Specialized Controller: If you look at the image to the side, it should be obvious this Xbox 360 gamepad is missing some things you would normally expect. This is intentional; the design is clearly inspired by the Sega Saturn’s controller and is meant for games like Street Fighter, Castlevania, old arcade titles, and so on. It is very well suited to playing those games, but this comes at the expense of being lacking for any game requiring the use of analog sticks. Think of it as somewhat like buying a dance pad for Dance Dance Revolution or a guitar for Guitar Hero. Accordingly, some fighting game terminology is used but I will try to be as clear as I can for those unfamiliar with that sort of thing.

The gamepad that comes with the Xbox 360 is pretty good for most modern games; the buttons, triggers, bumpers, and analog sticks are all fine. But analog sticks don’t work well for old-style games such as a fair number of Xbox Live Arcade titles; they need a d-pad, and the one on the Microsoft pad basically simulates what it’s like to play those games while completely drunk. That’s where Madcatz’ Street Fighter IV Fightpads come in; while not truly a clone of the Sega Saturn pad, it’s pretty similar to that proven design and is a huge improvement for these sort of games. The major features are an enlargened ’raised disc’ d-pad and six face buttons (plus the usual Guide, Start, and Select along with a Turbo feature), making it great for old-school titles. It also has an Xbox headset port, and a switch that will let it somewhat behave like either analog stick.

Since it’s purpose-built for these kind of games, it better be good at them. But does it measure up? I tested it in several Xbox 360 games, and the results were generally pretty nice.