Smartjoy Frag
Posted: 2005-06-12 02:32am
My little review on the Smartjoy Frag (X-Box)
Picked this baby up this morning in the mail after having ordered it off E-Bay. So far I am pleased with it. As many reviews I’ve read on the internet, the Frag is not the same as the mouse and keyboard on a PC. Most console shooters have modified various elements of the game making a true PC style changeover not possible. For starters in Halo 2 the vertical axis moves slower then the horizontal axis. This makes aiming (especially zoomed aiming) difficult at first when your not used to that. Halo 2 also lets you ramp up your turn rate. You start slow, but build up. Even then, maximum turn rate is set and you can’t turn as fast as you want like on a PC shooter. Also, auto aiming is constantly fighting with your own aiming.
And yet with all that said, I still like using the Frag. It makes playing the game much easier and more precise for those who are comfortable with the traditional mouse/keyboard setup. I am move about with relative ease, aim with relative ease, and sniping suddenly lost its dread (sniping on a controller for me is like pulling out hair, never fun). After tweaking it a bit I am quite comfortable with the deadzone setting (that controls the level of movement you have to put into the mouse to make movements work).
I’m not a stranger to console shooters. I’ve beaten Halo 2 twice with a controller. And the mere act of switching over to the Frag has me playing through levels significantly faster and more accurately. I die a fraction of the times I do with the controller because I can get through the levels much easier.
The Frag is not the silver bullet that transforms console shooters into something the PC shooter fans are used to, but its familiar and does let you play a game normally outside your reach. I think it was a fair investment.
As for myself, I am slowly turning my X-Box into a PC of sorts. I will shortly have a VGA cable adapter that will allow me to hook up my X-Box to my computer monitor. I already have an adapter that lets me attack my keyboard to both my X-Box and computer. Soon the X-Box will merely be another gaming system sitting next to my computer.
Anyway, for just $31.98 (that included shipping) I got the Frag from a seller on E-bay and I think its well worth it. Soon I will be using X-Box Connect and going online to enjoy multi-player since now I won’t be burdened with a controller. Hope to see some of you guys on.
Picked this baby up this morning in the mail after having ordered it off E-Bay. So far I am pleased with it. As many reviews I’ve read on the internet, the Frag is not the same as the mouse and keyboard on a PC. Most console shooters have modified various elements of the game making a true PC style changeover not possible. For starters in Halo 2 the vertical axis moves slower then the horizontal axis. This makes aiming (especially zoomed aiming) difficult at first when your not used to that. Halo 2 also lets you ramp up your turn rate. You start slow, but build up. Even then, maximum turn rate is set and you can’t turn as fast as you want like on a PC shooter. Also, auto aiming is constantly fighting with your own aiming.
And yet with all that said, I still like using the Frag. It makes playing the game much easier and more precise for those who are comfortable with the traditional mouse/keyboard setup. I am move about with relative ease, aim with relative ease, and sniping suddenly lost its dread (sniping on a controller for me is like pulling out hair, never fun). After tweaking it a bit I am quite comfortable with the deadzone setting (that controls the level of movement you have to put into the mouse to make movements work).
I’m not a stranger to console shooters. I’ve beaten Halo 2 twice with a controller. And the mere act of switching over to the Frag has me playing through levels significantly faster and more accurately. I die a fraction of the times I do with the controller because I can get through the levels much easier.
The Frag is not the silver bullet that transforms console shooters into something the PC shooter fans are used to, but its familiar and does let you play a game normally outside your reach. I think it was a fair investment.
As for myself, I am slowly turning my X-Box into a PC of sorts. I will shortly have a VGA cable adapter that will allow me to hook up my X-Box to my computer monitor. I already have an adapter that lets me attack my keyboard to both my X-Box and computer. Soon the X-Box will merely be another gaming system sitting next to my computer.
Anyway, for just $31.98 (that included shipping) I got the Frag from a seller on E-bay and I think its well worth it. Soon I will be using X-Box Connect and going online to enjoy multi-player since now I won’t be burdened with a controller. Hope to see some of you guys on.