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I received a Wave Bird controller as a present recently, and am completely taken with it. It is very similar to the standard GameCube controllers, with the addition of a small platform on the bottom & a battery pack for the two (included) AA batteries...none of which is really noticeable during gameplay.

The control is precise...I have noticed no lag, nor has the control ever been interrupted due to it pointing the wrong direction or something coming between it and the system. In fact, we tested it for range, and I was able to work the control from my back yard, with the door closed...a range of somewhere around 60-70 feet!!! No, most people aren't going to be using it from this far away, but it is nice to know the radio signal is that strong. You can rest assured that your signal won't be cut off at a crucial moment in your game.

Being a user who frequently utilizes all four controller ports, this is wonderful. We continually get cords tangled, or the dog runs by & knocks one out...with this controller, all there is is the controller itself and a small receiver that plugs into the Gamecube. The receiver can be attuned to several different frequencies, so you can indeed use four of these at once without encountering interference.

The Wave Bird controller is a fantastic value...after the recent price drop, I was pondering buying a couple more standard Nintendo controllers to replace the third party controllers I have, but not any more...it is completely worth the extra money to pick up one of these instead.

The standard GameCube controller is perfect except for one thing: the cord is too short. All video game manuals warn against sitting too close to the TV, but you HAVE to sit close when your controller's cord is less than six feet long. The folks at Nintendo could have addressed this issue by offering some type of extension cord, but that would have inevitably led to more problems...like tangles and tripping accidents. Instead, they have created the innovative WaveBird WIRELESS controller. And this baby works like magic! Now you can sit up to twenty feet away from the screen without being tethered to your 'Cube. Just plug the little receiver thingamajig into the front of the console, set it to one of 16 channels, set the controller to the same channel, turn it on and play till your thumbs go numb. The WaveBird has the same ultra-comfortable feel of the regular controller, with no lag whatsoever in button response time. Regrettably, the 'Bird lacks the popular "rumble" feature of its corded counterpart. Including the rumble would presumably have caused the required 2 AA batteries (included) to wear out too quickly. I happen to like the rumble, but I have found that it sometimes hampers my gameplay. Not having the option to use it at all is somewhat of a drawback, but not enough to outweigh the enormous advantage of being able to play cord free. I will say that I think it's unfortunate that Nintendo currently only makes the WaveBird in ONE color: a boring pale gray (almost white). If you wanted to use four 'Birds at once, it could get confusing. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this controller to every GameCube owner. And if they ever decide to make it available in "spice," I just might buy another one.

The Wavebird has set an example for all other wireless controllers. Lighter in weight than the regular controller (although lacking the somewhat cool rumble feature), the battery life of the Wavebird is surpisingly good, lasting much longer than expected. A pair of AA's lasted me all the way through The Wind Waker, and partway through Metroid Prime. Range is excellent, although I find that certain obstacles will cause a little glitching. It has also defeated the problem of the relatively short cord on the regular Gamecube controller. Overall, it's worth every penny.