The measure of a controller

I always wondered why the third-party aftermarket GameCube controller (first mentioned in my previous post) felt a bit flimsy. Thanks to my kitchen scale, I now know it’s because it weighs 1.3 lbs to the original controller’s 1.8. The plastic around the handles also feels thinner, like when you can tell by touch that an Easter chocolate is hollow and not solid. (I knew that experience would come in handy someday.)

I hadn’t actively considered weight as a significant factor until I measured the two versions. A controller needs to not weigh so much that it’s cumbersome to hold but, apparently, also needs to provide enough heft to feel substantial. Perhaps that need increases in tandem with the complexity. My NES controllers are not heavy, though they might not need to be.