The current link to order one is here . I'll just say here and now, if you own an Odyssey 2 you should get one or two of these as soon as you can. My celebration of forty years of gaming on the console would not have been possible without it. It is also great to review new hardware for the Odyssey 2 again, as the last new hardware I got for it was The Voice module 39 years ago.
It is worth noting here that there are two models of the Odyssey 2, and only one of those has joystick ports. The other version has the joysticks hard-wired to the console and this controller will not work on the system that has no controller ports.
It is solidly built with quality parts and feels as good as an NES controller did in my hands. The plug is solid and sturdy, and the cord is very long, allowing one to play a good distance away from the console. In addition to the awesome Odyssey 2 logo emblazoned in the center of the controller face, other images include K.C. Munchkin, Spyrus the Deathless, and the dreaded Dratapillar. It looks sleek and is finished with such quality that I am not too worried about the images coming off anytime soon.
The play's the thing, though, so I started out with Speedway for a test, and it handled like a dream. The controls were refreshingly responsive as I moved on to Alien Invaders-Plus and got the same results. Next up was a maze chase game, K.C.'s Krazy Chase, to test tight responsiveness and quick turns. I was able to make short work of the Dratapillar and Drats.
Next was Killer Bees, a game comparable to Robotron in frantic gameplay, and using the Retrogameboyz gamepad I lost myself in that one for more than a test session. With a good controller I was reminded why Killer Bees was not just one of the best for the Odyssey, but one of the best of that generation.
The final test was one I was not hopeful for - U.F.O. In the late 2000s there was a PC game called Crysis that according to legend was so demanding of PCs at the time that the test of any performance for those machines was "Can it Run Crysis?".
And so it shall be for aftermarket Odyssey 2 controllers - Can it Run U.F.O.? Of course, the console itself runs the game, but can the controller be used to play U.F.O. smoothly? Your ship in the game is surrounded by a shield of dots that can take a hit but then needs a few seconds to regenerate. One of those dots in your shield is your cannon, though, and it only rotates clockwise around your ship for aiming.
This forces the player to fly around in clockwise arcs to rotate the gun around to the next target, all the while avoiding asteroids and enemy fire. To say it takes some getting used to is an understatement, but once the player gets the feel for it, they realize that this amazing use of the Odyssey 2's limited controller options really works, and it works well.
The original Odyssey 2 controllers had a joystick and a ball base that made for easy clockwise rotation to pull off U.F.O.'s control scheme. I am happy to report that the Retrogameboyz Odyssey 2 Gamepad pulls this off just as well, if not better than the original stick. Like Killer Bees, U.F.O. is one of those Odyssey 2 games that one can just blast the hours away unknowingly.
I have already ordered my second controller from Retrogameboyz and can only hope that I can send some more business their way with my recommendation here. Having a new controller has really brought life into my old Odyssey 2 again, and I can only marvel at how timeless the gameplay is on some of these now-ancient videogame cartridges.
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