One of the products that really allowed Microsoft to make a name for itself in gaming peripherals a few years back was its simple but novel SideWinder gamepad. There really wasn't a better gamepad on the market for years (and arguably still isn't). Last year, Microsoft released the SideWinder Pro gamepad, which tried to improve on the formula but actually took a few steps back by attempting too much. Enter the SideWinder plug-and-play gamepad. While it still doesn't quite capture the innovative flavor of the original, this streamlined--and inexpensive--controller makes an excellent gaming device for simple action and sports games. Best of all, it's USB compatible, meaning it works like a console controller--plug it into your system and start playing. It also means you'll need to have at least Windows 98 (and will only be able to play Windows 98 games) to use the gamepad.
The boomerang style mirrors that of the Pro gamepad, minus the proportional control (which wasn't that great anyway), shift button, or two of the action buttons. But that still leaves the eight-way D-pad, four well-placed action buttons, and two top triggers, more than enough for the type of games to which this controller is best suited. NFL Blitz 2000 was a perfect candidate for the gamepad. We had no problems getting the device to work, and best of all, it was easy and comfortable to play for long periods of time with the contoured controller.
One quibble: the original SideWinder allowed you to daisy chain another controller into it for head-to-head gaming. While you can plug more than one USB device into your computer, this would have been an excellent tradition to continue. But minor shortcomings aside, the SideWinder plug-and-play gamepad is excellent controller for basic games. --J. Curtis
Pros:
- Simple installation
- Well designed
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Limited features
- Not daisy chainable
- Need Windows 98
