Ideazon Fang Gamepad - Game Testing and Conclusion

Game Testing:

I loaded up several games and started with their default profiles.  After a little game play I jumped out and customized the Z-Engine software to match the way I wanted the layout.  Several keys were shuffled around until I was happy with the layout.  We played a variety of games including Battlefield 2142, Company of Heros, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Infernal, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, Supreme Commander and even some Lost Planet Demo.  I can assure you that it is much easier to get used to the Fang on a game that you haven't played much before.  I've never played Company of Heros until I grabbed the Fang Gamepad, and this little device made things much smoother and helped me play better - faster.

You have the ability to assign unit commands to different keys and this greatly reduced the amount of time it takes to issue the same command by using your mouse and clicking on the appropriate command on the game screen.  Supreme Commander was very similar as Company of Heros in this respect.

If you haven't played an action/adventure game before, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a good place to start and it seems that the Fang was made for a game like this.  S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has the action of a FPS with an element of Role Playing game as well.  I found the default key setup to be very good for this game.

As I mentioned earlier, FPS games work very well with the Fang Gamepad but if you've played a lot, it will take some time to get used too.  I still find myself hitting the wrong key in Battlefield 2142, but that will change as I get used to it more.  Right now I'm an easy(ier) target than I have been and get owned unless I'm playing in an all-knife map.

Conclusion:

The Fang from Ideazon is a great addition to a gamer's toolbox.  It feels very durable, has a detachable wrist rest and feet to raise it up.  It also has a place on the bottom side to wind up your cord for easy storage and transportation to your next LAN event.  The software is a pleasure to work with and is very simple to set up under every Windows operating system from Windows 2000 to 64-bit Vista.  If I were to complain about anything it would have to be the position of the "space bar" or jump button.  With this located on the side, it requires a side press with your thumb instead of a much more comfortable down-press.  Other than that, it is absolutely fabulous and I'll be using this little gamepad for a while to come.

Green:

• Well-built and durable.
• Software is easy to use.
• Full Vista support.
• 41 keys within easy reach for virtual domination.
• Supports over 120 games with pre-defined key layouts.
• Print off your key layout for easy reference.
• MSRP of $40 makes it quite affordable.
  

Red:

• Side press buttons are not really easy to use.

The Fang Gamepad from Ideazon earns the BCCHardware Top Pick award and is a recommend product if you're looking to purchase a new Gaming Peripheral.

I'd like to thank Ideazon for sending the Fang our way for a review.  If you have any questions or comments about the Fang or our review, please head on over and post them in the forum at the "Comments" link below.