Big control in a small package.

I was a little unsure what to say about this device.  My first instinct about the Thrustmaster T-Mini Wireless controller was absolute hatred.  I found that it was clumsy, hard to use for games with even the most simple control schemes, and just downright annoying.  Slowly I realized, however, that the problem was in my own chubby, stubby, Homeresque fingers and thumbs and not the controller itself.  The only reason I didn't like it was the fact that it is small.

It says "mini" right on the box, so I really can't fault the little guy for being small.

The truth is that this is a pretty competent wireless controller.  At 2.4 GHz it offers sublime response time whether you're just pointing Vaan and his pals around Ivalice in Final Fantasy XII or kicking digital butt online with Scorpion, Sektor, or your own "Kreated Karachter" in Mortal Kombat Armageddon.  I had no difficulties with the sensor "losing" the controller repeatedly (something that can happen with cheap wireless setups fairly often).

The controller design is pretty straightforward with start, select, face, and directional buttons right where they should be.  The shoulder buttons work as expected as well and the option to turn vibration on or off on the unit itself helps to save battery life.  This is, for all intents and purposes, a perfect mock-up of the PS2 DualShock2 controller, just, um, smaller. 

Rubber grips round out the package and give the unit a nice feel, although I've never had an issue with smooth plastic controllers slipping from my hands, so I'm unsure just how necessary this feature is.