The Shrine

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>Surprise, surprise: Resident Evil 4 comes to Playstation 2. (What was all that about an exclusivity deal between Nintendo and Capcom?) In other news, Fable may be the first RPG I actually enjoy in, oh, four years?</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Clearly you haven't finished it yet. Talk to me in a few hours :)</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>*shrug* Apparently, the higher-ups at Capcom wanted more money. Doesn't surprise me after what they did with Viewtiful Joe, but doesn't affect me either, as I'll still get the GC version regardless (should be the better version, after all).</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>As far as Fable goes, I've heard mixed reviews about it and have thus far decided to skip it (see my "murderer's row" post a ways down to see why I'm ducking out of the way of certain games) based on what I've heard about the really long load times as well as the fact that all the stuff you can do doesn't seem to have much impact on the game itself.

<i>-57</i></div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>That's a good thing. They NEED to put it on the PS2. Definately making it availble to a wider audience.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>Capcom already broke its wedding vows to Nintendo with that little harlot Viewtiful Joe, so I'm not surprised. I'm sure the GC version of RE4 will be superior still anyway.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>Except for the controller.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>No way, dude. GC controller is fucking ergonomics in ACTION. You're just stuck in your PS2-dominated hegemonic mindset.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>No, it's ergonomics in pain, like trying to fondle a deformed kidney. D-Pad is for baby thumbs.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>No, it's ergonomics in pain, like trying to fondle a deformed kidney. The D-Pad is made for tiny Japanese hands.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>What Stephen said!</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>Yeah, I heard about the ending. I'm just enjoying the process of getting there right now.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Heh, just wait until Jade Empire; and I'll just maintain my "I told you so" attitude toward Fable =)</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>The D-Pad? Yeah, okay. Send me a wire when you get out of the Stone Age : )</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '><i>GC controller:</i>

Pros - I actually like this controller a lot. The button setup takes a little while to get used to, but once you do, it is quite comfy to use. I also think that the analog stick is the best of the three, and it also has the best triggers.

Cons - I sometimes forget about the Z button, and it's slightly awkward to use...using the C-stick as a button (like, when C-up counts as a button press) can sometimes be a little fruity...and yes, the d-pad is ridiculously small.

Comments - Regarding the d-pad, though, I haven't played a game yet that made extensive use of it. In fact, the only game I can think of off the top of my head that even required its use at all was Metroid Prime, and that was only spot duty (although it was a pain in the arse to frantically switch visors when you were being attacked, and accidentally switching to the wrong one at first). If your beef with the d-pad has to do with fighting games or GBA games, well, that's why I have a universal joystick and a SNES-style import controller.


<i>PS2 controller:</i>

Pros - Basic setup, lots of buttons. The d-pad is okay.

Cons - I'm really not a fan of the surface of the analog sticks, or the placement of the left stick. Also, "lots of buttons" can also be a con (how many times have you been playing some game and wondering "wait, what does R2 do again?"). The d-pad <i>blows</i> for fighting games.

Comments - Meh. It does the job, but doesn't thrill me in any way. Much like the PS2 and its games, actually.


<i>XBox controller S:</i>

Pros - Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. It's comfortable to hold, it's got plenty of buttons, the analog sticks are great and are placed just right, the d-pad is comfy to use, triggers are excellent, etc.

Cons - I always get the white and black buttons mixed up...can never remember which one is where.

Comments - I love this thing. The best overall.


<i>Disclaimer:</i> I suppose I should mention at this point that I have relatively small hands. Just something to keep in mind.


Regards,
<i>-57</i></div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>I don't understand why people complain about controllers at all. The only one I ever had problems with was the original NES blister-bringer.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>It had better be, considering the system is much more powerful and it was originally developed for it</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>You mean the one that's hardly used? I guess you don't play the SP much, either.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>The only ones I ever hated were the Jaguar controller (SUUUUCKS) and the original Xbox one, which was made only for sasquatches</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Thats' the idea, they're trying to revive the brand and you can't do it with your marquee game on the #3 system</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>If you can play the Resident Evil games using the analog stick, then more power to you. For me, it has to be digital.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Arial; text-align: left; '>If the game's gonna have some new kind of conrol scheme, then the Cube controller might have a shot. If it's like every other RE game though, the the Dual Shock D-Pad will defnitely be the controller of choice. I'll still end up get the GC version, either way.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>The GC analog has that octagon casing that makes it superb for both, though. You can hit all the cardinal directions with ease.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>I can't stand the buttons on the X-Box controller. The analog, d-pad are great, and the triggers are fantastic, but the "face" buttons have a very awkward give to them, not to mention that the black and white buttons are too small and placed in uncomfortable positions. I like it the least of the three because of this.

I'd say the GC controller is my favorite just because it's so comfortable, but both the GC and PS2 are suited very well to their respective purposes. Fighting games, for one, work a lot better with the PS2's wide array of systematically placed buttons. And games like 3-D Action games that require simpler button patterns but quicker, more adaptive, more "natural" reactions work better on the GC's design.

Though I always forget about the Z button too :)</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>I don't get the complaint about the PS2 controller's D-pad. I have no problems with fighters.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>Oh, I don't have any problems with GC analog stick for most games. But Resident Evil's thick, sluggish controls give me fits. I use a Dual Shock converter for that game. Very handy little device.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>ditto.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>The D-Pad isn't THAT bad, it's the same size as the GBA one (it's the same one, actually)</div>

<div style='font: 10pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light", "Century Gothic"; text-align: left; '>Are you kidding? It's FOUR BUTTONS. It's not even a real D-Pad. Sega Saturn's D-Pad was fucking beautiful.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light", "Century Gothic"; text-align: left; '>I thought the N64 one was made for little kid thumbs. I've never seen a worse analog stick. The GC is a big improvement.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light", "Century Gothic"; text-align: left; '>Fable is a nice RPG in terms of gameplay. It's fun to build up the character, etc. But, the story straight up sucks. And no, I haven't finished it yet.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>There hasn't been anything wrong with controllers since the NES days, you're just a pansy ass whiner.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>You hear that, Eric? Seeker thinks we're pansy ass whiners 'cause we find fault with controllers. I'm just devastated.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>He gets emotional over Nintendo products.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>There is seriously something wrong about someone who takes a girly temper tantrum over a video game controller.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>As I said, there hasn't been anything wrong with any of the controllers since the NES days when controllers caused blisters.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>There's something seriously wrong with you in general, Seeker. What's the matter? Just remember that we're all here for you, baby.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>I'd say there's something even more seriously wrong with someone who throws a temper tantrum because he can't stand anyone disagreeing with him. Or maybe it's just you in general.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Girly temper tantrum? What world do you live in?</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>You're mistaking a patronizing tone for a temper tantrum. So not only are you girly, but you are also quite stupid.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>The revised one was, after they decided to pay Nintendo the royalties. the first one was just a circle with four little dimples in it, it was awful</div>

<div style='font: bold 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Shame on you anyway, Stephen! Heaven forbid you discuss a topic such as this on *gasp* and video game message board!!!</div>

<div style='font: bold 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Made-up fact world. I've already figured that out. :)</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Good god, we've been over this ten thousand times. It's one piece of plastic, not four discrete buttons.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>Sine's having a hard time grasping that I suppose.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt georgia; text-align: left; '>Our original PS2 controllers have 4 buttons instead of a single "piece of plastic" for the D-pad. Thats where he's getting it.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>What they're saying is that it's one piece of plastic with four pieces that stick out of the controller. So it looks like 4 buttons, but it's actually one big piece</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Press down on one side. Do the other buttons move? Mine certainly do, because it's one piece of plastic with the controller case over the middle. All Sony PS controllers I've seen are like that too.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt georgia; text-align: left; '>well thats dumb...we dont use those controllers at all. Your thumb just doesnt move right on them.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Exactly why I always had problems using them for fighters - at first I used a third-party controller instead, these days I just use a universal joystick.</div>