2nd Op By

Brad Gallaway 9.0 RATING

I think Mike understated the case a bit when he said the original Xbox controller was big. Its just not bigits huge, bulky and reminds me of nothing so much as the only other controller I hated with a passion: the original domestic-release version of the Saturn pad. Just holding the Xbox controller made me feel like chucking the thing out of my hands and walking away, which is not a good feeling when youre supposed to be reviewing games.

I was amazed at how generally poor the fat blob of plastic felt to me, especially after hearing Microsofts Xbox staff tout that it was designed based on comments and feedback from "real gamers." Maybe they had a focus group of seven-foot basketball players or people who have always dreamed of playing games with a misshapen grapefruit, but the thing did not meet my needs, let alone feel natural or comfortable in my hands.

Suffice it to say, I had a strong opinion on the controller and I desperately wanted to avoid using it at all costs. After hearing of its chilly reception in Japan (surprise!) as well as Microsofts speedy redesign and release of the Controller S to alleviate the situation, I thought there might be some hope after all. I was initially put off by the $40 price tag, but one of the employees at the store where I bought it offered to take my original Xbox controller and give me $20 credit towards the Controller S. Not surprisingly, I gladly accepted. I dont even have one of the older pads in my house thanks to that employee, and that suits me just fine.

Mikes done an extremely thorough job in covering the technical aspects of comparing the two controllers, so Ill just focus on what I like about the Controller S and add commentary where appropriate.

First off, the size. Its dimensions are far more reasonable, and it fits quite comfortably in my hand. I no longer feel as though Im gripping a humongous pair of bratwursts or that Im trapped in some nightmare porn film gone horribly, horribly wrong. I also really like the refined angle of the controllers wings. (Or are they pontoons?)

I completely agree with Mike about the improved D-Pad. Its the right size and very easy to use as far as its location on the face. It comes in as a tie against the Dual Shock 2s separated crosskey (which I never had problems with.), and both leave the GameCubes sorry little shrunken D-pad in the dust. I wonder if the GameCubes controller feels inadequate with such a small directional unit in comparison? Something to ponder.

Speaking of the Dual Shock 2, Im generally a big fan of its design, so I really appreciated the Controller S's spaced-out repositioning of the A, B, X and Y buttons. They feel much more similar to the diamond array that is most comfortable and familiar to me, and I had no trouble locating any of the buttons on instinct.

Looking at the start and back buttons, I am completely entranced with their new locations on the left wing of the Controller S. it seemed like an unusual thing to do at first, but it soon became extremely comfortable and makes a lot of sense to me after spending time using them. In fact, Id go so far as to say that I actually prefer them there as opposed to the middle of the controller, which breaks away from the design found on practically every system since the NES. I really dont know why, but thinking outside the box (pardon the pun) in regard to those two buttons struck a chord and tickled me pink.

Their geographic opposites, the black and white buttons, function nicely as well. However, I would have liked it if they were in exactly the same location on the right wing as the start and back are on the left. The black and white are slightly lower and closer to the center of the pad, which was a bit too asymmetrical for the anal-retentive part of me. I know that Mike had expressed some difficulty in hitting the white, but I didnt notice that. I could hit either of them fairly easily with the ball of my thumb, and that was fine. He is correct in saying that theyre not really primary-function buttons though, and it might have made a difference if I had played a game where they were used more often.

Mikes right on the money when he says that Microsoft should wise up and ditch the old pad design altogether. The Controller S is simply superior in every aspect. Personally, I think the Xbox has a very challenging road to success ahead of it. Both Sony and Nintendo are tough competition, and eliminating one of its biggest weak spots with a completely improved controller can only be good for the big black box Bill built.

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