IINE Mini Retro Ananke Gen 2 Review - Tiny Controller, Big Utility
DISCLAIMER
This review unit was sent to me by IINE, but I was not instructed on how to write my review; every opinion in my review is of my own. I have no commercial interest in any controller company.
When I first took the IINE Mini Retro Ananke Gen 2 out of the box, one thing immediately stood out: just how incredibly small it is. At only 32 grams, it's lighter than most controllers, and it's so compact that it can comfortably fit inside the little change pocket on a pair of jeans. It also slips effortlessly into small pockets in a backpack, purse, or carrying case without taking up any meaningful space.
Despite its tiny footprint, the Ananke Gen 2 packs in nearly everything you'd expect from a modern controller. You get a D-pad, ABXY buttons, L/R and ZL/ZR bumpers, Home and Capture buttons, + and -, a Function button, a Sync button, and 6-axis motion. The only major omission is the pair of analog sticks, meaning it's designed primarily for games that don't require stick input, but you can make the dpad control the stick via button combination.
The controller charges over USB-C (with a cable included), and IINE also includes a silicone wrist strap, making it easy to carry around or attach to a bag.
Build Quality
The first thing I noticed after using it was how pleasant every button feels. Everything uses membrane switches, but they're responsive, quiet, and satisfying to press. The bumpers are especially nice, with a soft but tactile feel that never became fatiguing during longer sessions.
I also have to give some praise to the Mint Green colourway. Combined with the brown buttons, it genuinely looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream, and it's one of the nicest-looking colour combinations I've seen on a controller. It's simple, clean, and surprisingly charming.
Gaming Experience
I tested the Ananke Gen 2 with several games, including Spelunky 2, Pokémon LeafGreen, Sonic Rush, Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), and a variety of other retro-style titles.
For slower-paced games, especially RPGs like Pokémon, it performs exactly as I'd hoped. Having physical buttons instead of relying on touchscreen controls while travelling is a massive quality-of-life improvement, and it's a controller that's easy to keep with you simply because it's so small.
More demanding action games are a different story.
I currently hold a tied world record for Green Hill Zone Act 1 in Sonic the Hedgehog, with a 24-second completion. While I naturally had to try the Ananke Gen 2 in Sonic 1, it quickly became clear that its biggest strength is also its biggest limitation.
Because the controller is so compact, and because I have larger hands, I occasionally found myself making accidental inputs during fast-paced games like Sonic and Spelunky 2. The buttons themselves aren't the problem; they actually feel excellent. Rather, everything is simply packed into such a tiny space that precision becomes more difficult when your fingers are moving at high speed.
That doesn't make it a bad controller. It simply means it's designed with portability as its primary goal rather than competitive play. I certainly won't be setting any new world records with it, but I'd happily use it over touchscreen controls whenever I'm gaming away from home.
More Than Just a Tiny Game Controller
Although I primarily used the Ananke Gen 2 as a game controller, it's actually much more versatile than that. It supports multiple operating modes that let it function as far more than a traditional gamepad.
In its standard Gamepad Mode, it works across Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, and PC, making it easy to move between devices depending on what you're playing. You can even pair it as a joycon instead of a pro controller, and it has a turbo mode.
It also includes a Touch Mode, allowing the D-pad and buttons to control basic touchscreen functions such as scrolling through videos or flipping pages in an e-book, making it surprisingly handy when you're relaxing away from your desk.
For media playback, there's a dedicated Multimedia Mode, where the controller can change tracks, control playback, and even act as a remote shutter for taking photos on your phone.
One of my favourite uses for the Ananke Gen 2 was actually as a productivity device. Rather than using its built-in Keyboard & Mouse Mode, I left it in its normal gamepad mode and used AutoHotkey to detect each controller input and assign custom macros.
This allowed every button to perform a different action depending on which application was active. For example, while using Windows normally, the buttons function as media controls, whereas in my video editor they become shortcuts for inserting titles and performing other frequently used editing tasks.
The controller does include a dedicated Keyboard & Mouse Mode for users who want to control a cursor or navigate presentations, design software, and other desktop applications without any additional setup. However, using it as a standard gamepad with AutoHotkey gave me considerably more flexibility for creating a highly customized workflow.
Considering how little desk space the Ananke Gen 2 occupies, it easily fits alongside all of my existing macro devices without getting in the way, making it an excellent addition to my workflow. You could even use the Ananke Gen 2 as your only macro pad while working from a laptop in a café, library, or other public space.
Who Is It For?
The Ananke Gen 2 isn't trying to replace your primary controller.
Instead, it's designed to be something you can throw into virtually any pocket and always have available when you need it.
If your favourite games rely heavily on analog sticks, this obviously isn't the controller for you. But if you primarily enjoy retro games, emulation, RPGs, visual novels, puzzle games, or anything that works comfortably with a D-pad or single stick, it becomes a genuinely useful travel companion.
It's also an excellent option for people looking for an ultra-portable macro pad that can be repurposed for productivity tasks.
If you've looked at the IINE Gamebrick and found it either too small or too limited in available buttons, the Ananke Gen 2 feels like a natural middle ground. It's only a little larger than a Sega Saturn-style D-pad, yet still provides a full complement of face buttons and shoulder buttons.
Final Thoughts
My only real criticism is one that's impossible to separate from the product's design philosophy: its size.
For someone with large hands like mine, a full-sized controller will always be more comfortable, particularly for fast-paced action games. But that's also missing the point. The Ananke Gen 2 isn't trying to compete with traditional controllers; it's trying to be the controller you can carry absolutely everywhere.
And in that role, it succeeds exceptionally well.
If portability is your top priority and you want something substantially more capable than the tiniest novelty controllers on the market, the IINE Ananke Gen 2 is an easy recommendation.
Posted Jul 11, 2026, 8:56 PM UTC