When we went to pick up our copy of Monster Hunter 3, the GameXplain staff deliberated long and hard about whether or not to get the bundle with the Classic Controller Pro.  We already have several Classic Controllers around the office, but none of us like playing with them, so we figured we would give Nintendo a chance to redeem itself with the Pro. After spending a few hours with the controller, I’m glad we took the plunge.

Classic Controller Pro Vs. Classic Controller

For our first match-up, we paired the Classic Controller Pro against its older, more slovenly brother. When placed side by side with one of my least favorite controllers in recent memory, the Pro holds up pretty well. The handles add some much-needed stability to the whole package. Whereas the analog sticks never felt right on the original Classic Controller, the ones on the Pro work beautifully.

I always thought my main problem with the Classic Controller was the length of the analog sticks, but after playing with the Pro, I’ve changed my mind. The problem did not lie with the length of the sticks (if anything, the Pro actually has slightly longer sticks), but rather their placement on the controller. For the Pro, the analog sticks have been moved almost a half inch further apart, and this coupled with the handles makes for a much more natural feel to using the stick.

The buttons have also been raised slightly since the original Classic Controller. This adds ever so slightly more spring to each button press, and again makes using the controller just feel better. The shoulder buttons have been moved to further rip-off the Dual Shock. While I don’t love their new placement, I do find them easier to use than the terrible, little, circular Z-R & Z-L buttons. The d-pad is essentially the same, but it was great to begin with, so no need to improve on greatness. The Pro weighs more overall than the Classic Controller, but is slightly less dense and actually feels lighter as a result. Moving the Cord back to the top of the controller was a good call as well, as it no longer gets in the way.

One final point to note is that while the glossy black finish looks awesome initially, the luster quickly fades. After only minutes of using the controller, it was coated in more fingerprints and smear marks than the manhandled iPad at Best Buy.

Verdict: The Classic Controller Pro crushes the original Classic Controller pretty handily.

Classic Controller Pro Vs. DualShock 3

Essentially, the Classic Controller Pro is a DualShock 3 without motion controls. The whole thing just feels ripped right out of Sony’s design docs from the late ‘90s. Seeing the Classic Controller Pro side-by-side with the DualShock 3 makes this even more apparent. Both controllers feel nearly identical, with the Pro feeling just slightly more comfortable in my hands.

The analog sticks on the two controllers are the exact same distance apart, but the sticks on the Pro appear to be slightly longer. I am a fan of the octagonal casing for the analog stick that Nintendo employs, although I know a whole bunch of people out there are against it, so I suppose that’s just a matter of taste. The Classic Controller Pro has ever so slightly more resistance to its analog stick, which I found to have a fairly noticeable impact on the level of precision.

The button layout is basically the exact same on both controllers, although to be fair, they are also the same as on the SNES. The distance between the d-pad and the face buttons is the same, and the shoulder buttons are laid out in a fairly similar manner, despite the lack of analog control. One of my initial complaints about the DualShock 3 was that it felt too light, but the Classic Controller Pro is actually even lighter.

Verdict: I’m no fan of the Six Axis, so I’ll give this one to the Pro, as it feels ever so slightly better in my hands.

Classic Controller Pro Vs. 360 Controller

Okay, now things get weird. The Xbox 360 controller is actually my favorite one this generation, as it has some nice weight to it, feels great in my hands, has the staggered analog sticks, and pretty awesome analog triggers. Seeing as the Classic Controller Pro is mimicking the Six Axis, it feels pretty different from the 360 controller.

While I still don’t adore the analog sticks on the Classic Controller Pro, I have to say that they are almost as good as those on the 360. They offer slightly more resistance and seem to be a tiny bit longer. Again, I feel like this just helps to increase precision ever so slightly, and really makes me want to go back and finally tackle Geometry Wars Galaxies with dual analog control instead of the Wiimote + Nunchuck control that I had to resort to previously.

The analog triggers on the 360 are just exponentially better than the shoulder buttons on the Pro. Additionally, I happen to like the “clicky” nature of the bumpers, since they are often used for auxiliary actions. They just seem to make sense to me.

I actually really like the way that the Pro feels in my hands, although that extra weight that the 360 has really goes a long way in my opinion. I’m not a fan of the jeweled face buttons on the 360, and I absolutely hate its d-pad, so in those areas, the Pro has it beat.

Verdict: Closer than I thought, but I will still have to go with the 360 Controller.

Overall Winner:

The Wavebird, duh! Now and forever.