After years of waiting, a new Jaguar Pro control has hit the market.
Let's take a look and find out if it's worth owning.
This is retro impressions Atari Jaguar Pro Controller review.
The Atari Jag was released in 1993 and for all the discussion that was had around how
many actual bits the system was, there was an equal amount of discussion regarding its
extremely unique 5200 inspired controllers.
For the most part, people seemed rather excited about a controller that gave players a lot
more options and hoped it would bring console gaming closer in line with the PC.
In included 3 main actions buttons 12 secondary action buttons, 1 for options, 1 to pause,
and a d-pad.
While the lower 12 buttons were a godsend for games such as doom and would have been
a welcome addition to any RPG that might have seen release on the system the main actions
buttons left a lot to be desired.
The controller was a sophisticated step forward while at the same time taking the wrong cues
from outdated setups such as the Genesis three button resulting in a controller that was
cumbersome for the modern games it was trying hard to push.
Near the end of the Jaguars life, Atari finally addressed that I feel was one of their biggest
misses when launching the system.
The Pro Controller added two shoulder buttons referred to as shift buttons along with three
additional face buttons putting it's main action button setup in line with the Sega
Saturn controller while maintaining the twelve secondary buttons that would have been useful
had something like Ultima seen release on the system.
The Pro Controller came out right at the end of the Jags life so while it supports more
games than the PC engine six button, there are very few that use the pro controllers
new buttons in a unique way with most relying on a default remapping of some secondary buttons
to the new primary action buttons..
Due to low sales and high demand, this controller is cost prohibitive and nearly impossible
to find leaving Jag owners with the three button as their only option.
The original controller seems to split the community and depending on your hand size
you either love it or hate it.
Full discloser here, I wear large gloves and the controller is still too big for my hands.
It's like holding the large end of a baseball bat while trying to reach for something.
I have some other issues I'll cover in a minute, but it's safe to say I'm not a fan.
Since the early 2000's rumors have persisted about a fan-funded run of pro controllers
being in the works, but it wasn't until this year that Hoskinson Industries finally
accomplished the job and set up shop to take orders.
The controllers are sold in pairs for $120 which isn't bad for a small hobby funded project
such as this one.
I received mine on launch day and they came well wrapped with two in the box.
Immediately I noticed the quality of build.
Most times when messing with aftermarket and reproduction controllers the plastic feels
cheap, the buttons mushy, and the controller unresponsive, but not with this one.
It's of the highest quality feeling like the authentic item its molded after.
Another thing you will notice immediately is the size of the grips have been reduced.
It's been slimmed down just enough that it's now comfortable for me to hold for
long periods of time also resulting in the main action buttons being naturally positioned
where my thumb lays unlike with the original where I had to stretch the extra inch to reach
them.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I've always found the original controller to be
a bit mushy, uncomfortable, and unresponsive.
There are a lot of games I love on the system so I've tolerated it, but it's one of
my least favorite controllers ever made.
Someone at Atari must have agreed because the Pro controller addresses most of my misgivings.
The mushy buttons have been replaced by ones that give a satisfying click.
The care to fix the original controllers issues is noticeable from the new additions down
to the tride and true number pad.
Everything just feels more refined.
It's by far a more responsive and comfortable experience that elevates the system to a new
height of enjoyment making me want to replay past games.
Even something so simple as fixing the issue with the overlays is a huge win in my book.
If you're unfamiliar, the overlay issue, they 're a bit hard to remove on the original
controller resulting in many becoming bent and damaged.
The pro fixes this by putting a small notch at the bottom center allowing for easy removal
without forcing and potential damaging these fragile pieces of plastic.
Overall using this controller feels like a major win so it's a bit unfortunate that
almost no games support it meaning it offers little beyond a preference in controller size,
shape, and feeling.
My buddy Andrew from MasterCast TV also picked up a set of these and has concerns about the
D-pad being a bit sharp while playing action intensive games such as ultra vortex.
So I put it in and gave it a go comparing the original to the Pro over two long play
sessions.
Unfortunately, he's not wrong.
The original controller has a much more comfortable d-pad design that doesn't wear into your
thumb after hours of play, unlike the pro controller.
It's a bit disappointing that Atari didn't round the corners because while being less
comfortable, it's by far the more responsive of the two and fully adequate to play any
game in your library.
In the end, the Pro Controller in a massive upgrade in every fathomable way with the exception
of the d-pad.
It's not as bad as other controllers out there, but it's not a welcome addition.
Does the poorly thought out d-pad keep this controller from being one I would recommend?
Absolutely not.
After playing with this all day, it's impossible to go back to the original controller that
is ultimately an unresponsive mushy mess.
If you love the Jag, purchase a set of these controllers because you won't be disappointed.
If you would like to order a set, I left a link in the description down below.
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