MicroCon Controllers invade the Consoles

Smaller controllers have become a hot commodity this year. The two most famous controllers for little hands are the Xbox Controller S from Microsoft and the GameCube controller from Microsoft. However, since I have larger hands, I have always enjoyed using larger controllers. It wasn't until I got my hands on the MadCatz MicroCON controllers for the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox that I started enjoying gaming with a smaller controller.

Each MadCatz MicroCON controller is twenty percent smaller than the original controller that comes with each console. For added comfort, MadCatz added rubber grips, for a better grip, a nine foot cord, macro programmability, and these controllers come in a variety of colors--depending on which console they are for.

The GameCube controller is very small. Because of this, I was extremely leery of using the MicroCon GCN controller. However, it responded very well to my time using it. The analog sticks as just as good as the first party offerings in Nintendo's controller that comes bundled with the ‘Cube and with the Wave Bird.

While the nine foot cord is much longer than what comes with the standard first party controller, players can use the Nintendo Wavebird controller and play from over twenty feet away. The only drawback to the Wavebird is that the rumble feature does not work with the Wavebird. This gives a definite edge to the MicroCon GCN controller. And because the MicroCon performs as well as the first party controller, it is definitely worth a purchase.

The Xbox incarnation of the MicroCon controller is essentially an Xbox controller S with rubber handles and a cheaper price. The thumbsticks are just as responsive as Controller S--which I found to be worse than the original controller bundled with the system. Also, since the Xbox Controller S already comes equipped with a nine foot cord, if you are in the market for a new Xbox controller, the MicroCon is a good way to save a few bucks without sacrificing quality.

The PlayStation 2 MicroCon controller is by far the worst one out of the three MadCatz has produced. The biggest problem with it is that it does not fit in my hands very well. This proves how well the design of the first party PS2 DualShock 2 is. Another problem with the PS2 MicroCon is that the L3 and R3 buttons buttons are not very responsive. If you aren't familiar with these buttons, they are when you click on the left and right analog control sticks. While these buttons aren't used in an enormous amount of games, it is definitely a design flaw.

Besides the problem with the size and the L3 and R3 buttons, the other buttons and analog control sticks perform quite well. If you are in need of a controller on the PS2 with a longer cord, the MicroCon may be just the controller you need to purchase.

Overall, MadCatz has introduced some great controllers to the market on each platform. While the PS2 one has some problems, one thing is for certain... Good things do come in smaller packages.