Category Archives: Reviews

PS2 Sportsboard for Experts Only

A controller is like a security blanket that you get to know and love; without it, I am helpless. Even when it comes to racing titles, I feel more comfortable with a Dual Shock in my hand than a steering wheel. There are some exceptions of course. I will always favor the use of a light gun over doing point-and-shoot on Time Crisis, and when it comes to my Dance Dance Revolution addiction, I absolutely refuse to play with a Dual Shock or my computer keyboard; only a floor mat will suffice. Still, new controls come out that attempt to … Continue reading PS2 Sportsboard for Experts Only

CycleFX marries exercise and gaming

When I first ran into Neil Nusbaum, the president of CycleFX, at E3 in 2000 he was showing off an interface he’d developed that would feed into a PC running software that would track mileage, speed, etc. Like I imagine others had, I said, "You should really make it so you can play games on it." Well, the next year, sure enough, he was showing us the GameRider. The GameRider is an exercise bike attached to an interface for the Sony Playstation. With it, you can play virtually any Playstation racing game, just by peddling and steering. In order to … Continue reading CycleFX marries exercise and gaming

Xbox Rocks

Wow!!! Things sure have improved since the last console system I owned, that being the Atari 2600. Seriously now, working for GiN has allowed me to see all the new console systems. And quite honestly I have considered buying each and every one of them. I am not sure what tipped the scale in favor of the Xbox. The excuse I keep using is that I bought it to help improve the economy after September 11. The only system that I do not have any experience with is the new Game Cube. I saw it in the store today and … Continue reading Xbox Rocks

GameDoctor Erases Scratches

We have all run into this problem at one time or another. We love a game, yet we don’t treat the CD very well. Perhaps we are in a hurry to switch to another game, or perhaps we are tired of digging into the jewel case to switch disks yet again. So we set the CD where it does not belong, like on our desk or on top of the PC or monitor. Hey, we will go back and get it later. But sometimes we don’t. And sometimes something falls on it, or it gets slid across the fake wood … Continue reading GameDoctor Erases Scratches

Eye-Trek is a Visual Feast

Not too long ago, I was watching Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals. However, when I watch my TV, I am unfortunately stuck with a small 13-inch screen. For a big event like Game 7, this would not suffice. I needed to have something bigger. I could have made a trip to Rent-a-Center and loaned out a big screen TV but, who can afford that? Thank God for Olympus when they sent me one of their Eye-Trek face mounted displays. Claiming to be able to simulate a 52" screen from 6 feet away, I decided to give it a … Continue reading Eye-Trek is a Visual Feast

Mushkin Can Revitalize Your PC

I admit that when it comes to computer memory, I don’t know much about it. All that matters to me is that it makes all my programs run faster. However, last summer I was having trouble with my computer. With the old PC100 memory I had installed, I was having trouble getting my brand new Athlon 700 to run properly. Seems that every time I tried to run Windows 98, that hideous blue screen of death greeted me. Fortunately, Colorado-based Mushkin Enhanced Memory Systems came to my aid. Providing me with one of their new PC150 HSDRAM memory chip, I … Continue reading Mushkin Can Revitalize Your PC

Everybody needs a boomslang

When I arrived at E3 this year, I must admit I had never heard of a gaming mouse. Even if I had heard of one, my question would have been why would I need a gaming mouse? I already have a mouse. What’s the difference? I was walking along at the conference and this guy dragged me, willingly I admit, into his booth and asked me if I had ever tried the Razer. Well I had not, so he proceeded to set me up for a demo. Well, this baby rocks. I admit it takes a bit of getting used … Continue reading Everybody needs a boomslang

MidiLand S4 is symphony of sound

It was not hard to believe how clear the MidiLand S4 7100 multichannel computer speaker system sounds, or how loud it is, or even that it is far better than my high-end car or home stereo. What is interesting is that the speakers actually improved my game play both in terms of better scores and in my overall enjoyment. Forget the industry standard of four speakers because MidiLand throws another one into the mix. It makes my office seem as acoustically correct as a concert hall. An additional satellite speaker handles a specific range of the audio spectrum and also … Continue reading MidiLand S4 is symphony of sound

Airplay Wireless Controller is unstoppable

The problems with infrared wireless controllers has always been the reliability of working correctly more than a few feet away from the main console. Another problem often occurs when an object (like your dog, cat, or significant other ) moves in front of the console and disrupts the signal. The interesting thing is that the Airplay wireless controller has eliminated both of these gaming obstacles, and a lot of headaches along with them. Eleven Engineering Inc., the makers of the Airplay, claim the controller will operate as far away as 25 feet, even without a clear line of sight. The … Continue reading Airplay Wireless Controller is unstoppable

Dream Master Controller improves on Sega standard

Normally I don’t write reviews about controllers. In fact, the last review I did for a controller was for the Gravis Xterminator back in 1998. However, when I was at E3, I had a meeting with a Los Angeles based company called Nyko. During the session, I was introduced to a little Dreamcast controller entitled the Dream Master. At first, it looked to me like your ordinary Dreamcast controller, and I didn’t really think that it would amount to much. Imagine my shock when I returned to my hotel room that same night, attached the Dream Master to my Sega … Continue reading Dream Master Controller improves on Sega standard