| Performance:
The Logitech WingMan Rumble
Pad rocks. Its a very versatile gamepad that can serve as a
controller for many game types. The layout and function of the pad
is close to a console controller which are typically used to control
everything from arcade, racing, shooters, RPG, flight, etc. style
games. However, note that console games are just that- games.
I would not consider anything on a console a sim. Still, the Rumble
Pad can also be used with sims with some degree of effectiveness.
Lets look at its use with different types of games-
Sports- The ultimate
controller for sports sims has always been a standard gamepad. As
the sports games evolved in their control depth the 4 button/d-pad
controller also evolved usually by adding more buttons. The Rumble
Pad offers 8 button and a handy shift button that can be used to double
the number of actions you can program to the pad. NHL 99, FIFA
Soccer, Microsoft Baseball and the like played quite well with the Rumble
Pad. Microsoft Baseball was the only game that took advantage of the
rumble effects of the controller by providing a shake of the controller
with each contact of the ball with the bat. The throttle and two
analog joysticks provided no function in any of the sports games I played
(unless I switched the mode to use the left stick for control) but stayed
out of the way.
Racing- The Rumble
Pad can be used quite efficiently as a racing controller. It has the
advantage of a throttle control and of course the rumble effects.
With arcade racers that typically require more buttons the pad met the
challenge. I was able to assign all functions of the Need For Speed
series games and Star Wars: Racer; very few wheels can make that
claim. The rumble effects added to the game experience without being
overbearing. Opponents slamming into my vehicle were detected from
the direction of the hit. Road and engine noise was subtle even with
the effects slider at its maximum. I suggest using the analog
controllers for racing games for better control. Of course the pad
was put to work with Motocross Madness II (one of my favorites). The
controller was a bit sensitive at first and I needed to acclimate myself
to the controls but it provided great effects and decent control.
Flying- The Rumble
Pad does a surprisingly decent job as a flight controller. The
game/sim needs to have a fairly robust axis/button assignment option menu
to maximize the layout of the pad though. In arcade flight games
such as Crimson Skies and Descent like games the controller was very
effective. Again, the selection of buttons and control surfaces
allowed you to use the controller without having to touch the mouse or
keyboard. Descent III had my fingers working overtime- using the
analog sticks for ship rotation and movement while using the throttle for
acceleration. The rumble effects provided feedback but were not
accurate enough to let me know what direction my opponents were hitting me
from.
True flight sims were also
put to task with the Rumble Pad. MS FlightSim 2000, Combat Sim, Fly!
and Flight Unlimited III were flown with the pad as the primary
controller. With most setup was fairly simple using the in game
configuration. I typically used the throttle for engine control, the
d-pad as a view switch and the left stick for aileron/elevator control and
the right stick for rudder control. The sticks are very small in
relationship to a joystick and the control is scaled accordingly. It
is difficult to achieve accurate movement with them. This is
apparent when using the rudder. Still, the Rumble Pad offers the
best gamepad control for flightsims in comparison to others. The
effects added to the experience but not in a way a stick would. The
slight shake before a full stall could have been any number of things and
I just couldn't distinguish it from another issue in time to do much about
it.
First/3rd-Person-Shooters-
There are no surprises here- the Rumble Pad plays 3rd person shooters
such as Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, Star Wars: Phantom Menace, etc.
well. It all but fails as a controller in 1st person shooters
(FPS's) such as Quake 3, Unreal Tournament and others. The reason
for this is the need for intuitive control in FPS's. The axis
control needed is there- its just not simple enough to use. You can
use the d-pad for forward/backward and sliding movement while using one of
the analog sticks for viewing/aiming. However, there is no logic
that convinces your hands and fingers to work together on the
project.
The 3rd person shooters
faired much better with the pad. The play pace of these games
usually allows you to think through the control sequence. I used the
d-pad for basic movement, one of the analog sticks for viewing and the
other for special moves such as rolling. The 8 buttons plus the
shift function allowed more than enough control of the needed actions of
the games. Some of these games support the rumble effects. The
effects added slightly to the experience especially when firing and being
fired upon.
The Rumble Pad is a good
performer. I had no calibration, recognition or setup
problems. The rumble effects had no impact on system
performance. The layout of the pad is quite efficient and borrows
from the layout of popular console controllers. It adds a few extra
features in its tiny package while keeping weight and ergonomic concerns
to a minimum.
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