I didn't have as many issues with the original Dreamcast
controller as Dale did so I didn't feel Mad Catz's control pad was as much a great leap forward, but at the same time,
I was still immediately impressed the moment I removed the Dream Pad from its packaging. As far as 3rd party peripherals
go, this one exudes high quality and though it's a rock solid entry, there are many interesting differences to note.
Compared to the concave shape of Sega's controller, the Dream Pad felt more convex, wider, and more comfortable. All
the analog controls like the thumb pad and shoulder buttons felt looser, which could be a mixed blessing depending on
the game being played and the user's preference. The rubber padding covering all of the movable parts adjacent to the
shoulder buttons increases grip, but at the same time, it also gives the buttons a strange sticky feel (as if you've
spilled orange juice all over it). But to be fair, there's nothing wrong with that if you simply don't mind the sticky feeling.
The six-button (two rows of three) format also makes this a great controller for Capcom's fighting games, but I found
the buttons positioned too tightly together for most other types of games, which does result in the occasional mispress.
As for the D-pad that Dale complained about, while it felt a little weird at first (like it was Play-Doh or
something), I was able to perform swirling Street Fighter fireball- and uppercut-motions just fine after a few
plays. And while I found the programmability to be interesting for changing control schemes in games with limited presets,
I was also surprised that there wasn't an auto-fire option (now almost a default for 3rd party controllers). Now that
I've pointed out some of the quirky aspects of the controller, after all was said and done, I was still very impressed
and stand by its quality.
- Published December 24, 1999
Reader Second Opinions
|
