which also smooths out any compatibility quirks when using certain GameCube emulators on PC.
When it does work properly on the Switch 2, however, the BattlerGC Pro is a delight. In a game like The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, for instance, it’s particularly handy that the controller legend in the upper right corner of the screen, from labels to colors, actually matches the controller held in my hand.
Speaking of in-hand feel, Retro Fighters got it right. The grips mold perfectly to my palms and fingers, with my middle fingers perfectly positioned to use the programmable P1 and P2 buttons. Trigger placement and performance are also excellent thanks to Kailh switches, with a nice click when bottomed out.
Love it or hate it, the left analog stick is very similar to the GameCube controller’s small left analog stick. It’s slightly rubberized with an octagonal gate that has a weird feel if you’re not accustomed to it. Thanks to magnetic Hall Effect sensors, travel is smooth, and it shouldn’t experience stick drift. The tiny c-stick is similarly authentic, for better or worse, and another limiting factor for wider play, particularly with games that make heavy use of a right analog stick.
Outside of the shell and extra features, the biggest differentiator between the BattlerGC Pro and an original GameCube controller is the d-pad. The tiny plus-style d-ad on the GameCube controller had few fans, but I suspect the d-pad on the BattlerGC Pro will become a community favorite. I love its large size, precision, and feel, with a satisfying click at each position. Particularly for retro-style games, this d-pad is a winner and really adds to the value of the controller.
Battery life is unspectacular. You get around 10 hours or so from a 2.5-hour charge. As always, battery life varies depending upon usage and how often and how intensely rumble is used and set.
Bill Loguidice is a contributing freelancer for IGN specializing in video game and computer hardware and accessories. He has several decades of experience and has written for a wide variety of publications. Bill has authored a dozen mass market books and was a writer and producer on a major feature film documentary on the history of video games.
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