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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lot of bang for the buck, March 28, 2003
Okay, I'm in my mid 50s and copy of Need For Speed jumped off the shelf into my cart the last time I went shopping. I installed the game and played it for awhile, first using the keyboard (can't be done), and then using a flight yoke I have. That was okay, but braking and accelerating was difficult, and I was all over the place as the yoke just didn't cut it.Anyway, I was now addicted to this stupid game, so I searched Amazon.com for a "real" steering wheel. After checking the customer reviews I settled on this one. I don't plan on using it all the time, so I didn't want to spend a fortune, and for a few extra bucks the force-feedback feature seemed like it would be fun. It is. The unit installed easily in Win 98, but I have to agree with another reviewer that the wiring on this thing is nuts. The pedals are already on the floor, so why not attach all the cables to that, then run one cable to the wheel? Also, the USB cable from the wheel to the computer isn't very long. I'll probably pick up an extension, and you may need one, too. I had no problems with the pedals moving around, as some others said, but I have this really cheap carpeting in my office that I think helped. Also, the wheel clamps securely to just about any desk, but if you have a slide out keyboard drawer, like I do, you may have problems. Many games require use of the keyboard, and I can't pull mine out when the wheel is attached. I had to move the keyboard out of the drawer to get to it. As for play: The wheel makes driving games a lot more fun. It has a good feel to it, the feedback isn't bad, but like another reviewer admitted I'm also spoiled. I have a Porsche 911, and this wheel and a game can't come close. I can tell when I'm off the road, and I can tell when I've hit something, and there's even some road feel (when I drive over cobblestones the whole desk shakes), but it's not even close to the real thing. Not that I would know what it feels like to hit a lot of trees, fences, and other cars. We're simply talking road feel here. Still, it's a lot of bang for the buck, and they even give you a free game with it. You'd think they'd give you something that would really show off the wheel, but they don't. However, for [the price]the combination of the wheel and the game is a damn good deal. Even better when you discover that older versions of Need For Speed, and similar programs, are really cheap. I should admit that I have not compared this wheel to any others. The four star rating is based on the four star grin on my face, and the fact that I felt it was a bargain. At least if it winds up on a shelf after awhile I won't glance over at it thinking about all the money I wasted. Oh, yeah. I ordered this from Amazon with the free shipping option and it arrived in only two days! That kind of service is hard to beat.
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