Good Karma Chameleon
David A. Dodson

What does Sony's DualShock controller have in common with the mighty crocodile and the great white shark? All three have reached a level of perfection that has defied the process of evolution for generations of their respective species. Four buttons, four shoulder triggers, two analog sticks, multi-directional D-pad, start, select, and two rumble motors in the grips all laid out in the exact same format since the original 32 bit PlayStation of over a decade ago. Who would dare try to improve upon perfection? Those industrious individuals at Pelican Accessories have decided to give it a shot with their Chameleon controller for the PS2.

What's the big innovation? Nothing drastic, just a simple shift in the layout of the L2 and R2 buttons, a slight adjustment to the start and select positioning and a tiny reduction in size.

Does it make that big of a difference? You bet it does. By dropping the L2 and R2 buttons further down on the back of the grips, the middle fingers are brought into play. This means no more splitting the index fingers between the "1's" and the "2's". It does take some getting use to, but after awhile you'll discover that it truly is faster and more efficient. Also, by moving the select and start buttons further apart and up by the D-pad and action buttons (respectively), the player experiences less lag time between starting a paused game and getting the hands back into playing position. Finally, by shrinking the case a bit, the controls are more accessible and faster to use, always a plus.

The Chameleon takes the best controller in the world and makes it better. It's by far the fastest to use and most comfortable controller for the PS2. Available in clear plastic with four different colored circuit boards, for about fifteen bucks you can get one just about anywhere games are sold or online from one of the dealers listed at www.PelicanPerformance.com.