| Sidewinder GamePad Manufactured
By: Microsoft Corp.
Retail Price: $20-30
Review Date: 9-28-98
Revised 9-29-98 |
|
| The MS Sidewinder GamePad has been around for
a while. It has managed to remain part of my controller arsenal because it is very
friendly to change...
Its pass through connector allow me to try it with games and switch to other
controllers without having to disconnect it from my soundcard. The connector at the
back of the controller also allows up to 4 MS Sidewinder gamepads to be connected to one
game/MIDI port. It also allows an easy switch to another member of the Sidewinder
controller family with the press of the "mode" button. Other
manufacturers controllers can also be plugged into the port and switched out
when necessary.
It has the look of a console controller but is more comfortable. Its design takes
adult hands into consideration and does not cause cramping associated with most gamepads.
The MS Sidewinder GamePad is a great controller for games like Tomb Raider where
using a joystick was an afterthought. The profiler allows you to re-map keyboard
controls to the GamePad buttons for easier play.
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Features -
- 2 trigger buttons
- 6 console buttons
- start button & mode button
- special function button for pre-programmed
"moves" or combinations.
- digital interface
- 15 pin joystick port on the back of the
controller allowing switching of controllers or "daisy chaining of MS Sidewinder
GamePads
|
System Requirements
-
486-66MHz, 8mg RAM, Windows 95 or higher, MIDI/game port.
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Price -
The price and availability of the MS Sidewinder GamePad varies. Good
deals can be found as Microsoft and its vendors move out this controller for newer
models. It is a good value at $20-25.
|
Performance
-
The
digital interface gives the user a great sense of control. No calibration is necessary and
drift if non-existent. The Sidewinder is best suited for 3D shooters and sports games.NOTE:
Some PCI and non-Creative Labs ISA
soundcards have difficulty detecting Microsoft and other digital controllers. Check
with your soundcard manufacturer for possible compatibility issues.
|
Setup -
Using the current 3.02 software, setup is simple. Drivers, game profiles and help
files are all loaded with the software setup.
The same software is used for other Microsoft controllers such as the Sidewinder 3D
Pro, Sidewinder 3D Force Feedback Pro, etc. making using all Microsoft controllers very
enticing.NOTE: Some PCI soundcards have difficulty detecting Microsoft digital
controllers. Check with your soundcard manufacturer for compatibility issues. |
Software -
The MS Sidewinder GamePad comes with drivers, a game device profiler for
programming and demos on one CD. There is also a package offered with Virtual Fighter that
demonstrates the gamepads programming capabilities. Visit the Microsoft site for the
latest drivers.
Previous versions of the Game Profiler would allow the proper profile to be
executed when the game was run. The new profiler must have the specific game profile
selected prior to running the game. This is frustrating when you realize you have the
wrong profile selected in a game. The logic behind manually selecting the profile instead
of it auto-executing allows multiple profiles to exist for the same game.
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Documentation
-
Documentation provided with the MS Sidewinder GamePad is adequate for installation
and use. The manual provided with the controller used for this review was obsolete when
using the latest drivers because the Game Profiler has been updated. However, the help
file provided was very helpful in understanding the profiler.
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Overall Rating
-
The ease of use and comfort of this controller make it a good choice for general gaming.
It’s also great for switching to other controllers for when another controller is
more suitable
|
|
1 Stick - Not Recommended
2 Sticks - Functional
3 Sticks - Recommended with some issues
4 Sticks - Recommended
5 Sticks - Highly Recommended! |
|
Buy
the SideWinder Game Pad
|
