Customer Reviews

Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 with Vibration Feedback (Black)

5 star:		(157)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

I had this unit for about a month, used it to play Half Life, and Need for Speed 2 Underground. Outstanding performance in both cases. I'm running a dell p4 2.GHz 512mb WinXP Pro SP2. Easy installation, no problems of any kind so far. The original batteries are still going strong. Hope this review is helpful.

I was very skeptical about these at first. They looked cheap and I was not sure how long it was going to last. Let me tell you, they are great!

I purchased two of them to play the new Lego Star Wars with my son and I am utterly blown-away as to how much more relaxed we are when we play. No more cords!!!! Its been over 9+ weeks of use at nearly every day and neither sets of batteries has died yet, and thats using the cheap-O's included with the pads!

I did get hung-up trying to configure them at first. PLease understand that their software works great and you need it for the rumble effect, *HOWEVER* the software was designed with the assumption that you only have ONE gamepad. It is next to impossible to configure two gamepads using their software. I finally figured it out by uninstalling their software and simply letting Windows XP discover the devices and going to the game(s) and configuring the pads there. Most games allow you to do this by simply changing the keyboard layout from a certain set of keys to whatever you input. So if a game is set to use "W" as its up key, simply press enter and the game waits for you to press any key that will represent the new layout. So go to your gamepad and press the UP stick. Windows will auto-populate the field with the proper settings. Very nice!

I highly recommend this device. Its VERY durable and cleans well (sticky fingers) not to mention it is GREAT to play a two player game from over 10 feet away in bean-bags as opposed to stiff chairs bound by cords! Buy this product now!

Update: 9/2008 : It's been 2 years since I've had these. Well: I STILL HAVE THEM! Did I mention I have TWO boys? They work these things HARD and they still operate as expected. Logitech made a VERY reliable controller. They still sell em so it's a good thing. YAY!

Aside from the convenience of cordless (I'm now trying to kick the habit of constantly moving the now non-existent cord out of the way), there are other reasons to like this controller. Some complain about the weight, but it doesn't seem too heavy to me. With the batteries installed, it has just the right amount of heft, making it feel solid and well-built. The controls are smooth, accurate, and well-placed for my thumbs (I have somewhat large hands). There is no cheap plastic feel, and the slightly textured plastic case is pleasing to the touch. The rubbery tops of the thumbsticks provide a secure grip for your thumbs.

With wireless, I was worried about lag, but there is none perceivable. Action games play fine where timing is critical. A nice touch is the ability to quickly swap the D-pad and left analog stick via a toggle button right between them (with corresponding indicator light). That makes it easy to go exactly straight forward when you need to. Because although there are slight centering guides to keep the thumbsticks centered horizontally and vertically, it is still very easy to move off to the side. That's not a complaint, as I think analog controls should allow you to move in any direction easily.

Only two complaints:
1. When releasing the thumbstick quickly, its self-centering action will often overshoot to the opposite direction for a split second before settling in the center. It is enough to turn the game character around. I've had to get used to releasing the stick more gently to avoid this.

2. Macintosh software is not included nor available from Logitech's web site for customizing buttons. The included software is Windows-only. I was disappointed when the D-pad was not automatically recognized in certain games. I figured I could just configure the game's controls to perform the appropriate actions, but the D-pad is not treated as buttons and not recognized at all. However, I was able to solve this by using the shareware "GamePad Companion" to assign keystrokes to the D-pad.

Pros:
Solid feel
Smooth action
Wireless
Analog <-> D-pad toggle
Thumbsticks act as two more buttons
Excellent battery life (seems to be true to the advertising claim of 100 hours with vibration off)

Cons:
Thumbstick overshoot
No Mac software

Before purchasing this controller, I have been using the Logitech Wingman RumblePad and Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power controllers. And finally, I decided to go wireless. However, not only did the wireless and the brand "Logitech" interest me, but it was the familiar interface to Sony's PlayStation controller.

It basically IS a PS controller, but with some minor tweaks. The 8-directional D-Pad feels much better (kind of reminds me of the original NES D-pad). The D-pad on my other two controllers (the WingMan and FireStorm) feel extremely stiff compared to this Rumblepad 2; definitely would work well with fighting games. The 4 buttons on the right are easy to press and big. The added weight of the two AA batteries actually makes the controller feel better: not "cheap" and more solid.

I appreciate the numbers (not some random letters or shapes) written on all the buttons for assigning the controls. (When you assign buttons with the controller for a specific game, it correctly displays as "Button 1" and "Button 2" and so forth. My Wingman controller had letters for each button, which helped in no way; it made things confusing.)

The wireless response is excellent. I can practically go anywhere in my house and hear the game still respond to my controls! I have enough cords around my computer, so this made it convenient: easy to store and take out only when I need to play. I have routers and other electronics around, but I have not encountered any conflict.

I do have ONE complaint, however (this might be the same as the PS controller): personally, I think the handles are too short, so it makes holding the left joystick a bit awkward; I have to raise a part of my palm to use the left joystick. It may be okay for children's hands, but a bit uncomfortable for an adult-sized hand. On the other hand (sorry for the pun), I can hold the handles securly and comfortably when using the D-pad.

Pros:
* Wireless; excellent response.
* 12 programmable buttons (including the joystick *BUTTONS*; press down on the joystick)
* D-Pad is soft and easy to press
* Solid feel
* Vibration feedback
* Buttons with its corresponding number written
* Grip on joystick
* Black design and simple
* Plug & Play

Cons:
* Short handles: makes holding the left joystick feel a bit awkward.

Overall, I would still recommend this controller. I already owned two controllers before this, but this was worth the upgrade. If you're looking for a PC controller, this is definitely one of the best out there today.

Let me preface what I'm about to say with I consider myself a fan of Logitech products. Going back to my first PC in '98 I've always enjoyed their line of mice and game controllers (they make the definitive racing wheel IMO). So its with great reluctance that I give their industrial design group poor marks for this particular iteration of their gamepad. Obviously taking its cue from the venerable Playstation controller, Logitech took what it seemed was a no-brainer idea and matched Sony's near perfect design button for button. But the problem isn't the buttons you see, its the shape. The two handles simply are too close together....too vertically aligned to be comfortable enough for extended play sessions. At first try the controller seems a comfortable fit but after about 5 minutes of play, the unatural position becomes more pronounced until it becomes distracting enough to force one to pick up the mouse and keyboard again. The final deal-breaker was the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, a game made for consoles ported to the PC that you would assume would benefit from the gamepad but that wasn't the case. Its as if the controller were designed strictly for children rather than the adults who make up a large percentage of PC gaming.

In closing, I would urge anyone who may purchase this to keep their receipt. I would also urge Logitech to go back to their previous way of designing game controllers, by forging their own path which is something they have proven in the past they are quite adept at.

Played FIFA 2005 using the brand new controller. Works great! First I installed the driver and software as instructed by the manual. Everything was fine. Then a week later, I removed the batteries. When I replaced the batteries, the calibration of the analog sticks were off. And there's no way to re-calibrate using the driver installed. So, I decided to uninstall the driver and software. Then, I used Windows XP's control panel to calibrate the gamepad. It works fine after that. So, if you get this gamepad, you don't need to install the drivers and software if you're using Windows XP. As for other Windows versions, you'l have to try to find out. The software is just an interface for you to assign buttons for various games that you have. Some games already allow you to reconfigure the buttons in the game's options.

Overall, great gamepad and range is pretty good too.

I'm not generally a fan of wireless controller, for one simple reason. I don't need the wireless feature, and I'd prefer to not think about batteries. However, I was not about to pass up the $20 after rebates price on this pad.

This button arrangement of this pad perfectly fits Madden 2005, enhancing gameplay immensely over other pads that may require you to remember what button correspond to what in the manual. (Madden 2005 allows you to configure your gamepad, but the configuration does not work for all phases of the game, e.g., the snap, and the receivers may be labelled differently than set up in Madden 2005's button configuration utility.)

True, the gamepad lacks Force-Feedback in Madden 2005 - so does every other game controller. MADDEN 2005 PC DOES NOT SUPPORT FORCE-FEEDBACK FOR ANY GAMEPAD, PERIOD. That's EASport's fault, not Logitech's.

For the person with the calibration problems after replacing batteries, try unplugging the receiver unit from the USB port and plugging it back in.

If you want to play Madden 2005, and have no intention of playing games with Force-Feedback, but by the non-Forceback version of this gamepad, unless you get a deal. Similarly, unless you get a deal on this gamepad, or you really want or need wireless, get the wired version of this gamepad.

Although this is a new purchase, and I've only used it for just over a month, it is the single best game controller I've had for my PC. I have several other Logitech devices in use on the 2 PC's in my home, and both have been performing flawlessly for over 2 years. This game controller was a stretch for me, I've never had much faith in cordless hardware. This unit may as well have a cord attached to it, it responds better than the Gravis controllers I've had (5), and the action on the joysticks is profoundly accurate. Durability is still in question, since I've only put 30 hours on this unit. My PC is a Dell Dimension 8200, running XP Home edition with service pack 2 already installed (CD version, minimal install). The games I play are Mechwarrior 4 and expansions, NASCAR games. The driving games have been hard to get used to, the controller responds so quickly that I'm not used to that amount of precision. For the price you pay, you can't go wrong. Especially if you're familiar with the Sony Playstation controller.

The downside first - unlike the MX1000 wireless mouse, this Rumblepad II gamepad does not come with a receiver/charger combo (receiver only) and so runs using two AA batteries instead. This means you will want to get a charger with at least 4 AA rechargable batteries so that you can swap them around. To be honest 2 AA batteries give you over 100 hours of power (5 solid days running!) so recharging and swapping is not something that will happen too often. Another downside is that 2 AA batteries add some extra weight to the controller which is already about twice the weight of a PS2 controller. It has two extra buttons on the front panel above where the start buttons are on the PS2 controller, so it has 10 buttons in total, along with two thumbsticks and one directional controller. The quality of the plastic feels more like advanced graphite material, making it more durable than a PS2 controller. As for the receiver, a very small fit-in-your-palm black box, it has a button at the front that can be pressed to try and reboot the signal if it is lost (only had to do this once at the start during install) and plugs into a USB socket as normal, however I have noticed that because the base-station is light it sometimes tends to tilt a tiny bit because of the weight of the wire coming from the back of it. As for gaming, well the bottom line is that I can now sit across the room with a range of up to 9 meters. The gamepad looks best when it is just cast aside next to the PC and sits there cordless and looking like it is from outer space. As for gaming adaptability - while playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas I did not have to even program the gamepad controls. I just switched from using keyboard to gamepad and it retained almost the exact same controller assignment as the PS2 version of the game except for assigning some movements to keys 9 and 10 at the front. There is also a mode switch on the controller for swapping controller type. It comes bundled with software for programming the controller if you want (a notification area icon). Anyway if you can get over the fact that it needs two AA batteries you will have the first wireless cordless gamepad even before the PS3 or XBOX 360 is released. HOOT!

Pros:
- Wireless Gamepad.
- Very nice black graphite.
- Already a standard for new games.
- Small receiver.
- Comes with controller programmable software (hardly needed though).

Cons:
- No base-station type receiver/recharger.
- Not as heavy as an Xbox controller but 2 AA adds weight.

Well, I must admit I almost never right reviews but after configuring this Logitech Gamepad, I couldn't be happier. Most of the other positive reviews cover the overall basics: good build, easy to clean, durable (although I have found the 1 key to stick at time), 10 ft range, ps2 controller feel, plenty of button positions to program (28 if you count both the analog directional pad and 4 positions per joystick).


I had a bit of a problem with the fact that I initially found this gamepad surprisingly difficult to use with a few fairly recent FPS games (Far Cry, Battlefield series; GTA vice city worked straight away and even had a default configuration), not by the fault of Logitech but rather because these games lack joypad support (this is because these games generally require the use of the keyboard keys for movement while using the mouse to control view and aiming). However, after snooping around the internet I found a great program called ControlMK. It basically allows you to program every single key on the gamepad with any key or movement normally performed with a keyboard or mouse. This means I was able to program one joystick with movement via keyboard keys (W,S,A,D) and the other joystick with mouse axis controls (pos/neg x/y) allowing it to function with the view ability (while obviously using a mouse/keyboard for most games is more accurate, it's easy to get good with this setup and a few tweeks of threshold and gain settings)! Not only was this a great solution to playing ANY game regardless of joypad support, it also allows me to use my joypad for regular operating system controls (mouse movement and clicks, media controls, directional keys, etc)! Coupled with the exceptionally long range provided by the wireless, I lay back in bed with my Dell XPS laptop running Windows Vista Business connected to a 50 inch plasma tv and play video games while sometimes breaking to check email or stock quote updates without moving a muscle! Also means I don't have to worry about taking my wireless mouse/keyboard combo with me on a trip if I want to play or just watch movies on the widescreen display at a distance while having control of volume, start/stop, track skipping and mouse functions at my finger tips.

All in all, if you want to have a great value solution for mobile gaming, I've never used one more versatile than this. Coupled with ControlMK, it should work with just about any game and you can also use this as a programmable remote control for your pc. The wireless range is exceptional and the feel is exactly what you'd expect. I've had other great Logitech products and I'm glad to see a veteran hardware company like this contiue to release new innovative products. A++!

Edit:
Forgot to mention that Windows Vista actually comes with an onscreen keyboard in the accessories section. With this you can even "type" by using the controller to mouse over any onscreen keyboard letters and clicking.