Compared to the standard controller,
Cubicon is larger in the grips and feels more substantial in your hands. It's a little heavier as a result of some modifications, but not so much that it seems clunky. The rounded, rubberized grips make control much easier and help alleviate slipping if your hands sweat. Everything has a round, smooth feel to it, modeled in semi-transparent plastic with bright primary-color buttons and purple rubber with a clear cord showing off the braided steel wire inside. It's the New Beetle of Gamecube controllers, for sure. Only a few telltale differences in design indicate extra functionality. One is the button on top, just under the Start/Pause button, and the other is on the front left opposite the Z button or trigger. The new front button is the M button.
M is for Macro. And for those of you who may not have used computer macros before, Mad Catz has given us a neat and simple tool to 'record' up to 15 consecutive button presses or commands and use them instantly at the touch of a button. Figure out that one-hit KO in Tekken 5 that uses a 10-button combo? Too lazy to mastermind all 10 buttons all the time? Here's how you turn 10 button presses into 1 button press. First, tap the Macro Execution button, just under the Start/Pause button. You'll see it light up. Now press the trigger on front, the M button, and you'll see the macro light on top of the Cubicon start to blink. You now have up to 1.5 seconds to enter your 10-button combo. If you enter 15 button presses, the macro is set, because this is the maximum number of commands. For those folks who might be thinking that 1.5 seconds isn't much, you'll be amazed at how little time it takes to enter 15 button presses when you really know where all the buttons are. Special commands can be used to indicate delay, a sustained hold on a button, or a double tap. After you complete the sequence you tap the Macro Execution button to stop recording and your macro is set. If you run out of time or use up all 15 commands the recording automatically stops. But, at the end you've got your M button programmed with that killer combo. Also, if you find the game isn't taking your macro for some reason, Mad Catz was thoughtful enough to include a system for speeding up or slowing down the playback to accommodate games that can't read a macro if it goes by too quickly. Very smart. Everything about the Cubicon is smart, right down to the non-slip textured surface of the analog stick. Where the standard controller can feel a little slippery, especially to someone with larger hands, this little beauty fits like the proverbial glove.
