I noticed when clicking around looking at products that I own, that this game pad has no review, so I said to myself that I would write the first review for it. However I have just realised why there is no review, it is very difficult to write a lengthy document about such a simple product, ... Read review
Advantages: cheap, durable, comfortable to hold Disadvantages: makes left thumb saw, configuration on some games
I noticed when clicking around looking at products that I own, that this game pad has no review, so I said to myself that I would write the first review for it. However I have just realised why there is no review, it is very difficult to write a lengthy document about such a simple product, so I will apologise in advance for this being quite short and not very in depth, but I really am going to struggle about things to say. Here goes…
...is probably the ease of use, for example how easily it sits in your hands and whether you can reach all the buttons without having to reposition your hands. And I have to admit that this game pad is extremely good for this. The shape of it has been design so that your hands are perfectly positioned for comfortable control. I feel that the thickness of the handles and overall size of it mean that it is not suitable for very small children (or adults ... more
I noticed when clicking around looking at products that I own, that this game pad has no review, so I said to myself that I would write the first review for it. However I have just realised why there is no review, it is very difficult to write a lengthy document about such a simple product, so I will apologise in advance for this being quite short and not very in depth, but I really am going to struggle about things to say. Here goes…
The most important aspect when using a game pad is probably the ease of use, for example how easily it sits in your hands and whether you can reach all the buttons without having to reposition your hands. And I have to admit that this game pad is extremely good for this. The shape of it has been design so that your hands are perfectly positioned for comfortable control. I feel that the thickness of the handles and overall size of it mean that it is not suitable for very small children (or adults with small hands) as a friend of mines child could not hold it and reach all the buttons at the same time.
The layout of the buttons is a little confusing and difficult to get use to at first, because it is not the same as a play station controller or any other controller more regularly used. One very annoying aspect is the materials used, overall they are comfortable and robust apart from the analogue stick (this model only features one analogue pad on the left, which can leave you wanting in certain games) the concave surface of it may look good, but I can only manage about 1 hour of gaming before the end of my thumb is red raw. Now this may not sound like much, but to an avid gamer who will use it a lot it is not very sensible. So if you plan on using it for extended periods of time, then look elsewhere.
This game pad is actually just plug and play so you do not need to load any software to get it going, which means I have never, not once, had any problems with getting it to work. It is extremely responsive, the only problem is on the analogue, you can either move fast or stop, you cannot press it half way and walk slowly. However it may work well with some games, but with others the automatic configuration of the layout of the controls is absurd. So if you are planning on playing a game for the first time when using it, I would definitely recommend that you look at the configuration and rearrange it to something that you are more used to. Also I would not recommend playing any racing games on it, as the analogue is just not set up for that and makes it impossible (and painful)
Overall this is a great controller, and as I have mentioned the only problem is the material for the analogue pad. So as long as you play in just short stints of time, then I would definitely recommend you look into purchasing this controller. Finally, because this model of controller is a few years old it means that it is going very cheaply, especially second hand.
I have used it with windows XP but it claims to work with anything from Win 98SE onwards and has extremely low system requirements, such as a 166Mhz processor, which I don't believe it is actually possible to get something worse.
Wow, I found more to say than I thought I would, although it is still quite short. Ah well, it's all I can manage.
Advantages: Reliable, comfortable to use Disadvantages: Many PCs no longer come iwth a Gameport. Gameport not recognised by Vista
...that I am not a Microsoft fan. This game pad came with my first PC which I purchased in 1999. It is still going today and is still the only gamepad I own. If it broke, I would look to buy another one. This pad is great. Lets start with the looks. This pad is a big, chucnky black affair with dark grey buttons (6 on the right, 2 triggers, 1 centre button and a start and select button sunken centrally) and a round with raised cross D-pad. It comes with ... ...enough top reach around the back of your PC and still give you some slac k to play with. Software. The MS software that comes with this pad lets you set up custom profiles for individual games which means that the pad will know what buttons to assign to what commands - a really useful time saving feature. Ergonomics. This pad fits wonderfully in the hand, it looks too big, but when you pick it up it fits snugly in the hands with all the buttons in ...
thejazzyj 17.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Microsoft SideWinder game pad
Advantages: Robist, good design, good compatibility Disadvantages: can be twitchy
...the past years but my Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro was deffinitley worth the money. I have often bought cheap joysticks which soon broke and were useless, they only lasted a few months. I have now had my Sidewinder for four years and it is still going strong. It is a digital joystick supported by most windows games and works in analogue mode in DOS. It has a throttle, hat switch and eight buttons. Its base is weighted to prevent movement on your desk. ...
marcusearl 20.07.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Microsoft SideWinder game pad
Responsiveness
Robustness & durability
Look & feel
Ease of use
Value For Money
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Advantages: Buttons in wrong places for certain games Disadvantages: Looks good.
If I'm honest I'm not a massive PC gamer but these days if I want to play computer games its best if I play them on my PC since I can't really afford to forking out money for the latest consoles. When I do play games on my PC though I do miss the good old console controllers as certain games, particularly sports games can be hard to play using the keyboard.
I'm a big football fan and love to play the latest Fifa release and usually do so on my mates consoles but I decided that if I was going to master theses games I should really get them on my PC so I have bought the games for my PC and decided to purchase a PC compatible controller.
I opted for the Microsoft sidewinder as I had heard great things about it from various sites and magazines. I currently use if for Fifa, Madden and Top Spin Tennis
The controller itself is pretty ...
Advantages: Programable buttons. Both analogue and digital controls. Good software. Disadvantages: Slightly uncomfortable after using for a while. The digital pad is not perfect.
The Microsoft Sidewinder GamePad Pro is one of the later offerings from Microsoft attempting to consolidate its grip on the gamepad market.
The Sidewinder GamePad Pro is solely a USB affair, so if you don’t have USB ports look elsewhere (The Gravis Exterminator is a pretty good pad – and cheaper). For those of you that do, make sure you have Windows 98 or higher. Being made by Microsoft, they don’t cater for alternative operating systems like linux etc, which is a shame. I’m not sure if you can use the joypad with win95 - You probably can, but you will need to download a file from the Microsoft website first, which will enable your computer to recognise USB devices.
The first thing you notice, is that its silver. And chunky. So large in fact that at first I thought it was going to be very hard to get used ...
Advantages: east to install, nice to use, makes gaming easier and more pleasurable Disadvantages: takes some getting used to
Here we have what must be one of the most advanced gamepads of it's generation. This is the perfect accompaniment for any game and game player enabling more advanced things to be done during a game without having to remember complicated key combinations!
The Microsoft sidewinder GamePad Pro, is a very nice pad both in it's construction and it's look and feel. It is of good, solid construction and very easy to install. MS Windows ME detects it ok, you put the drivers in and it installs no problem at all. After restarting your machine you are ready to go.
I have been using mine for over a year now and have no complaints whatsoever apart from the shape taking a bit of time to get used to although don't let this put you off, it doesn't take long.
The software supplied is very easy to use, even if games don’t directly ...
Product Information for "Microsoft SideWinder game pad" »
Manufacturer's product description
There's no other controller like it. With its amazingly comfortable design, advanced programmability, and full-function multipad gaming, Microsoft SideWinder game pad puts you way ahead in the PC arms race. Designed to ensure lightning fast responses in all kinds of fighting, sports, racing and arcade-style games. Daisy chain up to 4 Microsoft SideWinder game pads together for multiplayer gaming and keep all the functions of each pad -with no extra hardware! Program complicated multibutton or keyboard strokes to a single button. Amazing flexibility - 6 action buttons, an 8-way cross-key pad, and 2 trigger buttons for games running on Windows® 95. The program requires 486DX (66 MHz) or higher microprocessor, 8 MB of available RAM, 6 megs of hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, VGA display (640x480 resolution); Display capable of 256 colors,Microsoft Windows 95 Operating System or later, Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device; Soundblaster or compatible game port.
