Third party and alternative accessories always have an uphill battle. With few exceptions the cheaper, obscene looking controllers available at Wal-Mart or GameStop are usually crude approximations of the real deal. They’re bait for a parent who might not know the difference, or a budget strapped gamer whose willing to compromise price for fidelity. It’s a dreadful reputation, albeit one that’s not going to be shared by relative newcomer in the accessory space, POWER A.
Not that we knew that before our meeting. Respect is earned in this industry, and POWER A’s burgeoning line of accessories left a great impression on our normally apprehensive souls.
First out the gate was their Air Flo line of controllers. The Air Flow’s implementation is sound; its built in ventilation system is designed to minimize the effects of sweaty palms. Nothing’s more disappointing (or gross) than when you’re passing the controller around and it’s returned fully greased and damp. We’ve all been there, but the Air Flo’s design intends to combat the effects of greasy palms. From a design point of view, the Air Flo also performed well. We tested it with both Call of Duty: Black Ops on Xbox 360 and Gran Turismo 5 on PlayStation 3. Differences in performance were negligible. Dead zones between the analog sticks were the same, as were the fidelity of the buttons. Of particular interest was the design of the PS3 controller. With concave analog sticks and a d-pad/analog stick layout that mirrors the 360 pad, it’s a great alternative to those who are dissatisfied with the DualShock 3. And don’t worry; SIXAXIS and rumble were on board.
Next up was the Mini Pro line. Power A’s Pro Pack Wii controller debuted last year to stellar reviews. Everyone from seasoned gamers to mom-blogs adored the smaller design. Not all of us are six foot giants, and a smaller controller with a familiar button layout was quick to find an audience. This same line of thinking has been applied to controllers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the form of the Mini Pro EX. They’re considerably smaller. When tested they felt solid and response, near identical to their larger counterparts only smaller. They’re both bound to a cord, but the generous ten foot length grants considerable distance. As a cool bonus, each button even glow the color of its respective button.
Also coming in the near future is another version of their smaller Wii controller. It’s a tad larger than their previous effort, but it includes Wii Motion Plus built in, a definite plus for less savvy consumers who would want everything in one package. Also for Wii was the cool Lego Play & Build Remote, which is exactly what you would suspect; a Wii remote customizable via Lego’s. It’s skewed younger, of course, but that didn’t stop us from having a bit of fun with it.
Lastly we got to check out their line of upcoming officially licensed Nintendo 3DS carrying cases. Neither gaudy nor flashy, their sleek black look was low-key and embellished with the 3DS logo. They seemed like a good fit for Nintendo’s upcoming portable system.
POWER A is going to be a serious contender in the console accessory space. Be sure and keep an eye out throughout the year as their impressive products arrive at both retail and online stores.
