Belkin Nostromo Game Devices

Written by Rob Young

April 14, 2002 | 01:00

Tags: #game-controller #input #joystick #keyboard #mouse #nostromo

Companies: #belkin

In closing...

My impression of the n30 can be summed up with just one word: disappointing. It did have a much greater challenge on its hands than the n50 - competition in the mouse world is fierce, with major companies like Microsoft and Logitech spending a lot of money on their product development. This said, the n30 was aimed at a niche market - the gamers among us. Rather than introducing new features to the n30, Belkin chose to rely on design to make this mouse a success, and it is in the design of the mouse that Belkin failed.

This mouse isn't all bad; the responsiveness of the buttons and size of the scroll wheel are commendable, but bad ergonomics, the choice of a ball mechanism over an optical system and the mouse's pretty high price all detract from this product.

The design of the n50 puts that of the n30 to shame. For a right-handed person I don't think Belkin could have done much better in the ergonomics department. Finding faults with the n50 is very difficult, and the only problem I would have as a prospective buyer is justifying the cost. $35 isn't an awful lot of money for a game controller - it's less than a good joypad - but in my opinion the n50 is aimed at replacing something you already have, and in this respect is a luxury item. If you play a lot of games and plan to use the n50 a lot, then justifying the cost shouldn't be too difficult, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to you. If, on the other hand, your gaming is part-time, then the difference the n50 will make to your life probably won't justify its cost.

Thanks again to Belkin for providing these controllers for review.
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