The latest addition to the Xbox’s collection of third party controllers, Logic3’s Inferno controller is a little different from the rest. At a glance, it’s your standard, run-of-the-mill unofficial joypad, with a clear plastic casing. Plug it into your Xbox, though, and the controller glows a bright green (thanks to some cunningly placed LED lights) with the Logic3 logo in the centre gradually changing colour as time goes by. It would have been nice if the entire controller changed colours as you play (would add a bit of spice to System Linked Halo 2), but nonetheless this (purely cosmetic) difference to your standard third-party plastic joypad is certainly a welcome one. We all love a bit of variety when it comes to playing out games, we do. But how does the Inferno stand up as a control pad?
Well, it’s fair to say that Logic3’s latest attempt at a decent control pad for the Xbox isn’t too far off the mark. The pad itself is a little smaller than the Controller S (which is handy for the gamers who even found that too big) and the whole thing is coated with smooth, chunky plastic which is pleasing to hold – unless you have big hands - and (slightly useless) rubberised grips at the ends. The D-pad, triggers and analogue sticks are all responsive enough to make games like OutRun 2 no problem whatsoever – just as satisfying to play as with the standard pad. A couple of minor problems, however, came to light after playtesting the controller with the game that’s selling a great deal of Xboxes at the moment – Halo 2.
The ‘analogue buttons’ (the button accessed when you click down the analogue stick, for use with sniper scopes etc) are very loud when clicked – annoyingly so. Greater time spent with this controller will tell whether the noise fades as time goes on, but as it stands, it doesn’t feel as subtle as on the standard controller. The clicking sound is obvious to anybody playing in the room with you – which was very useful to my friends across the room while playing a quick Halo 2 deathmatch (‘He’s sniping! Get him!).
The second major qualm I had with this controller is the responsiveness of the face buttons (A, B, X, Y). Sometimes I tapped the button to switch weapon, only to find I was still holding the now-empty plasma pistol, with low shield and a group of Flood running towards me. Needless to say, this didn’t make me very happy. This only happened a few times during playtesting – normally, the buttons were responsive enough – but it’s still a problem that should be addressed.
My third and final (I promise) problem with the Inferno pad is the layout of a few of the buttons. The inclusion of extra black and white shoulder buttons, which are there as an alternative to the two standard buttons (which, thankfully, are still there) may have sounded like a good idea to the R&D guys at Logic3 – and in theory, it is a good idea – but in practise the added shoulder buttons are a little awkward to use, and you’ll most likely stick to the standard ones. While this doesn’t bother me particularly, what does annoy me about this controller is the placement of the Start and Back buttons. They have been moved to the middle of the controller, between the D-pad and the right analogue stick. This makes them very irritating to access and, again, while this might have sounded like a good idea on paper, the reality is that having these buttons in such a place (your thumb will press down on the D-pad when pressing them) makes them a very poor substitute for the standard buttons that we are all accustomed to on the normal Xbox pad.
In the end, the Inferno pad certainly isn’t a bad choice, if you’re after a cheap third-party controller. It’s fairly comfortable, it works well enough, and, perhaps best of all, it glows in the dark! If you’re looking for a fun alternative to the standard controllers at a LAN party, this is the way to go – and if you ever want to play a bit of late-night Xbox, you need never fear of losing your controller in the dark. However, as is nearly always the case with third-party controllers, you’re much better off with the standard pad. Regardless, the Inferno pad is definitely worth a look.
James Hamilton
