Star Pad Score: 70% Developer: Nyko

Function: It's no secret that controllers are expensive, especially the official ones. Thing is, in order to play some multi-player games with your friends, you kind of need at least two. In order to aid you in your quest for cheap, reliable controllers, Nyko offers the Star Pad.

Performance: I have really mixed feelings about the Star Pad as a whole. I'll admit that the GameCube controller is a little strange looking, but it's also one of the most comfortable controllers I've used since the Dual Shock. Nyko's controller does a good job of feeling like the official Nintendo one, and does a much better job at making your hands feel 'full' - great for gamers with bigger hands. The Star Pad also features a much larger D-pad than the official ones, and the bigger star-shaped start button makes getting to it a little easier.

Features: 10-Feet of soft cord Bigger D-pad Built-in vibration Bigger grips for bigger hands

Drawbacks & Problems:: The Star Pad does have it's fair share of problems though, the first of which is the way the 'handles' are molded. Instead of being smoothly curved, they are instead angled and have an uncomfortable, sharp feeling to them. The analog pad also poses a bit of a problem. It has a much tighter feel than the original, but lacks that certain finesse. I consider myself to be pretty good at Rogue Leader, especially in the confined areas such as the Strike at the Core mission. With the original controller, I have no problems zipping around turrets and pipes, but when using the Star Pad, I found myself crashing into things at the slightest nudge of the stick. It worked very well during Super Smash Brothers: Melee, so it's not a total loss. If you want a bigger controller, or just don't want to spend the dough on the official one, the Nyko Star Pad may be the one for you. If you're looking for a controller for some Multi-player Super Monkey Ball action, the analog stick's lack of finesse may have you looking at other controllers before picking up this one.

-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker