EdR
Second Unit
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2002
- Messages
- 432
I finally got fed up with the endless tangled cable mess eminating from where my consoles sit (they are all near each other on a shelf), so in a fit of retail therapy, I bought a wireless controller for each system.
For the Gamecube, the choice was easy, the Wavebird is made by Nintendo so the build quality isn't an issue, nor is the feel of the sticks/buttons. It's slightly larger than the standard controller, and it weighs just a tiny bit more. But in your hands, it feels identical to the standard controllers, and that's a good thing because I think the Gamecube controllers are really nice. The wavebird take 2 AA batteries, but disappointingly, the manual for it says that you should not use NiMH batteries which thwarts my plan to use rechargables in it.
Functionally, the Wavebird works great - esentially identical to the standard controller, except it lacks rumble, which I assume was left out to conserve batteries. One of the few annoyances about the Wavebird is that it has a power button, which means that if you forget to turn it off it will continue to drain the batteries...other wireless controllers (such as the ones I'm about to talk about) shut themselves off after a few minutes of non-use.
For the Xbox, I only found one wireless controller at the EB where I was shopping. It's the Lynx from Madcatz.
As you can see the button layout is the same as the large Xbox controller, but the size is closer to the 'S' - which is really nice because I like the layout of the larger controller more...but I use the 'S' because of it's size. The reciever end that plugs into the Xbox has spaces for memory cards, but I don't have any to test it with.
The buttons and sticks on the Lynx feel very similar to the standard Xbox controllers. The stick is thankfully missing the 4 little raised tick marks that are on the sticks of the MS controllers...those things irritate my thumbs during certain games. The downside of the sticks is that they have a hard plastic finish, it's roughened up, but the grip isn't quite as assured as I'd prefer...although I am getting used to them quickly.
I was able to get into TigerWoods '03 and after a few tries, pick right up where I left off. Which reminds me, the white abd black buttons on this are really sweet. They are raised more, unlike the MS version where they are more recessed and a bit harder to get at. For games like TW03 where the white and black buttons are important, this is a better controller than the MS ones, IMO.
The triggers on the Lynx have more tension than the MS controllers, which is good for racing games because it's easier to ease the accelerator/brake with a bit more precision. I thought at first that my fingers might get tired from the firmer triggers, but after a solid hour and a half in PGR, I had no problems.
This controller takes 3 AA batteries, and there are no warnings about rechargables. It auomatically sleeps after 3 minutes of non-use, and it also has a low battery light, and a switch for rumble/vibration with three settings: off, 1 and 2 (2 being the strongest) although they make it clear that the it uses more battery power when on.
The third controller is for the PS2 and is also a MadCatz (the DualForce 2), but it has one significant difference, it has a recharge base.
Unfortunately the suppplied battery pack is NiCad, which suffers the infamous 'memory' problem. To avoid problems with charging, you need to deplete it fully before placing it back in it's base. It is supposed to run ~8 hours before needing recharging.
Initially I was very happy to see a wireless controller that recharges, I have a wireless rechargable mouse for my computer and it rocks. But I neglected to notice that it's NiCad before I bought it, so I'm not really sure if it's a good thing. I am going to buy some NMiH rechargables for the Lynx anyway, so 3 more would probably be better than these NiCads.
Oddly, the literature for this product says nothing about how long it takes to charge, although it does have a light that flashes while charging, and stays on when finished. This one also goes to sleep, but I was unable to find any mention of that in the booklet. One big oversight is the lack of a battery low light.
This controller feels just about identical to the Dual Shock PS2 controller, withthe sole exception of the grips, which are contoured and made or hard rubber...makes for a comfy grip. I was able to pick up and play games with essentially no adjustments. If anything, the 'Start' and 'Select' buttons are placed in a better position (over toward the right) than on the Sony. This controller also has a vibration function, but there's not way to disable it on the controller itself.
This is the only one of the three controllers to offer macro pogramming, but I haven't used it (yet) so I can't comment.
Overall the Lynx and the Wavebird stand out. The Dual Force isn't bad, but it has more shortcomings, especially with the battery technology. I'm extremely happy overall with the wireless-ness, it's really very nice to not have cords dangling all over and to have to worry about people walking in front of you, etc.
I think these would make GREAT gifts for a gamer, btw.
Ed
For the Gamecube, the choice was easy, the Wavebird is made by Nintendo so the build quality isn't an issue, nor is the feel of the sticks/buttons. It's slightly larger than the standard controller, and it weighs just a tiny bit more. But in your hands, it feels identical to the standard controllers, and that's a good thing because I think the Gamecube controllers are really nice. The wavebird take 2 AA batteries, but disappointingly, the manual for it says that you should not use NiMH batteries which thwarts my plan to use rechargables in it.
Functionally, the Wavebird works great - esentially identical to the standard controller, except it lacks rumble, which I assume was left out to conserve batteries. One of the few annoyances about the Wavebird is that it has a power button, which means that if you forget to turn it off it will continue to drain the batteries...other wireless controllers (such as the ones I'm about to talk about) shut themselves off after a few minutes of non-use.
For the Xbox, I only found one wireless controller at the EB where I was shopping. It's the Lynx from Madcatz.
As you can see the button layout is the same as the large Xbox controller, but the size is closer to the 'S' - which is really nice because I like the layout of the larger controller more...but I use the 'S' because of it's size. The reciever end that plugs into the Xbox has spaces for memory cards, but I don't have any to test it with.
The buttons and sticks on the Lynx feel very similar to the standard Xbox controllers. The stick is thankfully missing the 4 little raised tick marks that are on the sticks of the MS controllers...those things irritate my thumbs during certain games. The downside of the sticks is that they have a hard plastic finish, it's roughened up, but the grip isn't quite as assured as I'd prefer...although I am getting used to them quickly.
I was able to get into TigerWoods '03 and after a few tries, pick right up where I left off. Which reminds me, the white abd black buttons on this are really sweet. They are raised more, unlike the MS version where they are more recessed and a bit harder to get at. For games like TW03 where the white and black buttons are important, this is a better controller than the MS ones, IMO.
The triggers on the Lynx have more tension than the MS controllers, which is good for racing games because it's easier to ease the accelerator/brake with a bit more precision. I thought at first that my fingers might get tired from the firmer triggers, but after a solid hour and a half in PGR, I had no problems.
This controller takes 3 AA batteries, and there are no warnings about rechargables. It auomatically sleeps after 3 minutes of non-use, and it also has a low battery light, and a switch for rumble/vibration with three settings: off, 1 and 2 (2 being the strongest) although they make it clear that the it uses more battery power when on.
The third controller is for the PS2 and is also a MadCatz (the DualForce 2), but it has one significant difference, it has a recharge base.
Unfortunately the suppplied battery pack is NiCad, which suffers the infamous 'memory' problem. To avoid problems with charging, you need to deplete it fully before placing it back in it's base. It is supposed to run ~8 hours before needing recharging.
Initially I was very happy to see a wireless controller that recharges, I have a wireless rechargable mouse for my computer and it rocks. But I neglected to notice that it's NiCad before I bought it, so I'm not really sure if it's a good thing. I am going to buy some NMiH rechargables for the Lynx anyway, so 3 more would probably be better than these NiCads.
Oddly, the literature for this product says nothing about how long it takes to charge, although it does have a light that flashes while charging, and stays on when finished. This one also goes to sleep, but I was unable to find any mention of that in the booklet. One big oversight is the lack of a battery low light.
This controller feels just about identical to the Dual Shock PS2 controller, withthe sole exception of the grips, which are contoured and made or hard rubber...makes for a comfy grip. I was able to pick up and play games with essentially no adjustments. If anything, the 'Start' and 'Select' buttons are placed in a better position (over toward the right) than on the Sony. This controller also has a vibration function, but there's not way to disable it on the controller itself.
This is the only one of the three controllers to offer macro pogramming, but I haven't used it (yet) so I can't comment.
Overall the Lynx and the Wavebird stand out. The Dual Force isn't bad, but it has more shortcomings, especially with the battery technology. I'm extremely happy overall with the wireless-ness, it's really very nice to not have cords dangling all over and to have to worry about people walking in front of you, etc.
I think these would make GREAT gifts for a gamer, btw.
Ed
