Features

• Revolutionary Action Stabilizer Bar (ASB) for more balanced play
• Mouse-mode button that lets the n45 function navigate Windows
• Thirteen action buttons and four realistic trigger buttons
• Dual analog controllers
• Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP and Apple Mac OS 9 or later

Reviews (18)

Good Ctrl, Promising Software (doesn't work always)
Nice controller, comfortable, Plug n play. No problems, if the game detects the buttons, but had problem with quake 3, with the controller activated, the whole screen started going round and round (spinning). MDK 2 worked great though with analog controls. The analog controls work fine in Unreal tournament as well.

The software is promising but could not get much out of it. The best use is to use it as plug and play and enjoy the games it supports.

Same problem as others with gamepad
The D-PAD (the directional pad) needs to be calibrated constantly just to keep working. I was using it for about an hour for a game after I bought it, then the next day I went to use it and when playing a game it was pulling to the right constantly, so I had to recalibrate it. On the calibration screen in windows, you can see the little calibration cursor vibrating almost and on another calibration screen it literally jumps around. It never returns to 'center' when you move it, it's always off-center, even after calibration.
There is definately something wrong with the analog DPAD they use in this Gravis Eliminator gamepad - go buy something else instead and STAY AWAY from this gamepad. This is the same problem a lot of other people are complaining about it, and they haven't fixed it (and probably wont). I bought this gamepad around April 15, 2004 brand new.

Worst gamepad controller I ever bought
The position of the analog controls are awkward and the buttons are all different than any other controller of it's type. I tried reprogramming and that didn't help. Could not use it.

Nice gamepad but query for Robert P. Kohr Jr
This is a nice gamepad but I can't figure out how Robert P. Kohr Jr. was able to map the mouse (analog) movement to the gamepad on a Mac. Robert, if you see this, please let me know at albertf at comcast.net ---- substitute "@" for " at " in email address. Thanks! Albertf

Nice gamepad but query for Robert P. Kohr Jr
This is a nice gamepad but can't figure out how Robert Kohr was able to map the mouse action in analog to the gamepad on a Mac. Robert, if you read this, please let me know? Contact me at albertf at comcast.net --- substitute " at " with "@".

Thanks ... Read more

Features

• Intuitive and easy to use
• Great for any game that would normally involve a keyboard
• Up to 56 programmable functions
• Sophisticated software permits use of the SpeedPad in combination with the (optional) n30 Gaming Mouse or any other mouse, for ultimate control!
• Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty

Reviews (1)

how did I get along without this thing?
I purchased this product about two years ago and can't imagine how I ever got through a single FPS fame without it (forgetting my compulsive cheating, but your Rotten reviewer digresses) The product fits in your hand, putting a throttle wheel, directional keypad and 10 hot-keys all at the disposal of your left hand. Because it's USB, the speedpad plugs in with no problem, and comes with software allowing you to customize your set-up. The software that came with my speedpad wasn't compatible with WinXP (although the speedpad itself was instantly recognized). You don't need the software to use the pad - but you must have it to edit the key-strokes. I was able to download a WinXP-compatible version of the key-editor, and found the software so much simpler to use than the set-up on my control stick/throttle/pedal set-up. Since then, I've enjoyed the speedpad in such QuakeIII games as "Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force", "Jedi Knight 2: Outcast", as well as such classics as the original "Jedi Knight". The improvement in game-paly is nothing short of spectacular.

If the Speedpad has one flaw (and it's not a minor one) it is the 8-way directional keypad which frequently sends your character in every direction other than the one you actually want. But again that's a small price to pay for such an elegantly conceived chunk of hardware.

My system - P4/2Ghx, 512 MB RAM, GeForce3. ... Read more

Features

• Adjustable ergonomic gaming device with 56 programmable functions
• 10 programmable keypad action buttons
• Programmable 8-way directional pad
• Throttle wheel
• Intuitive and easy to use with low learning curve

Reviews (19)

Great product, but I'm no hardcore gamer
The N.50 is to first person shooter games (like "Quake III Arena" or "Half-Life") what Thrustmaster products are to flight sim games: a programmable game controller designed with the idea that you need never touch your own keyboard again. With a shape suggesting a hand, the N.50 has 10 keys - in 2 rows of 5, a traditional 4-way keypad ala your console game-pad and, for those moments in which your thumb might get bored waiting to use the 4-way pad - and for those even rarer moments when you might need throttle control - a throttle wheel! Entirely programmable using bundled software, the N.50 can be customized to fit your preferences for the most convenient fragging. Though combining many controller functions, the N.50 does not replace your mouse, which would have freed up a USB slot. (On the other hand, it's not like you'll be scanning pictures and downloading from your digital camera while blasting your closest pals to a pulp in some virtual deathmatch; and anyway, there's probably a limit to how many functions a single controller can handle at a shot). Fitting on your USB slot, the N.50 is a breeze to install. You won't need the N.50 software to work it, though it's essential for customizing its keystrokes (or as hardcore playahs say - editing its macros). The software installs easily as well. However, the software that came with my N.50 was not optimized for Windows XP. An XP-friendly version was available on Belkin's website, and that installed with no hiccups. Customizing keystrokes is incredibly easy - as compared to working the bugs out of my Thrustmaster setup. So far, I've only taken my N.50 on "Star Trek: Elite Force", though that game, based on the industry-standard "QIII" engine, is probably as good an example as any. One caveat - the quality of construction or whatever shows a shortcoming in relation to the directional keypad: even with practiced dexterity, I found that the control would sometimes move every way but the direction I actually wanted it to. Nevertheless, price-wise, the N.50 approximates a good programmable joystick. For its quality and ease of use, it's an indispensable peripheral for shooter games. One final caveat: I'm not a hardcore gamer - I don't play death-matches or on-line tourneys. Besides EF, perhaps the only other games I'll play are "Jedi Outcast", "Half-Life" and perhaps "Command & Conquer: Renegade".

Never had a problem - great product!
I have been using the Nostromo n50 speed pad for over a year now. I have Win2k Pro and use the v2.6 of the drivers and have had no problems. I play UT, UT2k3, QuakeIII, and my lastest game America's Army with my speed pad. All games have worked great! AA requies a lot more keys than the other FPS games and the speed pad works great for that game too. The new Speed pad n52 has just been released and I already have it on order. Well worth the money I spent on the n50 and now the n52.

was the best, now a bit long in the tooth
i loved this device, and had it for almost 2 years... but i've since upgraded to the n52 and will never look back. the n52 is heavier, has more buttons, and has a slicker layout than the n50.

that said, the n50 is a great tool. i used it mostly for fps games (mostly b1942), and it's a champ.

by default, it'll try to map the movement keys to the dpad, which is a total mistake. do yourself a favor and set the keys to something close to your actual keyboard layout (with the wasd keys in the center), then program the dpad to the other functions that you use all of the time but usually have to take your hand off of the home keys to reach (like jump, reload, crouch, prone). with this sort of setup, you'll find that you'll be able to reload on the run, duck, and jump while doing other things - which will greatly improve your game.

some things to remember with the n50 -

the scrollbar is next to useless, and, unless you work for a circus full-time, you'll never be able to reach it. i'd say that the same holds true for some of the keys to the left and right of the 'home' area. also, the rest area on the n50 is somewhat uncomfortable and way too light in comparison to the n52. also, make /certain/ that you install the drivers that are up on their site (3.0), not the ones that come with the cd (which are older and buggier).

anyway, if you're looking at this product, i'd suggest dropping the extra 10 bucks and getting the n52. it's a more refined product, and really works better.

see you on the battlefield.

Nostromo Is Not For Everyone
I'm an avid gamer and I'm always looking products to improve my left hand performance in the games I play. A lot of excellent players in the Unreal Tournament and Quake gaming communities swear by the Nostromo game pad. Essentially, Nostromo weans the user from the keyboard, to a programmable pad designed to provide quick access to programmed sequence commands. For instance, in UT, the complete sequence to translocate involves three commands, 1. Get the translocator, 2. Fire or toss the translocator, 3. And finally hitting Alt Fire completes the translocator command completes the translocation. Notromo allows the user to complete multi-tiered commands, like translocation, in the stroke of one key, instead of three. This sort of shortcut will save time and as every gamer knows time is of the essence in executing a game command.

The more savvy gamer will recogize that what I've just described is a simplified program to write "raw keybinds"; or programmable commands that can be tied to specific keys by accessing the game console and typing the word "preferences". It is admirable that Nostromo is providing a simple keybind program for the novice gamer, who knows nothing of the arcane mysteries of programming keybinds. Every gaming newbie should do everything in their power to level the playing field with the pros and Nostromo helps. The veteran gamer will realize that Nostromo is providing a program to do what he or she can already do themselves by writting and executing their own raw keybinds.

The second advantage of Nostromo is the actual design of the game pad itself. It is designed to replace the keyboard with a compact unit that has ten keys, a directional pad and a throttle to replace often clumsy method of searching for the correct key on a full sized keyboard. Using the efficency of a well designed gaming pad, the user should be able to improve his or her game speed by improving reaction time. Yes and no...Nostromo does help some folks improve their fragging, but again the savvy player knows if they use the standard key pad on the keyboard, they will have 15 readily accessable command keys instead of Nostromo's 10. The design of the key pad on a computer keyboard is even faster and more than Nostromo's double-decker design of "Five over Five" command keys. Nostromo's design is too wide and the user must finger stretch to touch keys, while the compact design of the computer key pad requires no finger stretching.

If you decide to use the Nostromo game pad, be forwarned: there is learning curve for the user and until you master the Nostromo device, your game will suffer. In my case, it made no sense to master and use the Nostromo technology because I had already developed a playing system using raw keybinds and the standard computer key pad that was superior to Nostromos. A final word of caution on Nostromo: The newer anti-cheat enviroments of Pure and CSHP are very unfriendly to any suspicious keybinds. As a result, many of the more exotic keybinds will not be usable in the newer anti-hack playing enviroments. To veteran players: I am a founding member of the notorious Magnificent 7 Crew. The Nostromo game pad is far and away the most popular gaming device in the world. Many awesome clan players from the Hairy Zark Assasins, the Virtual Space Cowboys, Guns of Death and the Black Legion swear by the Nostromo pad. However when I questioned some of the Nostromo enthusiasts in more detail, most of them admitted to me that they never tried the standard key pad, instead of hunting and pecking on a big keyboard. Before you spend 28 bucks on Nostromo, try using the key pad as your left hand command central, along with a Logitech MX500 mouse for your right hand. For advanced gamers the single most important improvement to your game will come from adding good graphics card, if you already have a reasonably good rig. The ATI Radeon 9200 graphics card (about a hundred bucks) will make a real difference in your game play. As we already know, however, it matters not whether you have a monster computer, an Logitech mouse, a Radeon graphics card, or a Nostromo game pad...what matters in the world of gaming is practice, practice and more practice.

Great Product
I have been using the N50 for three months now, and for me its a very good joystick or pad. I mostly use it on 1st person shotters, with great results, its confortable, easy to setup, easy to program, very easy to create macros, and you can get it between $20-30. Me and my brother are so happy with it, that we already order the N52 which has one of the only drawback of this product, no enough keys (enough to play), but when you want to crete marcos, scripts and binds, your run out of keys, but overall a great product. ... Read more

Features

• Precision-engineered angles and curves provide maximum ergonomic comfort and extended game play
• 10 action buttons for maximum functionality
• Up to 55 programmable functions with included Nostromo Array Software for Windows
• Eight-way directional pad for precise movement
• Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP and Apple Mac OS 9 or later