Posted: May 12, 2002
Written by: Justin "The Sheriff" Woods

The Wireless Desktop (Continued)

The front of the gamepad has 4, yes that's 4 buttons, and they are all easy to reach. Labelled R1, R2, L1, and L2, these buttons can be configured like all the others, through the game pads included Wingman Profiler Software. Folks, this is tweaking at it's purest. Included on the front of the controller, just to the right is a small slider that acts as the game pads "turbo" controller.

The Wingman Profiler interface

Like I mentioned previously, the controller is extremely configured. Using the included Wingman profiler, you can set up different game pad configurations for your various games, and the profiler will actually launch the games for you as well. I did note some difficulty getting the controller to do exactly what I wanted in MDK2, but I suspect that this may be a limitation in that game, as the force feedback also didn't work. Expect to play with the profiler for a while, it is a cool utility, but a little cumbersome. Changes are easily made and saved, but you have to then load a game to test them.

Controller calibration

In the above picture, you can see that the game pad has 11 configured buttons. Labelled A, B, C,and X, Y, Z, the six buttons on the pad's right side are standard issue on today's controllers. The mode switch allows for simple toggling between sports and flight sima modes. Calibrating the game pad is where you will first get a taste of how the force feedback feels. The Wingman Rumble pad really has a strong vibration, which is due in part to the use of 2 small independently controlled motors. There is one caveat, and that is that the pad does make a little noise. Comparing it to that of the PS2 or the X BOX controller, I would say it is a little louder than both of them.

The receiver is a little bigger than a matchbox, and flashes a small green LED when there is a valid connection. I noticed that you can stick the receiver out of sight, and the gamepad still functions flawlessly. This is very cool. The fewer things cluttering up the desktop the better.

The 2.4 GHz receiver

Overall, I was very satisfied with this gamepad. I only have teo complaints,and they are minimal. First, the profiler software is very cool, but difficult to master, as you will constantly be making changes and waiting to load a game to test them. 2nd, the rumblepad is a little noisy. Other than that, I would certainly purchase it, especially at the MSRP of $49.95. With it's wireless operation, cool coloring, ease of installation, and sweet force feedback, this controller is a must have. If you are in the market for a new gamepad, or want to upgrade from the old game port to USB, pick one up. You won't be disappointed.

Now let's look at the Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical, wireless keyboard and mouse combo

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