There are many different controllers out there, and the team at Cubed3 tries to bring readers updates on some of the best options around. One of the most reliable companies, Turtle Beach, is now in control of PDP’s line-up, with the latest release being the Rematch duo of wireless Pro Controllers. These come in the form of special editions: Invincible Mario and Super Mario Star, both officially Nintendo-licensed. Cubed3’s Adam Riley recently got the chance to try out the glow-in-the-dark Super Mario Star version to see how it compares to other offerings, and also check if it works well enough with Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
The Rematch duo come just in time to ride the Switch 2 launch wave and are truly a sight to behold, one being adorned with the rainbow colour and sparkles of Mario grabbing a Super Star, and the other (featured in this article) focusing on said invincibility star itself, with a black shell, golden-yellow stripes and little stars all surrounding the classic Starman itself that features prominently in the centre of the front face.
Both of the Rematch controllers available are made with an emphasis to supercharge gaming sessions across the whole suite of Nintendo Switch systems, from the original to the Lite, the OLED, and, yes, even the latest Switch 2 hardware. They look and feel remarkably close to the official Pro Controller from Nintendo, and come in at £49.99, which is £10 cheaper than the official one on the My Nintendo Store. However, do not think this is a replacement for a Switch 2 Pro Controller, as there are differences in the functionality due to this being focused on the original system only.
It’s stressed on the manufacturer’s pages that whilst functioning with Nintendo Switch 2 (as shown in the comparison video against the Switch 2 Pro Controller above), there is no ‘C’ button available since the original Switch doesn’t have Game Chat, and this is primarily for the first console, not its successor. It should also be stressed that since this is licensed, and not an actual official pad from Nintendo, it doesn’t feature any form of rumble. This is seemingly something that other officially licensed controllers cannot include. Also noticeable is how this Super Mario Star device tested for this particular review has very useful remappable trigger buttons included on the back of the left and right protruding handles, yet they are not compatible as GL or GR buttons on Switch 2.
The official line from Turtle Beach is, “Nintendo added three buttons to the Switch 2 Pro controller, ‘C’, ‘GL’ and ‘GR’. Right now, the only products that have GL/GR are the Nintendo 1st party Pro Controller and the 1st Party Charging Grip. From the Switch 2 menu, one can see this screen explaining the GL/GR buttons are only on Nintendo accessories sold separately from the console. The back buttons of the Rematch Wireless are mappable to any button using the controller itself, not carried out via the console, and the GL/GR buttons are not on the controller. There is no way to programme the Rematch Wireless Switch back buttons to have the Switch 2 GL/GR commands and pass, for instance, the mini-games on Welcome Tour. As of right now, to pass the GL/GR-specific aspects of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, the user must purchase a 1st party Pro Controller or Charging Grip. There is also no rumble feature on the Rematch Wireless as this feature is only on the Nintendo 1st party controller. There are NO licensed wireless controllers for Switch 1 or Switch 2 that have rumble.”
Hopefully, this clears up matters so there’s no future confusion for anyone making a purchase to go alongside their shiny Nintendo Switch 2.
As an officially licensed Nintendo product, you can play confidently knowing that this has been put through rigorous quality and safety testing. It also has the added benefit of having a comfortable, ergonomic build to allow gamers to stay immersed for longer, with its shape fitting naturally in hands of all shapes and sizes. Its buttons are also very responsive and it comes with textured surfaces to provide a secure grip across every session. However, some of the buttons are a bit ‘clickier’ than expected over time, with even a slight squeak sound coming during testing after rigorous Street Fighter 6 sessions. The grip’s feel may divide some, as well, as whilst it’s secure grip-wise, the smoother feel of a regular Pro Controller feels refreshing when returning to it, so it will come down to personal preference here.
Additionally, there is some frustration in the placement of the plus/minus and the ‘Home’ and ‘Capture’ buttons, with them being in the opposite vertical positions to Nintendo’s version. This leads to a lot of confusion when switching between the Rematch and official Pro Controller, with a constant issue of accidentally hitting capture or returning to the home screen when merely wanting to pause or access an in-game menu. It’s questionable why this decision was made because it really may seem minor but turns out to be a point of frustration far too often, and can spoil the experience on the whole. Having to adapt when switching between controllers becomes increasingly tiring, and it really is an unfortunate design decision.
It’s not even like all of the buttons can be remapped, either, since it’s only the two extra back buttons that can be programmed. You could map the plus and minus inputs to those back buttons and learn to adapt that way, but that would be a rather wasteful use of them, since they’re more for quick trigger responses, such as racing games like Fast Fusion. On the matter of programming, it’s all done via a little function button that is snugly positioned to the bottom-left of the right-hand joystick – quite innocuous and nicely fitting with the overall pattern on the front face.
To re-programme the two (not GL/GR) back ‘Quick Action’ controls, it’s a case of holding down ‘function’ and pressing the back selection of choice until the front flashes and then hitting the button you’d like to map there, upon which the LED flickers three times to indicate it’s been a success. To clear, or disable the back buttons completely if preferred, hold the function button and then double press any back button! It’s quite a simple process, but again, it would be ideal if a future update allowed them to work properly with Switch 2 so this could be done from the Home menu shortcut. For now, sticking with the Quick Action triggers being A/B or L/R (or whatever you prefer) is fine enough and doesn’t take long to sort out on the device itself.
The function button also has another… ‘function’… in that its featured LED blinks red every 30 seconds when the battery is running low. When plugged in (to the Switch dock, for instance via the included USB-C to USB-A cable), it pulses red until fully charged and then turns white, and once fully charged it goes for a long time indeed. Get ready for wireless freedom with a low latency wireless connection of up to 30-foot in range, all for around 40 hours of playtime on a single charge from the built-in rechargeable battery, which is perfect for those long gaming sessions on the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Mario Kart World.
Now, there is also something special about the Super Mario Star Rematch in that owners can, ‘Harness the power of the Super Mario Star with this one-of-a-kind design. Enjoy a blast of nostalgia and power-up magic with the Rematch Wireless Controller, featuring a Super Mario design that glows in the dark after exposure to light. Its captivating glow adds a stylish, fun touch to your gaming setup, enhancing the vibe when playing in darker rooms.’ That all sounds great, but there has so far been no brightening up of any dark gaming rooms in Cubed3 Towers. Perhaps the weather hasn’t been sunny enough here up North to give the controller sufficient exposure to UV light, but the glow-in-the-dark design has sadly not shone brightly as yet. Here’s hoping the sun gets its hat on, hip, hip, hip hooray, and the controller starts glowing.
Finally, motion cannot be forgotten. Whilst the lack of rumble is disappointing, that hasn’t stopped gyroscopes from being squeezed in to play with natural precision for immersive gameplay that lets you interact with games using natural, responsive movements. Whether its drifting in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, moving the camera around in Super Mario Odyssey, or preparing to swing through vines in the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza, every action feels more intuitive and engaging with motion-enabled gameplay.
