Needless to say my experience with third-party controllers has been categorically less than pleasant, that is until I received the Dragon Ball Z controller from Nuby Technologies.  Maybe it was the cool graphic covering the face of the controller with Super Saiyan Goku combined with the flashy red casing and bright yellow cord that raised my hopes.  Being a DBZ fan via the Mini-Bearer, I tend to geek out a bit with new DBZ merchandise, for the benefit of the kid of course, but as I plugged the controller in and began abusing it, I found that it’s more than just a pretty face.

The controller itself feels solid in your hands, despite it being lighter than you’d first expect it to be.  Although the controller feels light, it is significantly bigger than the Dual Shock, which I personally appreciated due to my freakishly large hands, but I had concerns as to whether it might inhibit those with more humanly proportioned digits and or kids.  These fears were immediately alleviated when the Mini-Bearer grabbed the controller from my hands and didn’t miss a beat, while commenting, “Dude, this thing’s cool.” 

The face buttons, D-Pad, shoulder buttons, and stick layout mirror those of those Dual Shock, except for the Start and Select buttons which are placed near the face buttons, with the Turbo and Mode buttons inhabiting their normal places.  The face buttons as well as the shoulder buttons all feature a nice amount of resistance making it easy to apply just the right amount of pressure.  I was also especially pleased with the “movement” of the sticks as they move with a fluidity that just “feels” right, an important trait for any control device. 

Another cool feature of the controller, and likely one of its main selling points beyond being a DBZ-licensed product, is the way that Goku powers up.  The box states that while playing Budokai 2, Goku lights up mimicking his power surge as he turns Super Saiyan, and that he does with cool results.  It’s a nice touch that Nuby did this, adding something to the equation beyond just having Goku’s face plastered across the controller.  However, don’t fret if you don’t own Budokai 2, because it was my experience that you get the same result with any other game that supports the rumble feature.  The controller rumbles, Goku lights up, you’re happy, and the dog is scared; what more could you ask for?

Thus far this has been a pretty “glowing” review (pun intended), however, there is one problem, the D-Pad.  While playing games that rely heavily on using the D-Pad, you quickly realize that the D-Pad is not quite as responsive as you’d hope or expect.  This was never more evident than while playing SSX 3 and fighting games that require combos entered on the D-Pad.  With time it can be overcome, but you have to be ever mindful to use extra force when pressing on it.  With everything else about the controller being top-notched, I was disappointed to run into this problem.

In the end, if you’re a DBZ fan and are mindful of the D-Pad, then by all means, buy this controller.  It is a sharp looking, solidly built controller, which offers a very unique and well-implemented feature in the powering up of Goku.  It truly is a one of a kind controller that deserves consideration by any self respecting DBZ fan/gamer.

Pros:
Solidly built controller, capable of withstanding the abuses of the most physically demanding/punishing gamer.  Very, very cool looking controller featuring everyone’s favorite Super Saiyan and seeing Goku “power” up is worth the price of admission alone.

Cons:
Unresponsive D-Pad that requires some muscling.

Verdict: 7.5
Recommended for any DBZ fan or anyone looking for a controller unlike any other.  Had it not been for the D-Pad, this controller would have warranted at least a 9.0, placing it right up there with Sony’s beloved first-party controller.