Every time you take hold of a third-party controller there is a guarantee that you can't know exactly what to expect, especially the more familiar you are with Nintendo's first-party offerings. The Cubicon controller fits into this mold rather nicely. While it does make some gains over the standard Nintendo controller in terms of comfort (for people with larger hands), improved Z-button and D-pad support, a longer cord, and having a macro function... for people who expect the best general control possible it will come up very short.

First beginning with the positives: the Cubicon set its sights pretty high and delivers some key things that Nintendo didn't do so well with for its own controller. The first, and in some cases most important, switch is the slightly longer and beefier (complete with rubber grips) design for the handles on the controller, which makes for a more comfortable long-term gaming experience for gamers with bigger hands. In addition, while Nintendo placed the Z-button on the controller more as an afterthought than with the care that went into the other buttons, Mad Catz has given the Z-button terrific support, even going as far as making a matching Z-button on the left to go with the standard one on the right. This configuration is certainly more versatile and friendly. The D-pad also passes with flying colors simply by virtue of being larger than the one on the Nintendo controller. For the people who like to use macro functions there could be some appeal; for most this is probably a throw-away function, but still an addition nonetheless. Finally, one of the simplest things in its favor is a longer and seemingly more durable cord... perfect for people trying to get more space or hoping to better protect their cords from chewing puppies and the like.

In addition to these features it should be noted that as third-party controllers go the Cubicon is well-constructed, has a solid feel and heft to it, and thankfully doesn't feel terribly 'cheap' as these other controllers can often do. The standard buttons aren't quite as comfortable or as nice as on the Nintendo controller and the analog triggers don't have as good a sense of resistance to them but depending on your tastes this may or may not affect you.

Where the big ugly problem arises though, and this can vary from gamer to gamer in severity, is in terms of the main analog joystick. Contrasting with the nice silky smooth Nintendo analog stick the Cubicon analog joystick is downright nasty. It doesn't just give resistance with its friction, it is downright sticky. What makes matters worse as well is that the stickiness isn't really consistent, it can vary depending on the pressure you apply, the angle you press at, and undoubtedly with the alignment of the planets, it can seem at times. Now, for some gamers who could find the Nintendo stick to be too loose this could work out fine. For people who like silky smooth control though, this area is a definite killer and enough reason to avoid the controller entirely. Please bear this key fact in mind when considering a purchase as it affects the entire package.