<p align=center><span class="body-2"><b>Hardware</b><br>
Firestorm Programmable Gamepad</span>
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<p align=center><span class="body-2"><b>Manufacturer</b><br>
Thrustmaster</span>
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<p align=center><span class="body-2"><b>Type</b><br>
Controller</span>
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<p align=center><span class="body-2"><b>Score</b><br>
7/10</span>
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<B>Tired of using the old button layout that the developer thinks you want to use? Here is an option for you.</b>

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<img src="file:///C|/www/media/3dparty/thrustmaster/firestormproglogo.jpg" border="1" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="5"></a>

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Controllers - the essence of the gaming experience. A big black box without any peripherals attached is kind of like being in a rowboat with no paddles. Plug a controller into the console and you've got the video gaming world literally at your fingertips. Like other systems, the Xbox requires controllers to fully enjoy the experience of the newly released console, although some less intelligent people just like to sit and watch the Xbox dashboard [Oh, look at the pretty lights! - Ed.]. We've recently gotten our hands on Thrustmaster's (yes, that really is the company's name) first Xbox offering, the Firestorm Programmable Gamepad.

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Like all other controllers, an easily accessible and yet highly functional design is a necessity. Sadly, this is the main area where the Firestorm pad falls flat on its face. The first game that I booted up with the new controller firmly placed in the port was of course, Halo. Immediately into the first level a problem had arisen, the right analog stick is placed way too far away from the right of the controller, making the distance that your right thumb must travel vast and rather exhausting. Precise aiming and looking was a serious chore due to the distance to the right analog stick. The second inadequacy that ails the controller is the ease at which the analog sticks are pressed. Master Chief was ducking like a madman (ducking is performed by pressing in the left analog stick) for no apparent reason all the way through the game. As soon as my character was lucky enough to find a sniper rifle the problem got to be almost unbearable. The sniper rifle continued to zoom in and out mercilessly as I looked around the battle area due to the slight pressure that my thumb was placing on the right analog stick caused the zoom effect to be used without rest.

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The design of the controller takes some getting used to however, that's not because it's poorly conceived, just because it's so different from the beloved [by some. - Ed.] Microsoft controller that we have grown so accustomed to. The cosmetic differences include the subtraction of one of the memory card slots on the controller which could diminish the life of the controller when more and more peripherals come out that are plugged into the slots, the second difference lies in the buttons. The standard A, B, X, Y buttons are a bit smaller than the standard Xbox controller's, which gives the player a bit more space between the buttons. The best design innovation was made by moving the black and white buttons slightly closer to the right side of the controller allowing for less of a reach for your thumb.

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<img src="file:///C|/www/media/3dparty/thrustmaster/firestormprog.jpg" border="1" align="center" hspace="5" vspace="5"></a>

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The actual controller is a bit less contoured to fit to your hand than the first party controller from Microsoft. It's a bit flatter, which doesn't really affect the playability of the controller one way or the other but it does offer a change for those of you who don't like the Xbox controller. The start and back buttons are placed on top of each other rather than side-by-side, when you look at them from a distance it looks as though it's merely an oval but when looked at up close there are actually two buttons with a small separation. It's a very interesting innovation, but it does present a bit of a struggle if you ever want to press the back button because there isn't really a direct way to access the button.

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One of the redeeming qualities of the controller comes in the form of the program button, which is located at the center of the controller. Rather than performing the standard programming of a preferred button combination the program button allows you to reconfigure the game's current control scheme. For instance, if you don't like the fact that Halo uses the white button to activate your flashlight then you can remap it to the up direction on the d-pad. It's the small things that make life so enjoyable and the program button definitely adds a bit to the controller's functionality and makes for a more enjoyable Xbox experience. If only the program function could be incorporated to Microsoft's first party design, it would be gaming bliss.

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Overall the controller is a bit cumbersome for first person shooters and doesn't have a very high rate of playability for almost all games. The D-Pad holds up well, as it follows the standards set by old systems in that there is more of a cross rather than a circular directional pad. When you get down to it the program button does add a bit to the overall fun to be had while using the controller, but overall the controller still falls a bit short because of its lack of two memory card slots and poorly designed analog sticks. Overall, the control just isn't very playable depending on the game, and isn't that what it's all about?

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