If you are hardcore gamer who plays the latest and coolest games without regard for genre, you should consider owning one gamepad and a joystick.

However, if you choose to go for just one, the safest choice is a programmable, versatile joystick with a grip that suits your hands, and a moderate number of buttons.

The ideal controller: Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital

With the WingMan Extreme Digital 3D, you get every feature you need in a joystick at a very low price. When you pick up the Digital 3D, you'll be immediately struck by its weight; the base, though not very large, is heavily weighted. On the base you'll find two buttons and a slide throttle near the bottom of the stick. The contoured plastic stick features an eight-way hat switch, four buttons, and a trigger. The controller comes with a dongle that allows you to plug it into the USB or game port.

Logitech's excellent setup software makes installation and calibration a breeze. Logitech's WingMan Profiler software is also included, letting you update the joystick's drivers via the Internet.

Logitech's "Thumb Sweep" design positions four buttons surrounding the convex-shaped hat switch. The trigger has a slight loose feel to it, as do the buttons on the base. The slide throttle, though well-placed at the bottom of the stick, is also loose. The handle twists to control the rudder in flight simulators. The twisting action is comfortable and precise. The WingMan Extreme Digital 3D is a competent stick that's hard to beat because of the performance it delivers at a very attractive price.

A kick-ass controller: Microsoft SideWinder Gamepad

The SideWinder is a simple but versatile gamepad that is considered to be one of the best in the market.

The gamepad looks like the Nintendo 64 game controller minus the analog joystick. The eleven buttons on the controller should be enough to stuff in most of the keyboard commands present in today's games.

One of the center buttons is marked Mode and has a LED above it to indicate its status. It is used to bypass the SideWinder game pad and give control to whatever is plugged into the extension game port connector (for example, a joystick). Another use for the extension game port connector is to allow up to four SideWinder game pads to be daisy-chained together.

The feel is good, overall, except for the D-pad which is a bit slippery. A tackier pad would have been the perfect finishing touch for this well-designed controller.

Military Jet Sims

Favorite games: Flanker 2.0, Falcon 4.0, Jane's F-15
Controller to use: A joystick with no force feedback

 

If you fly military jet sims exclusively and realism is at the top of your list, you definitely don't need force feedback technology in your joystick. The best controllers for military flight sims should havesmall, weighted bases that fit nicely between a keyboard and mouse.
The POV hat is a mandatory, and some basic yaw control is desirable. A throttle control is handy, but it is not really necessary.

The basic controller: SUNCOM F-15 Talon

The first thing you notice about the F-15 Talon is its size. The base is massive, but on an average-sized desk, you can still manage to tuck it between the keyboard and the mouse.

The Talon is well-loved by hardcore flight "simmers" because it behaves very well with practically any sim in the market. Programming the stick is easy. A keyboard pass-through device is used to execute keyboard commands. There's no software to fuss with. Instead, you simply put the stick into programming mode, then press each button, followed by the keystroke combination you want. Changes can be made on the fly, too. The Talon can hold up to four different programs.

The Talon looks high-tech and somewhat oversized for someone with small hands. This is because it was modeled after the actual stick of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. As such, other users might have problems reaching the switches and buttons high on the stick. The overall feel of this stick is superb. Suncom uses Direct Drive which gives the stick equal resistance in all directions, including the corners. This makes the stick very predictable, which is excellent. Given the solid feel of the Talon and its low price, it's a top contender in any joystick contest.


A hot-shot controller: Saitek Cyborg 3D

The Cyborg 3D is perhaps one of the coolest, hi-tech looking joysticks ever to hit the market. Its impressive looks bring with it excellent functionality, making this one excellent stick. The clever design allows you to adjust the contoured handrest and throttle lever to accommodate practically any hand size.

There is a fully functional hat switch, and three buttons at the head of the stick. All of the buttons, the trigger, and the eight-way hat are programmed using the Saitek Command Centre software. There are four buttons designated F1 through F4 on the rear of the base, with two more buttons with arrows, designated as SHIFT-buttons, placed on each side of the stick at the base of the shaft.

The Cyborg 3D really stands out as a multipurpose stick for any game. For flight sim games, it offers throttle and rudder functionality all in one device. Like the Microsoft SideWinder sticks, the Cyborg twists to simulate rudder pedals. Strafing ragheads in Jane's F-15 is a walk in the park with this thing!