After almost two years with my trusty Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad, it was time for a change. Despite it's excellent overall performance and design, it was missing one very important thing that I had always wished for in a PC Gamepad. My wish was for analog control. I had become tired of the jerky turning and movement in racing and sports games that the digital d-pad gave me. I wanted a smoother, more precise way of controlling my "911 Turbo" around the tight and winding corners of "Porsche Unleashed", or my six foot tall small-forward trying to get past that seven foot center, and make that sweet shot in "NBA Live 2000".

Enter the Logitech Wingman RumblePad.

What's this? A dual analog gamepad with Vibration Feedback. I instantly thought back to my console days and the great Playstation Dual-Shock controller. Ah yes, that was a nice little device with great control, and a good feel. Could this new RumblePad give me what I was looking for? Can it compare to that legendary controller from my console days? Would I finally have that nice and accurate analog control that I had been missing in a PC gamepad?

The answer to all three questions is YES.

Ok, so maybe the design is not completely original, but the execution is brilliant. After a few days with this new pad, it felt right at home. I just plugged this sweet stick in the USB port, installed the drivers and profile software, and away I went. No hassles, no conflicts. Trouble free just the way I like it.

So what's it got?

Two analog thumb-sticks, six buttons and two triggers make up the main controls. In addition, it has a slide-throttle at the top of the right trigger. Another interesting feature is the "mode" button which allows you to change between using the left analog stick as your primary control, to using the d-pad on the fly, in-game without having to exit or restart. There is also a "rumble" button located next to the mode button, that allows you to toggle the feedback effects on or off. Something else I feel that deserves special mention is the comfort and quality design of this pad. The sticks and buttons are concave, and have beveled edges which makes long game sessions very easy on your fingers. Each button has a solid and reassuring feel, and they seem to be spaced just about perfect.

Not only are the analog sticks smooth and precise, but the digital d-pad is tight, accurate, and easily as good as the one on the sidewinder. This is important because not all games are appropriate for the analog control, and it would be a bad thing if you had to sacrifice great digital control. Thankfully, it's not the case, and this pad does both very well. The RumblePad just feels good, fits right, and is extremely comfortable.

The software is called the WingMan Profiler and consists of a couple different sections. There is the Properties, where you can test out several of the different feedback effects and adjust their strength on a scale of 0% to 150%, with 100% being the default setting. I have to admit that I spent about ten minutes just playing with the different feedback settings, and having some fun. It gives you a good idea of the range of vibration that the twin motors are capable of. The Profile section is where you can custom configure profiles for specific games, and I must say it's very user friendly and easy to use. Even mapping keyboard combinations to a single gamepad button is very straight forward. Overall, the profile software is excellent, and something that you will appreciate when it comes time to make you custom controls. Something else that helps this software stand out is the companion program that runs in your system tray. This little gem automatically loads the profile for a specific game when it detects that you have started it. This is a fantastic addition, and makes moving from one game to the next quick and painless.

As for my actual gameplay experiences, they were very impressive. The RumblePad offers great analog control for my favorite racing games, and really makes a noticeable difference. I played Porsche Unleashed, Revolt, Speed Busters, and Motocross Madness 2 with great results. If you have played many racers, you are familiar with the less-than-accurate control that digital pads have to offer. The analog stick gives you a much wider range of movement, and with a little practice will actual let you take corners a bit closer, and shave a few valuable seconds off your times. After a couple days with this controller I was really getting comfortable, and my race results were improved. I also tried several sports games, and instantly noticed a difference. I tried Madden 2001, FIFA 2000, NBA Live 2000, and NHL 2000. While at first it took some getting used to, I wound up having more precise control over my players, and was able to use the full range of speed and motion they offered, much easier than any digital pad could accomplish.

I even loaded up Crimson Skies and Freespace 2 today, and was surprised at how well they worked. This was my first chance to try out the slide throttle, and it worked very well. I never thought that a gamepad would be able to play flying games with any success, but I was wrong. After making some sensitivity adjustments, the analog control was dead-on. While it may not have the same full functions that a full sized joystick offers, it actually works quite well, and gives you the added bonus of kicking back in your chair while flying around and shooting the bad guys. Something that's just not possible with that huge joystick sitting on your desk. And as I mentioned earlier, all this great analog control would not be complete if the digital d-pad performance was lacking, since some games just don't feel right with anything else. But the d-pad performance is top notch, and makes this a truly all-purpose gamepad.

The feedback effects are nice, and offer a fairly good variety. They are not over powering, but they get stronger when they need to be, and more subtle when they should be. And with the option to adjust the forces using the properties section of the software, you will likely find a setting that suits you. Inside each of the two hand grips is a motor that creates the feedback effects. They are different in size and work independently of each other to create a full range of vibration. If you have never had any experience with feedback controllers, you will soon see that the forces add a new realism to the games that support them. It's cool to feel the "subtle vibration" as your car drifts off the road into the gravel, or the "stronger thump" as you hit that concrete wall going through the tunnel.

All in all, this is the best gamepad I have ever used, and I've used many in my day. It offers fantastic analog and digital control, great button placement, cool features, and solid feedback effects that require no batteries or seperate power supply. It has user friendly software, and it's comfortable to use for long gaming sessions. I highly recommend the Logitech RumblePad. It does everything your old pad does, and a whole lot more.

And the icing on the cake is the price. Only $29.99 U.S. retail !