Joshic

I have a PS2 & Xbox, and I have the Logitech wireless controllers for both systems. I like these controllers a lot.

I plan to pick up a Gamecube soon, and of course I want a wireless controller for it as well.

Everybody seems to like their Wavebirds so much, but what concerns me is that there is no rumble feature, unlike the Logitech controllers.

Maybe I'm being silly, but I really like the rumble feature. When I play Halo on Xbox, I like how the controller vibrates as I continuously fire the machine gun on the Warhog. When I play Amplitude on PS2, I love how the controller vibrates to the rhythm of the beat.

I can't imagine playing games without rumble. So... what are my options for a wireless controller for Gamecube that has a rumble feature? Anything good out there? Or should I just stick with a corded controller and wait for something better?

wildcatlh

But you don't need the rumble. The Wavebird is the greatest controller ever made. Ever! Ever!

Josh H

Rumble is just a useless gimmick, and in wireless controllers in drains the battery life.

Third party controllers generally suck anyway, the analog sticks are usually never as responsive as the first party ones.

But to answer your question, AFAIK the wavebird is the only wireless option.

Logitech would be stupid to port theres over, the Wavebird sells for $29.99-34.99, while the logitech PS2 and X-box controllers are more expensive. Not many people are going to pay more for a third party controller, so there's not much incentive for them to make a wireless GC controller.

MasterofDVD

The WaveBirds are just amazing. I own 3 so far and can't wait to get my 4th one. I used to love the rumble feature but it has gotten old by this point. I don't miss it a single bit.

sniper308

I agree with the above posters... The wavebird is great... I don't miss the rumble at all. I like the rumble for Halo and other games you mention on other systems but I do not miss the rumble when using the Wavebird for the cube...

I wish there was a first party wireless for the X-Box, as due to the wavebird I now hate being tied to the cord.

Just get a wavebird...

Joe Molotov

I thought the lack of a rumble feature would bother me, but honestly it hasn't. I got a WaveBird for Christmas, and haven't even bothered to touch one of those *shudder* corded controllers since. I leave them to the unwashed masses who come over to play SSB:M.

bigsoos

wavebirrrrdy rocks man. damn cords.

olie029

Wavebird!!!!!!

sdcrym

Rumble is not a gimmick. Apparently you think that since it is not vital to gameplay, it is a gimmick and can be removed without consequence. Rumble in video games is no more a gimmick than surround speakers and a subwoofer are gimmicks for watching DVDs. Sure, some may not appreciate the benefits of the additional audio equipment, but that's just a personal taste.

I personally enjoy the rumble feature. I own a Wavebird, but I use a normal controller with an extension cable, solely for the rumble feature. Sure, I could live without rumble, but why should I?

bluntman72

I own the WaveBird for my Cube and have Logitech for my PS2 and Xbox and I would have to say the wave bird is by far the better controller. I like the rumble feature but I hate the fact that if I use my xbox live it is no longer wireless and the fact that they have a cord on the ir sensor which annoys the hell out of me. The wavebird just plugs into the controller port with no annoying cords unlike the logitech. I like the logitech but would get rid of them if I could have a wavebird for my PS2 and X-Box.

Buy the waveBird

Armando

Right on sdcrym, rumble is not a gimmick and every time I play with my wavebird I miss it.

So like I said I have a wavebird and I wish it had rumble. Personally I will defiantly not buy another controller for my cube until a wavebird with rumble comes out.

Now if only the cube had been designed with the U.S. in mind and the controllers had cables as long as my Xbox and then I wouldn’t even need a wavebird.

Groucho

I thought I would miss the rumble, but I really don't. Go Wavebird.

Lammy

I found this 3rd Party Wireless controller:

Pelican Accessories G3 Wireless Controller (Black)
Model: PL7008 - B

The G3 Wireless Controller with rumble is a full-featured, radio frequency wireless controller for the Nintendo GameCube. You get up to 50' of wireless freedom, allowing you to play your games from anywhere in the room regardless of physical barriers. The G3 Wireless Controller cuts the cord but not the rumble.

PRODUCT FEATURES
Full-featured wireless controller works up to 50'
Built-in rumble
100 percent fully compatible with Nintendo WaveStation

$34.99

I don't know anything else about it, but if you want rumble it seems to have it.

Josh H

To each his own. I thought rumble was just annoying since day one (the rumble pack for the N64 that came with Star Fox).

A vibrating controller doesn't add anything for me, if any thing it takes me out of the game because it reminds me I'm just playing a game with a plastic controller (that happens to be vibrating to make sure I'm aware of this).

Some think it adds to immersion. Good for them. I say it's an annoying gimmick. Feel free to disagree.

~~ PAL ~~

But unless you use something like rechargable NiMH batteries, a rumble-enabled wireless controller will just kill you on the battery costs alone.

Joshic

I use rechargeable NIMH batteries, so rumble draining away battery life and thus wasting money is not an issue.

People are saying that they don't miss the rumble. Well, I say that you don't know what you're missing if you don't experience it in the first place. If you play a game from beginning to end on a Wavebird, of course you're not going to miss the rumble - you don't know what you're missing. People who don't have DD5.1 surround systems for their Xbox don't miss surround - because they've never experienced it. But once you do... there's no going back.

Anyway. There is no way I'm going to buy a Wavebird. Same reason I didn't buy a GBA until Nintendo got their act together and released the GBA SP with the built-in light. As soon as GBA SP came out, I picked it up. I'll do the same for their next wireless controller. Why do they keep releasing products that are crippled? Give me all the features please!

I don't care about spending $35 for a Wavebird. $35 is nothing. But I don't want to support or use a product that I think is not up to par. I refuse to compromise when it comes to experiencing everything a game developer intended the gamer to experience in a game. I want to view a game in the best graphics on the best TV, best sound, etc. I don't want to miss a thing. And that includes rumble.

I'll look into the Pelican controller mentioned in an above post. And I might have to settle for using the original GCN controller. How long is the cable?

Armando

Cable length: A lousy 6 feet, if that.

Trevor

You can find extenders pretty cheap, doubling that. I've used them and have no problems with them, except for 12 feet of cable of course.

I use my Wavebird. I never liked rumble, and tend to turn it off on my xbox games.

Joshic

6 feet? What the.... that sucks. What kind of stupid idiot decided to make the cable only 6 feet?!?!

Another question to all you Wavebird owners: doesn't it bother you that there is no battery life indicator? On the Logitech wireless controllers, the rumble stops functioning when the battery is low, so you know it's time to change the battery. From what I've heard regarding the Wavebird, it seems like you have to wait until the battery is on its last legs and find out the hard way.

So basically if you're in the middle of a game where responsiveness is crucial, all of a sudden your controller commands don't register on time. So to prevent cases of where you "die on a boss level", you need to replace the battery on your own, before it runs out, as a precautionary measure? That means you are not getting the full life out of the battery - which basically throws out the idea of "saving" battery life by not having a rumble feature.

Do you follow my logic? I don't see why there is no rumble feature. There is no reasonable justification for its absence.

CreatureX

I agree that the rumble effect is just a gimmick. I always go into the options menu and disable the rumble effect whenever a game gives me the option to do so.

sdcrym

If anyone says that they do not like the rumble, for whatever reason, I can respect that opinion 100%. However, when people say that rumble is a gimmick, they're basically saying that anyone who does like rumble has inferior tastes to their own.

Give me a break. If you don't like the rumble feature, just leave it at that. No need to try to take the fun out of it for everyone else.

Josh H

I meant no offense by calling it a gimmick. I could care less what others think about anything, much less a rumbling controller.

As for the lack of a battery life indicator, it's not really a big deal. I've never had it just stop working. Usually the control starts to get a little sluggish, and then I know it's time to change batteries. Plus with a battery life of 100 hours or so it's a rare event for me given I play 5 or so hours a week on average, and that's split between GC, PS2 and GBA.

Joshic

I bought the Pelican G3 Wireless controller for Gamecube yesterday at Best Buy. The sticker price was $29, I used the $5 to bring it down to $25. The controller is offered in black and indigo, which is nice. Too bad the Wavebird is only in gray. I bought the black Pelican wireless to match my Gamecube.

The Pelican feels really cheap in construction compared to my Logitech PS2 & Xbox controllers. But then again, it's also a lot less expensive. The D-pad is a little worse than the original GCN controller, but not by much. The C-stick is better than the GCN controller - it is like the Xbox controllers in that it is indented to fit your thumb. I also like the left controller stick better too. Unlike the concentric circles of the GCN controller, it has a rough texture covering the whole stick, similar to a PS2 analog stick to provide better grip.

On first impression, the buttons feel just as good as the GCN controller. The X and Y buttons are a little thinner, but not enough to make a difference. There is also a Turbo button on the left side of the controller, mirroring the location of the Z button. Overall, the controller feels comfortable but cheap. There is a A-B band switch and 1-4 channel switch on both the receiver and the controller. The controller also offers 3 settings for power: off, on, on w/o rumble. It uses 2 AA batteries. Cheap Pelican-brand batteries included. The box says that the controller has a 50 hr life with rumble turned on. 100 hrs with rumble off.

Overall, I'd say for $25 this is a very nice controller. Although I am a bit spoiled by the auto-channel-negotiation features of the Logitech controllers, manually selecting the channel is not so bad either. If you want a controller with rumble, the Pelican G3 Wireless seems like a solid choice.

Granted, I haven't used the controller much yet (heck, I haven't even played my GCN for more than 20 min yet - waiting on component vidoe cables from Nintendo).

I haven't tried a Wavebird yet, so I can't compare the two. Perhaps others can post their impressions as well.