Nintendo Gamecube > Joypad

The first thing Nintendo had to set out to do when creating the Gamecube Joypad is to see what new innovations they can conger up for their next pad, and the only latest innovations in game pad design had been analog buttons so Nintendo decided to improve upon the N64's joypad as much as they could.

The analog buttons and their digital click really would be the only new feature on the Gamecube pad, so Nintendo set out to make them outstandingly good to make up for the lack of other brand smanking new pad features. At first I myself thought they would be triggers like on the Dreamcast controller, but they are more life buttons that push all the way into the pad and click. Unlike the Dual Shock 2 the shoulder buttons are very sensitive and you can use them extremely precisly.

The digital click was another great idea from Nintendo, when you push the analog shoulder buttons all the way down there is a additional digital button. An example of the digi click's use in a game: In Luigi's Mansion you can shoot out as much or as little fire you wish from your vacuum like a flame thrower, but when you push the L button all the way down until it clicks a huge fire ball blast out of the vacuum.

The C-buttons on the N64 controller proved to be a bit useless in games that didn't need a camera and they definetly weren't very procise so Nintendo have intergrated them into a single C-stick to control the camera to whatever angle you want. Of course it wont only be used for the camera, in Luigi's Mansion you use the C-stick to aim Luigi's vacuum and flash light.

The Gamecube pad's face buttons were designed for comfort and they certainly are very comfortable. In the center is a big A button which takes up the majorety of your thumb, the most ideal games would use the Analog stick and the A button only which are both in the center of each side of the pad. Around the A button are the two kidney shapped buttons: X and Y, and a small B button which is slightly bigger than a GBA button.

With all these new buttons and analog sticks you've got to put together one hell of a piece of plastic that is functional as well as comfortable, and I must say that the Gamecube controller is the most comfortable pad I have ever used. The moment I first held it I was straight into the game playing as if I'd been using the pad for years, all my friends were the same too - it really is a great design.

One last thing I haven't mentioned about the Gamecube controller is the built in rumble, and it's actually very good. The first day of playing my Gamecube I didn't even notice it was there, but the second day of play I really started to notice how good it was, especially in Waverace - you can actually feel the engine roaring in your hands as you turbo. Unlike the N64 pad the whole Gamecube pad rumbles rather than a small part of it.

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