Original Listing: listing

This is a knockoff N64 joystick, of the kind I usually strongly recommend against. The advertising was very up-front about it being a 3rd-party replacement and claimed to be very faithful to the original, so I gave it a shot.

Construction

The first thing to notice about this controller is just how similar it looks to a real OG joystick. From a quick glance, it looks almost exactly like an original, and the slightly grainier/cheaper feeling plastic is only noticeable on close examination. Some exterior pictures:

topside
back
One way to tell the difference is to look at the outer edge of the top of the stick, this is smooth on an original, but rough on the replacement. Only on the inside are the differences obvious. Although the design uses a similar design with optical encoding disks, there are some slight differences in the internal parts, and the plastic is obviously different. Interestingly, there was a very small amount of lubricant already in the base of the bowl. Pictures: bowl
spring
board
pieces

Play Feel

When first opened, the stick had a slight bit of wobble, as shown in the gif below. Definitely more wobble than a 9/10 or 10/10 OG stick, but not enough to seriously degrade the feel. Unfortunately, the movement had a somewhat rough, stiff feel to it, that persisted even after the stick was lubed and used for a few hours. I’d compare the feel to that of an OG that was worn or somewhat dusty inside. The range measured in the mid-80s for each cardinal, acceptable for an OG but not stellar. Overall I’d rate it as equal to about a 6/10 OG. A strong player could still easily beat weaker players while using it, but it won’t necessarily be comfortable.

Stick wobble immediately after purchase: wobble

Verdict

This stick is a clear step-up from the other OG-style potentiometer-based knockoffs, but due to its quality issues I can’t really recommend it to serious competitive players. It’s definitely possible to play on it, though, and it’d be suitable for casuals, complete beginners, and those that don’t mind a rough-feeling stick.