It feels like I’ve made this Peripheral Vision article before, but I can’t find it on the site. I swear I did because for the longest time this controller was my go-to SNES controller. I have some weird idea in my brain that if I use cheap third-party controllers and put the wear and tear on them, that saves my real controllers. I guess this explains a lot of why I prefer cheap third-party controllers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Super Famicom controller, but I don’t want to break it, even though I’m pretty sure it probably would still hold up much longer than the controllers I do use.

Wow that inlay around the buttons needs retrobrite.

The Interact Superpad for the SNES really was my favorite SNES controller for quite a long time. It’s such a good controller, plus it gave me the joy of owning a Super Nintendo controller with colored buttons that weren’t just bland lavender and purple. Somewhere along the way my Superpad had a run in with a child with a flat screwdriver, which seems to be a theme for things I pick up from thrift stores. After bringing it home, washing all the dead skin and soda out from all the cracks and cleaning the carbon pads this controller was ready for all that I could throw at it, and it responded really well.

I say really well because with almost every third-party SNES controller I’ve used there is something weird with the D-pad. Pressing down or up is almost always up and left or right, etc. and this controller was no exception. I made sure it wasn’t the carbon pads, it’s just the way the plastic D-pad was molded that gives it a chance of moving in a diagonal rather than strictly up or down. Even so, with a little bit of practice I was able to learn the right pressure to give and for the most part I could avoid the controller having issues. The Superpad, though, was the least offensive when it came to this issue, I’ve had other controllers that are far worse.

One of my favorite features of this controller is the convexed back that helps with grip. The weird design choice to not texture the plastic, but rather give it a big booty kind of baffles me, but it does feel great in the hands. Take that the way you will, I said what I said.

Look at the backside!

As previously stated this controller really was my go-to controller when I wanted to play SNES. I didn’t replace it because it became any less important to me, no. In fact I decided to go with some super cheap FC Twin controllers because the Superpad had become so important to me. I figured I would rather the wear and tear break down these cheap FC Twin controllers than a controller I really enjoy using. From time to time I’ll break out the old Interact Superpad and play a round of Tetris Attack or something simple, just to remember the good old days. It’s still a solid controller and I still enjoy using it. It’s just a simple, no frills, big booty SNES controller that does what it’s asked to do and does it very well.