Accessories on the whole are usually a mixed bag. The Wii Zapper, for example, is shaping up to be a pale shadow of the original accessory from which it takes its namesake. The Nyko Wii Party Station on the other hand? Crazy awesome fun.
So when I first saw that Taito would be releasing an Arkanoid DS paddle that mimics the old school arcade joystick, I was on the fence (Japan only, so far). But now I want it.
[H]ere’s what I only found out when I got my hands on it: it’s fantastic. It’s not just a little plastic dial. It’s sitting on ball bearings or something, and it’s got momentum and a little bit of kickback to it. That means that it spins incredibly smoothly — if you spin it and let go, it’ll keep whizzing for a good five seconds or so. The response time is perfect.It’s literally just like standing in front of a miniature arcade machine. Remember how much fun it was as a kid to just stand there and spin the dial, even if you weren’t playing the game? That’s what this is like.
The thing with accessories is companies often do them half-assed just to get them out the door in an effort to capitalize on the next big thing (see: iPod accessories, Wii accessories). In Taito’s case, they seem to “get it,” and released a robust piece of plastic with spinning magical gnomes inside that make this accessory a must import item if it ends up never making the trip across the Pacific.