The marketing for the second Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been an absolute dream to watch unfold. From posters that pay homage to classic game covers to adorable interviews that remember that Knuckles likes grapes, the efforts made to get us hyped for Sonic’s second theatrical release have been pretty amazing. That being said, there are some marketing efforts that are a bit … hairy.
Yep. I got the Sonic and Knuckles furbaby controllers, y’all!
According to Xbox Wire, “The customized black Xbox Series S console features a golden portal ring shining on its surface alongside an embossed Sonic the Hedgehog 2 logo. With textured coatings reminiscent of the ‘bristly’ texture of hedgehogs in the wild, the new Xbox Wireless Controllers come in Sonic Blue and Knuckles Red.”
Are these controllers real?!
Yes.
How well do they work?
Let me just say that as a longtime Sonic fan, having Xbox send me this package is one of the most “way past cool” things to ever arrive on my doorstep. My first impressions of the controllers were a solid “huh, that’s … huh,” but curiosity is a hell of a thing, so I HAD to know how well they worked.
First and foremost, the Xbox itself is pretty effing cool, and the case the controllers come in goes straight to my Sonic fangirl heart. I think it makes for a fun collector’s item, maybe even one to hang on your wall if you have the proper tools to get it up there.
That said, I’m pretty sure no one would be surprised to learn that playing with the controllers is a bit… um … well, let me just say that you will have the urge to do this:
One question I’ve been asked was how the controllers would handle sweaty palms. After all, depending on the game you play, you could very well be gripping onto the controller for dear life. I’m gonna be honest. I used the controller for, like, thirty minutes—and yes, I did play Elden Ring, not because I’m a masochist, but because I’m a masochist who wanted a witty headline.
The reason why I cut my playtime short is that there is SO much fur on the controller that it covers up the buttons. The fur has a bit of a coarse texture, which doesn’t bother me, but having to search for the buttons through the fur can be troublesome – especially the set in the middle of the controller, which is a lot smaller than the A, B, X, and Y buttons.
I used the Knuckles one, in particular, and all I wanted to do was uncover the buttons I needed. The center buttons, in particular, are practically invisible. This isn’t always an issue as those buttons can be for pausing your game, but in Elden Ring’s case, it’s how you get to the menu screen and your map. Trust me when I say that you will be sifting through a whole lot of fur to get to the button you need. It’s a shame because I don’t mind the idea behind the controllers, there’s just TOO MUCH FUR and I had to stop myself from grabbing a pair of scissors. Who knows. Maybe I will.
Thankfully, I’m only about three hours into the game so I’m still embracing the fine art of “summon your horse and run.”
Eventually, I settled for uncovering the buttons as much as I could which kinda worked, but I still ended up second-guessing where the buttons were through the fur. All and all, I’d say they make a cute novelty item, but you will probably want a regular Xbox controller for gaming instead of a Sonic and/or Knuckles bundle of hair. The console, however, is definitely worth having, perhaps with a chili dog and fox companion who can fly a plane.
(Image: Par.Pics. & SEGA/From Software)
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