1 day Ago By Shaun Cichacki
In a world where retro games and consoles are coming back into style in a big way, having a company that is readily producing new controllers is awesome. Some third-party options are not so great, offering a subpar imitation of the original controllers that can’t match that first-party quality. Other controllers, like what Retro Fighters has to offer, give us premium build quality alongside more modernized designs.
The D6 Dreamcast may be their most “controversial” controller to date, however, with a very specific choice being the bane of its existence or the greatest thing to ever happen. Personally? I’m in the latter camp on this one.Screenshot: Shaun CichackiClicky Buttons Make My Brain Feel Good, and They’re Great on the D6 DreamcastShying away from the typical Dreamcast controller design is a choice that I’m glad Retro Fighters made here.
Sure, I love that chunky, clunky piece of equipment more than anything, but the sleek Genesis-inspired D6 is quite a looker. And since the Dreamcast didn’t have that second stick, it’s not missing here. It would have been great if this was just a touch bigger and included a thumbstick.
But for the games I’m likely going to be playing? It won’t be missed too much.Testing out games like the upcoming Genesis shmup ZPF, as well as some other retro titles, felt great here. That’s because every face button on the D6 Dreamcast has a microswitch, making them extremely clicky and satisfying to push.
But, on the more “controversial” side of things, the D-Pad also has these microswitches. To some players, like myself, this is a major plus. It makes playing games like ZPF an absolute joy.
If you plan on jumping into a 3D game with this, however, it may not be as much of a joy. But once again, that depends on whom you ask.Playing Crazy Taxi with the D6 Dreamcast felt perfectly fine, especially since I could swap between D-Pad mode and Left Stick mode with the flip of a switch.
But I can imagine trying to play something like Power Stone may be slightly cumbersome with a pad such as this. Things get slightly complex when it comes to this particular device. But, I also can think of many useful situations where this could come in handy.
Screenshot: Retro FightersIt’s Not Just For Dreamcast, You Know. You Can Use the D6 Dreamcast On PC And Switch, TooI never thought the day would come when Nintendo, of all companies, was supporting SEGA the way that they are. With Nintendo Online being a hotbed of excellent retro SEGA games, this could be the perfect controller for that purpose.
Beyond being useable on actual Dreamcast hardware, the D6 Dreamcast also gets support from PC and Nintendo Switch. The included dongle makes connecting extremely easy. Just plug it in and pair it up.
As long as you’ve got a Nintendo Switch Online membership or other ways to play SEGA games. You’ve found yourself the best retro controller this side of the originals.Build quality is important, especially with the way that old games can be taxing on your mind and body.
Thankfully, I don’t suffer from what I like to call “Gamer Rage”. But just by using the D6 Dreamcast, I would guess it could handle a toss or two after getting beaten in Shinobi. Since I’m a fan of the precise action that a microswitch can bring, playing games like Super Meat Boy on my PC was surprisingly nice.
Anything retro is a near-immediate victory for the D6. Fighting games, on the other hand, can be a little trickier to master due to the microswitches.Rolling and quarter circles were simple.
Anybody can throw a Hadouken at this point. But for me, as a Guile main, I found that it was quite nice for held actions. Something like a Flash Kick was done easily.
A Sonic Boom, on the other hand, was a little more sloppy. But after playing around with the D6 for enough time, I came to realize that I love this controller. Quite a lot.
Screenshot: Retro FightersOnce You Get Used to Microswitches, You Never Want To Go BackRegardless of whether my main muse was retro platformers or more modern fighting games, I found plenty of uses for the D6 Dreamcast. It works as a great fight pad, but it works best when it comes to playing some of the classics. Or games that have been greatly inspired by those retro runbacks.
The microswitches in the D-Pad may not be for everybody, but for someone like me? They work perfectly, giving me that blend of precise movement and satisfying game feel. I do hope that Retro Fighters does release a version of the D6 Dreamcast with the more familiar membrane underneath. It’s hard to hold something in your hand that feels like your childhood gamepad but has new-age technology under the surface.
But for myself, I realize that sometimes, we have to improve upon perfection. And the D6 Dreamcast is by far one of my favorite third-party controllers.Verdict: Strongly RecommendedThe Retro Fighters D6 Dreamcast will be available for purchase in April 2025.
A sample was provided for the sake of review. Tested on PC and Nintendo Switch. The post The Retro Fighters D6 Dreamcast Is an Excellent Addition to the Party, With a Highly Divisive D-Pad Choice (Review) appeared first on VICE.
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