I am not exactly a big gamer, and have very little experience with other gamepads to compare this model to, but I did try a few other ones first, and this one was definitely the best. I tried a couple of corded pads, which were selling for only a couple of bucks cheaper, and the convenience of the cordless operation is awesome.

Perhaps because of my lack of experience with game pads, it did take me a while to figure out how to make it work with any game I wanted, and I got quite frustrated at first, almost to a point that I considered returning this pad. I bought it at Circuit City for $20, which seemed very reasonable, considering that the previous 2 pads I tried were $13 and $17, and they were both corded. There is a newere model Rumblepad 2 which was selling for $39, but I thought I'd give this one a try first and see if I can save some money on the way. After spending some time with it, I must say I am quite satisfied with this controler and I am glad I bought it.

The main reason I returned the first two controlers was that neither of them had a software to customize the operation and make them work with older games, or games not intended for gamepad control. This one does, although it took me a long time to figure out how to do it. In case someone else has this problem, the solution is to select an option in the software to apply the default profile to any game - you can select which profile is the default one from a drop down box with all available profiles.

The customization process is pretty tedious, but well worth the effort once you get done. The options seem unlimitted so the best way to do it is just play around and figure out all the posibilities. I particularly like the ability to assign the joysticks to perform the functions of the mouse, or in my case the track pad on my laptop. On the down side it is a bit harder to control the pointer with the joysticks especially if you need to position it more precisely.

At first look it seems like there are plenty of buttons on the gamepad, almost too many, but I actually ran out of buttons for one of my games - "James Bond... something" so I had to use the keyboard for some less frequently performed functions. The good part is that you can practically assigned any button of the keyboard to any button on the gamepad. If that's not available as a default option in the software, you can record your own command, and even serious of commands to be performed with the press of a button.

Next to the customization, my other favorite feature is the wireless operation. One of the main reasons why I'd never by a desktop is the insane clutter they create when you get all the components hooked up. So any reduction of cables and wires is very much welcomed. I haven't tried to see how far I can go as far as the range go, but within normal distance where I could still see the screen and play the games I had no problems. I only wish that the receiver that you connect to the USB port was a thumbsized kind, and not a separate box, which comes with its own cable, which I just keep rolled up.

A couple of random problems I've encountered. Those might have to do with my particular system's configuration, but whenever I create a new profile, at first the mouse pointer goes crazy and will keep moving in one direction without any input from neither the gamepad nor the mouse. That problem eventually goes away by itself in a minute or two so it's not a big deal but it's kind of odd. The problem is that the right joystick sometimes sticks slightly off center and the mouse pointer keeps moving slightly in the direction that it's stuck too. This is very minor though and easy to fix to normal position.

I can't tell about the battery life yet, because I've only had the controloer for about a week now, but it's still working on the original batteries, and I've used it pretty much every day. It requires 4 AA batteries, which are included, but not rechargable ones, just the regular duracell. Even with the batteries inside, the gamepad still doesn't feel too heavy, and is quite comfortable. The newer model seems to be a little smaller, which I'd probably prefer, but I have no complaints about the size. Also the button layout is well thought of, and all buttons that need to be are easily reachable. The ones that shouldn't be messed with too much on the other hand, are placed so that you won't just accidentally push them. There is also a throttle control, which I haven't really had a need for yet, but I hear it's a nice and a fairly rare feature on gamepads. Most importantly all buttons and functions work very well without any delays in response, you can't really tell it's a wireless device.

And just one more application I thought of for this gamepad. Since you can program it to operate as a long range wireless mouse, it could be used as a remote control for the computer or a laptop, if you're laying in bed and watching a dvd or something. Pretty cool!

My final verdict - I am no expert in gaming, but this gamepad seems like a pretty cool model and works quite well.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20.00