| MonsterGecko PistolMouse FPS | ||||
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Product: MonsterGecko PistolMouse FPS MonsterGecko is putting themselves on the map with an entirely unique product. Meet the PistolMouse, MonsterGecko’s alternative to the high-end gaming mouse for FPS gamers. At first I thought they were bringing back the light-gun, and nearly screamed with joy. However, this is not a light gun, and you will not be shooting at your screen. It’s actually a mouse with a pistol mounted on top to bring a whole new level of realism to your games. It sounds good in theory, but how will it perform in practice? What you get The package includes:
The package itself is much like a collector’s edition DVD case, with a flip front revealing a plastic window to the PistolMouse itself. The box has the MonsterGecko logo pattern underneath everything, and is very impressive. Good job guys!
The PistolMouse The actual mouse is a black pistol, resembling a very standard, clichéd pistol you might see on a police officer. The trigger, alternate fire button, grips, and scroll wheel are a darker red, and accent the glossy black very well. Starting with the base of the device, you will see the off center optical sensor. This enables you to twist the mouse and have the same effect as sliding it left or right. This is immensely helpful to know. The grips on the side of the handle are a red rubber, and are imprinted with a light texture. They are removable so you can swap them out for different colors, and to clean the unit. I noticed that they were a little loose at the top, and at first I thought it was another button on the side, but then realized the grip was loose at the top, and would push in slightly. As an aside, the whole device is very sturdily manufactured, and does not shift/creak/groan in any way under the heaviest of uses (apart from my grip issue). The trigger is excellent, and feels tight. Note that it has a great deal of pull before it actually clicks. This is not an analog trigger, and will not give you varying amounts of feedback. The scroll wheel is accessible from both sides of the mouse, making it ambidextrous. The scroll wheel as also clickable from both sides, and is sturdily built. It isn’t one of those smooth wheels, but doesn’t have a very defined clicking sensation. It isn’t too smooth to keep you from switching weapons well, but is smooth enough to be pleasant - good job! This brings us to the alternate fire button. It is positioned in the crux of the handle where it meets the trigger guard. It pushes in a straight diagonal into the body of the barrel/handle. The idea behind this is that it can be pushed by either pulling it into the handle, or up into the trigger guard, whichever you find more comfortable. It sounds good on paper, but in reality you end up clicking it just by gripping the thing too tightly. It would have been a much better idea to put it directly onto the handle, so you can hit it with your fingers, not accidentally with your hand.
Setup Setting up this thing was as easy as; 1) plugging it in, 2) PLAY! Windows automatically detects the mouse, and lets you change the settings using the mouse pane in the control panel. You know the drill. It is compatible with ps/2 and USB. I would have liked to see them package it with a usb-ps/2 adapter. While these are easy enough to get, it’s just common courtesy to include one.
Gaming / Usage Now that I’ve gotten my hands dirty and played with it for a few days (and for hours at a time) I can safely say this is a great device. Just mousing around is kind of fun, It’s just a joy to pull a trigger at something. Now, this is no mouse; this is a fine gaming device! The amount of fine control you have is amazing; I noticed a big difference in my sniping ability after only a few hours. The way you end up holding it after hours of gaming is with the wrist resting on the mouse pad, but you really should hold your wrist up. Unfortunately, this is not very ergonomic on the wrists, but fits the hand very well. Just due to the sheer giddiness of holding a gun, games you put down months ago have renewed interest. I am playing Half Life 2, but reviewed this device mostly on Unreal Tournament 2004. There’s nothing more satisfying than holding the gun while mowing down the aliens. I found that the device was very sturdy, and held up well during marathon use. The only drawback is that it takes a while to get used to, but after that you will be fragging up a storm. Conclusion This is a pretty cool device. It surpassed my expectations, and delivers a great gaming experience. If you don’t mind getting used to the hand position - you will find FPS nirvana with the PistolMouse The price is interesting in that I feel it’s fair, but some feel that for such a limited device (FPS games are the only real use) it should be slightly cheaper. You are getting a high quality gaming mouse underneath it all, and I consider the price to be fair. A great addition to the FPS gamer’s arsenal. Pros -
Cons -
Side Note - I received a message from MonsterGecko before I was shipped the PistolMouse, It included a handful of tips and tricks, the only notable ones being that you should twist the mouse instead of sliding it, and to pull the alternate fire button towards the handle, as it works best that way. |
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