When the Xbox launched back in november of 2001, one of the biggest complaints by most gamers was it's controller. It was not only massive but the buttons were spaced just a little too close together. When I first used it, I disliked it. Thankfully, when I eventually got my Xbox on launch day along with a few games, i began using the controller more and more and eventually got used to it and started liking it. I had really no problem with the size or the button placement any longer. Last winter the Xbox launched out in japan along with the launch overseas came a newly designed pad for japanese gamers. The design was much smaller and featured better spacing between the buttons. I was considering importing since it looked like a rather good pad and it had gotten some very favorable reviews. Around the same time, microsoft announced it would be releasing the a slightly improved version of the japanese pad titled the controller S. Like i mentioned, the controller s is much smaller then the original Xbox pad. Despite being smaller, it still features all the same buttons and features as the original pad. You get 2 analog sticks which can be pressed in as extra buttons, 1 digital d pad, 6 action buttons on the face, 2 l and r shift buttons on the rear of the controller and a back and start button on the face. Also featured are a built in rumble feature, 2 expansion slots for memory cards and other peripherals and a break away cord to avoid any unfortunate tripping over the cord accidents.
Its built very sturdy and feels as if it was really built to last. Like I mentioned before, the 6 action buttons on the face of the controller are spaced out much better then before. This is great for avoiding accidental button presses. The L and R shift buttons also now have a much loser and better feel to them from the rather stiff feeling ones found on the original pad. This seems to make racing titles a little easier on the fingers if you happen to have the gas and brake configured to them. Finally the digital D pad itself feels far better then the originals. Now, the Controller S is not without its flaws. In my opinion, there's only 2 flaws which i've found so far. Those flaws are the placement of both the Black and White action buttons and the Back and Start buttons. The Black and White buttons are now placed just below the A, B, X, Y keys instead of more towards the top of the pad like before. They seem a little awkward to hit on the fly and may be a problem if your playing a title that requires frequent presses of them. So far though, I haven't really had any kind of problems with them. There are shoulder buttons as well, and a neat little slot in the back for a memory card or other device (such as the headset/microphone combo when Xbox live lands over here).
However for all gamers who did not like massive buttons so spaced out in its bulky form. Thus there is now a new Xbox controller called the Xbox controller S standing for small. Microsoft's new design has featured in many good reviews and the Japanese Xbox fans, loved it. Thus is introduced into Europe and is now available in the UK for around £25. The controller maybe smaller but features all the same buttons and the analog sticks are easier to get too but can also be pressed into to access extra buttons if needed for certain games such as Splinter Cell which require a lot of buttons to manipulate certain moves. It also features a rumble pack and 2 expansion slots where memory units can be placed to save game data. The game pad reduction in size is an acquired taste but as already stated it poses no real difference if you have standard size hands which prefer the bulky approach such as myself. However this new controller does accommodate those with a different preference or have smaller hands such as the younger target audience or even women who find the extra weight tedious and a strain to cope with. The quality of the controller is well-built with the most noticeable gameplay change being that the D pad is more precise which is very noticeable on racing games such as Sega GT. The only real flaws is the start button and the black and white buttons have been moved below the keys A, B, X, Y instead of having the placement at the top of the pad, this seems a little awkwardly placed especially if you require its use a lot but it can be easily adjusted too with regular use. It may not win any awards for streamline design or economical use of materials, but it damn well makes for a good session of gaming. Overall, I'd highly recommend the Controller S to anyone that owns a Xbox and is not satisfied with the regular controller due to the size or design. You can pick one up for around $29.99 at most stores and it's well worth the purchase overall.
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Xbox Hardware 
