Microsoft Sidewinder USB Gamepad

The Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro has one big problem: The smooth D-Pad. It is probably intended to help with the precision needed in proportional mode, but it really is a major pain. Now, that unpleasantness aside, this gamepad is a killer! It has the shift feature that is great once you get used to it, the ease of USB, and a very ergonomic feel. Then there's the two-mode D-Pad. This thing makes the gamepad work well with almost any game, even oldies that were made for an analogue joystick, like X-com Interceptor. It's lighter and smaller-feeling than the Xterminator (it's main competition) and, with the ten-dollar rebate, comes in five dollars cheaper at $34.99.

Despite the fact that it doesn't support any connection type but USB, the word that comes to mind is 'versatile'. Not just because of the number of games it works with, but also because it can be used with a laptop, and almost any Pentium II or later machine. I would definitely recommend this for anyone, but especially for people who are looking to get rid of that old 2-button joystick, or business people with laptops. If you want to see just how well it works, look for me the next time you're trying to doze off to pass the time on a boring flight…. I'll be the one with my laptop on the fold-down tray and the SideWinder Game Pad Pro in my hands, dog-fighting with the Sons of Kilrah or racing Porsches through Atlantica.