Review cover PowerA Wireless Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Controller (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

PowerA continues to provide adorably themed accessories, with their latest line of Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch controllers. They certainly look nice, but how do they compare to other third-party gamepads?

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Third-party controllers have come a long way, since their days of being viewed as the cheap imitation product that you palm off to your younger sibling or unfortunate friend. Nowadays, you've got gamepad manufacturers putting out controllers that can keep up or even compare to the quality offered by first-party companies. Does that hold true for today's subject? Coming in at just $10 below the MSRP of the official Switch Pro Controller, PowerA's variant has a downright adorable Animal Crossing theme, from the coloration of the shell and buttons, to the cutesy character decal featured on the right-hand side of the controller. We'll be checking out if this gamepad is just style, or actually has substance, too. 

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So, the primary reason that you'd be getting one of these controllers is because of the theme. Whether it's The Legend of Zelda, Mario, or in this case, Animal Crossing, PowerA always knocks it out of the park when it comes to stylish designs for their controllers. That's probably one of the reasons that they can get away with a price point so close to Nintendo's official controller. And for a dedicated fan or for a younger child, it's totally worth it; the green color scheme with the Animal Crossing furniture leaves dotting the controller, or the more pastel shades of the seafoam and brown controller both look fantastic. If you're looking for a gift for your local Animal Crossing fanatic who's just getting a Switch, that's all you need to know--this is an adorable controller that will pair perfectly with their console. However, that's not all there is to a controller, so what about those who are picky about their gamepad specifics, or are wary of third-party offerings? 

Where the Pro Controller has a USB-C charging port, the PowerA controller eschews that, and instead uses tried-and-true AA batteries as its power source. I appreciate being able to rely on desperately stealing some batteries out of the TV remote for my gaming needs as if it was 2002 again, but honestly, I'd much rather have a built-in rechargeable battery. It all comes down to user preference as to whether reliance on two little AA's is your cup of tea, or you enjoy just plugging the controller in at night. Regardless, you'll be able to get around 30 hours of game time before you'll need to replace the batteries. I managed to get just over 30 hours in my own use, burning the provided batteries out thanks to my Fire Emblem: Three Houses addiction. 

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Upon first using the controller, I was pretty dubious as to the build quality. After spending months with the Pro Controller and being used to its satisfying weightiness, PowerA's gamepad was deceptively light, and almost felt a little hollow. At first, I was afraid it was because it was made cheaply, which luckily didn't turn out to be the case. After using it for a while, the weight was no longer as jarring, and I got used to it. Part of the reason for the controller's feather-light weight is because there's no NFC or rumble built-in. I can't say that I miss either feature when using the PowerA controller, as I hardly make use of amiibo functions nor games that predominantly use rumble as a mechanic. That doesn't excuse the exclusion, however, as it cheapens the controller by not having the most basic of rumble abilities. 

The controller has a bit of a rattle as well, which got a little grating every time I picked it up and heard plastic clacking together. Initially, I was confused as to what exactly was rattling so terribly, to which I found the answer: the shoulder buttons. They're just the slightest bit loose--not enough so to interfere with playing, but just enough to be loud and a little distracting. It's a minor grievance, but an issue nonetheless.

What I did like about the gamepad were the analog sticks. They're just a hair taller than the Switch Pro Controller's, and they spring back to the center faster. The thinner d-pad was also decent--not perfect by any means, but preferable to the one on the Pro Controller. It's ever-so-slightly less mushy, and offers a tad more feedback. Everything else is as to be expected from a standard controller: clicky face buttons, springy triggers, and loud yet tactile shoulder buttons. All in all, it hits all the right notes of comfort, looks, and feel. 

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A trend that has become rather popular amongst controllers these days are paddles or extra programmable buttons on the back. Certain games have control schemes that require you to keep your hands on the face buttons and both the left and right analog sticks. That can be a hard task, considering most people don't have three arms, so the addition of two buttons along the grips can be quite useful. Most Nintendo games are designed to make the most of a standard controller layout, but for games like Overwatch, Fortnite, or Assassin's Creed IV, they came in pretty handy. Even if you can't think of any Switch games that would benefit from programmable buttons, you can still use the controller on your PC. Steam instantly recognizes the controller as if it were an official Pro Controller, making it easy to connect and play. 

At a price point of $50, you're paying slightly less for a gamepad that's good, but not quite on the same level as the Switch Pro Controller. But that's fine. Overall, PowerA's Enhanced Wireless Controller lineup offer an alternative to first-party hardware, but with the added bonus of having your favorite franchise adorning the controller. If you need a second controller for friends, or a little something extra for hardcore fans in your life, then you really can't go wrong with one of these. 

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Adorable design
  • Buttons are all clicky and responsive
  • The back buttons are useful
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Lacks Pro Controller features, yet retails for a similar price (rumble, NFC)
  • Shoulder buttons have an annoying rattle
8
out of 10

Overall

If you're looking for a controller that has a wonderful design that kids and fans can enjoy, PowerA has a fantastic alternative to the official Pro Controller. While it may be a third-party gamepad, it's just as comfortable and reliable as any other first-party controller.
You forgot to mention this is pretty much the same as their other Enhanced Wireless Controller controllers but with different themes.
 
I figured at that price point, it has to have NFC and at least basic rumble, but nope. It's a ripoff at that price when it doesn't even have the same feature set.
Maybe Nintendo aren't allowing 3rd parties to make NFC enabled controllers, due to the encryption involved? It would explain a lot, since I don't think I've seen a single 3rd party controller with NFC.
 
I figured at that price point, it has to have NFC and at least basic rumble, but nope. It's a ripoff at that price when it doesn't even have the same feature set.
Maybe Nintendo aren't allowing 3rd parties to make NFC enabled controllers, due to the encryption involved? It would explain a lot, since I don't think I've seen a single 3rd party controller with NFC.
Here's one
 
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I had one of these controllers and All I can say is, it's extremely useful for both PC and Switch....I wish it would be useful too for Android. But welp, that's where I gotta go 8bitdo then.
 
Depending on the color scheme/theme this can be found for $35-45 and for $40ish is a must buy.
 
Weird it doesn't have NFC, as animal crossing has some strong support for it. But not unexpected. If they had any Isabelle controllers, I'd buy them in a second. Guess I'll wait for the 3rd party shells and fancy up a pro controller.
 
I don't know if it is similar enough to the wired variant, but if you open up the wired PowerA controller with a screwdriver and look inside the handles, you can remove two metallic weights to lighten the controller significantly, one on each side. The removed weights are pretty good for literal paperweights and to very slightly prop up a tablet or phone by around 20-30 degrees.
 
I don't know if it is similar enough to the wired variant, but if you open up the wired PowerA controller with a screwdriver and look inside the handles, you can remove two metallic weights to lighten the controller significantly, one on each side. The removed weights are pretty good for literal paperweights and to very slightly prop up a tablet or phone by around 20-30 degrees.
The wireless one has the space for the metal weights but they are empty oddly enough.
 
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It looks nice, but i don't want it becouse i have to buy batteries, I have ordered the special edition Animal Crossing Switch and it would be nice to have a matching controller, but why did they make it run on batteries ???
 
In this day and age, I would not have expected this controller to run on AA batteries, especially when even the cheap knockoff controllers use rechargable batteries themselves. Seems like a massive downgrade. I guess you could buy rechargable AA batteries, but that still requires removing and reinserting batteries often enough to interrupt gameplay.
 
In this day and age, I would not have expected this controller to run on AA batteries, especially when even the cheap knockoff controllers use rechargeable batteries themselves. Seems like a massive downgrade. I guess you could buy rechargeable AA batteries, but that still requires removing and reinserting batteries often enough to interrupt game-play.
While I get what you're saying, when you run out of batteries in a Pro/PS4 controller it interrupts your game play and you have to plug it in (in my case look for a cable because I don't like to keep the cable plugged in the console). The best method is the 8bitdo one with the SN30 + Pro that has a AA battery compartment but comes with a rechargeable battery pack too.

I have a BUNCH of AA batteries (amazon pack) because I still have my Wii hooked as it has Gamecube/Wii/Emulators all in one so I have to buy them anyway.
 
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