Title: Madcatz X BOX Controller
Manufacturer: Madcatz
System: X BOX
Released: 11/15/01
Review Date: 03/09/02

Review by: Kain

When the X BOX appeared on store shelves on the premier day of launch, there were some people complaining of the X BOX controllers being too big. Well, Madcatz tried to make a small and well-designed controller for the X BOX. At the time, it was a grand idea. “It will get more people to buy the X BOX,” I said. I was only partially right. The controller did give a better feel for those with small hands, but I feel that this controller is an inferior control. True, it’s better than Interacts (we’ll get to that), but the official one still whoops tail.

First Glance

Upon looking at it, I saw that it was remarkably small. It still had a lot of what made the X BOX controllers so great. It still had the 9-foot cord, the cool green colors, and the vibrations. It also added a good feeling grip on the handles. This may just work.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the controller was fairly similar to the Japanese version of the X BOX controller. Not quite, but fairly similar. I decided that this controller would be a great addition to the X BOX world.

Usefulness

The controller has a good amount of usefulness. For those who don’t like the size of the Official X BOX controller, this controller may be perfect. For the rest of us big-handed people, however, this controller just won’t cut it. Therefore, in all fairness, I must give it two grades and average them.

Rating: 5/10
Novelty

It’s a controller. Not much novelty in that. It does have some novelty in the fact that it is a small controller in a big controller dominated world. But that’s not enough to save it. After all, it is still a controller.

Rating: 1/10
Other

The controller basically has one thing going for it... its small. Nothing else is exceptional about this controller. The grips are nice but don’t make a whole lot of difference.

Rating: 2/10
Overview/Recap

It’s small. That’s all.

The Good, The Bad, The Confusing
  • + It allows those with smaller hands to play the X BOX in comfort.
  • + It has a lot of what makes the Official X BOX controller good.
  • - It isn’t the most dependable controller out there.
  • - Madcatz has a fairly iffy history with accessories and this just adds to that.
  • ? Why not just release an American version of the Japanese controller?
    • Let Me Repeat that One More Time

    Usefulness: 5/10
    It's small

    Novelty: 1/10
    It's a small controller

    Other: 2/10
    It's just small

    Overall (not an average): 3/10
    I wonder what’s for dinner tonight...