Review by Tony Burnett

Joystick:    Sidewinder 3D Pro
Publisher:   Microsoft
SPS:         59.99-UKP inc
Available:   Now

Required:

100% AT compatible standard keyboard, 5 pin or 6 pin PS/2
IBM compatible joystick port

Tested on:

Games:       Quake, EF2000, Comanche 3, X-Wing Vs Tie Fighter

O/S:         DOS 6.1/Windows 95
Processor:   P200 MMX
RAM:         48Mb
Graphics:    4Mb Mystique & Orchid Righteous 3DFX
CD-ROM:      X10
Soundcard:   Soundblaster AWE32

Sidewinder 3D Pro Joystick

Whether you spend you game playing hours battling the horrors in Quake, or dogfighting MiGs in EF2000, chances are that you will be relying on your trusty joystick to aid you in getting the job done. The trouble is though that if a joystick is suited to action games then it`s quite likely to be useless for flight sims, but now Microsoft think they have come up with the answer, and it`s called the Sidewinder 3D Pro.

Before I continue I feel I should point out that Microsoft are not particular chums of mine. It`s nothing personal, but it`s hard to forget the six weeks of hell they put me through during the Win95 installation and configuration process. Still, in the interests of fairness I will try to be as unbiased as possible. No, I will honest!

The 3D Pro is an attractive looking beast, with its jet black colour, green buttons and cord, and futuristic design. The shape of the base is quite unique, and unless I`m mistaken it`s modelled on one of the spaceships from Terminal Velocity. Despite how corny this sounds, it actually looks quite good. But, as my ex girlfriend kept reminding me, looks aren`t everything, it`s performance that counts...

For your money you get 8 standard joystick buttons, 4 on the shaft, 4 on the base. The 4 buttons on the base are grouped closely together and are ideal for weapons or radar control, but support for these will be found mostly in win95 games. The shaft buttons include the standard large forefinger trigger button, as well as 2 smaller thumb buttons on the left of the stick. In addition to this Microsoft have also included a hat switch (coolie hat) and throttle. The coolie hat is situated at the top of the shaft along with the forth fire button, and depending on the game you are playing it can be used as either a 4-way or 8-way control switch. The throttle slide lever is located on the left hand side of the base, and offers about an inch of movement. The real feature of this joystick though is something which Microsoft call Joystick Rotation. With a flick of the wrist you can twist the shaft about an inch to the left or right, and it`s ideal for rudder control in flight sims, or straffing in 3D games. I`ve never seen this before, and although it takes some getting used to at first, it soon becomes second nature, and you will wonder how you ever managed without it in the past. (Drat, 1-0 to Microsoft!)

The shaft itself is quite small, especially in comparison to the recent rush of dedicated flight sim joysticks, but even with my big hands it felt natural to hold and use. In fact, out of all the joysticks I have used in the past, this is definitely the most comfortable to date. (Blast, 2-0!)

Compatibility has also been well catered for, and underneath the base you will find yet another switch. This toggles the joystick configuration between CH Flight Stick Pro mode, or Thrustmaster mode. If neither of these joysticks are supported in the game you are playing or the 3D Pro is directly supported, then this switch will also activate or disable the various joystick functions. (Grrrr 3-0!)

The final feature of this joystick is that it will automatically function in either analogue or digital modes. If you are running your game under Win95 the joystick will automatically run in digital mode. Digital mode under win95 apparently offers, and I quote, "new technology to provide optimal speed, precision, and performance." Incidently, don't worry if you are running your game in DOS, the joystick will automatically configure itself to run in analogue mode, unless you tell it otherwise by installing the relevant driver. (Whimper, 4-0!)

Included in the box you will find a setup disk which loads the necessary drivers and on-line manual onto your hard drive. Whilst loading the software it will automatically configure win95 to use the Sidewinder 3D Pro for all win95 games, calibrating it in the process. The on-line manual is particularly good, and covers any shortcomings in the printed manual. (Geeez, 5-0!)

To test the joystick I forced myself to play Quake (the official Quake Pack 1 actually, which is a huge improvement over the original game IMO), as well as EF2000, Comanche 3 and X-Wing Vs Tie Fighter. Hey, it`s a dirty job, but someone has to do it! Much as I try I just can`t use a mouse with Quake style games, and much prefer joystick control. Ok, so I get fragged a lot during DM`s, but you can`t teach an old dog new tricks. Anyway, the 3D Pro stood up to the Quake test well, and unlike my experiences with my CH FS Pro, it didn't feel as though it was going to break every time I yanked the stick in terror, and believe me I yanked it! Control proved to be quick and precise and I simply cannot fault it. Much to my surprise it was the same story with EF2000, C3 and XWvsTF as well. I configured the joystick to CH FS Pro mode, and it worked just as though it was the real thing. Calibration was easy too, and all of the features worked as they should, including the throttle and coolie hat. The only reason that I knew I wasn't using my old mate the CH FS Pro, was because control was that much tighter. (Groan, 6-0!)

All things considered, as you`ve probably guessed by now, I`m regrettably rather impressed with the Sidewinder 3D Pro. It looks good, it`s feature packed, and it feels strong. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't break the damn thing, and although Doom claimed the life of two of my CH FS Pro springs last year, the Sidewinder Pro didn't even flinch during a heavy handed 3 week long session of Quake. In addition to its strength, and ease of use with action games, it has the features to cope with the demands of the latest flight sims, and using it with them was a joy. So much so that my beloved CH FS Pro has done nothing but gain dust during the past 3 weeks. (Sob, 7-0!)

For those of you who only play flight sims there may well be better alternative joysticks available to you within the price range, but for those of you like me, who enjoy action games as well, the Sidewinder 3D Pro offers the best of both worlds. At a fair price too.

What can I say? Result 7-0 to Microsoft. It`s so good I guess I`ll have to keep it, and that means I`ll have to stare at that green Microsoft logo on the base of the joystick for the rest of my gamesplaying days. I ask you, just where is the justice in that?

Tony Burnett for Game-Over!