There have been many third-party controllers for the PlayStation since it was launched a little over 3 years ago. Some of them enhance every game you play, while others shouldn't be purchased no matter what the price. Among the best of these third-party controllers is the Alps Interactive gamepad, which seems to have been designed around one principal idea - comfort. This controller is one of the best for extended playing sessions. Sitting down and playing for hours straight with the Alps will not leave you with aching thumbs.

First of all, the design is right on. Every button is in a perfect position, the d-pad is awesome, and the top buttons are very accessible. It also has a rubber grip so it won't slip no matter how sweaty your hands become in the heat of battle. This controller also has a very different look. It is blue with black grips and buttons, which are shaped similar to raindrops.

Unlike many third-party controllers, there are no special functions. There is no slow motion, turbo, or anything of that nature. While this may seem like an oversight, these functions may have greatly changed the product, possibly affecting the price. It would not have been worth it.

Yet another thing this controller has going for it is its feel. There's no hint of poor design or construction that is evident in some controllers; it's as sturdy and high quality as controllers get. After much use, it's still in the same condition as it was when I bought it. There are no scratches, the buttons are still in place, and the rubber grips have not torn, started to come off, or shown any form of wear.

How does it play? Wonderfully. It surpasses the standard Sony pad in just about every game I tried. Top-left and bottom-right diagonals are a little difficult to pull off, but that's not a huge problem. I found it most useful in genres such as racing, where you just hit the gas (and the brake if your into that sort of thing) and steer, and RPG/strategy games where many buttons are used, but not vigorously. It was the least useful for fighting games. Some moves were hard to nail with the d-pad, and the buttons aren't the greatest if you tend to use a controller like an arcade machine, but there are other controllers designed for that sort of thing.

The basic idea behind the Alps Interactive gamepad was to create a controller so comfortable and fine-tuned, you'd forget about it and fully concentrate on the game. To say that they succeeded would be an understatement. The odd design and size of the controller may turn you off at first, but, after using it, you'll change your mind.