Finally play StarFox64 the way Nintendo intended | Image: Nintendo

Call it a Cyber Monday miracle if you will, but the official N64 controller for the Nintendo Switch has just been restocked at the Nintendo eShop. This $49.99 controller allows you to experience N64 games the way they were meant to be played ā€” with a big gray controller that has an awkwardly placed central analog stick. This offer is exclusive to the Nintendo store and is only available to purchase if youā€™re a current Nintendo Switch Online subscriber. (Note: you can only access the N64 games with the purchase of the Switch Online Expansion Pack.)

Unlike some restocks for the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, the method for purchasing this controller is very straightforward. Just sign in to your Nintendo account, click ā€œadd to cart,ā€ and cross your fingers. Stocks of this controller go remarkably fast, so donā€™t be surprised if you see them become unavailable in short order.

For the uninitiated, Nintendo Switch Online is necessary for accessing the online components of a number of titles, including Splatoon 3, Minecraft, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, just to name a few. As an added bonus, a membership also includes access to classic NES and SNES titles, too. An annual subscription to this service only costs $19.99; however, to access Nintendoā€™s online library of N64 titles, youā€™ll have to subscribe to the Expansion Pack as well, which costs $49.99.

This rerelease of the N64 controller is mostly what youā€™ll remember from the original console, with some quality-of-life improvements. Wireless connectivity thatā€™s rechargeable via USB-C and built-in rumble support help modernize this classic controller, but it retains the ā€œclassicā€ shape. While the overall form factor of the N64 controller remains divisive in a modern context, the popularity of this controller is proof that nostalgia will win every time.

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