You can’t beat the original controllers from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo but every now and then, a third party controller will offer something uniquely interesting to the gamer that will also catch the eye of the media. Logitech are also experts in this field as well!

So where does the Afterglow AW.1 and AW.2 fit into the grand scheme of gaming? Interestingly enough, they are very reminiscent of the original controllers by Nintendo and while testing them, they felt extremely comfortable to use. It should be noted that AW.1 is the wiimote and the AW.2 is the nunchuck. Out first impressions were... these are actually not bad! Definitely a good start.

The highlight of these controllers is that "after glow" effect which basically fills your room with an almost alien-type light when these controllers are used in the dark. Needless to say, they look mightily impressive when used, especially for motion sensitive games as the controllers sometimes make a line of light. Okay... I'm a Star Wars geek and like Russell Brand, when adults are not around, I revert back to a child and these controllers really helped immerse me into the game and have a ball while using them. Lots of lights!

There are some subtle differences with the official controllers and the Afterglow controllers. Firstly, the AW.1 has buttons in different places! This is not a bad thing and is actually a slight improvement over the original controller. Firstly, the Home button is located in the top right hand corner of the unit with the - and + buttons just above the A button. Finally, the 1 and 2 buttons at the bottom are on an angle on the Afterglow controller as opposed to being directly under each other. Once you get the gist of it, it really doesn't effect gaming but it may take some gamers a little time to readjust. The most important factor is that it works.

 

For the Afterglow AW.2, I really appreciated the rubber thumb grip on the controller stick which does give more accuracy and control to the player as opposed to the Nintendo nunchuck. You can even retract the cord back into the AW.2 once you have finished your gaming sessions. It's these little things that make the controllers so cool to use. Like the Nintendo controllers, these must be purchased separately which is a shame because you can't have one without the other, just like the Nintendo controllers.

At the end of the day, the Afterglow AW.1 and AW.2 are quite affordably priced which will be available in all good stores in Australia from September 30th 2010 and if you want more information, please visit the official distributors in Australia at - http://www.qvsoftware.com.au/products/search/afterglow. For gamers, it feels like a gaming control that has a good grip and although the buttons are located in different spots (probably for copyright), it actually works. But the best part of the Afterglow is the cool light that it emits from each controller.

Now it's a fight for the Afterglows controllers as opposed to the official Nintendo controllers which should never happen but it did! Check them out!

Also available for XBox 360 and PlayStation 3