I bought this keyboard because I was looking to build a nostalgic custom for several hundred dollar, then I found this beauty for only 99$.
Out of the box, this thing is simply a treat. It's colorways just nail it, and bring back that old Nintendo nostalgia (I myself indulged in the Famicom variety). It has rubber-sleeved cables, which for a product like this is actually a boon, because the rubbers sleeves feel just like the controllers of old. Just as well there are the power buttons, which plug in via a 3.5mm jack at the back of the keyboard and really drive the message home. All around great presentation; it's thematically perfect.
Then comes build quality. The board does feel a little hollow. It has a plastic shell, and no inner foam layer to fill things out (at least it doesn't sound or feel like it does, I don't really know for sure). However, it does have an aluminum plate which helps provide a good amount of thock, and the keycaps are dye-sub PBT which give them a nice noise that's on the lower side of the register.
The switches themselves are Kailh Box White v2's. Now if Kailhs are a turn-off for you, I'll just say that I used to be the same way. However, Kailhs have come a long way through the years, and these are actually pretty good. Overall the switches feel quite consistent, they have good response, and they are nice and clicky (settling them in nicely with the keyboard's retro theme). Furthermore, the PCB itself is hot-swappable. So you can also change out the switches for whichever you like if you'd prefer something else (just make sure everything's compatible).
What truly surprised me however were the stabilizers. I don't know exactly what they did to them, but they are silent; no rattle whatsoever, at least in my unit. Very nice play from a keyboard in this price range.
Then there are the power buttons, which are much more useful then you might think. The buttons themselves have a nice texture that makes them feel great in the hand. They have a good weight to them, and they have a solid rubber bottom. So they'll stay put on any surface you place them. The switches within each button are the same as on the keyboard. So they feel nice and clicky with good response. At times, I have found myself just pushing the buttons over and over again only because it was so satisfying to do so. In addition to their nice build quality, they are programable using 8bitDo's companion software. I myself programed them to F5 and F8 so that I could use them as quick and easy quick-save and quick-load buttons when playing games on a controller.
As I said before, there is companion software that allows you to reprogram the keyboard as you see fit. Just as well, there is an A and a B key on the keyboard itself which you can use as programmable hotkeys however you like.
For connectivity, you have either wired, Bluetooth, or 2.4ghz. I never did try Bluetooth, but the wireless 2.4ghz is quite good. While I did have issues here and there with the 2.4ghz, causing it to randomly, and not that rarely, repeat the last input upon infinitum. Pressing any key would resolve the issue immediately. The battery life is very good as well. I've had the board since release, and have only charged it maybe twice.
All and all, it's a great wireless board, and that's not including the nostalgia it perfectly recreates. For the price, you're getting a great entry-level offering into the high-end mechanical keyboard market, and in comparison to the likes of Corsair, Logitech, Razer, and the like, you're getting a heck of a lot more bang for your buck. Just and overall great product.
Douglas Pease
Amias