Speedpad puts you ahead of the game

By PETER GRIFFIN


It's a huge problem. You're pinned down in a bloody game of Counterstrike and have run out of ammo.

You need to pop a new clip into your Uzi machinegun, hurl a grenade at the approaching enemies and message the rest of your team to come to your rescue - all at once. It's hard to do that on a standard computer keyboard.

That's why an increasingly sophisticated range of computer game pads are on the market. In the cut-throat world of multi-player online gaming, seconds can mean the difference between victory and being blown away.

Belkin's Nostromo Speedpad n52 is one of the better pads available. The idea is to ditch the keyboard and mouse and do all your gaming via one ergonomic hand control.

The n52 is made up of 14 programmable keys, a multi-directional pad, a mouse scroll wheel and two thumb controls.

The intelligence comes in the array of buttons, and therefore gaming options, that are at your fingertips - no more reaching for function keys or shuffling through weapon options.

Array software maps out the game pad and lets you assign a command to each key. This can be as complicated or simple as you like - serious gamers will no doubt find a function for every key. The upshot is that you can add hundreds of moves and actions using Array.

You create profiles for various games or software applications and switch between the profiles - the game pad's functions changing accordingly.

The software is pretty clever and not as daunting to use as I'd imagined.

The orange fire-button isn't the most comfortable, having a bit more resistance than I'd like. And the other thumb-controlled button has a spongy feel to it - not the best for repetitive pressing.

But you don't have to use them - assign commands to other buttons that are more comfortable.

The n52 will work across all the role-playing games, from 1942 and Unreal Tournament to Quake and Doom.

But for other uses you won't have to revert to the mouse.

You could, for example, use it for working in Photoshop or surfing the web. You could also use the pad for the likes of Microsoft Flight Simulator but you are probably better off with a joystick.

If you are upgrading from the n50, the installation is simple, by all accounts.

Better controlling devices are probably available for the occasional gamer or people with repetitive strain injury, but for serious gamers, the game pad is a must.



Nostromo Speedpad n52


* Pros

Huge flexibility for programming commands, nice design.

* Cons

A couple of buttons hard to press


* Herald Rating 8/10

Price: $69.95