Mad Catz C.T.R.L.R Android controller

There are no prizes on offer for guessing which controller gave Mad Catz inspiration for its new Android pad, the absurdly named C.T.R.L.^R (referred to as the 'CTRLR' from this point on, for my own sanity).

This is an Xbox 360 joypad through and through - from the pimples on the twin analogue sticks to the letters on the face buttons to the fact that the D-pad is a bit rubbish.

Despite a rather inflated price tag, though, the CTRLR can't help but feel like a cheap imitation of Microsoft's best-in-show peripheral.

The plastic is cheap and flimsy; the CTRLR is quite a bit heavier than the 360 controller; and the buttons fight back with a nasty hollow click.

And in play the Mad Catz pad has a slight dead zone on the analogue sticks (which refers to the small distance you can shove the sticks before the game responds) that simply doesn't exist on the Xbox controller.

It's not a deal killer by any means, and I've seen far worse on these mobile controllers, but it does mean that small, nuanced movements - like a slight twist in Riptide GP 2 or a quick headshot in Dead Trigger 2 - are harder to achieve than if you just plug in a wired 360 peripheral.

But, in general, the controller works well. The buttons are responsive, for one. And by copying one of the best joypads around, Mad Catz has guaranteed good ergonomics and layout.

Unlike an Xbox pad, the CTRLR controller has a big screw hole on the top so you can fix a spring-loaded travel clip and plonk a smartphone right onto the controller. This thing can hold any device between 2.3 inches (6.5 cm) and 3.17 inches (8.7 cm) tall. So most phones will fit, but many phablets won't.

This thing is not essential, though, as the controller actually connects wirelessly over Bluetooth. But it is a nice way of emulating an Nvidia Shield, and it doesn't make the controller too heavy or unwieldy when a sensibly sized phone is trapped in the clip.

There are some other differences between this and the Xbox controller if you look closely. Take the row of media buttons along the top that let you skip and pause music tracks, or change volume mid-game. Which is nice.

There's a new switch at the bottom, too, which enables you to toggle between Android (phone, tablets, and micro-consoles), computer (PC and Mac), and something called Mouse Mode.

This curious final mode makes a mouse cursor appear on your Android device's screen. You can control it with the left unstick or click with the 'A' button.

In theory, it would be a good way to play touchscreen games like Angry Birds or Bridge Constructor Medieval on your TV when playing with an HDMI adaptor.

But remember that dead zone issue we mentioned before? It makes manipulating a mouse cursor with any kind of precision an aggravating lesson in frustration. It just doesn't work for any serious gameplay.

Luckily, lots of games work with the controller itself, so you don't need the Mouse Mode. All the Grand Theft Auto games, retro platformers like Gunslugs, and most emulators work. Mad Catz has a good list of compatible games here.

One last thing to mention is that the CTRLR takes AAA batteries, which is just a pain in the arse. They should last a while - Mad Catz says the CTRLR will keeping going for 40 hours of continuous use - but when most pads have a built-in lithium-ion battery, it's a little annoying.

Overall, the Mad Catz controller is a successful bit of kit, but it doesn't come without compromises. It feels like an Xbox 360 controller but isn't quite the high-quality product that Microsoft's pad is. And those nuisance batteries and nasty analogue stick dead zones keep it from greatness.