XBO HARDWARE REVIEW: HG Controllers Halo 3 Modded Xbox 360 Controller
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Head in Game Controllers


By: Dean Tripp; Associate Reviewer at XboxNowOnline.com


INFORMATION PANEL:
Company: Head in Game Controllers 
 Price: $89.99
 Mod:  Halo 3 Mod
 Type: Wireless
 Color: Traditional White

9.0 out of 10

XBO gives this device a 9.0 out of 10. This means that the device in question has achieved what it's meant for, but has a few minor setbacks. In this case, the cons were the price, no controller vibration, and mostly the fact that it doesn't provide optimum performance for games other than Halo 3.

   Halo 3 is a fun and addicting game both online and off. If you find yourself stuck at a rank that's less than satisfactory for you, the HG Halo 3 Controller Mod may be perfect for you. When I was first told I was going to use this controller I was ecstatic, I'm not the greatest Halo player in the world and I often made the wrong choice about when to take my hands off the thumb stick to melee or switch weapons. Getting frustrated with my low scores was no fun, so one day I was perusing the Internet and discovered HG Controllers and their supposed ability to increase skill. We then received the controller here at XBO for review.
Controller HG Modded
This new controller arrived in my hands with some surprises. It's really light, when compared to a regular controller; you will notice it immediately. Next, there are 4 black buttons on the back which operate the different buttons. The buttons on the left side are A above Y and on the right it is B above Right Bumper. (look at image above if you're confused) When you first pick it up and play with it you will take a while to learn the controls but when you do, the skills do increase.(the learning curve, although not too steep, is longer than the 20 minutes, it took me about 4 hours to get it down pat) The entire premise is to increase accuracy as your thumbs will always be on the Analog sticks. This proved to be true as Sniping in Halo became a breeze, something that seemed impossible to my friends who have seen me try to snipe before. Yeah, I want this NOW.You also can shoot if you miss a melee whereas you used to have to take a split second, which could decide the kill, to move your finger from the B button to the thumb stick and continue shooting at the leaping enemy. You will get more kills with this controller. I didn't think that it would help as much as it did, I got my first ranked overkill [applause please? fine, guess not] and I haven't stopped raking in the triples and the more occasional over-kill, something that used to happen once in a blue moon. If you ever have to transition back to an old controller for any reason, it's like getting back on a bike with training wheels for a BMX biker, but once you get the swing of things you can actually play better on an un-modded controller as well. I don't really know how to explain it but trust me, it helps. I think the main thing is that it helps you determine when it is necessary to melee or change weapons regardless of the small black buttons being at your fingertips or not. You may find this review confusing, but when you pick up this controller you will be amazed. I will never get rid of mine. 
HG Controllers Close Up
   One of the controllers major flaws is that it's a strict Halo 3 only controller, while it works for every game, most games use A,B,X,Y mostly instead of A,B,RB,Y which equates to some confusion and the necessity to remove your fingers from the analog sticks. Trust me, that seems like a chore after being pampered by this controller. Another problem is the slightly hefty price tag, although it's not a great deal of money, not all gamers are Bill Gates' illegitimate love child and the $89.99 might be too much for some. DonAlso, although I've not tried it, it's light weight could prove it to be fragile if dropped, more so than the regular controller. After a few other tests, we noticed that the controller doesn't vibrate like the normal wireless controllers do. So that is most likely the reason it is so light. Another flaw to the fashionable gamer is style. It's not black/elite styled, it doesn't have Zebra stripes or Master Chief on it, it's just a plain old 360 Controller, wireless of course.

    The Pros outweigh the Cons 10:1 in this situation. I'll give you the general low-down, if you play Halo 3, a lot of Halo 3, and a lot less of most other games, get this controller, it will help whether you are a noob, struggling at the midpoint or on top of the leaderboards. This controller is heaven. You will be thankful you bought this every time the announcer states “Gained The Lead.” Thanks for reading and we hope to give you some video demonstrations soon. I'm not saying that this controller will make you good, as controllers can't do that, but it certainly will help you out. If you have any questions about this controller feel free to ask me either on Xbox Live at StampedinBadger or go on over to the contact us section and submit your question. You can also contact Head in Game Controllers using their contact form available at http://www.hgcontrollers.com.  

Posted by Hamza Dar | Editor in Chief H-ZONE Media Staff on 20 Apr : 02:08

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