Rating: 
Summary: A controller without a D-pad!
Review: Don't take the "5 stars rating" reviews in such consideration, because their owners don't seem to play many diferent type of games. It's directional pad is a COMPLETE JUNK. If you have emulators on your computer, like M.A.M.E, and usually play fighting games (Street Fighter, KOF etc...), FORGET it.
It is also NOT recommended to play any other emulator games. PC games are also a hard task to do.Why?
Simply because the D-pad doesn't work. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to make the moves work well.
The one star I gave goes to all the rest (I mean the buttons and the design). Stay away from any gamepad from MS. They are the worst choice.
Rating:
Summary: A controller without a D-pad!
Review: Don't take the "5 stars rating" reviews in such consideration, because their owners don't seem to play many diferent type of games. It's directional pad is a COMPLETE JUNK. If you have emulators on your computer, like M.A.M.E, and usually play fighting games (Street Fighter, KOF etc...), FORGET it.
It is also NOT recommended to play any other emulator games. PC games are also a hard task to do. Why?
Simply because the D-pad doesn't work. It's almost IMPOSSIBLE to make the moves work well.
The one star I gave goes to all the rest (I mean the buttons and the design). Stay away from any gamepad from MS. They are the worst choice.
Rating:
Summary: Buttons stick over time.
Review: I have owned three Microsoft Sidewinder USB controllers over the past couple of years. I originally bought one for use with console emulators on my PC, and ultimately chose this controller based on its popularity at the time (it was natively compatible with many emulator programs).
At first, the Sidewinder worked like a dream--it felt great and fit fine in my hands, the buttons were all in easy reach; I felt no strain or aches after hours of gaming. The directional pad was a little worrying, since I could not seem to get precise movement out of it even after numerous attempts at calibration and using it in various emulators. It meant that playing 2D fighter games was out of the question (it was impossible to rely on complex, timed directional presses to be recognized), but it still seemed to work well enough for most other 2D action games.
However, the same pattern of trouble appeared in all three of these controllers that I owned. After several months, the directional pad went entirely to mush--recalibrating wouldn't fix it, reinstalling drivers wouldn't fix it; it was hardware degradation. The D-pad went from vaguely imprecise to utterly unreliable. At first I wondered if perhaps some of my friends who had come over and used the controller had pressed the buttons too vigorously and damaged them, so I ended up buying two replacements before finally realizing it was the poor design (the last one I let no one else use, and I am very cautious and careful to use light pressure when I play--and with small hands, there's not much damage I can do).
The directional pad is simply unuseable after regular use. Often it takes repeated pressing or intense pressure to register movement in games. For example, in games where you need to double-tap a specific direction to make your character dash, the Sidewinder USB is unreliable--sometimes you'll dash, sometimes one of the taps won't register and you'll end up only walking. Also, sustained pressure on a directional button will sometimes just cut out, and you'll find yourself having to press the button again to resume moving. In addition to being useless for fighting games, I found my three Sidewinders became useless for all other action games and can now only use them for RPGs. Even while playing RPGs, the seemingly random lack of response from the D-pad is too frustrating to bear.
I'm sorry to say that my terrible experiences with this controller have scared me off from using any other Microsoft brand game input devices. Hey, I love my MS ergonomic keyboard and optical mouse--I just won't trust the company to make my controllers. I've switched to a Saitek pad and am a much happier emu-gamer now.
Rating: 
Summary: nice, inexpensive peripheral
Review: I use this gamepad as an inexpensive and convenient way to collect user responses in psychological experiments. This USB device is particularly nice because it doesn't tie up the RS-232 serial port in my computer, it is automatically recognized (by Windows 2000, not sure about other operating systems), and the gamepad operates as expected in my Visual Basic programs.
Rating: 
Summary: What can the SideWinder do for you?
Review: I'll tell you what it can do! Through all of the games I have played, I have not had one conflict and did not have to even calibrate it. It does not come with drivers, although they are found on any "Windows" based system. One game that I thought was not good until I bought this controller was Starfighter made by LucasArts. I stepped up my memory and graphics and found this controller is awesome for this game amoung others such as sports, pinball, plane simulation, and all around fun. I can not comment on 2d fighting games but on 3d games it works wonders. If playing sports however, the controller seems to be a little sluggish, but still very precise. I do not claim to be a microsoft fan but they make a heck of a mouse and controller maker. I got rid of the Logitech Wingman Rumblepad because this SideWinder Outperformed it. I like it, you may not, but I do!
Rating:
Summary: What can the SideWinder do for you?
Review: I'll tell you what it can do! Through all of the games I have played, I have not had one conflict and did not have to even calibrate it. It does not come with drivers, although they are found on any "Windows" based system. One game that I thought was not good until I bought this controller was Starfighter made by LucasArts. I stepped up my memory and graphics and found this controller is awesome for this game amoung others such as sports, pinball, plane simulation, and all around fun. I can not comment on 2d fighting games but on 3d games it works wonders. If playing sports however, the controller seems to be a little sluggish, but still very precise. I do not claim to be a microsoft fan but they make a heck of a mouse and controller maker. I got rid of the Logitech Wingman Rumblepad because this SideWinder Outperformed it. I like it, you may not, but I do!
Rating:
Summary: For the price, one of the best gamepads...
Review: If you are looking for a high-quality, multi-function gamepad that is still relatively low-priced, this is probably the gamepad for you. While sometimes needing to be calibrated frequently, this gamepad will satisfy the needs of the vast majority of gamers. Also, for me, at least, the USB interface is highly appealing. If your computer has USB ports on the front, this gamepad will be very easy to use.
Rating:
Summary: No headaches with this one
Review: Like other reviewers I started with a Logitech Rumblepad and had no end of problems trying to configure it for different games, then half the time my PC couldn't find it on startup. I must have installed the drivers about a dozen times (they seemed to disappear off my system) before it went back to the store. I then came home with the MS Sidewinder, plugged it in...and I was off and running. The easiest installation possible, and no problems so far. I would have given it five stars, but it is a little lightweight and feels a bit flimsy, but other than that, it has been a joy compared to the Logitech.
Rating:
Summary: Nice and simple
Review: Many people don't like Microsoft, and there are many reasons why, but sometimes they put out a good product that makes people feel more positive about them. The Sidewinder is one of them. I needed a good controller for Grand Theft Auto 3 because playing on the keyboard was taking all the fun out of it. After comparison shopping at local electronics stores, I found that the Sidewinder was one of the best controllers around for these reasons:
-Sturdy and solid. Won't break when you twist it and turn it.
-Very comfortable to hold because of its rounded design and light weight.
-Easy to setup. As soon as I plugged the USB into my computer, Windows automatically recognized it without any problems or need to install any drivers.
-Many games support it right off the bat. The "joystick" option appeared in all of the games that I have on the PC - GTA3, Wolfenstein, IL-2 Shturmovik, etc.
-The buttons are well placed and easy to differentiate, you won't confuse "shoot" with "jump" while playing. I've been using it for over 6 months now, it hasn't broken, cracked or malfunctioned yet, despite all the abuse and spilled drinks I've put it trough. For the price, I think it can't be beaten.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best
Review: one of the easiest controller to configure. the direction pad is a little stiff if ya like to play sports games.but for the avg user this controller is just right.lightweight and the trigger buttons in a place where you can get your fingers too without a hassle.i would rate this 5 stars but it only has two trigger buttons (i would sooner have 4 triggers and four regular buttons).
|
