NYKO Miniboss AAA and SUPER Miniboss: A Super Short Review

When the NES and SNES Classics were released by Nintendo over the last year I made sure to aquire myself one of each. But as great as these devices are they came with a serious drawback. Namely the extremely short cable distance on the controllers. It's not that bad if you were sitting in front of a computer monitor playing these old school masterpieces but trying to play a game with a stock controller in front of today's massive TVs you're liable to end up straining both your neck and your eyes.

Fortunately there are a number of after market solutions for this problem. Enter the NYKO Miniboss AAA for the NES Classic and the Super Miniboss for the SNES Classic. Both of which are wireless.

The Miniboss AAA for the NES Classic claims on the back of the box that is has:

• Precise button mashing action with complete wireless freedom
• Play cord-free up to 30 feet away
• 2 offset ergonomic face buttons - Two is all you need!
• 4-way directional pad for perfect up, down, right and occasional left movement
• Powered by 3 AAA batteries (not included)
• 35 hours of playtime

While I can't vouch for the 35 hours of playtime but I can tell you the controller works great from at least 15 feet away. The controller feels good in your hands. It is a little thicker than the stock controller but it's still thinner than any controller for a current generation system so it's not too thick. The buttons are clicky. They'll make audible noise as you depress them. I didn't, however, have any issues with the buttons actually sticking. I was able to fly my way through Punch-Out before I ran into Bald Bull's charge and couldn't dodge in time. But that was my fault, not the Miniboss.

One of the best features of this controller isn't advertised on the box. It's the ability to hit the power button on the controller and access the main menu. This allows you to create and access save states as well as change which game you are playing without having to get up off your couch and actually press reset on the console.

The Super Miniboss for the SNES Classic boasts the following features on the back of its box:

• Precise button mashing action with complete wireless freedom
• Play cord-free without the hassle of wires or cables
• Ergonomic face buttons, triggers, and a true D-Pad
• Dedicated turbo button for super fast input
• Access the home menu wirelessly without needing to use the reset button on the console
• Built-in rechargeable battery - micro USB charging cable included

This controller also worked well at 15 feet. It does feel a little flimsier than it's 8 bit counterpart. It's nice that this controller does have an internal rechargeable battery and doesn't require you to dig up some AAAs from a junk drawer. While this controller also allows you to access the home screen without getting up it requires depressing two buttons instead of just one. I didn't care for the D pad or the buttons on this controller. When I would push down on the D pad I would end up moving to either the left or right also. I didn't have this issue with the Miniboss AAA. I also did not like the buttons with the concave faces. This created ridges around the edges of the button which become uncomfortable after extended periods of play.

If you are looking for a second controller for your NES Classic you can find the Miniboss AAA for under $7 on Amazon and at that price it's easy to recommend.

The Super Miniboss is not as nice as it's 8 bit partner and at full retail it's harder to recommend. However, if you just want a wireless controller for your SNES Classic it will get the job done.

Review copies of both controllers were provided by NYKO's PR staff.