Reviews / previews
How do you improve on the best gamepad?
Answer: You do and you don't. The Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro is the next evolutionary step in the SideWinder gamepad line. It features some nice improvements, but some features we would have liked to see are missing.
The D-pad has two functions. It works as a normal directional pad, but it also provides something Microsoft calls proportional control. This is exactly what it sounds like. The more pressure you apply in a given direction, the more reaction you get out of the game--similar to increasing the tilt of a joystick.
The Game Pad Pro uses the 4.0 version of the SideWinder Game Controller software, which is well organized and easy to use for programming buttons, creating specific game control schemes, and connecting to the online gaming Zone.
We ran the SideWinder through its slithery paces in NFL Blitz and Rogue Squadron. The pad was perfect for Blitz, featuring a preprogrammed set of commands in the game software. Rogue Squadron flew well with the Pro after we set up balanced commands for the action buttons. We were able to make tight turns easily with the proportional setting. The Pro fits snugly in my hands, plays well, and is easily programmable.
So what's the problem?
Well, for one, this USB device would have been perfect for daisy-chaining. The original SideWinder Game Pad featured a much-used pass-through port that allowed gaming with a buddy. Sure, PCs have two USB ports, but it would seem to be a no-brainer to continue the tradition. Plus, and this is just a nitpick, the Game Pad Pro doesn't seem as cool as the original Game Pad. Maybe it's the boomerang design or the dull bronze color, but we were happy with the aesthetics of the old pad.
But that's not to say we won't be gaming hard with the SideWinder. Minor complaints aside, this is an excellent controller.
-- Joel Strauch / GamePro
Got an opinion about Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro? Or maybe know a good cheat or strategy? Share it with the world!