Guillemot Ferrari Shock2 Racing Wheel

Guillemot Ferrari Shock2 Racing Wheel**

Price: $49.99 (US)

Manufacturer: Guillemot

Review Date: 01-15-00

Features:

• 100% compatibility with all Dual Shock games
• Negcon, digital and analog mode options
• 2 digital Indy style gear shift levers (behind wheel)
• 2 dual shock motors
• 8 way D-pad
• Start, Select and Mode buttons
• 4 button D-pad and L2 and R2 buttons
• 2 Analog levers behind wheel for gas/brake
• Analog pedals for gas/brake
• Clamping system with 5 suction cups and central clamp

The officially licensed Ferrari Shock2 Racing Wheel from Guillemot was one of the first PlayStation controllers to arrive at The Control Center. The wheel has a spiffy Ferrari logo in the center of the wheel and has a sporty European look to it. Having never been in a Ferrari, I can't pass on weather it has the look of a Ferrari wheel but its an attractive controller never less.

The Shock2 wheel includes analog pedals if you desire setting up the wheel as a full-blown racing setup. If you don't have your PlayStation setup so you can easily place the wheel on a desk with the pedals beneath you can forego using the pedals and use the levers behind the wheel for the gas and brakes. I found the wheel worked well either on a desktop, my lap or the floor but I prefer the desk setup (using the clamp to secure the wheel).

The wheel supports a variety of modes giving you great compatibility. The standard analog mode supports dual shock compatible games and is the easiest mode to use. A digital LED alerts you to the mode the wheel is in- off for digital, red for analog and green for Negcon mode. You need to consult your game manuals for what modes are compatible with your games.

The Shock2 wheel has all of the buttons offered on a standard PlayStation controller and an 8-way D-pad. The 4 primary buttons are in a 4 way D-pad style configuration opposite the real D-pad. My only criticism of the wheel is that the 4 buttons are not labeled with the colors or symbols universal to PlayStation controllers. When a game asks you to press the "X" button you need to recall which it is. Its a minor observation and adding the colored symbols would probably take away from the sleek looks of the wheel but I occasionally pressed the wrong button and ended up in the menu.

Being fairly new to PlayStation gaming I still find myself comparing the shock effects to PC force feedback. Shock controllers for the PlayStation are much less expensive than their PC counterparts. The Shock2 wheel delivers very nice effects. The realism depends quite a bit on the game. I notices some games offer better effects than others, but the overall shock experience adds to the games considerably.

The large wheel has a very nice feel to it. All of the buttons are well placed and within reach- you don't need to unhand the wheel to use the primary buttons for in-game actions. The wheel also has all of the necessary buttons to allow you to navigate menus, save games, etc.

Overall

The Ferrari Shock2 Racing Wheel is very cool. It offers compatibility with its different modes, a decent set of features (pedals!) and has a great look and feel.

Highly Recommended!