Ninja Gaiden Xbox Controller

Not too long ago Nuby designed a series of five Limited Edition Dragonball Z controllers for the PS2 that made fans more than happy to own and use with Dragonball Z: Budokai 2.  Both the game and the controller went together like peanut butter goes with jelly and boy do the controllers look good.  Well, Nuby has done it again this time they’ve designed Limited Edition Xbox controller to accompany Tecmo’s excellent Ninja Gaiden game.  Let’s take a look at one the most stylish-looking controllers that Xbox has seen thus far.

Aside from the ultra cool packaging, the controller itself is a sleek, black controller with a glossy finish.  The first thing you’ll notice is that the controller has red rubber padding on each side of the controller for a better grip.  Those gamers that easily get their palms sweaty (and whose palms don’t get sweaty when you’re deep into Ninja Gaiden's harder levels?) while playing will definitely appreciate the rubber grip.  The second thing you’ll notice is the graphic design, which is a beautiful reproduction of the game’s box cover as well as a silhouette of stealthy Ryu Hayabusha near the color coded A, B, X and Y buttons and on the back of the controller.  The artwork is amazing and it really does make this controller an eye-catching beauty.

The controller closely follows the original Xbox controller in size as well as the position of the black and white button (the smaller Controller-S positions them at the bottom while this one has them on the top right side of the controller).  The only noticeable difference is the Prog button that is a macros programmable function button.  What this does for the game is pre-programs Ryu’s flashy weapons combo so they’re more easily accessible with the push of a single button.  This allows Ryu to cut into enemies far more quickly without worrying about pushing multiple buttons for each combination.  It works incredibly well, actually.  And the left and right thumbsticks feel so comfortable that I wish the next generation of first-party controllers would use something like it.

Here’s the bad news, the colorful buttons might look attractive enough but they are placed too close together and thus make for an uncomfortable button-mashing experience.  It’s easy to mistakenly press the wrong button in the heat of battle and that’s something that does take away from the overall handling.  Another letdown is the vibration control . . . its downright weak to the point that the rumble feels more like a whimper than a scream.  Ninja Gaiden is filled with moments where the tension rattles the gamer and so it needs a controller to emphasize these moments with a good controller shake.

Yes the controller has a few flaws here and there but Nuby’s Limited Edition Ninja Gaiden controller is stylish and fans of the game will definitely enjoy it.  I’ve tracked a few down at the local Game Stop stores in my area so they certainly carry this item but you can always order them online through GameZone's Gameshop.  This one is sure to be a collector’s item so I recommend you pick this one up.

Pros:
Beautifully designed control looks downright cool in the palm of your hand thanks to the beautifully graphic design with Ryu Hayabusha on the front.

The added macros programmable function works pretty well in keeping all your slice-and-dice combinations easily accessible and thus makes this one the best controller to use while playing Ninja Gaiden.

The left and right thumbsticks are great!

The rubber grip on each of the controller’s side is a great touch and keeps sweaty palms from making it slippery.

Cons:
The controller’s size is more like the bulky original Xbox controller than the newer and easier to wrap your hands around Controller-S.

The buttons are too close together!

Weak vibration doesn’t quite rumble the way it should in a game like Ninja Gaiden.

A Slow and Turbo button would have been great but what’s here isn’t at all that bad.

Verdict: 7.5
The strikingly beautiful glossy design makes this one of the coolest controllers that is right up there with one of Nuby’s best controllers, the Blackhawk controller.  Yet there are a few things that hold it back from being one of the Xbox’s coolest controllers around.  Still, the controller does its job and is worth owning if you’re a true fan of the game.