PC Engine Mini Controller Review

Preface: So I accidentally bought four PC Engine Mini controllers when I really intended to buy ONE. Definitely willing to take the financial hit and not planning to return any of them. I attempted to perform an unboxing video but I did it in such a rush that I did not bother to use my higher quality microphone and did not bother getting notes down about things I wanted to talk about which ended up in me stumbling all over the video. Since I decided to scrap the entire video, I will just talk about the PC Engine Mini controller here.

The official Turbo Controller for PC Engine Mini was made by HORI as an add-on for the PC Engine Mini console and it's regional counterparts. On it's own, it will provide you with the turbo switch functions which do not come with the Japan region mini console as well as a very long USB cable. Otherwise, you will now be able to play two player games. So far, I really like the sturdy build and weight of the controller, none of it feels cheap at all.

Many of the included games for the PC Engine Mini consoles do not have a turbo function programmed into them. Anyone who bought a Japan region mini console will receive a controller with no turbo switches which leaves them at a potential disadvantage against players who have a controller with the turbo switches when playing for high scores. This is where the official Turbo Controller comes in providing players with the missing turbo switches from the Japan region mini console. Although there are wireless alternatives which also include the turbo function, this one also features a very long cable alleviating the need for batteries or having to sit very close to your setup.

Apart from providing the turbo function, you'll now be able to enjoy local multiplayer games like Cadash, Salamander, and Gradius. Some games like Dungeon Explorer and the Bomberman games will require up to four additional controllers; apart from the packed-in controller, and the official Turbo Tap add-on to make use of the two to five player modes. These are great for Retropie players who wanna enjoy games like Micro Mages, the earlier 2D Gauntlet games, and other great 2-button local multiplayer games.

I am very satisfied with the overall build quality of these controllers. None of the moving parts feel cheap and seem very durable. The turbo switches have enough resistance and are even spaced at a reachable distance so you will not be accidentally enabling or disabling the turbo functions. Sadly, I did experience a few unintentional inputs with the dpad. The buttons have reasonable spacing for playing with a single thumb which is very important in Contra/Megaman style games. There are currently no complaints about the functionality of the controller itself.

While I really do like this controller for what it brings to the table, It offers no real value over a fully featured controller. If you're not buying this to complete your PC Engine mini setup, then it's still a top quality novelty accessory to get. These will go perfectly with your Retropie and MiSTER setups if you only plan to play games that make use of two buttons at most. Keeping that in mind, Sega Genesis games would be totally playable if you stick to games that only use A, B, and C since you can map C to the Select button instead (due to the Genesis controller originally having just a Start button as well as many games using C for misc. functions). Can't think of any way HORI could improve on this controller but it would be a nice step-up if they ever release the six-button controller in the future. In conclusion, they are definitely going to be my dedicated Retropie controllers but I hope I find other uses for them on my PC games.