Flexiglow Cyber Snipa PC Gamepad Review

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            Flexiglow Cyber Snipa PC Gamepad

Review by Old RoosterJuly 2004

The One-of-a-Kind Keypad with a Funny Name

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when the good folks at GoGamer sent this new Flexiglow product for review. Was it a gamepad, keyboard, joystick or mousepad? And what the heck does “Snipa” mean?  Well, what I’ve found, after a week of FPS gaming, is that this very neat little device has moved to a special place on my desktop.  This gamepad is efficient, streamlines gaming, and is quite unique.  Let’s describe it a bit.

First, a word about Flexiglow is in order. Founded in 1998, the company is based in Australia and Hong Kong. Initially specializing in lighting effects for a broad spectrum of business and industrial uses, they have recently moved into the world of PC gaming. Their trademark is always to have some kind of direct or background lighting on a product—with these products now ranging from an optical mouse to mouse pads to Lazer Bean LED Kits. Check the GoGamer website for the full gaming line. The other hallmark of Flexiglow is creativity and excellence of design, something we see evidenced very strongly with the Cyber Snipa Game Pad.

What’s in the Box

The plastic container houses a very attractive black gamepad, 6 inches wide by 9 inches long by 1 inch thick. Actually, gamepad is something of a misnomer since, as the picture demonstrates, the unit really resembles more a mini keyboard. Also included is a user card (in four languages) and a six-foot USB power cord. The only requirements for usage are Windows ME/2000/XP and a USB port.

Features

  • Designed to improve game control, speed and accuracy;
  • Ergonomically designed navigation and function keys;
  • 34 keys allow for individual mapping;
  • Tactile key feedback;
  • Removable nonslip palm rest;
  • Built-in volume control;
  • USB device that operates alongside your keyboard.

Games We Tested

The Cyber Snipa has had quite a varied and intense workout this past week. I’ve put it through the wringer with Doom 3, XIII, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry, Chronicles of Riddick, Brothers in Arms and Max Payne 2. In addition, my son, who has broadband, played Half-Life 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004 online.

How it Performs

My system instantly recognized the gamepad, and there are no drivers to install. A little blue light (that Flexiglow distinction) radiating from under the pad can be turned on or off. The palm rest is extremely comfortable and remained on the pad. Nestling the base of my left hand on this rest, I found all of the keys within easy reach. The main keyboard was put to one side. With particular emphasis on first-person shooter gaming, all of the keys we typically use are there, easily accessed, plus a few extras—like a volume control! Keys depress firmly, with a solid, quality feel.

Whatever keyboard layout you have for a particular FPS title is picked up by the gamepad. Given that some of the pad’s keys are distinctively labeled (jump, crouch, goal, load, use), a few minutes spent remapping proved useful. Keys also have their traditional labels (“C” for crouch). The white lettering on the black keys is large, clear, easy to read. The famous WASD cluster is in the center, highlighted in blue, with larger keys, about the shape of a fingertip. Several other keys are also larger than usual—space (jump), Ctrl, Shift (run/walk). It should be noted that the Cyber Snipa is not a replacement for your regular keyboard, but rather a gaming supplement.

After 10 minutes with the first game (Riddick), it became clear the Cyber Snipa does, as it claims, make this kind of gaming more smooth and easy to control. My son, with his online trial, had even a greater sense of that in his competition with human players.  Indeed, that’s where my unit has ended up! For the time being, he says … sure.

With the mouse in the right hand and the gamepad under the left, we both found the WASD positioning and placement of the larger, more frequently used keys definitely speed up the “eyes to brain to hand to screen” transition. Hey, at my age, I need all of that kind of help I can get!

Conclusion

Flexiglow has shown their creative talent once again, with the innovative and unique Cyber Snipa gamepad. Acting as a mini keyboard, with particular emphasis on first-person shooter gaming, a week of solid and extensive playing has moved it from a position of “interesting idea” to a place of “essential requirement” in my FPS play. This pad was clearly designed carefully by and for players.  From key selection to positioning to elongated size, ergonomics are outstanding. The wrist support provides great comfort for those long online sessions. The soft blue underlighting provides a pleasant ambience for play times. Plug-and-play assures easy recognition by your PC and games. The USB connection and moderate size allow it to be placed to one side of your workspace when the main keyboard is in use. Construction and durability seem outstanding.

Although I still don’t know what “Snipa” means, I can heartily recommend the Cyber Snipa gamepad to all wishing to become quicker, faster and better—at least with their FPS gaming!  For excellence in design and execution, we are pleased to award the gamepad our Gold Star. The End

The Verdict

System Requirements

Win ME/2000/XP USB port

Where to Find It

Home of 48 Hour Madness!

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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17 Responses to First Impressions: Heavy Rain

  • Toger

    I hate QTEs, but Heavy Rain is sitting in my Amazon cart waiting for me to push the button. I don’t even own a PS3, but I plan on buying the game anyway. I do have a good friend who’ll let me play at his house. Of course, I’ll have to drive 100 miles, one way, through the snow to get to his house. His chat-happy birds will cheerfully chirp thereby completely disrupting any atmosphere, but I can play.

  • David

    What!?  Heavy Rain is full of QTEs?  I totally did not see that coming.

    The whole dad experience thing sounds intriguing.  I’m already getting odd looks from my girlfriend for exclaiming over cute kids on the bus or at the mall, something like what you described might send my biological clock over the edge.

  • Lewis B

    My sentiments exactly David!

    Mat has been playing the Heavy Rain demo for a while now, and although he admits he is intrigued by the story, he does constantly complain about the control method.

    R2 + Analogue stick to run? *scoff*

  • Gregg B

    @Lew: DEMO?! PS3 DEMO?! *runs off to PS3*

    That sounds like the Batman: Arkham Asylum controls – Crazy Bonkers Design. The sort of design that puts pull handles on push doors.

    @Steerpike: “I despise children. They are disgusting and annoying. They knock things over. They interfere with everything. They’re not useful until they’re at least 13, when you can get them to mow the lawn and stuff. But you can pay a service to do that for just a few hundred bucks a year and the service won’t vomit on you, shit in its diapers, grow up to resent you, or otherwise suck. Don’t flame me and don’t post comments to the contrary: kids are repulsive. Why anyone would want them is beyond my feeble imaginings.”

    HAHAhahaha- I er, – hahahaha – you’re as outspoken as me about demon spawn children.

  • Lewis B

    Yeah its been on the internet for weeks and weeks Greggi.  I think you have to do a couple of online puzzles etc to get the appropriate code or something.

    Search on Kotaku, they first ran with it IIRC.

  • Mat

    The puzzle code was for early access before it hit the PSN Store. It’s been available to all since last week.

    Regarding the demo, it took me around 3 or 4 attempts at it to appreciate it. First time around I couldn’t have been more dissapointed by it, but after the 3rd or 4th I decided I wanted to stick with it. I don’t think the demo is a particularly great example of what the game supposedly does best either – choice. I also HATE the control scheme and some of the voice acting is so wooden. Creating an immersive, realistic game is fine but having characters stumbling into tables and fridges because of the ham fisted controls, and listening to French voice actors impersonate Americans does remove that realism a little!

    Still, I rushed out to buy it this morning and will rush home from work to play it in about an hour!

  • xtal

    @ Toger: I don’t own a PS3 either, and it’s not like Heavy Rain seems to be “that” game which makes you run out and buy one– like Bioshock made me run out and get a 360– and it’s also not like this game looks groundbreaking in any way, because it really doesn’t. It’s just got me curious…and people tend to do crazy things the week after they get their yearly bonus. Soooooo yeah, who knows; maybe I’ll own a PS3 soon, but like hell I would admit that it was for Heavy Rain. Psh. I’d tell people it was because I wanted to watch BSG on blu-ray; though anyone who knows me would see right through that lie since I am an avid non-format-upgrader: I’ll switch my BSG collection from DVD to blu-ray the day I upgrade my copy of Jurassic Park from VHS to DVD. (Hint: never)

  • Toger

    @xtal: I’m in no hurry to upgrade my meagre DVD collection to blu-ray either, but I have to say the movies I’ve watched on my friend’s PS3 are absolutely stunning. Blade Runner was simply breath-taking in blu-ray and it made me want a PS3. I don’t think Heavy Rain will be a system seller for me, but I’m betting the game from the Ico team will.

  • xtal

    A game from the Ico team, you say? Hmmm. I’ve been making rounds on Kijiji and Craigslist looking for a copy of Ico (eBay prices are so shudder-inducing) for a few days now. I really need to play that game after my experience with the indescribable Shadow of the Colossus.

    It’s good to know they haven’t died some Interplay-esque death in the meantime.

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Nope, they’re a small team that works within Sony. Fumito Ueda is the lead and he’s got like ten or so people who’ve worked with him on all his games. Sony pretty much lets them do what they want.

    The Last Guardian is the game that’s coming up from them. It looks more like Ico and less like Shadow of the Colossus to me, which is to say it appears to be focused on platform elements. If I didn’t already have a PS3, it’d be the game that sells it.

  • Gregg B

    @Toger: Ooh, Blade Runner on Blu-ray, gorgeous in all its gorgeosity. In 5.1 it sounds incredible too.

    I bought my PS3 for Team Ico’s unnamed-at-the-time game, Heavy Rain (back when it was just a teaser), LittleBig Planet (yes, yes, I know), Dead Space and Motor Storm: Pacific Rift which sort of pushed me off the fence.

  • Toger

    Gregg, oh yes. The surround sound was spectacular. Did I mention my friend’s HDTV is 72″ (obscene, isn’t it)? It’s like being at a high-class theatre: better food, pauses for bathroom breaks and no one talking through the movie.

    Is Trine up on PSN, yet? If so, that might be my tipping point: Last Guardian, Heavy Rain and Trine.

  • Gregg B

    *spits tea out, despite not drinking any*

    O_O

    72″?! I’m speechless. I can only imagine how awesome that is. Size does matter.

    Not so sure about Trine… hang on. I think it is.

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    I think it is too, Toger. I’ll check.

    To be honest, though, I doubt you’d be disappointed with the purchase even if Trine’s not there yet. I’ve been way happier with my PS3 than with my 360. Demon’s Souls, Valkyria Chronicles, Uncharted, Folklore, even little games like Flower – I’ve had more concentrated fun with the PS3 than with Microsoft’s console, which tends to gather dust for months between game releases.

    72″???? I thought size didn’t matter!

  • Toger

    Size doesn’t matter. 😀

    In my friend’s defense, it was a great deal: opened box, itty-bitty scratch on the case, not a dead pixel to be seen and it was less $$ than the 60″ he originally wanted.

    Thanks for checking guys. I’ve played a tiny bit of Uncharted, but I’m horrible at the combat. Flower intrigues me. As does Demon’s Souls, but I know that game will crush my soul.

  • Gregg B

    There were certain moments in Flower where it just totally succeeded in conveying a feeling that I can’t say I’ve had in many other games, usually when rushing across a field through the grass or through a canyon or just skimming a pond, but it was never anything to do with collecting bloody petals or fulfilling some rudimentary puzzle. I think my problem with it was that it felt like it was trying to be this deeply emotional piece but in the end there seemed to be too many concessions to being a game rather than just running with the emotive side of the experience. One thing I am sure about though, is the trophies. Don’t get me started on the fucking trophies…

    One of my favourite little games on the PS3 is Everyday Shooter. It’s got a brilliant soundtrack that suits its raw visual style and I love how each level requires a certain tactic or strategy to survive it. It’s a very satisfying game in small bursts.

  • Hanover

    Unfortunately Cage mucked up the ending yet again.  The problem is that the mechanic of the game forced them to have to cheat in order to prevent spoiling the mystery of the game.

    There is also a red herring that makes no sense and is obviously put there to misdirect the player.

    90% of the game is awesome, the last 10% while not as bad as the indigo prophecy, is still sloppy.

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