While you can walk into just about any video game store and get bombarded with a wide array of Nintendo Wii accessories, such is not the reality with the Xbox 360. For whatever reason, Microsoft will allow for third-party chargers and faceplates, but they’re really stingy when it comes to allowing for third-party controllers. What is a gaming enthusiast to do?
Rather than trying to fight the suits in Redmond, the guys at Evil Controllers took a wholly different approach. They take the official OEM Microsoft Xbox 360 controllers and modify them to suit the needs and requests of the gaming community. We were supplied with two such controllers, so let’s see if they’re worth the premium price of admission.
The Evil Controllers Approach
At first glance, the Xbox 360 controllers modified by Evil Controllers will look largely like their unmodified cousins. This makes sense, since Evil isn’t completely revamping these controllers. Instead, they institute in small but possibly significant changes that enhance the gaming experience.
They have a mod, for example, that allows for rapid fire, making it great for first-person shooters. There’s another controller modified for Tiger Woods Golf where you can get full power with the press of a single button.
The Evil Xbox 360 controllers that we received both include the same two modifications. They were equipped with Evil Sticks and they were given a “ring of light” mod for an added dash of style.
Evil Sticks for Added Performance
Those two controllers don’t look like anything special, but they have been personalized by Evil Controllers. The Evil Sticks, as they call them, are just a little bit different from the thumb sticks that you would get with a regular OEM Xbox 360 controller.
Regular thumb sticks have a concave shape and they have four raised points to indicate the four cardinal directions. The Evil Sticks, by contrast, have a convex shape and they abandon the raised points in favor of a completely textured surface. This “non-slip technology” really does provide better grip, since the tops of regular thumb sticks can be quite slippery.
The guys at Evil Controllers go on to say that these Evil Sticks will provide force feedback, amazing accuracy, and maximum durability, but I’m a little more skeptical. The Evil Sticks may make for a better overall experience, particularly for FPSs, but I’m not sure about the added accuracy.
The Issue of Color-Matching
On the black controller that was customized, the Evil Sticks seem to fit in perfectly. The Evil Sticks are black and the controller is black. No problem there. The white controller is a slightly different matter.
This is a very minor quibble, but you’ll notice that the black Evil Sticks look quite different from the grey thumb sticks that come standard with the Xbox 360 controller. If you’re worried about color-matching, this could provide for a minor annoyance.
It’s not completely clear from the photos, but I also found that the tops of the Evil Sticks felt just a touch bigger than the standard thumb sticks. This might be because of the convex shape, but I like it. For longer gaming sessions, it really was more comfortable.
Testing the Extra Grip
The Evil Sticks replace both the left and right analog sticks on the Xbox 360 controller, so you are still provided with a uniform gaming experience. For the purposes of testing their performance, I played a couple of sessions of Street Fighter IV and Gears of War.
The added grip seemed to be nice, but it didn’t feel like it was giving me very of an advantage at first. That’s at first. After I played for a little longer and my hands started to get a little sweaty, I really started to appreciate the textured convex surface of the Evil Sticks.
With the regular analog sticks, I found that my thumb could slide off quite easily. This was especially true when using “charge” characters in Street Fighter IV, like Guile and Vega. With the Evil Sticks, my thumbs could stay put a lot easier.
Playing through Gears of War, I had a similar experience. Holding the thumb sticks in any direction felt more comfortable with the Evil Sticks, because it never felt like my thumb was going to slide off.
The Evil Sticks in Action
During my time at the E3 Expo back in June, I had the opportunity to visit with Microsoft and check out some pretty awesome games. I also had the chance to challenge American Street Fighter IV champion Justin Wong to a match. Check out the video below!
This was at the Evil Controllers booth on the showfloor, giving me an early glimpse into what the Evil Sticks could do. Under immense pressure, I pitted Blanka against Justin Wong’s Balrog attack, but came up short. However, of the all the people to get pwned by, at least I got pwned by the best. I could say the controllers helped a little but nothing can help you against one of the best in the world. Not even our excellent Street Fighter IV Strategy Guide could provide any relief.
You Want this Red Ring of Death?
The Red Ring of Death (RROD) can strike fear and dread in the hearts of Xbox 360 owners all around the world. If you turn on your favorite gaming console and see that the light is red rather than green, it means that your Xbox is toast. That’s not a good thing.
As an almost tongue-in-cheek kind of modification, Evil Controllers is also able to replace the LEDs that are housed inside of the Xbox 360 controller. Modifications are about more than just performance; they can add some personalized style as well.
The white Xbox 360 controller was outfitted with a set of red LED lights, whereas the black one was provided with a set of blue lights. You can do the reverse, if you prefer, when you place your order through the Evil Controllers website.
Just a Little Dash of Evil
As I’ve mentioned several times in this review, controllers personalized by Evil Controllers will look a lot like their OEM cousins at first glance. Where can you find their branding? It’s subtle, but it’s there.
Located on each Evil Stick is a small stamp with the company’s logo. This isn’t on the thumb portion itself, but is rather on the rounded joint underneath it. You can only see it when you point the thumb stick upward. Nicely done.
Final Thoughts
Until Microsoft further opens its licensing for third-party controllers, the modifications from Evil Controllers could be your best bet for enhancing the gaming experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing casual XBLA titles or hardcore first-person shooters, because these relatively minor mods can be quite valuable.
The Ring of Light mod is great for customizing the look of your controller, but the Evil Sticks are a nice little upgrade as well. The added grip makes for a more comfortable and non-slip experience, especially for gamers with sweaty palm syndrome. It’s not a radical difference, like the rapid fire mod, but it’s a good one.
If you’d like to order a brand new controller, Evil Controllers can pre-install the Evil Sticks for you and ship a completed unit. Alternatively, you can order the Evil Sticks on their own ($20) and install them yourself.
Pros
- Evil Sticks provide excellent grip for sweaty thumbs
- Original MS controller gives quality peace of mind
- LED mod looks great
Cons
- Textured surface can cause minor thumb chafing
- Relatively minor difference in gaming performance
- Black Evil Sticks don’t match white controller
Overall Rating: 7.5 / 10.0
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Evil’s Modded Xbox 360 Controllers – Photo Gallery
