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Horipad EX Turbo controller EXists
We can't tell much from the Japanese product page, but we can EXtract the basics. The Horipad EX Turbo (built by Hori, natch) features three different turbo settings for the four face buttons, it's "officially lisensed [sic] for Xbox 360" and it will EXcel the EXcellent EXperience with EXcitement. Oh, and it's going for about $30 US.The inclusion of features like turbo switches always makes me roll my eyes. They seem anachronistic, a holdover from third-party controllers in the NES days. What is turbo going to do for a player in Halo? It doesn't have rubber grips though, so that's a gold star for Mad Catz. I'll stick with the $11 $50 wireless version.See also:Insert DoA4 big stick joke here; arcade stick reviewed3rd party controllers struggle to distinguish themselves[Via del.icio.us]
PeriBorg finger-vibrator and fork/spoon combo
File this one under, "WTF?" The latest issue of Wired has a bit on the Periborg line of gaming peripherals (part peripheral, part cyborg). Pictured above is the "Ore Commander," a finger mounted vibrator attached to a battery pack designed to help gamers press buttons faster ("20 times a second"). Even stranger is the "Shock-C," a finger mounted spoon and fork, designed to help gamers keep their thumbs from getting greasy.Eiji Morikawa, the 28-year-old electrical engineer and designer of the Periborg devices, explained the creations saying, "Our definition of 'controller' is too rigid." While there is some truth to this contention, we imagine you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thought this was a good idea. Check out Engadget on the Periborg peripherals: 1, 2, or watch video footage, if you dare![Via pasta and vinegar]
Insert DoA4 big stick joke here; arcade stick reviewed
Like fighting games but miss the feel of a real, authentic arcade joystick, complete with 6 perfectly arranged face buttons, and an 8-way joystick with just the right amount of audible "click"? For $60 you can get Hori's officially licensed arcade stick for Dead or Alive 4. How do we know it's just for Dead or Alive 4? Cause it says so right on it!Of course, the controller can be used with other titles, although DoA4 will recognize if you're using it and adjust the controls accordingly. With support for the Xbox 360 headset and a USB connection, it seems like an ideal way to get your classic arcade game on. Xbox Solution is unequivocal in their praise, gushing, "This has to be the best overall arcade stick I have ever bought. The only one that comes close to it is my Neo Geo arcade stick and that was a lot more expensive. No fighting fan will complain that the stick is not centered or that the buttons don’t respond right away. Hori has made the perfect stick for the best fighting game to come to a console."I'm imagining that a more popular use for this stick isn't going to be Dead or Alive 4 so much as it will be Street Fighter II. Hopefully SFII will be cheap enough to make that $60 price tag a little less bothersome.
