Average Rating: 
Rating:  - If not an innovation, then a good addition,
You know obviously that this is the same-sized controller released in Japan. It is basically, from what I hear, the same controller, but with a longer (USA stanard length) cord. I have two of the original Xbox controllers and two of these, and my friends and I really enjoy having the option as to which controller we use. I use both pretty frequently, and while I don't find one to be overwhelmingly better than the other, they do add some variety, and for some games, one controller seems better. For example, playing Halo, I enjoy the Controller S, the triggers are a little tighter and the black/white buttons are in a more convenient spot. It doesn't really offer an advantage, it's just a personal preference.I salute Microsoft for giving its US customers the option of having a smaller controller. For people that really like the original, it's still here, and for people that want something a little different, there's now an alternative to those (kind of cheesy) non-Microsoft controllers. All in all, this was a pretty good purchase.
Rating: - Not perfect, but a big improvement for sports games
Remember the Sega Genesis? Remember the first time you got to use Sega's 6-button controller? It was great! A sleek, smaller design that got rid of the bulk and wasted space of the original, while also slimming the buttons down as well as adding a second row of face buttons. It was a tremendous improvement that was very welcome at the time.Now fast-forward to present day: Microsoft, less than a year after the debut of its wonder-machine, has decided (at the bequest of dissatisfied gamers everywhere) to make the controller originally designed for the overseas Japanese market available in the USA. Enter the "Controller S," a smaller model designed to solve the often cumbersome limitations of the original. And it succeeds, albeit not 100%. Many people cited the controller as one of the bigger drawbacks to the Microsoft XBox: it was too big, the buttons weren't user-friendly, there was a lot of wasted space (hello, logo!) and people really didn't know what to make of those pesky white & black buttons. The Controller S aims to solve these problems, and does so in most areas. The controller is smaller now, thus decreasing reaction time, the analog sticks are now identical and seemingly a bit tighter with less movement area, the gigantic clear dome logo has been replaced by a smaller button-sized logo, and the Back & Start buttons have been relocated to the left side underneath the left analog. Obviously the biggest (and best) change is the new "standard" placement of the face buttons. They are now North/South/East/West and also flat and circular, instead of teardrop shaped. This makes finding & utilizing them much easier and intuitive. BUT, we still haven't mentioned the B&W buttons yet, and that's where the design fails yet again. Microsoft acquiesced to the positioning of the main face buttons, and should have just place the Black & White buttons in the same pattern as the C & Z buttons on the old Sega Genesis 6-button controller. But, instead of having them in the awkward yet usable spot of the original XBox controller, they are now recessed and completely below the face buttons. This all but forces the player to use the heel of their thumb to press the B&W buttons, whilst the main portion of the thumb performs the usual face button duty. This isn't impossible, but it's even more awkward and counter-intuitive than the previous awkward & counter-intuitive setup. No bones about it, the Controller S is the better controller. The new design facilitates faster and more accurate control, which is especially helpful in sports games. I noticed the difference in NCAA 2003 the minute I played using the Controller S. Though others maintain that the slower, more deliberate nature of the original is helpful in games like Halo or Star Wars Starfighter, I tend to disagree but your mileage may vary. So check it out and see how much more precise your gaming experience can be with the superior XBox Controller S.
Rating: - A Huge Improvement Over The Original Controller
After playing Halo with both controllers I have to say the S controller is a much easier controller to use, perhaps even the equal of the dual shock two. Some complain about the position of the white and black buttons are now in a bad spot, but I find them easier to get to than reaching over the other 4 buttons on the original controller. Force feadback is still great and the smaller size fits perfectly in my hands. I won't use the controller that came with my XBox again. This is the one to get.
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