PC Game Pads

[Flick]

What is the best PC game controller? I've been looking at the Microsoft SideWinder USB and the SideWinder Pro USB. Are these good? Would a SideWinder joystick be better? Is force feedback a desirable feature? I know nothing about PC games. I got Crazy Taxi for Xmas and I find it frustrating to play this game with the keyboard. I am considering buying one or more of the Microsoft Flight Simulators and I would prefer to have just one controller that I could use on all games.

[fishybawb]

The SideWinder products are all really good, so it depends on what games you're playing. Joypads are good for general game playing, but flight simulators really need joysticks, and realistic driving games are best with the full steering wheel and pedals setup. Crazy Taxi is more of an arcade style game, as opposed to simulation and works well with just a joypad. Force feedback is a feature that moves (vibrates or "tugs") the joystick/steering wheel in reaction to things occuring in the game (hitting a wall, being shot etc). It's pretty cool to feel stuff through the controls as it happens on screen, but it does irritate a lot of people.

[Whyzman]

Flick,

My son is the PC Gamer in the family and he uses the Saitek Cyborg 3D Gold USB. He loves it! :D The control stick can be adapted for both right and left hand players.

If you have a computer shop in your area you might just want to check them out there. Usually they have them demo-ed...

[Flick]

Thanks fishybawb and Whyzman for your very helpful advice. I purchased a Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad USB and found it to work just fine with Crazy Taxi. However, I just can't steer anything with my left thumb! I'm a right handed kind of guy. So tomorrow I'm going to buy the Microsoft SideWinder Joystick USB and see if I can get some better control with that device. I'll let you know. Man, how can anyone drive a car with their left thumb? Crazy!

[Whyzman]

My son says that if you're seriously interested in the Flight Simulator games that you might want to have a look at the dual controls where you have a joystick and a separate throttle controlled with the other hand.

[Flick]

Thank your son for me for his advice! I bought the Microsoft SideWinder Precision 2 joystick this evening and it works great. I was able to steer the Crazy Taxi exactly where I wanted it to go. Heck, right now I'm just using it stock out of the box. I haven't yet had the time to set any of the specific profiles yet. Also, this joystick comes with software and the setup was easy (Win ME). I have Direct X 9 on my PC and I was a little worried when I installed the joystick software because it said that it would install Direct X 6.1 on my PC. However, I checked and I guess it detected a newer version and therefore did not install the old version. After I get some miles on my Crazy Taxi, I may decide to learn how to fly. Thank you Whyzman for the help!