Hardware manufacturer Nuby Tech seems to have found its niche. The company, once famous for releasing a variety of peripherals and add-ons for home consoles, has in recent times restructured its business philosophy. No longer interested in saturating the market with third party products, Nuby Tech has instead concentrated its efforts on making controllers and devices with extreme videogame themes that are sure to appeal to diehard fans as collector's items, if nothing else. For instance, the designer recently released a Mortal Kombat Fatality Kontroller for Xbox complete with an endorsement from the fighter Scorpion, an MK seal, and yellow coloring to match the character.

The latest from the manufacturer goes one step further. Capitalizing on the popularity of Capcom's GameCube survival horror sequel Resident Evil 4, a game dripping with adult themes, violence and gore, comes the Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller. The peripheral is excessively niche. A character from Capcom's title often referred to by fans as the "Chainsaw Man" inspires it. The grotesque enemy, who wears a burlap sac on his head and runs at hero Leon S. Kennedy with a deadly, buzzing chainsaw, is one of the more menacing foes in the game, and is capable of sawing off his prey's head before players know what hit them. Nuby Tech's controller is designed to look very much like the figure's chainsaw, right down to the blood splatters on the handle.

This is clearly a controller designed exclusively for Resident Evil fans. Most gamers will probably not want to use the chainsaw for a quick match of Madden NFL Football, although such a surreal proposition could prove entertaining. Bearing that in mind, consumers not interested in the Resident Evil series will probably want to stop reading right now.

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Bloody Good Looking



Cosmetically speaking, Nuby Tech has really hit a homerun with the design and overall presentation of this unique controller. The chainsaw peripheral comes packed in one of the most impressively artistic and stylized boxes we've ever seen for any hardware product. It really is fantastic. The gorgeous box looks exactly like a set of three-paned, doubled windows from one of the dark and dreary cabins so commonplace in the villages of Capcom's title. Clearly viewable through the windows is the chainsaw controller, which actually protrudes from one side of the box, revealing a saw blade splotched in fake red blood. The backside of the package shows a gruesome drawing of the Chainsaw Man cutting off Kennedy's head; the same picture has graced the front page of IGNcube on a number of occasions.

There's no denying that a lot of work went into the design of the package. However, just as much time and effort went into the creation of the actual controller. It really looks like a chainsaw. Not only that, but Nuby Tech has provided a two-grip handle system that closely mimics the configuration of a real saw. Meanwhile, the device's plastic blade, which serves no control purpose and does not move, resembles its in-game counterpart. Nuby Tech has splattered each chainsaw controller with a unique pattern of blood and smears, meaning that no two peripherals are identical. Definitely a great idea. The only visual drawback is that in an attempt to keep the chainsaw's control functionality, Nuby Tech has been forced to impose a size limitation and as a result the device does not exactly instill its holder with a sense of realistic weight or power.



The controller also comes with a display stand that holds the device in place. The stand itself features several bloodied rocks that are used as resting spots for the chainsaw. Meanwhile, a groove has been carved out in the stand to hold a single memory card. The entire impressive setup is sure to dazzle otaku nuts. The chainsaw controller features a detachable cord that can be stowed in the bottom of the display stand when it's not in use, which is handy.







At a suggested retail price of $49.99, Nuby Tech's new chainsaw controller for GameCube is, based on the above truths, a great buy for Resident Evil 4 fanatics more interested in adding the peripheral to their collection than in actually using it to play the game. We suspect that the controller will quickly become a collector's item due in large to its excellent presentation. In a couple of years, it might even be worth some money.

Form Over Function



However, based on extensive play tests, Nuby Tech's claims that its chainsaw controller actually improves the Resident Evil 4 experience are false. The device features all of the standard sticks and buttons of the regular GameCube controller, but lacks an intuitive configuration. The two analog sticks, D-Pad, A, B, Y, X and start buttons are mapped to the face of the chainsaw controller. Meanwhile, the L and L buttons are assigned cumbersomely to each handle and the Z button is hidden away underneath the peripheral's face groove. While Resident Evil 4 remains playable with the device, it's impossible to continuously access all of the sticks and buttons without changing one's grip, which is disappointing. More frustrating is that each analog stick has a different center, so that players are effectively pushing right on the top stick to make Leon walk forward, and down on the bottom stick to pull the camera backward. We understand what Nuby Tech was going for with this control configuration; it no doubt figured gamers would hold the peripheral at a diagonal angle and therefore the setup would fit. But it doesn't. It's downright confusing. Certainly dedicated gamers will quickly overcome the hurdle and with time learn to play like a pro with the controller, but what's the point when the standard GameCube controller delivers from the very start?



Conclusion



I have to say that as a hardcore Resident Evil 4 fan, I can't help but like the unbelievably well executed design and packaging of Nuby Tech's new RE4 Chainsaw Controller for GameCube. Everything from the gorgeously stylized box to the unique blood splatters on the peripheral comes together to make this one of the greatest videogame collector's times in recent years. So if you've got some cash to burn and you want to put this baby on one of your shelves in order to impress friends, or maybe even make a buck in a few years, I'd consider the $49.99 purchase money well spent. On the other hand, if you're hoping the chainsaw will help improve your game, you're in for a big disappointment. Despite a solid rumble feature, the device's clunky control configuration and off-balance analog sticks make it a cumbersome alternative to the standard GameCube controller.