Mad Catz Gamepad Pro Series (PS2)

Whilst they're not features I would use, I could forgive the lack of turbo/auto-fire and slow-motion - and perhaps to some extent the cord being on the short side - on this being a 'Pro Series' pad. But I find the directional-pad to not be dependable, which is a disappointment.

Strangely, that the analogue stick can serve as an 8-way stick in digital mode should be a selling point of the pad, but it's not even mentioned in the packaging. Not that it entirely makes amends for the d-pad being dire.

Instead, it's the vibration (as has become standard), yet there's no subtlety to the since there's no weak motor - just strong. As for the strength of these shakes, it's about on par with the Official PS2 pad.

And then there's the precise analog action buttons and joysticks - I had problems with the former. They're surprisingly tricky to keep depressed - thus it suffers on genres such as shmups and racing games, where these buttons have to be held.

The Madcatz Gamepad boasts to have Signature Grips, though they're nothing special I feel - it's not as if they're made from a different material. At least they don't seem to slip.

Sometimes I wonder whether there is a competition to create the poorest pads because simply, the d-pad on these third-party pads tend to be pants. It's no surprise that motion sensing controls are thought of as as revolutionary - when players are having to put up with these crappy controllers.