I picked up the imported control (not the "S" American version--the actual Japanese controller) and so far I have liked it. It is much more like the playstation dual shock although still a little bigger. The layout of the X-Y-A-B buttons is pleasant for fat fingered individuals and is almost identical to the Madcatz setup.

The left joystick is very comfortable with a deeper "cup" to hold your thumb better. This makes crouching and walking or the jump then crouch feature much easier and less frustrating. The right joystick also has the same deeper cup but is not as comfortable in relation to its position as the Original XBox version. You almost have to keep your thumb bent the whole time to feel like you have control over the stick which makes your thumb joint hurt after only a short time. The movement of the sticks is almost identical to the original.

The triggers are only slightly smaller and very comfortable. They also press in easier than the original--a feature which I like. This could pose a problem in racing games where the pressure you place on the trigger reflects how much you are "pressing on the gas pedal". I have not tested this in any racing games, but have only liked the slight change in trigger feature on the Japanese controller.

The D-Pad is probably the best improvement from the original. It makes deliberate directional presses used in navigating menus and in such games as Tony Hawk much easier.

As you know the black and white buttons are located underneath the other buttons. They are sunken into the controller so an accidental press by the thumb is almost impossible. The problem is that the placement is just as cumbersome as the placement on the original. The start and back buttons are also moved to underneath the left joystick. This is annoying at first just because that is not where they are "supposed" to be. After a couple of times of reaching in the wrong spot you get the hang of it though and all in all it isn't that big of a deal beacuse you don't use them in gameplay except to pause the game.

In the end I am glad I bought this as my 4th controller. I can use it when I want and pawn it off on one of my friends when I feel like using the original. I can't say that the change in controller affected my game playing abilities all that much. Yes I can crouch and walk easier, but that is rarely a big deal in a game. I do like the spacing of the buttons and the change in D-pad for Tony Hawk.

Any questions just ask.