Flight Joystick

Tested? Yes

Usually used for games such as Top Gun, and other Flight titles, the joystick means everything is possible with just one hand!

The Joystick shown includes all the buttons you'd normally find on a Nintendo Gamecube controller. L, R, Start, Z, are all clearly marked. However A, B, X, & Y are stuck on the top of the joystick, usually in alignment with flight game controls. Click the Trigger underneath the Joystick to activate the 'A' commands. Hit the Underlying bar ontop of the Joystick to activate 'B' commands, and use the buttons on the left and right of the top of the joystick to enable 'X' & 'Y' commands respectively. The analogue stick in the middle is the equivilent of the 'C-Stick'!

Conclusions: Playing Phantasy Star Online with this isn't half bad to be honest. None of the usual functions are missing, so why not try it next time you've got one to hand!

Donkey Kong Bongo's

Tested? Yes  

As Innovative as they come when making accessories, Nintendo release the DK Bongo's. Initially made for Donkey Konga and Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, they are, as always, programmed alike any usual accessory.

Starting up Phantasy Star Online, and then plugging in some Bongo drums may initially seem mad, and to be honest, it is madness, as only a few functions exist on the drums compared to a standard controller. A bit of a problem when playing something like PSO which requires every possible button available! Hitting the Left bongo activates the the 'Y' commands, and hitting the right bongo activates the 'X' commands. Constantly drumming the left bongo unusually activates the 'B' commands and drumming the right bongo activates the 'A' commands. Although as you can expect, it also includes odd 'Y' & 'X' commands aswell. Apart from this there is the Start button inbetween the bongo, which as you can expect brings up the main menu during gameplay alike the usual Start button. After this... theres nothing else! The Microphone 'Clap' does not activate any controller function and is deemed useless in any other game. This means theres no Analogue Stick, D-Pad, C-Stick, Z-Button, or L & R Shoulder Buttons. Very much a problem when playing Phantasy Star Online! No way to move up and down, in menu's, or move any character around at all! Bongo'ing constantly you may also find hand aching, and Gamecube confusing.

Conclusions: Don't Do It!

Steering Wheel

Tested? No

A Steering wheel is not a bad piece of kit at all! Very much fun for Racing games, but how would it compare against a 3D RPG Adventure game?

Well, the version pictured (Nintendo Gamecube Ferrari Wheel) includes all the usual buttons on a standard Nintendo Gamecube controller. A, B, Z, X, & Y are all there, aswell as a D-Pad. The Shoulder buttons are also provided on the otherside on the Steering Wheel, in perfect reach for hands! Also provided are Turbo buttons should you need them, but they dont work very well in PSO so dont bother with them this time! However, there is an obvious lack is analogue sticks available. The main Analogue stick on your NGC Controller is made to be the equivelent of the wheel on the accessory in question. Pulling it over to the left will make your character move left, while pulling it right will make your character move in the right direction. Moving characters up and down however is a bit of a problem altogether. Racing games do not require cars flying around tracks in the air, just simply moving left or right (Alike a normal car!), so up and down directions arent included with the steering wheel. The C-Stick however is absent altogether, but with the D-Pad available it shouldnt be to much of a problem there.

Conclusions: Perfect... if you dont like moving characters, hmm, maybe not.

Dance Mats

Tested? No 

Recently released for the Xbox in spite of the PS2's dominance was a series of Dancing games alongside a Dance Mat. But how do Dance Mats play with PSO?

Dance Mats are made with ease, so the player doesnt get confused. If a Dance Mat was made with every contoller button, then it would be either a big mat, or a small mat with small buttons! As you can tell from the picture, the main functions, A, B, X, & Y are all there. Simply standing on these buttons will provide you with the respective commands. Also available at the top are 'Start' and 'Back'. 'Start' obviously uses the same function as the 'Start' button on an Xbox Controller, the 'Back' button though i can only assume is the equivilent of the 'Select' button on an Xbox control pad. Also available are 4 simple directions, Up, Down, Left, & Right. Again without testing this, i would assume these are D-Pad direction and not Analogue directions. Either way it means playing a game such as PSO which uses every Xbox Controller button will be hard to play whether its a D-Pad or an Analogue stick. All other buttons are absent. No shoulder buttons, Black, White, etc. Uh-Oh, Spaghettio's!

Conclusions: ..... Nah!

GameBoy Advance (Via. Cable Link-up)

Tested: Yes

The GameBoy Advance - Nintendo Gamecube connectivity was something highly boasted by Nintendo about the Gamecube, but honestly hasnt taken off hugely. Many games contain features using GBA-GC Link-up, but does it work with PSO?

With some games, connecting a GBA upto a Nintendo Gamecube means you can play along using your GameBoy Advance as a controller, but trying this on Phantasy Star Online is a big bust. Unfortunately nothing happens! However Phantasy Star Online, Episodes I & II does include GBA-GC Link-up features if you are available to play online. Not controlling PSO of course, you can download free demo's of currently available GBA games from Sonic Team by coimpleting certain offline quests, and then going into the Warehouse Quest online and hooking yourself up to the giant GameBoy Advance hidden away in the Warehouse on Pioneer 2!

Conclusions: No Way Hosay!

Above are just some accessories that are currently available. Techinically speaking, a Xbox Light Gun may work in some ways, but the games its devised for include calibration features using the 'point-at-the-tv-and-hit-the-trigger' function, similarly with SEGA Dreamcast Samba-De-Amigo Maraka's. Feel free to try any accessory you have at home and let us know how it compares with Phantasy Star Online!

In the future we may even see more innovative ideas in which PSO is playable. One such example is the Nintendo Gamecube Chainsaw Controller being developed for U.S. release alongside Resident Evil 4 by NubyTech & Capcom - although whether it see's the light of day is another factor. It does however contain all usual Gamecube pad buttons, so who knows! You could be in the future playing online with players using chainsaws for real! :S

The first ever Ragol.co.uk Episode III C.A.R.D. League will be kicking off very soon! Thanks to all who contacted me by E-Mail after last editions Hunters Gazette stating how much they wanted such a thing here on Ragol.co.uk! Sign-ups will begin on the Ragol.co.uk Forums next weekend (6th November 2004 - Approx.), so keep your eyes posted on the frontpage for all the info when that happens!

How it will work is simple. Rules will be detailed on the sign-up post, and every match played must be abided by the rules set. Entrants will all be enlisted on a Table, and then given matchups and dates, so please, you must only enter if you'll be available for at least 3 - 4 weeks. Im not saying you've got to be available 24:7, just available in that time to arrange several matches between yourselves and other opponents.

After all entrants are entered into a League Table, they will be sorted by points. At first, all entrants will have no points, and be =1st. Points are gained via. Rank & Win Situation. You will be given points on whether you won or lost the match, and extra points given out on what rank you earned after the match, so please, also enter if you are going to be serious and honest about this as i will not be available to watch over all matches! If you would like a Ref. to be present please say so before your match so one can be arranged... most probabily me!

The winner will be the person with the most points and highest league table position after all matchups have been played, and will be crowned champion of the 1st ever Ragol.co.uk Episode III: C.A.R.D. League!

If you would to discuss any details or have any suggestions on the league and how it should work, please use the appropriately made forum thread (Link Below!).

Thats it for this edition of the Hunters Gazette... see you in another 2 weeks time!