Super Game Boy Commander Review

Introduction

When I first tried Super Game Boy, I was genuinely surprised. That cartridge really opens up Game Boy games in a new way. Later I found out that people from Hori were involved in the SGB project — and they didn’t stop there. They also released a special controller with “secret” features.

It turns out that even buying SGB2 doesn’t unlock everything Super Game Boy can do. To get the most out of it, you also need a dedicated controller — the SGB Commander.

Even the design of the SGB Commander tries to echo the classic Game Boy.

Package Contents

Super Game Boy Commander came in a very nice box.

If you look closely, you can spot the “SGB Commander” label.

Hori’s Commander line is a set of very specialized controllers made for a specific game or platform.

In the box you get:

1. The controller itself;

2. Manual.

Using the Controller

The SGB Commander plugs in and works just like a regular SNES controller. Plug it into the port and you’re ready to play.

It has the same number of buttons as the standard controller, but the layout is different. And the difference isn’t only in the shape — the functions change too.

There are no buttons on the top.

The back is empty too.

The SGB Commander has two modes: SGB and SFC.

SFC is the normal mode. In it, the buttons behave exactly like on a standard SNES controller. Notice that each button is labeled L – Y – X – R.

But SGB mode is what unlocks the same “secret functions” I covered in the article “Super Game Boy Secrets”.

The Mute button completely turns off the sound. It’s not something you’ll need every day (you can always mute your TV), but it’s there.

The Speed button is the most interesting one. It’s the main reason to buy the SGB Commander. It slows the game down: first press — the slowest speed, second — a bit faster, third — back to the normal pace.

If you hold Up while turning on the SNES, you also get a fourth mode — accelerated. It does “break” some games a little: you can get graphical glitches, which is why it’s hidden by default.

The Color button works the same way as on a regular controller — it toggles between the last selected palette and the default palette.

And the Window button opens the SGB menu — the same one you would normally call with L + R on a standard controller.

Epilogue

Sure, you can live without all these functions. Super Game Boy already does its job perfectly well.

But if you want to squeeze the most out of it and get the “expanded” experience the developers intended, SGB2 alone isn’t enough. In that case, a bundle of SGB2 and SGB Commander becomes the logical — and almost mandatory — next step.

It’s not an essential device and not a must-have for every SNES owner. It’s more of an accessory for people who like to take a setup to its ideal form and use every feature.

And in that sense, the SGB Commander isn’t just an unusual controller — it’s the finishing touch for a proper Game Boy-on-Super Nintendo setup.