The Marvel Hulk Pad is sturdy, reliable and very comfortable to use.

It makes sense that movie studios would sell the licenses of movies for toys, t-shirts, lunch boxes and other kid-friendly items.  It also makes sense that every major motion picture released is followed by a video game based on the movie's theme.  What may sound crazy is something that began to appear fairly recently: movie-licensed video game controllers.  Not video games, video game controllers.  They usually tie in with the release of a game, but the main license comes from the movie studio.  Strange as this concept may be, peripheral manufacturers know that comic book addicts must have everything in their house connected to their favorite pastime.

Of course, a license of any kind is only as good as the finished product.  What good is a Star Wars action figure that can't hold onto a lightsaber?  What good is a James Bond game if it isn't packed with exciting missions?

Not to worry though.  Naki's new GameCube controller is an excellent third-party substitute for the official pad from Nintendo.

Although it's a trivial aspect, the Marvel Hulk Pad has The Hulk's picture plastered on the front of the controller.  I say that this is trivial because it is a game controller.  When the GameCube was released, we all had our color preferences.  Most people wanted black, but if everyone had gotten stuck with purple, would there have been any complaints?  Does the color really have an effect on how great the games are?  No, it doesn't.  Since you don't stare at your controller while playing the game (at least I don't), it doesn't really matter how it looks once the game begins.

With that said, if aesthetics are really important to you, and you must have a Hulk-covered controller, then don't hesitate to buy the Marvel Hulk Pad.  Here's why:

• Sensitive controller and camera sticks
• Responsive, easy-to-press buttons
• Comfortable hand grips (slightly larger than the standard GameCube controller)

These three "features" may sound more trivial than the controller's appearance, but in actuality, they are the most important part of a controller.  Most gamers who buy a third-party game controller, especially at a console's launch, get stuck with a piece of junk.  Either the shape is all wrong, the buttons stick, the buttons are too weak or the analog sticks are weak.  If any of those problems occurs -- even if there's only one faulty button -- the whole controller is ruined.  I have been fortunate enough to try out nearly every third-party GameCube controller released.  Some were better than others, but they all had at least one cheap gimmick that prevented me from wanting to own one.

The Marvel Hulk Pad does away with most of junk by having a design that is nearly exact to the standard GameCube pad.  Depending on who you talk to, you'll get one of two responses.  "That's great!" or "That's a rehash!"  Legally, peripheral manufacturers can't be too close to the original pad, disappointing fans who want a perfect substitute.  However, if they make the pad too different because they want to stand out from the crowd, the result is usually a total failure.  Naki made the Marvel Hulk Pad as close to the original as possible without stepping over any legal boundaries.  Some may say that they would have liked a controller with a more unique design, but to them I say: go buy the ones that "look" unique and see if you can stand to play through Metroid Prime with it!  Like it or not, you'll end up going back to the original pad and will never touch that third-party controller again.

This controller feels very comfortable in your hands.  It's a very natural feeling, like it was meant to be there in place of the standard pad.  All of the buttons are easily accessible; none of them are too close or too far away.  The analog shoulder buttons feel cheaper than the ones on Nintendo's controller, and the A button doesn't have that same firm resistance.  Surprisingly, that did not at all hinder my gaming experience.  Regardless of the game I was playing, every button worked fine.

The camera stick is slightly improved with a thicker rubber tip, making it easier to reach without straining your thumb (my thumb was very sore after playing The Wind Waker with the standard controller for several hours!).  It's also slightly degraded, as is the control stick, because they, like every third-party controller, do not have the same resistance that Nintendo's pad has.  It's impossible to perfectly match Nintendo's thumbstick design, but because of this, there are a few highly-sensitive games like Super Monkey Ball where the controller may fail you.  The Marvel Hulk Pad's flaw is not as great as with other controllers, but when playing a game like Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, where being able to tap the thumbstick lightly and move very carefully is a must, third-party controllers will not be plugged into my system.

For everything else though -- racers (like the upcoming Mario Kart), fighting games, RPGs, adventure games, first-person shooters, etc., the Marvel Hulk Pad is a great substitute.  It's five bucks cheaper, too, so if all you care about is having an extra controller for friends and family to use during multiplayer gaming sessions, then this is the one to get.

Pros:

Sturdy, reliable and very comfortable to use.

Cons:

Less-than-perfect analog sticks.

Verdict: 8.5