Freakishly good.

They're big. They're ugly. They're deformed. And ugly. (Whoa ... deja vu.) Some would say that they're downright hideous. Others might call 'em freaks. Well guess what gamers? Those people would be right. The ones who call 'em freaks, I mean. The others would be close, but when it comes down to it, these guys are freaks. It says right on the packaging.

Freak Series – Ninja.

See? I told you it did.

This unusual PS2 controller casing reminds me of 80s and early 90s toys like He-Man and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It has a certain quality that kids will be attracted to, almost without question. At the same time it has that classic toy quality that should appeal to young adults.

The Freak Series has been around a while, but this is the first Ninja controller to be released. The best way to describe it is to imagine what would happen if the star of Onimusha (Samonosuke) hooked up with one of the vicious monsters he battles – the controller would be their lovechild. And lovely it is. The deformed plastic shape begs the question: how in the world could this controller function? How could I stand to hold it in my hand for more than an instant, let alone press its buttons and game for hours with it plugged into my PlayStation 2?

My worries were alleviated when I got the chance to wrap my hands around a non-working Ninja Freak Series controller at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. I couldn't believe how smooth the plastic felt, and how comfortably it sat in my hands. The buttons were inaccessible but felt very nice. The thumbsticks were coated with a Gargoyle-ish plastic face - appropriately unattractive; an eyesore for horrific gaming (like Resident Evil or Bubsy 3D. Whichever you think is scarier). They were creepy but comfortable. That sounds odd, doesn't it? To say that something is "creepy but comfortable." You wouldn't hear that in a police report. That'd be like saying, "The bread is moldy but delicious."

Without a fully-functional controller available, I was left to wonder whether or not the Freak Series had what it takes to take a bite out of gamers.

Today I got my answer. With my left hand firmly wrapped around this mutated beast, I injected a sedative and began to watch the monster lose its power over me. Soon you would be hooked up to my PlayStation 2. Soon you would be under my never-ending control, mu-ha-ha-ha-ha!

(I learned my evil laugh from Bowser. Pretty effective in situations like these, wouldn't you say?)

The buttons are top-notch material. Although the button sensitivity is the same, they have a little more resistance than the average third-party controller, adding extra life to the years of punishment it will be forced to endure. (By other gamers of course, not by me. I'm never harsh on my controllers, unless I'm playing Metal Slug 3. Then all bets are off.)

They (the buttons) come covered in a textured symbol that represents the square, X, circle and triangle symbols from the standard PS2 controller. In this case they were designed to be like Asian symbols, which was a great idea given the fact that this is a ninja I'm playing with. If only Ninja Gaiden were on PS2 – then I could be doubly deadly!

Equally impressive are the shoulder buttons, which again feel great. They don't stick, they don't falter – and this isn't even a finished product I'm using! It can only get better from here.

And hopefully it will. The left analog stick is pretty smooth, though it doesn't quite feel right. (I'm very picky when it comes to analog sticks. They have to be exactly right or the red flags will start rising.) The right analog stick was very stiff and kept sticking. This almost certainly a final kink that needs to be worked out, and judging by the quality of the rest of the controller I'm betting that it will be. Why would the developers go through the trouble of making a great controller only to ruin it by forgetting to perfect the analog sticks?

Pros:

• Cool style – if you want a PS2 controller that looks different, look no further.

• The eyes…the eyes! The glowing! They’re glowing! (You’ll know what I mean when you plug it in.)

• Extremely comfortable mold.

• Reliable buttons.

• Can take a beating and still keep on ... lying completely still. That's what controllers do. But at least you can sleep easy knowing that even though you'll be haunted by its creepy design, it won't be broken when all is said and done.

Cons:

• The analog sticks / directional pad need a lot of work.

Verdict: 8.5
Assuming the analog sticks are fixed in time for the controller's release, this will be a hot item this Halloween. It's success should carry over to Christmas as well, but why wait to stuff it in a stocking when you could stuff it under your ghost costume, pop out and say BOO! Scare the pants off the gamer in your life, then make him/her smile with delight at the sight of something most unsightly.