Thrustmaster Fire Storm Dual Power Gamepad

List Price: $29.99

Features:

• 2 built-in motors for force-feedback effects
• 13 programmable quick-action buttons
• 2 analog minijoystick controllers (4 separate axes)
• Ergonomic design for comfortable, extended gameplay
• Easy plug-and-play USB connection

Accessories:
Jensen JF25 Stereo Headphones	Koss TD-80 Closed-Ear Home Stereophone	Koss R-10 Home Headphones	Monster Cable MP AV600 Power Protector	Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter¿ with Surge Protection

Customer Reviews:

Impresionante GamePad [Posted on 2002-10-20]
Es el Mejor GamePad disponible para PC hasta ahora, es suave cubierto de una material que no ta hace sudar las manos, tiene 13 botones disponibles bien posicionados para dar el maximo a la hora de jugar juegos de Carreras como "Need For Speed" y ni hablar a la hora de emular juegos de peleas como la saga de King of Fighters, Street Fighters, para peleas es lo mejor.

It just grows on you [Posted on 2002-12-13]
I've used this for about a year and initially I was just very frustrated at this gamepad. The reason was that the thrustmapper software was just refusing to work with Max Payne and I ended up just using the gamepad in games that were programed for it like NBA Live and emulators.

Then I got GTA3 and WWE RAW and finally I was getting my money's worth, the gamepad just made these games a lot more fun and I didn't even need to touch the thrustmapper software to use it.

Yesterday my optical mouse broke down and I was forced to use a trackball to play Wolfenstein. Since I wasn't enjoyin myself anyway I decided to give the thrustmapper software another try. After a couple of hours of trial and error I succesfully used the pad and it was actually almost as fun as using the mouse, but you have to set windows' mouse speed to the slowest setting to use the analog stick as a virtual mouse. I had to play in the easiest setting but it wasn't really frustating like the trackball. Unfortunately Medal of Honor doesn't use the stick efficiently as a mouse, it's too fast even in the slowest setting. But at least I can play wolfenstein again until I get my new mouse.

This item doesn't get 5 stars because the thrustmapper software is not very intuitive. The gamepad is comfortable, the cable is long, and it has many buttons, plus you could use it without the thrustmapper software as long as you only use it in games that are gamepad-ready.

Two Broke! [Posted on 2003-12-17]
Hey look, I had to hunt this piece of crap down on Amazon to let all you buying prospects know that this controller it NOT for serious gamers. I was playing NFS: Underground when and was turning using the far left digital control to steer and the thing broke! I'm like "Ok, this must be a Friday controller" so I borrowed another and IT broke, too! I'm not THAT hard on the controller, either, it's just turning. It broke at the connection, in the same place both times. I recommend looking for something else as your main gaming controller.

High Quality, High Performace [Posted on 2004-07-22]
Excellent Gamepad for PC. Is comfortable in your hand, and many easy to access buttons for improved game play.

There are 4 buttons on top and 4 buttons on the front-like a playstation controller, except this gamepad has an additional two buttons ergonomically hidden on the back. These extra two buttons fit exactly where your hand grabs the controller making them easy to use, yet out of the way when you don't want to use them. Each joystick can be depressed making two additional buttons. There is also one other button in the middle of the controller which is accessed easiest by your left thumb. The two joysticks operate very smoothly and are sensitive to touch. The directional pad is of the same quality.

Gamepad is of high build quality and high grade materials . If you're looking for an above average gamepad, don't pass this one up!

It's no longer in production, so grab them while they last! [Posted on 2005-01-26]
I've done extensive testing with many PC gamepads, including the Saitek P2500 Rumble Force Pad, the NYKO "Air Flo EX," Logitech's Dual Action Gamepad (the ubiquitous 20$ everyone seems to get from Best Buy), the Interact Hammerhead FX, and all models of Thrustmaster's Firestorm. I've used all of these pads over an extended period of time with intense use, and I heavily favor and recommend the Thrustmaster Firestorm models. Some controllers simply aren't reliable and break after only a few weeks of use (Logitech Dual Action Gamepad), while others are uncomfortable or have button configurations that, while original, tend not to be as good as the traditional PSX dual analog design (Saitek P2500, Hammerhead FX). The newly released Nyko Air Flo Ex is a nice, large controller with a cooling fan that works; unfortunately, the controller's directional pad is mediocre, the start/select buttons are very difficult to push, and the fan is annoyingly loud.

As for the Thrustmaster Firestorms, they are generally high quality game pads, have the features you'd expect to have, no more and no less, have nice analog sticks and generally nice directional pads. Note that there are many versions of the Firestorm, but I will discuss the models including analog sticks only, as most tend to expect analog stick capabilities in their gamepads. The traditional Firestorm came with a directional pad with a flat surface that the thumb could "press." Refer to the product image here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000056Q1D/

Now, the newer Firestorm models, particularly the Dual Power 3 and the wireless version, have a directional pad that's designed to make your finger lean to the desired direction rather than press it. Refer to the product image here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008ZLHK/

I suppose this makes moving around the pad easier, similar to that of an analog stick, but it makes pressing one single direction, such as "left" error prone -- you often get down-left or up-left. This, subsequently, makes it impossible to "tap" a direction accurately. Keep this in mind when purchasing one of their pads, because if extreme accuracy in the directional pad is a consideration, then you might want to choose an earlier model. To the newer dpad's credit, I have been unable to wear out of one of these dpads, while I was able to wear out one of the older versions.

Also, a warning about the wireless version of the Firestorm: it's behavior is erratic at best. Note that my comments are based on the controller's performance with fully charged batteries and with the controller directly next to its wireless base. There is a slight lag between pressing a button and having it registered by the base; this is probably to be expected, but is unacceptable in some games. The problem is exacerbated if it's the first button you've pressed in awhile, because the controller "powers off" and must "power on" again when you press your next button, which takes a second and sometimes your button press is lost. A better model would be to explicitly set the controller to "on" so that it is always transmitting and doesn't have to detect when the user is no longer using it. This is done by the official Nintendo Gamecube wireless controllers and works quite well. if you must have wireless, I must recommend that you look towards other vendors' wireless models.

Linux: the Firestorm controllers in particular work well in Linux; they have no troublesome features, like shift buttons or turbo switches, that are sometimes not supported in Linux.

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