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Comic and Rant for Thursday, November 14, 2002
Wireless Whining |
Okay, before I forget again: I Have a Domain Name Now! Actually I’ve had it for over a year, but I never did anything with it. Admittedly, it only forwards you here (or here if you’re reading this in the archives), but “www.radioactivefanboys.com” is easier for people to remember than “radioactivefanboys.comicgenesis.com but make sure you don’t include ’www’ under any circumstances!” Another thing I keep forgetting: One of the best comics on the web, Demonology 101, is updating again. Check it out. Both of you! I don’t know if I already linked to this (IMHO) hilarious Little Gamers strip, but anyway, click here after playing the game. Here are some other strips and such I’ve also kept forgetting to link to. As you may have guessed, I love almost everything about the wonderful whimsical wireless Wavebird - it’s as comfortable and ergonomic as the standard ’Cube controller, the added weight and bulk are so small as to be infinitesimal, and the only time I had any problems with the receptions was when some joker decided to play “Let’s Spin the Frequency Dial.” I only have three complaints, and they’re all pretty minor: First off, there’s the same complaint I have with the standard controller (and curiously all third party ones as well) - the Z trigger, so conveniently and innovatively located on the N64 controller (and indeed the most praised component of an otherwise overly maligned device), is awkwardly placed just above the right shoulder button (R). Fortunately, few games use the button use the button the way it was used in N64 games (although Rogue Leader and SSBM come to mind), but it’s ironic that when they fixed the controller, they also fixed the one part that everybody agreed ain’t broke. More surprising is the fact that, so far, no third party manufacturer has made a controller with an easy-to-reach Z. True, a few have placed it on top along with the regular buttons, but how about putting it under the grips, where it can be activated by either the ring or insult fingers? Or maybe under the R? Check back in the near future for a more detailed rant on controllers that should exist but mysteriously don’t! Wow! That was a lot of text for a minor complaint... My second minor (and significantly shorter) gripe is that they only come in one color. Now before you start calling me vain or an interior decorator or something, let me point out that if each controller is a different color you can easily tell which port each is plugged into merely by glancing at the color of the plug (of course some third party controllers don’t have color-coordinated plugs, but that’s the exception rather than the rule [although it may influence whether or not I buy the controller]) instead of playing a prolonged game of “Follow The Tangled Cord.” With no cords, tangled or otherwise, to follow, one must either look at the tiny little numbers, keep turning the dial on your controller until you get the frequency (“Wait! Let me find my frequency before you guys try, okay? Hey! I said wait! Don’t make me get out my clown hammer!”), or do what I did.  As you’ve probably guessed, the third and final minor complaint is the lack of a rumble feature. I actually don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. I’d still like to have it, of course, but it’s no biggie. More importantly, adding rumble probably increase the weight, and definitely increase the battery consumption and price. Still, with technology ever on the move and enough people clamoring for it (and saying they’d be willing to pay extra and buy batteries more often), Yamauchi-shachou’s company may well release a vibrating version in the not-too-distant future (though something tells me it’ll have a different name, at least in this country ...) Wow, I don’t think many people could take that much space just to say “It’s not perfect, but it’s close, and there are no flaws that should keep you from buying it.” I don’t know whether to be pleased with myself or ashamed. If you liked it, then I guess I’m pleased with myself, otherwise ... well ... why don’t I go on to an unequivocally negative review? I speak, of course, of the evil that is Pelican’s G3 Wireless controller. This rant was actually delayed because I wanted to link to a review I did of this monstrosity, but couldn’t find it! I still haven’t found it, but I think it was here, and it didn’t show up either because it was never transmitted (not unlikely with all the disconnects I keep getting - I just got one now, in fact!), I didn’t do something correctly (like maybe neglecting to fill in a mandatory blank or, even more likely, making it too long), or they rejected it. If it’s the latter then that is of course their right, as is clearly stated on the page, but it’s sad if they rejected a review by someone who actually used and tested the product but kept one from someone whose review was apparently based entirely on reading publicity materials. Where to begin? Well, I suppose I could rehash my gripes about the “Z” button, or point out that it’s slightly heavier, bulkier, less comfortable and less ergonomic than the Wavebird, unfavorably compare Pelican’s mere eight channels to the ’Bird’s sixteen, or even make fun of the antenna on the base unit and wonder if it’s really necessary, but (as I’ve pointed out before) no GCN controller thus far produced has a well-placed Z and (as I haven’t pointed out before) the changes in weight, bulk, comfort and ergonomics are minor - with the former two necessary due to the rumble motor and the latter two matters of opinion, one person’s comfort being another person’s discomfort (Jeff, for example, thinks the D+ Pad is awkwardly placed, and I think it’s convenient)- one probably doesn’t need more than eight channels, and the antenna may actually be necessary, as the unit must transmit as well as receive, and making it more compact might have upped the price too much. No, Campers, I’ll just criticize one thing. Yeah, that’s right. Its main selling point over the Wavebird is essentially non-existent. It’ll rumble a little if you do something like crash into the Death Star while simultaneously being blown up by TIE fighters and having the light saber you tucked in your underpants go off. As for subtle rumble effects, like actually feeling like you’re knocking on the walls when playing Luigi’s Mansion? Forget it. Which means that the only advantage it has over the Wavebird is its lower price. That being the case, the arguments I previously dismissed come back into play: It’s heavier (I had the exact weights, but lost the notes), it’s less comfortable, it has only eight channels, and while I don’t know how the ranges compare, the package claims the range is “Up To” a certain number (I really wish I hadn’t lost my notes) versus the Wavebird’s mere twenty feet, conveniently ignoring the fact that Nintendo’s estimate is extremely conservative, and that every reviewer has remarked on this (this one found the max range to be 92.4 feet). They’re not exactly lying, but they are being deceptive, making me wonder if there aren’t other things wrong with it. Of course there’s also the question of durability. Admittedly, I haven’t tested Pelican’s controller, and it didn’t feel flimsy, but I’ve dropped my Wavebirds several times, reviews have commended their durability, and I got a message from myself in the future saying that at the age of one my nephew will give them a pretty good workout, and they’ll survive without a scratch (no stock tips, though - stupid Future Me!). What I’m trying to say here - and taking up far too much space to do so - is that since the Pelican G3 essentially doesn’t rumble, and there are other ways of differentiating which controller is which than one being black and one being silver, you’re better off spending the extra money and getting the higher quality controller, namely the Wavebird. |
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