The thing about the Wavebird is, it doesn't support rumble. Maybe it messes with the wireless sensors, maybe it drains batteries too fast, maybe it makes the already heavier-than-average controller too bulky.. don't know, too lazy to research it. Strangely, I was initially disappointed by this. That's right, disappointed, as though I was now losing something. I think I developed Stockholm Syndrome for the rumble feature.

Luckily I was cured of this addiction rather quickly. Not owning a Wii, and having a craving to play a Zelda game, I dropped-in the Gamecube Zelda collectors disc and fired-up Majora's Mask. I played through this game in 2001 and had long forgotten all the secrets so it was like starting anew. Majora's Mask, like its brother Ocarina of Time, has the "if you stand next to something secret the controller shakes" thing going. It also kicks-off the rumble when you bump into something, get hit, and so on. With the Wavebird controller it was no longer an option to feel all this rumbliness.

You know what? The game was better without it. That's right, all this time the rumble feature was getting on my nerves and I ignored it because I was supposed to like it. I assume this is the same reason people buy Eminem CDs. Now free from its grip, I found every Gamecube game I owned more enjoyable. After all this time it turns out my first impression of the Rumble Pak some nine years ago was dead-on. The rumble feature is lame.

Next time my daughter wanted to play Donkey Kong 64 I yanked out the Rumble Pak and instantly remembered how much better the game was without it. In a testament to the quality that Nintendo puts into their products, when I disconnected the Rumble Pak the batteries were still good. That's right, the almost seven year old batteries were still going strong. I don't know if that says more about the batteries or the power consumption of the Rumble Pak, either way I'm impressed.