Review By

Mike Doolittle 8.0 RATING

The standard Xbox controller is, well, big. By many accounts, its a little too big. Despite being the product of numerous surveys and focus groups, the standard Xbox controller was heavily panned on the consoles release for its bulky size and its small, pointed, awkwardly placed buttons. The digital pad (D-pad) wasnt winning any awards either with its convex surfaces. Interestingly, Microsoft released a smaller, modified version of the standard controller to the Japanese market. By most accounts, the Japanese controller was everything the U.S. controller should have beensmall, comfortable, and easy to navigate. Disgruntled American gamers, envy no more. Microsoft has wisely heeded the calls of angry Xbox owners and released a slightly modified take on the Japanese controller in the U.S., under the name Controller S. But is it really that much better than the standard controller? Over the next few pages, GameCritics.com sizes up Microsofts sleeker, smaller pad.

The Controller S is, of course, a good deal smaller than the standard. Its bigger than Sonys Dual Shock and Nintendos GameCube controller, but is dwarfed by its older Xbox brother. The button layout has been altered in some key ways. To accommodate the controllers smaller size, the D-pad and right analog stick have been moved closer to the center. The back and start buttons can now be found to the left of the D-pad, and they are markedly smaller. The four face buttons have been given a complete overhaul; they are flatter, slightly larger, spaced farther apart, and have been placed at a more comfortable angle. Lastly, the black and white buttons have been enlarged and placed below the face buttons.

I spent some time with a variety of games to test the new controller, but as soon as I held it I was impressed by its comfortable design. I was never uncomfortable with the standard controller, but nonetheless I found the Controller S to be significantly easier to hold. Im sure that those who found the standard controller to be unacceptably bulky will be pleased with the improved contours of the Controller S.

To test the analog sticks, I spent some time with some seriously analog-intensive games: Halo and Gunvalkyrie. Gunvalkyrie is a controllers worst nightmare: each analog stick must be used for precise movement and aiming while being subjected to frequent "point and click" movement (pushing the stick in one direction and depressing it). Halo requires tons of precise aiming, and when I play I keep the aiming sensitivity cranked up pretty highany weakness in the sticks sensitivity (too much or too little play) would certainly show through. The Controller S analog sticks are actually better than the standard controllers, which I found quite surprising considering the quality of the originals. The sticks were easier to depress and they felt tighter and more responsive. Often, if I take a hiatus from Halo and try to start a game with the stick sensitivity turned up high, I spend a good fifteen minutes aiming erratically and generally getting clobbered by the games unruly aliens. With the Controller S, despite not having played the game in a while, aiming was surprisingly easy despite the high sensitivity. Both Halo and Gunvalkyrie were easier to play with the new controller.

What better game to test these babies out than Tecmos Dead Or Alive 3? It uses the D-pad and face buttons exclusively. The D-pad is a huge improvement over the standard controllers. Unlike the convex surfaces of the standard controllers D-pad, the Controller S D-pad features a raised cross over a flat circle. Diagonal directional commands were significantly easier to execute, as were circular rotations. Generally, the D-pad simply feels better; it has a distinct click and is reasonably medium-sized. I find it to be better than both the GameCube and Dual Shock D-pads, and it makes a laughing stock out of the original Xbox D-pad. The A, B, X, and Y buttons are also markedly improved. They are placed at a more natural angle to the hand, and their larger size makes them more comfortable to press. The wider spacing prevents the unintentional "button smashing" that plagues users of the standard controller.

Using the arcade-racing masterpiece Rallisport Challenge as my subject, I found... a draw. The standard controller features some darn good triggers. The Controller S triggers have a shorter "pull range" due to their smaller size, but they compensate with great sensitivity. Precise accelerating and braking were a snap with both controllers. Notably, though, the Controller S triggers are easier to use in games that require repeated quick pulls, such as shooters and action games, due to the shortened pull range. Its a subtle difference, but the Controller S still wins out.

The black and white buttons are, frankly, a real pain on the standard controller. They are small and out of reach. Although I adapted with practice, using these buttons often requires a shift of hand position to reach. While the black and white buttons are not made to be used in the same manner as the face buttons, such poor placing is detrimental to performance. I use these buttons most frequently in Halo, in which the black and white buttons toggle grenade types and activate the flashlight, respectively. While the black button was definitely easier to reach, I still had a difficult time reaching the white button. Its just too low for me to quickly tap it with my thumb. I had to slide my whole hand down to reach it.

Despite the poorly placed white button, the Controller S is a fine controllerdefinitely a big improvement on the standard controller, and better contoured than either Nintendos GameCube controller or Sonys Dual Shock. While I thought the standard Xbox controller was better than some cynics alleged, the improvements on the Controller S reveal and remedy many of the standard controllers flaws. So, will Microsoft play it smart and ditch the bulky standard controller for good? Currently, the Controller S is only sold separately. At $40, it is a bit steep and comparable to the similarly designed (and cheaper) Mad Catz Xbox controller. Nonetheless, its a big improvement and should give Xbox owners an excellent alternative. Hopefully, Microsoft will play it smart and begin bundling this superior controller with the Xbox console.

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