Batman Begins has caused fans to rejoice that the series is back to the quality it deserves. It’s a step in the right direction. The box office numbers show that fans love it. Summer Blockbuster movies also give gaming companies a chance to cash in on the craze. There are plenty of accessories as well to go along with the EA game.

Now being a huge fan of The Dark Night I was not going to turn down the chance to review the new Madcatz controller that features the same name. It looks nice and is packaged great but the real reason you are reading this is to see if it is worth the money, right? Well, Bat fans read on and let’s see if the Mad Catz Batman Begins Controller is worth the price or if the makers are just cashing in on the hit summer movie.

Response and Design

The Batman Begins controller has some special logos and new artwork added. While it looks nice and fits the theme, you will notice it is basically a slightly revamped Microcon controller. You can see from the screenshots that the only major changes are in the placement of the black and white buttons and their shape. Also modified are the back and start buttons which lay a bit flat instead of raised. They also changed the placement of the turbo or macro button to the middle of the controller and it is flush with the edge of the unit.

The D-pad and triggers feel the exact same way as when I tested other Microcon controllers in the past. They did change the left and right analog sticks a bit for looks and made them a bit more sensitive. The unit still holds a memory card and the XBL communicator. Actually, the unit is a bit smaller than the S-controller. The action buttons are the same and respond very well; so for those who have enjoyed this model before and are fans of Batman, you are certainly going to enjoy the controller.

Product Images

The White Batman Begins Controller - this is the one we reviewed.
The White Batman Begins Controller – this is the one we reviewed.

Red Batman Begins Controller
Red Batman Begins Controller

Blue Batman Begins Controller
Blue Batman Begins Controller

Extended Evaluation

I had to test the controller and I thought I would use it playing Batman Begins (review link). It made sense as it features the same theme. I found it nearly impossible to play through a single level due to the very sensitive analog sticks. So I changed games and moved on to a racing game. While it was better, it still seemed a bit too sensitive and over-steered and I just don’t like that in a controller. It needs to be responsive but also a bit tight and allow you to control it with ease. So I tried a few more games. The ones that worked best had the feature to adjust the sensitivity of the analog stick. No shock there.

Is it made well? Yes, it is and also features a 5-year extended warranty. I have dealt with Madcatz tech support before and if there was ever a problem, they were very helpful and even shipped replacement triggers and other parts at no charge to me. They did a great job with the artwork and the theme and it works well together. I just found it too sensitive for my personal use. Is it worth the money? Well, if you have used the Microcon brand before and enjoyed them, then yes. If you are a collector and want to buy it and keep it sealed, it’s also worth it. If you have large hands or like the S-controller, you may want to find a friend who owns one and test it out before buying this one. It is a decent controller and has a great look. I will keep it as a collectable though since it captures the look of Batman perfectly.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 7.4/10.0

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