This Nintendo Switch controller reminds me of the Gamecube’s iconic wireless pad

There’s a new Nintendo Switch controller on the block, and it has a strong similarity to one of the best gamepads in Nintendo’s legacy.

The NYXI Wizard is a new, wireless Nintendo Switch controller that replicates the oddball layout of the Nintendo Gamecube’s pad, complete with that large green A button and those slightly off-kilter X and Y buttons. But there’s a healthy number of extras here that put the Wizard firmly in ‘Pro’ controller territory.

The NYXI Wizard is currently available to buy from the brand’s website (opens in new tab) for $69 (around £57 / AU$99). Only the US price is listed, but NYXI is able to ship internationally if you’re buying outside the US.

So it looks like a Gamecube pad, but that doesn’t seem to be all the NYXI Wizard has going for it. Users can customize the controller to a high degree, including swapping out the thumbsticks and using a button mapping profile function.

The pad also features two turbo function buttons for rapid inputs, two rear buttons for mapping secondary inputs, very short trigger locks not dissimilar to the Nintendo Switch Pro controller and a pleasing light-up effect on the face buttons.

Smash or pass?

With the Wizard, NYXI primarily markets its controller at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players. Its website even quite proudly notes that the Wizard is the best controller for Nintendo and Sora Ltd.’s legendary crossover brawler.

It’s a bold claim, but there could be some truth in it. The Nintendo Gamecube controller has long been a stalwart in the upper echelons of the Super Smash Bros. community, with thousands of players opting for the pad over others. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s launch even brought a special edition Gamecube controller, so players who preferred it weren’t left in the cold.

But the NYXI Wizard looks to have gone one step further. It doesn’t look like just any old Gamecube pad. Rather, it’s very clearly emulating the look and feel of the Wavebird, an iconic wireless Gamecube controller that, back in the day, was highly sought after. The Wavebird can command ridiculous prices on auction sites these days, as you’d expect, so options like the NYXI Wizard are a relief to those of us looking for an adjacent experience.

It’s a pad we’ll be keeping an eye on, too, as if it’s good enough, it could end up on our list of the best Nintendo Switch controllers you can buy this year.