Nuby’s Dragonball Z Battle Controller is a colorful, solid performer and welcomed peripheral in the GC world

Smooth and sleek, colorful and bright – the Dragonball Z Collectors Edition Battle Controller from Nuby almost looks too good to touch … almost.

The Dragonball Z Collectors Edition Battle Controller from Nuby for the GameCube is a thing of beauty. The bright yellow design will leap out among other controllers but the controller itself features a few nice little additions.

The controller is a little fatter than the standard GC controller. The general control design falls into the standard array except for one big difference. The Z hot button is available on both sides of the controller, not just on the right. And yes, it is perched above the L and R buttons on both sides.

The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was used to test the controller and the bright yellow device passed with flying colors. The handholds may be a little on the short side, but the added thickness of the controller makes it a little easier to grip.

In addition to the start button, the controller also has turbo and slow buttons on it, to control the tempo for games that support that.

The colorful design features the likeness of SS3 Goku and Cell on the handles, and while the controller can get a little slick from the perspiration of death grips on it, it is – overall – a comfortable controller to hold.

It is solidly built and the responsiveness is almost instantaneous. This is a solid-performing device.

The controller is part of a series of Dragonball Z accessories for the GameCube, which includes a Kame Case to carry the GameCube in, and console skins for you machine – which carry the yellow and orange theme.

This controller retails for …

There is little doubt than Nuby is doing a solid job in licensing the popular Dragonball Z franchise with tasty peripherals, but the bottom line comes in terms of performance. It is highly doubtful that people will be admiring the controller when immersed in action games. That said, this battle controller is a comfortable, accessible device that responses very well to games, and looks darn good sitting by itself on the shelf of controllers.

It has flair, personality and style. What more could any Dragonball Z/GameCube fan ask for?

Pros:

The controller is a little thicker than the standard GC controllers and the putting the Z button on either side above the L and R buttons is a solid touch. The turbo and slow buttons is another nice feature.

Cons:

The handles can still become a little slick during intense game play.

Overall: 9

This is a responsive, colorful addition to the GameCube world. The peripheral is comfortable to hold, feels solid and performs very well. And, if you have a host of controllers sitting together, this is one controller that really stands out.