There are times when a peripheral’s only purpose is to be a cheaper alternative. Such is the case with Phoenix Xbox controller from Gamester accessories. The controller is a carbon copy of Microsoft’s Controller S, featuring a nearly identical button layout, grip, and joystick/trigger functionality. Of course, being a third-party peripheral, all of this is offered at a slightly smaller price than Microsoft’s Controller S. Is the Phoenix Game pad worth your gaming dough? Shaping itself like Microsoft’s Controller S, which was specifically made for people with smaller hands, is it any surprise that the Phoenix controller is small? Nevertheless, … Continue reading Good and Cheap→
This week, you can start playing multiplayer games with your Xbox. You will need to have a broadband connection and of course the Xbox Live Hardware from Microsoft. The Xbox live system comes complete with a Setup CD, Communicator headset, and one-year subscription to the Xbox live service. Installation seems easy at first, but does take a bit of time, as you have to fill in a lot of forms using the controller. After opening the box, all you have to do is connect your Xbox to the internet using your broadband connection and then stick the setup CD into … Continue reading Xbox Live Adds the Human Touch→
Ever since the day’s of Atari, there have always been poorly made products that only sell because of a particular license associated with them. It’s been an industry trend for quite a long while, and despite how annoying the trend is, casual gamers have still not wised up to the "licensed crap" ploy. Because of this, Naki has felt free to release the Spider-Pad, that despite it’s connection with the coolest Superhero ever, is still a pretty shoddy product. The first problem with the Spider-Pad, that will become painfully obvious to you the second you start playing, is how oversensitive … Continue reading Spider Gets Washed-Out→
This week we take a look at three different peripherals for the Microsoft Xbox. All are aimed at either increasing your control, or letting you expand the Xbox’s capabilities in some way without hurting your wallet too much. I will tell you right now, I used to hate almost all console racing games. To be perfectly honest, it is because I generally am not very good at most of them. Well that was before this little Gem fell into my hands. The Gamester Pro Racer Hand-Held Wheel has made driving games out side of the arcade fun. The first time … Continue reading It’s About Control→
A controller is like a security blanket that you get to know and love; without it, I am helpless. Even when it comes to racing titles, I feel more comfortable with a Dual Shock in my hand than a steering wheel. There are some exceptions of course. I will always favor the use of a light gun over doing point-and-shoot on Time Crisis, and when it comes to my Dance Dance Revolution addiction, I absolutely refuse to play with a Dual Shock or my computer keyboard; only a floor mat will suffice. Still, new controls come out that attempt to … Continue reading PS2 Sportsboard for Experts Only→
When I first ran into Neil Nusbaum, the president of CycleFX, at E3 in 2000 he was showing off an interface he’d developed that would feed into a PC running software that would track mileage, speed, etc. Like I imagine others had, I said, "You should really make it so you can play games on it." Well, the next year, sure enough, he was showing us the GameRider. The GameRider is an exercise bike attached to an interface for the Sony Playstation. With it, you can play virtually any Playstation racing game, just by peddling and steering. In order to … Continue reading CycleFX marries exercise and gaming→
Wow!!! Things sure have improved since the last console system I owned, that being the Atari 2600. Seriously now, working for GiN has allowed me to see all the new console systems. And quite honestly I have considered buying each and every one of them. I am not sure what tipped the scale in favor of the Xbox. The excuse I keep using is that I bought it to help improve the economy after September 11. The only system that I do not have any experience with is the new Game Cube. I saw it in the store today and … Continue reading Xbox Rocks→
We have all run into this problem at one time or another. We love a game, yet we don’t treat the CD very well. Perhaps we are in a hurry to switch to another game, or perhaps we are tired of digging into the jewel case to switch disks yet again. So we set the CD where it does not belong, like on our desk or on top of the PC or monitor. Hey, we will go back and get it later. But sometimes we don’t. And sometimes something falls on it, or it gets slid across the fake wood … Continue reading GameDoctor Erases Scratches→
Not too long ago, I was watching Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals. However, when I watch my TV, I am unfortunately stuck with a small 13-inch screen. For a big event like Game 7, this would not suffice. I needed to have something bigger. I could have made a trip to Rent-a-Center and loaned out a big screen TV but, who can afford that? Thank God for Olympus when they sent me one of their Eye-Trek face mounted displays. Claiming to be able to simulate a 52" screen from 6 feet away, I decided to give it a … Continue reading Eye-Trek is a Visual Feast→
I admit that when it comes to computer memory, I don’t know much about it. All that matters to me is that it makes all my programs run faster. However, last summer I was having trouble with my computer. With the old PC100 memory I had installed, I was having trouble getting my brand new Athlon 700 to run properly. Seems that every time I tried to run Windows 98, that hideous blue screen of death greeted me. Fortunately, Colorado-based Mushkin Enhanced Memory Systems came to my aid. Providing me with one of their new PC150 HSDRAM memory chip, I … Continue reading Mushkin Can Revitalize Your PC→
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