SteelSeries Ikari Iron.Lady Bundle - Ikari Software and Testing

Ikari Software:

The Ikari Laser doesn't ship with drivers or need drives.  Instead it ships with software that allows you to program your mouse and then have your mouse carry the button assignments, profiles and cpi settings on board.  This is extremely handy if you have to sit down at a tournament machine and aren't allowed to install drivers.  If you're mouse is setup up for macros and other custom functions with the software once, it will carry though through to other machines that it is plugged into.

I've included a few images from the software setup on the Iron.Lady Ikari mouse, but I encourage you to head on over and check out our review of the regular Ikari where Jason "Fujitsu" covered this in detail.

Button Settings

Sensitivity Settings

Free Move

Usage & Testing:
By Tia "Xena" Heide

The Ikari Laser has a much lower profile that the Logitech MX1000 that I'd been using before.  It is a lot wider than the Logitech mouse and is much more comfortable in my hand the other mouse as the Ikari seems to support your whole hand.  The Ikari Laser only has two side buttons as compared to three on the MX1000 but the Ikari buttons are easily accessible as you don't have to reach very far at all with your thumb.

Hands On - Buttons

Hands On

Usually trying to figure out mouse sensitivity in game can be a bit confusing, however when using the Ikari Laser to adjust sensitivity it becomes easier.  To get the best game performance from the Ikari mouse, you should let the mouse do the work.  For example in Half-Life 2 my in-game mouse sensitivity was set to "3" and I normally use an 800dpi mouse.  To get the best performance from the mouse and remove interpolation you should set the game sensitivity to "1" and the mouse sensitivity to 2400 (3*800=2400).  If you need help figuring this out, you can get help here.

When the Ikari is setup as designed, it's flawless.  The mouse movement seemed snappier, smoother and a lot less laggy than any other mouse I've used and I've used the MX510, MX515, G5 and MX1000 in the past.  When the game software doesn't have to figure out how to accelerate the mouse, the Ikari it's true professional colors - pretty in pink!

When it comes to mouse pads, I'm a girl who likes large hard-surface mousing surfaces.  I was not looking forward to this soft, flexible pink pad.  However, it would be my new favorite mouse pad - if it were a bit bigger.  The mouse and the pad are an excellent combination because of how the mouse glides over the pad - if it was bigger.

"Why would a person need a wrist band for gaming"? I asked myself when I saw this pink fuzzy band.  To my surprise I like it.  It is very good at protecting your arm from the edge of your keyboard tray or desk.  It helps you actually mouse your mouse easier as it also glides on the desk

 
Profile Name

I've used this for several first-person shooters and have never found a better mouse.

Conclusion:

The Ikari Iron.Lady bundle doesn't really feature any new technology, but it brings a great bundle branded toward female gamers.  Previously "girl" oriented products were limited to "Hello Kitty" and other cheesy products, but SteelSeries has seen the value of the female gamer and equipped her with something a little prettier.  This pink bundle also ensures that many men won't borrow their girlfriend/wife's mouse and pad to do some gaming on the side.  The shiny penny in the whole thing is the wrist band.  It provides a greater level of comfort and speed as it helps your wrist glide easily on the edge of the desk.

Pros:

• Product bundle made up of high quality products
• Mouse movement is very smooth
• Adjustable CPI on the fly in 1CPI increments
• Easy to use software
• No drivers
• Pink for female gamers!
  

Cons:

• Mouse pad a little small for my taste
  
  

I'd like to thank SteelSeries for sending me an awesome mouse and bundle, which is way better than my husband's G5.    If you have any questions or comments, please post them in the forum at the "Comments" link below.