We here at N-Europe love a quirky Nintendo Switch controller, so we’re excited to reveal that there’s a swanky new pad in town, this thrilling glow-in-the-dark Boo Pro Controller from PDP!

We previously reported on the inhumane transparent controllers, imprisoning Sonic and Pikmin against their will, and now PDP have sent us this absolutely bodacious Boo control pad, just in time for Halloween! And while we personally think Bodacious Boo Controller is a perfect name for it, the official name is:

Nintendo Switch REMATCH GLOW Wireless Controller: Boo Hoo. (catchy!)

Unlike the aforementioned Sonic and Pikmin controllers, this is no budget pad, the glow-in-the-dark Boo controller is as feature rich as they come! With the high-end controller market in mind, this pad is wireless via Bluetooth, much like the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, and offers full motion support, with an RRP of £49.99.

Wii Would Like to Play

I tested the motion controls of the Boo controller in Tears of the Kingdom, as it’s a title that I think implements motion controls really well into the gameplay, and I find that motion is essential in TOTK, as my aiming skills are dreadful when using just analogue sticks! With that in mind, I’m happy to report that the motion controls in this pad feel just as good as the official Joy-Cons, and I was slaying Bokoblins with ease thanks to a mix of joystick and motion aiming!

I started with motion controls as I feel that’s often the most varied in terms of quality when it comes to controllers, but it’s safe to say they feel great here. So now that we have that concern out of the way, let’s get down to the physical side of things.  

Big Red Button

The D-Pad and control sticks are an eye-catching red, and not only do they look great but they feel great too, especially the control sticks, which give a wider range of movement than your typical Joy-Con controllers, which is perfect for precision aiming or, in my case, precision rolling in Super Monkey Ball. The sticks are physically slightly larger, and slightly higher, than those found on a Joy-Con controller, so you literally have more to work with here

Two extra buttons can also be found, one on each of the handles, which feel like the N64 Z button, and you can customise these to match whichever existing button you wish. They come in handy for those that want an edge in their games, or perhaps for smaller hands which struggle to reach the shoulder buttons.

The controller also just feels great to hold as it’s the perfect weight. It has a bit of heft, but is comfortable too, unlike the slightly hollow and light feel of the previously mentioned PDP wired controllers. 

Touch Me!

As well as feeling nice and weighty, the textured handles are really great, with a similar feel to an official Xbox One controller, which I personally find to be the best in gaming outside of the classic Nintendo GameCube controllers of yesteryear.

The face of the controller feels smooth, and the Boo designs are slightly lifted, so you can run your thumb over the controller and feel a Boo in your hands. Professor E.Gadd is particularly fond of doing this in his spare time.

It’s also got an impressive battery life too, promising up to 40 hours, though that likely varies depending on the types of games and motion controls used. You charge it using a USB-C port at the top of the controller, and while you no doubt have countless USB-C cables lying around anyway, this does handily come bundled with one.

So all of the important things you want and need from a controller are here; quality buttons, fluid control sticks, great motion controls and a comfortable design – Now onto the fun and unique aspects!

Lights Out!

Just look at this thing! In the day-time we have the classic Shy Boo, blushing like the little darling he is. But as darkness falls upon the land, the true sinister side of the Boo species presents itself, with a cheeky, haunting Boo appearing in place of our shy king, via a glow in the dark image.

The face of the controller also has a very nice and subtle opaque design, almost like an actual Boo, where you can just about see some of the insides of the controller.

The (Joy-) Cons

This PDP controller has most of the features and comfort of an official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, but with the added benefit of looking completely radical, and having a couple of extra buttons on the handles, to make life easier when sucking up ghosts with your Poltergust!

While I love every aspect of this controller, it sadly doesn’t seem to provide any form of vibration, and is also lacking a headphone jack which some Switch controllers support. Given the relatively low support for headphones/mics in Nintendo Switch titles, the lack of a headphone jack isn’t too concerning, but the lack of vibration is a shame, especially given how feature-rich and high quality the rest of the controller is.

With all that in mind, I think you can’t go far wrong with a Bodacious Boo controller, and the lack of vibration will just make you that bit harder to find when the lights go out and the Boo’s start rearing their sinister smiles.