***DISCLAIMER*** This review was not written by a tournament going pro gamer (like the controller is marketed to) but by a hardcore gamer that enjoys and has access to all the consoles and a gaming capable PC. Thus, I had different expectations for it.
I purchased this controller after watching the MadCatz spokesperson demonstrate it during CES. What grabbed my interest was the modular nature of the controller (swap in different joystick/d-pad types at different positions depending on what style you like to use) and the "Reverse Trigger mode". Most shooters on PS3 map their Aiming/Shooting functions to the shoulder buttons instead of the analog triggers because the Dual Shock 3's triggers are crap for shooting games. This controller mode swaps L1 & L2, R1 & R2. Madcatz has really gone out of their way to change their image as a budget controller maker with their recent fighting game joystick products (I own 2 of them), so I felt pretty confident in giving them another shot.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with my purchase, but there is definitely room for improvement:
***PROS***
JOYSTICK AND D-PAD MODULES WORK AS ADVERTISED
The controller comes with (2) Playstation 3-style joysticks (convex, with same style of rubber on top), (2) Xbox 360 joysticks (concave, with the little rubber nubs on the edges of the joystick top), (1) PS3 style D-pad and (1) Xbox 360 style D-pad. The only limitation you have is that you cannot put D-pads in the right joystick position. You're free to customize it any way you like after that though. I currently use the Xbox 360 gamepad layout, subbing in a PS3 joystick for the left stick, and a PS3 d-pad in the d-pad slot. What I also REALLY liked was that the FUNCTIONS of the controller are tied to the module. Let me explain. When I swap D-pad and joystick positions on this controller to play Uncharted, that doesn't mean that I'm controlling Drake with a D-pad and selecting weapons with a joystick. The controller intelligently maps the functions to exactly what I was expecting: Top-Left Joystick position controls movement, Bottom-Left D-pad controls weapon switching. It works beautifully.
REVERSE TRIGGER MODE WORKS AS ADVERTISED
This, along with the control modules, was the big one for me. When I saw that CES demo, visions of playing the Uncharted games or Killzone 3 with a controller setup that I got used to playing Halo, Gears of War and Call of Duty on danced through my head. I just prefer the feel of the Xbox 360 controller for this generation of consoles, ESPECIALLY for first person and third person shooters. This controller came through in fulfilling my vision. I caught myself playing 3 hours of Uncharted 3 when I meant to only test games 20 minutes apiece because everything just felt so "right" to me now. Killzone 3 also was a highlight; I'm going to definitely go back to that game now.
FACE BUTTONS ARE WELL MADE
The iconic Sony Square, X, Triangle, Circle face buttons feel great; not too mushy, not too firm, and not "clicky". They don't feel cheap, which was a major concern of mine. Most third party controllers don't make the extra effort to make the face buttons feel good like console manufacturers do: This one does.
CONTROLLER FEELS SOLID, GOOD BUILD QUALITY
This is just one of those things that you "feel". It definitely feels like a quality piece of hardware and has some heft. The nice thing is that it actually has modular magnetic weights, in case you want your controller to feel a little heavier or lighter. The detachable controller cord is also very heavy duty, with a mesh sleeve and a heavy-duty screw-on connector.
MAGNETIC CUSTOMIZABLE FACE PLATE
If you're into that sorta thing. It's neat, but not one of the driving forces for my purchase.
***CONS***
D-PAD QUALITY NOT UP TO PAR
Ugh, really? This is probably my biggest disappointment with this controller. If there's one thing that has majorly annoyed me about this console generation, it's that the D-pad quality (ESPECIALLY on the Xbox 360!) is awful. Unfortunately, these d-pad modules follow suit. The PS3 d-pad that comes with this controller is DEFINITELY not as good as the Dual Shock 3's, while the 360-style d-pad is slightly better than Microsoft's stock d-pad. Sadly, this leaves you in a bit of a lurch when it comes to most fighting games and other sidescrolling games (like platformers and other indie games on PSN). I tried playing Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition and it was awful. I had the 2 d-pads set up side by side on the left so I could directly compare them. The 360 one was just as bad as ever (seriously, why even put this one in the box) while the PS3-style d-pad was "Ok". But I'd much rather use a real dual shock (or better yet, a FightStick) to play Street Fighter with. At least Mortal Kombat played pretty well, but that's because I think that fighting game is very "tappy". Maybe Tekken would have been good too. I don't know, I'm not a Tekken fan. Yeah, yeah, you should get a joystick if you're going to seriously play fighters, but you know what? When you spend $100 on a gamepad controller, I think it should do everything well. Maybe this problem can be corrected with better D-pad modules? I don't know. I hope so.
CORD LENGTH
Maybe on average 13 feet will be enough for people. Unfortunately, it was about 3 feet shy for me. I had to use a USB extension cord. Madcatz has said they will offer longer cords, but that's going to be more money on top of a $100 controller. Just get a USB extension cable if you came up short, like I did.
SHOULDER BUTTONS FEEL CHEAP
It stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the controller's build, but the shoulder buttons are VERY "clicky" and don't feel very solid. The right bumper got a little better (had to break it in?) after about 7-8 hours of game testing.
FACE BUTTON ANALOG WONKINESS
As good as those face buttons feel, I can't tell if they have analog functionality like the Dual Shock 3s. If they do, they're overly sensitive or something. The easiest game to test this on is Metal Gear Solid 3 (now conveniently repackaged in a PS3 HD collection!). When you are aiming a gun in MGS3, you can slowly release the button to release lower the weapon without firing. If you have an enemy solider in a chokehold, you can also either firmly press the button to slit their throat or you can slowly let the button go to safely release them. I could not replicate either of these actions on this controller. So, buyer beware if some of your favorite games use the analog nature of the face buttons.
***OTHER NOTES***
These aren't deal breakers to me, but they might be to some people, so I thought I would list them.
-The controller's shape is clearly modelled more after an Xbox 360 controller. People who are in love with the shape of Sony's Dual Shocks might be disappointed.
-The controller has no vibration functionality.
-The controller has no motion control Sixaxis functionality.
-The controller is not wireless. MLG and Madcatz stated that they wanted to eliminate lag for competitive reasons. It doesn't bother me, but it might for some people.
-You can't turn the system on by pressing the home button, even when it's plugged in. Probably because it's not wireless? I'm not sure.
There may be more cons than pros, but the pros are HUGE in my opinion. I no longer have to worry about using a controller I don't like to play PS3 shooters, or opt for the 360 version of a game just because of a controller preference. However, $100 is a LOT of money for a controller. When you're spending that much money, it's justified to demand perfection. So this controller isn't for everyone. I will definitely keep on using it though, especially for action & shooting games. The things I would like to see improved are a GREAT D-pad module so you can play fighting games and other old school games on it, and maybe a way to customize/swap out the face buttons. Other than that, this is a great start for Madcatz and they continue to impress me with their new approach to controller manufacturing.
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Best Deals for Mad Catz Offically Licensed Major League Gaming Pro Circuit MLG
I really want to like this controller. Build quality is much better than I expected, even at the premium price. The thing just feels solid. I play on both consoles, but more so on the PS3, so the feel of the controller isn't as awkward to me (although a dual shock user may feel differently). Being able to change the layout to my preference is a pretty nice feature (I currently have it in a PS3 layout with a mix of analogue sticks). Buttons feel like OEM, triggers are good, bumpers are clicky (kinda loud actually). The texture on the rear is nice and grippy. And the weight system just adds to the solidness. As others have stated, the PS3 style d-pad is not as responsive as the 360 style d-pad (not a big deal in most fps), hopefully they'll address this in future add ons.
Now, my only real issue so far...
The analogue sticks. This is the main reason this controller peaked my interest. Having gone through countless dualshocks (about 5 in 3 years), it was always the same issue. Too much sprinting in COD created a groove on the shaft of the left joystick which eventually lead to sticky movement and eventual failure of the L3 button. I've tried to replace them with another product called modsticks which are really great as they are machined from aluminium, however they really start to hurt your thumb after long gaming sessions. So now I have this controller. The analogue movement feels good and the click response is solid. It doesn't seem like it will have the same issue with the shaft, and if it does wear down it can be replaced. My only issue so far is adjusting to the sensitivity. Maybe they just need to be broken in, but they're not as loose as a stock ds3 controller, so it has somewhat affected my accuracy. I can't seem to compensate for it through the sensitivity settings in game either (usually play at 5, dropped down to 3-4 but it's still throwing off my game). I'll keep playing for now and see how it goes, I know I can adjust, but the process is frustrating.
For all those who are hating on Madcatz for their reputation, this controller does not apply. If you've had a chance to play with a tournament edition fight stick, you'll know that they are capable of producing quality.
Honest reviews on Mad Catz Offically Licensed Major League Gaming Pro Circuit MLG
The design of this controller is very good, however I have a few issues with the controller to date:
1) The D-Pad has issues with mispresses. I can sometimes be pressing up and it accidentally presses up + left or up + right. Happens with the PS3 and Xbox style gamepad components. It has caused me to lose battles in BF3 because this can switch you to your secondary slots by mistake.
2) My R shoulder button broke after a week of use (mushy instead of clicky when pressed). This is key to using the PS3 pad, as that is my main fire button. Unfortunately, I have had to send it back to Mad Catz to be fixed under warranty.
Otherwise, the controller feel and precision is great. I do find that there is an improvement over the standard PS3 pad once you get used to it, but these nagging problems with the controller (d-pad and broken buttons) force me to give a detrimental score to it.
Beware Mad Catz has not worked the bugs out of this controller yet. And I am going on a month and a half now of waiting for my repaired controller to be sent back to me. I will certainly come back and revise my review if Mad Catz fixes the issues with this device. I am also surprised that MLG would put its name on a controller when clearly it isn't up to MLG high standards.
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This controller is amazing! I have an xbox 360 and a PS3 and I prefer the 360 controller by far. It's nice to be able to configure the PS3 controller to the 360 setup. One of the most annoying things about the PS3 controller (other than the placement of the analog sticks) is having to aim and shoot with the bumpers instead of the triggers. The MLG controller fixes that in a very user friendly fashion. You only have to hold down the select and start buttons for a couple seconds and it switches the aim and shoot mechanic from the bumpers to the triggers. I can't tell you how much I love that! I play with my PS3 much more now because I have this controller. It feels substantial in your hands as well due to the weights it comes with. The fact that it's wired isn't an issue either. All I did was bought a USB extension and it extended the length of the wire for me. I have an 82' mitsubishi TV and my game/theater room is rather large (by most standards), so I need to sit pretty far away from the TV (about 12 or 13 feet). The USB extension extends it enough, so that there's plenty of slack between the PS3 and where I sit. Once again, I love it and I can't praise it enough. If you're on the fence, give it a shot and establish your own opinion. I was a little if-fy about whether I wanted to purchase it or not because of some of the reviews on this website, but I'm glad I tried it for myself. I would have missed out on an awesome peripheral otherwise.
