I noticed something recently while playing Battletoads.

I was on the level "Clinger Winger" and even though I was hitting all the directions right, I seemed to never build up enough speed to outrun the buzzsaw of death. Then, at random I noticed I would go faster if I double-tapped a direction.

I had been using the same 3-button controller for years (I only use six-button controllers for six-button games, for the rest I prefer the classic) and had never noticed it before, but I realized the D-pad is actually kind of loose. It doesn't exactly fit the space its in--there's a gap between it and the edge of the inlet. So I started to suspect, and then I plugged in my six-button controller. Sure enough, this time I beat the level in one go, without having to double-tap.

When I looked into my controller collection (its not very extensive) a bit more, I noticed that I have a first-generation 3-button controller. I can tell its first-gen because of how short the cord is. But I also noticed it has a more solid D-pad! So I guess Sega just got cheap when the Model 2 came out, right?

So, this is a message for anyone who finds they really, really suck at either Battletoads or Contra: Hard Corps -- You might actually be right to blame the D-pad.

(Going to eBay to hit up some extension cables now)