Cheap Gravis Eliminator AfterShock Rumble Game Pad USB (G48031) (Electronics) (Mac OS X) Price

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Customer Reviews of Gravis Eliminator AfterShock Rumble Game Pad USB (G48031)

Zero stars actually
Where to start. The biggest complaint I have with this gamepad is that when using the D-Pad and trying to go left, it wants to go diagonal-left. This is a known issue with this gamepad (one that Gravis doesn't seem to care about) and is a big problem if you're playing a game that requires any sort of precision (like most of them). Nothing like going in a direction you didn't want to go or walking off a cliff. <
> <
>The second biggest complaint I have is the software. It's the hokeyist software I've ever used. It would forget my button assignments, wouldn't save when I finished creating button assignments, and wouldn't recognize executibles consistently. In short, it didn't work. I'd be playing a game and suddenly the controller stops working. Bring up the software, no more button mappings. <
> <
>I threw the gamepad away and bought a Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 from Amazon and have had none of these problems.

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'F' for performance quality & durability
It doesn't matter how ergonomically sweet this gamepad is. <
>It doesn't matter that its programmability is awesome in versatility and scope (--in _CONCEPT_, anyway). <
> <
>What ultimately matters is, <
>1. HOW IT WORKS <
>and <
>2. DOES IT PLAY THE GAME? <
> <
> <
>I am on my second of this unit over the course of 4 years, and, like all these other great folks, my resounding answer is: <
> <
>1. Pffffft. <
>2. NO. <
> <
> <
>Let me try to get all the wrongs in, and be brief (as others have listed more at length): <
> <
> <
>*D-pad has 'making distinction between directions' issues (pressing 'N' will yield 'NW', 'S' yields 'SE' or 'SW', etc.) <
> <
>*front 'trigger/face' buttons (index and middle finger spots) have become increasingly non-responsive and require harder/deep pressing, over time...I worry they will stop registering altogether, at some point (1 nearly has) <
> <
>*analog sticks get tweaky. That is to say: one or both, at whim, have electronically (not physically-the stick itself still is in the 'center' position) off-centered themselves grossly in one direction (say North, or West), causing a game character to continue moving, turning, running, or at times spin unstoppably in circles. <
>When I 'test game controller' under my computer Control Panel's Game Controllers section, the Gravis Eliminator Aftershock's crosshair markers depicted centered (or NOT, in this case) over the joysticks show this, happening. So it is not a matter of any certain game I'm using it with, or any Setting/Configuration profile within a game. <
>This problem began spottily, then increased in frequency and severity (as well as reliability in constancy...i.e., now it's a problem as soon as I start the game, _throughout_ the game, instead of starting out as being every once in a while) over time and use. <
> <
> <
>These issues make the Gravis Eliminator Aftershock unusable (unless, for 0-24 months' usuability, at roughly $30-40 a pop, you feel it is worth it to you)- <
>so therefore it's really unnecessary for the review to go much further, into the software nightmare-headache, and programmable interface hair-pulling chaos-maze. <
> <
>[In short, assignment of functions gets cross-wired and re-sets itself if you accidentally assign a redundant axis to another analog stick or to the D-pad- even temporarily (on your way to going back to fixing that one)- which means you can program one stick, click "OK" to set it, go into another stick (or the D-pad) and begin to configure it, "OK"/save it, pop back out- only to find your settings for the 1st stick have re-set themselves. <
> <
>Apparently in order to get around the Gravis applet's "helping" you (supposedly in the online manual it says this aspect is built in, to prevent you from cross-assigning/redundantly wiring functions and causing problems _IN_game), you have to perform a very precise, specific ritual sequence of programming, and then sequentially SAVING, each stick/D-pad's assignments, or else the applet mucks the whole thing up. <
>SO helpful. <
> <
>It became so crazy that I was "saving" the game configuration in the applet after every miniscule change of button function or stick configuration alteration, out of paranoia. <
>Change BUTTON 1... <
>SAVE. <
>Close applet. <
>Re-open. <
>'Good, it's still there.' <
>Change stick 2's axis... <
>SAVE. <
>Close applet. <
>Re-open. <
>Check to see if stick 2 (as well as 1, & D-pad) axis config is still the same... <
>'#$%!' <
>Re-set stick 2 axis. <
>Make sure stick 2 axis is not redundant with either 1 or D-pad. <
>All looks good. ('So what's the problem?') <
>SAVE. <
>Close applet. <
>Re-open. <
>'@#$T%(&!!!!' <
> <
> <
>Okay; I said I wouldn't go into that, but I did. <
> <
>Just so that the potential buyer will beware that on every front, in every aspect, [in my opinion] this gamepad is booby-trapped for you. <
> <
> <
>Since I was naïve & hopeful enough to purchase a second of these in 2 years (the first one died of the very same problems-primarily the analog stick issue)-(but I was hoping beyond hope it was a fluke, as this gamepad has a design & ergonomic configuration like no other I've seen so far), and the 3-year warranty isn't up on my 2nd one yet, I plan on exploring what expense might be involved in mailing it back, just to see if it's worth recouping my losses. <
>I _know_ whatever I get back won't last any much longer, but, it might extend the value, slightly, of my 2-units' worth of already-spent money. <
> <
>Meanwhile, I'm shopping for where to put my $Real money into a game controller which has a reputation for functionality, reliability & durability, and for generally pleasing its users. <
> <
>Bells, whistles, brilliant concepts and 'sleek' aside, bottom line for serious gamers is that is HAS to WORK.

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Response delays. Needs proprietary software to work ok.
For $8.90 I thought it was a good deal. It was ok at first but playing SNES emulator games there was a bad delay especially for the main 'b' button that is used to jump or flip which was very irritating. It works, but if you want to best game play with no frustrations, I recommended the Logitech Precision gamepad which is like $9 and no configuration is needed. <
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