New 360 controller could be the end of your old school woes

It’s no secret that the Xbox 360’s D-Pad is dogshit. It’s mushy to the touchy, imprecise and can ruin just about any experience that doesn’t require an analog stick. Seriously, how many people went with the PS3 version of Street Fighter IV or Final Fantasy XIII purely because of the superior D-Pad? Well,we reported on the rumor earlier today, but it looks like Microsoft’s newest Play &Charge Kit may have a solution. In addition to the immensely classy grayscale button interface, they’ve also finally addressed the issue plaguing people like me who play tons of retro games on XBLA.

Part of the problem was that the D-pad was essentially a disc, making precision platforming impossible for anyone without a hand made of petrified baby dicks. The wireless controller coming to the US on Novemeber9th(February to Europe)has sought to amend this longstanding issue with an interesting twist. No, for real! You twist the D-Pad and that familiar old cross pattern raises itself from its plastic tomb of confinement and stretches on into the heavens of player sensation! I’ll let Major Nelson explain:

It may not seem like much, but again, any Street Fighter player’ll tell you that a small amount of tactile response can make all the difference in the world. I’ve seen lesser controller modifications do more, so it looks promising to me and I can’t wait to give it a whirl... Even if the $65 asking price is a bit hefty during, especially in a time whenXbox Live subs are increasing too. Oh well, whatever it takes to get me to finish Mega Man 9…

Aug 31, 2010