InterAct ProPad 6

ProPad 6

Manufactured By: InterAct

Retail Price: $14.99

Review Date: **05-31-99

InterAct offers two lines of PC game controllers. To quote InterAct- "Performance products meet the needs of consumers who are extremely price sensitive. InterAct products are designed with added feature enhancements with an extra emphasis on innovation and design. The easiest way to describe the difference is that Performance enables gameplay, while InterAct enhances gameplay.

Both product lines are designed and manufactured by InterAct's internal design, engineering, and manufacturing teams, insuring the highest possible quality at the lowest possible price."

The ProPad 6 is a Performance product. It has a very low price tag (<$15) and will allow the user to enable gameplay. It has a nice contour to it, feeling better than the classic dumbbell shape gamepad.

Features 80%-

• 6 buttons
• 2 trigger buttons (repeats of face buttons)
• digital 8 way D-pad
• Auto-fire switch

Appropriate For-

• Sports games (NHL 99, World Cup 98, etc.)
• Action Games (The Phantom Menace, Tomb Raider, etc.)

System Requirements-

PC compatible, 15 pin gameport

Price -

Its difficult to make a mistake with a gamepad under $20. It has solid construction, is comfortable and offers a few extra features that make it more desirable than most of the competition.

Warranty-

90 days limited.

Performance 85%-

The ProPad 6 is a decent performer. It calibrates pretty well with a standard gameport although its center jitters slightly in the test window of the game controller setup. The jitter was not noticeable in any of the games I played. I put the ProPad 6 to test with Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, NHL 99 and World Cup 98.

With each it setup easily and without problem. It played each well and the 6 buttons came into use although the auto-fire switch was not very helpful in anything I used the pad for. I played Phantom Menace for hours without any loss of calibration or hand fatigue. Its a great controller for sports titles too.

I tried the pad with first person shooters like Quake II and Half-Life and found it better to use something else because the ProPad 6 did not easily allow you to strafe, look and aim. I also tried the ProPad 6 with a few racing games. The lack of a throttle made it an all-or-nothing scenario for the gassing and braking. Although it functioned for racing games I have to recommend a wheel for optimal control.

Setup 79%-

Setup of the ProPad 6 fairly simple. Connect the gamepad to your gameport, start the system and install the software. Alternatively, you could skip the software setup and run it as a custom gamepad.

**Software 60%-

** There is really nothing special with the software that comes with the ProPad 6. It is puzzling why there is even software included with the pad to begin with. The software installs a profile for the ProPad 6 so it can be chosen under the game controller selection. Typically when a controller is added to the list it shows any special features of the device. The ProPad 6 shows up as a 4 button controller under the test and calibrate selections. The additional buttons are not displayed. This is not a big deal, but it may confuse some users.

There is a ProPad 6 executable that is installed with the software that displays the gamepads 6 buttons and D-pad so you can test their function. This display requires you to first calibrate the ProPad 6 in the game controller setup. It is nothing but a test screen that shows you what a properly created profile for the game controller menu should look like but its not part of the menu.

Luckily, the software is not even required for use of the ProPad 6 and I eventually removed it- setting the pad up with a custom setting. Although I was forced to set it up as a 4 button device all 6 buttons functioned where it counts, in games.

Documentation 50%-

The documentation for the ProPad 6 is weak at best. The box contains a few flier type notes on the warranty, instructions and registration. The setup sheet gives you enough detail for setup of the pad and a few general trouble-shooting tips. With the install a read.me file is installed giving you the same information as the instruction sheet.

The InterAct site offers a FAQ and product details.

**Overall Rating 77.4%

**The ProPad 6 is a fair, affordable gamepad. It offers 6 buttons and decent control. As long as you are not looking for any special features, the ProPad 6 is a controller for consideration.

**Pros-

**- Inexpensive

**Cons-

**- Limited features

• Unnecessary software
• Limited documentation

Similar to-**

MakoPad Pro PC

Microsoft Sidewinder GamePad

Dexxa Gamepad

Thrustmaster Fusion Digital