It’s a well known fact among the staff that I have sweaty hands—especially when the pressure’s on. Beads of sweat often line my controller as I pass it on during a Smash Bros. tournament, and my condition can even weaken my grip on the control stick after prolonged play with certain games. For this reason, I was asked to evaluate Nyko’s Air Flo Controller. I’m glad I did, too: Nyko has shown that unlicensed third party controllers need not be inferior products.

In general, third party controllers are built for thrift, undercutting first party products by sacrificing quality. Such is not the case with the Air Flo Controller. The Air Flo retails for $25, the same price as Nintendo’s controller, so Nyko made sure its product was up to snuff. The sensitivity on both analog sticks is smooth and consistent, and the analog triggers are equally impressive. Amazing as it may sound, you can navigate Aiai with pin-point precision using the Air Flo! The buttons and D-pad are also very reliable with a firm and confident click. Nyko used top-grade parts in this controller, and it shows.

The Air Flo can go head to head with a standard controller, but that’s not to say they feel exactly alike. Although I’ve only used Xbox controllers on a few occasions, I think it’s safe to say the GameCube Air Flo Controller could be nicknamed the “Xbox controller GC”. Most aspects of the Air Flo are roughly 10% larger than on Nintendo’s model. This manifests a problem for those without large hands. I have moderate-sized hands and must stretch or choke the controller to reach the Y button; I cannot press the Start button without adjusting my grip. The jumbo-sized controller is understandable: sweaty hands tend to be larger, and its size helps accommodate the internal fan. It does, however, limit its target base. The analog sticks also handle differently, the left having less resistance and a slightly weaker grip and the C-stick having more resistance and a stronger rubberized grip. The face buttons are also reminiscent of the Xbox controller with a plastic jewelry feel. If you’re a fan of the original Xbox controller you’ll love the Air Flo’s design; if you prefer Microsoft’s S controller you should stick to Nintendo’s model for GameCube games.

The controller’s namesake technology is the product’s most interesting feature. The Air Flo houses a computer chassis fan and air vents designed to keep a blanket of moving air underneath the player’s hands to prevent sweat buildup. As silly as it sounds, it does a pretty good job! The fan can be set to low, high, or off with a small switch located above the Start button. My initial concern was that the current would be too strong, chilling my hands and handicapping my dexterity. This proved to be unfounded—the air flow is very gentle. On high, the fan does an excellent job of drying fingers and keeping them sweat-free through intelligently-placed air holes—even if your hands are initially soaking wet. The rubber grips block too much of the wind to keep palms completely sweat-free, but dry palms aren’t nearly as important as dry fingers anyway. The low setting is more suitable for less intense situations and is better to turn on while your hands are still dry. The only down side to the Air Flo’s fan is its power consumption. Both the fan and rumble motor cannot be active simultaneously. Power is therefore diverted from the fan to power the rumble feature, causing the fan to cut in and out. Depending on how rumble-intensive the game is, this can be a real nuisance, so turning the rumble feature off in-game is recommended. Anyone who regularly uses a WaveBird shouldn’t mind, but others may find this off-putting. Overall, the Air Flo Controller is perfect for those in need of a de-sweatifier.

The Air Flo Controller establishes high standards. Its Xbox proportions limit the target audience to some degree, but Nyko’s product competes with the standard GameCube controller in every way.