Review: Logitech Dual Action Game Pad

So I would've reviewed a converter to plug my PS1 controller into my computer, but Radio Shack didn't have any, so instead I bought the one of two gamepads they had in stock (the other pad being an xbox 360 wireless controller, $60? no thanks). The pad rang in at 21$ and came in a nice plastic start-with-scissors-but-then-you-get-too-pissed-off-and-just-tear-the-fucking-thing-open package.

The contents of the package are minimal (as they should be, it's a gamepad) consisting of the gamepad itself, directions, and a mini-cd with drivers and crapware. I popped in the cd, and proceeded to install the drivers for the pad. I'll give props to logitech for making the crapware optional, many "driver" cd's install a bunch of other crap without asking. It installed fine, no issues. A driver and a settings application called "logitech profiler" was installed. So I figured I'd try out some games.

First was Codemasters, Race Driver: GRID. This game comes with gamepad support so I wouldn't have to use the profiler to assign keys like in an emulator or older games. I went to GRID setup and selected the buttons I wanted to use for whatever, pressed enter, and boom, all set up. Racing was fantastic. The controller is almost identical to a PS2 controller, something I felt pretty comfortable racing with. The analog sticks were a bit stiff, even for me, but the buttons were very responsive and the rubber grips reduced the sweat on my palms. After two weeks of fairly heavy use the buttons show no real sign of imprint or wear. Great experience there.

Then came Beyond Good And Evil, an old platformer for pc that I suggest you all play. This had no gamepad support, so it was time to fire up the profiler and assign the keys to my gamepad. This is where everything falls down a massive well of fail.

The "Profiler" is one of the single shittiest pieces of software I have ever come to use. Maybe I'm spoiled being a geek and all, but it was terrible. I'd go through the cryptic process of assigning key combinations and directions, only to find that they simply didn't work. I did some googling and found that the version of the profiler I'd been using (the version on the cd) was FROM 2006!!! Seriously? That's my dead great-grandmother's age in software years. Did I just get a ridiculously old gamepad, or is logitech just too lazy to update its cd's? Whatever the answer, I downloaded new software and drivers from thier website and installed them, only to then find the EXACT SAME piece of shit excuse for a profiler that had been only minimally updated, and still didn't work.

It was time... to ask the third parties.

Some more research told me that Xpadder was the best (and close to only) choice. I downloaded the small 1mb executable that came in a 450kb zip folder. It set itself up quicky and I stumbled through the quick setup wizard. Before I knew it I was playing Beyond Good And Evil and all my favorite emulator games as if sitting in front of the SNES. Xpadder is so easy to use. It has unobtrusive little tips and hints that enable you to figure out how to use it without having to go to a guide (though guides are out there if you need them, unlike the Logitech Profiler).

so, 10 is best, 1 is worst.

With Xpadder Using my Logitech Dual Action was a pleasant experience. I'd give this controller a solid 8, maybe even a 9 if Xpadder came with it, but it doesn't.

As a gamepad alone This controller gets a 6.8, it's a little too stiff, but it can compete with a lot of the other gamepads out there and it was dirt cheap, so what were you expecting? It's also the closest you'll get to a PS2 controller, which was a pro for me, others might feel differently.

As it came in the package, the gamepad gets a 3. However good or inexpensive the gamepad is, it can't offset how terrible and old the software that came with it was.

Bottom line, if your looking for a cheap gamepad, buy it, you get more than what you pay for and what more do you want? it's a gamepad. But don't even bother installing the software, just use Xpadder.