Hulk-Pad

“Really Works!”

How many times have you sat around thinking “gee, I wish someone would plaster the Incredible Hulk’s ugly mug on my gamepad and install a pulsating green light inside of the casing to give me that intense ‘green’ feeling”?  Well, if that describes you then your wishes have been answered by none other than Marvel-themed game pad giant Naki.  Following in their tradition of creating controllers based on movies that are based on Marvel superheroes, Naki’s new Hulk Pad for the PS2 is a highly stylized rendition of The Incredible Hulk portrayed on a slightly-larger Dual Shock-style game pad.  Fans of The Hulk and his upcoming motion picture (due out 6.20.03) will certainly get a kick out of its Green Goliath inspired features, and those who just want a cheap extra controller will appreciate its relatively-low price point and fairly functional design.  But regardless of what camp you occupy, don’t expect to be impressed.

While Naki’s other Hulk-themed gaming pads for the Xbox and GC are both drastic deviations from the system’s respective first-party controllers, the PS2 Hulk Pad was molded with the original Dual Shock 2 gamepad in mind.  The result is a controller shell that is nearly identical to that of the Dual Shock, though thematically decorated and noticeably larger.  Some may complain that this style of design isn’t very creative, but when it comes to comfort you can’t argue with the tried-and-true Dual Shock design that has stood the test of time for nearly a decade.  But those who absolutely must have an equal portion of wackiness with their functionality will be glad to know that a second, more dramatically designed, Hulk Pad is planned to coincide with The Hulk theatrical release.

While the Hulk Pad may be comfortable to hold and offers pressure-sensitive face buttons (but no pressure sensitive D-pad), its basically just a Dual Shock look-alike with an inferior D-pad and a single extra feature (outside of its Hulk infused design); a glowing green light positioned in the center of the pad that randomly pulsates in correlation with rumble effect.  The eerie green radiance that emits from the Hulk Pad is advertised as being a “NEW Incredible Technology!” and is further bullet-marked as featuring “Breathing, pulsating, and vibrating light-up special effects”, which is right below the first bullet-point that declares (the Hulk Pad) “Really Works!” – a moment of silence to admire this ingenious marketing style based on rampant adjectives that don’t actually form coherent sentences…

While the Hulk Pad gets the job done in a multiplayer pinch, I wouldn’t recommend using it as your weapon of choice.  It’s simply inferior in every way to the Dual Shock 2.  These problems include face-buttons that feel loose, making it difficult to gauge how much pressure is being communicated to the game you’re playing; Analog-sticks that offer very little resistance; And little chiblet-looking trigger buttons, all four of ’em identically designed, that make an audibly loud clicking sound when pressed.  The Start and Select buttons have been moved to the upper-right of the D-pad for easy access, no complaints there.  The D-pad itself feels very unnatural as the pie-platter chunk of plastic writhes about at the slightest touch.

To be fair, most of the people who buy this pad will do so for its Hulk-styled aesthetics, and at an MSRP of only $19.99 it’s not a bad deal.  But if you’re looking for a quality extra controller, you’d be well-advised to hold out for the real thing (read: Sony’s Dual Shock 2, now in multiple colors!).  Still, the “breathing” green light effect is pretty cool, especially in the dark, and the detailed Hulk design that complements the face of the pad certainly gives it some flair.  Here’s hoping Naki releases a tighter-feeling controller in their next Hulk Pad revision later next month.
 

Pros:
Affordable price-point.  Comfortable shell design.  Cool Hulk illustration on face of the controller and interesting lighting effects.  Conveniently placed Start and Select buttons.

Cons:
Every button on the controller feels abnormally loose.  The back half of the controller’s shell is a plain purple color that clashes with the frontside’s green-colored design.

Verdict: 6.2
The Hulk Pad is a good value, and if you’re looking to save a few bucks while retaining an adequately functional controller then you might want to give this one a go.  But even Hulk fans won't find a lot to like about this pad outside of its cool aesthetics.