Manufacturer: Gravis

Buttons: 10

Supporter port types: USB only

MSRP: US$29.99

Joypads aren't generally known for their aesthetic appeal, in fact in the past some of them have been downright ugly not to mention bloody uncomfortable to hold. It comes as little surprise then that after producing one of the more attractive joypads in recent years, the Exterminator Digital GamePad, Gravis decided to go one step further and create one of the most comfortable and attractive pads I've ever seen. I mean, just look at the thing, this controller simply oozes cool and aesthetic appeal! However, you can see that it looks good just by looking at the screenshots. What you can't tell by looking at the shots is how well it works during gameplay. Lucky for you that I'm here to tell you that bit then, huh?

For a reasonable US$30 you're getting a pretty good deal with the Eliminator Pro. The pad has four trigger buttons, four regular buttons on the top and two extra ones that sit where the select and start buttons were on the old SNES pad, making for a total of ten buttons, more than enough for almost any game where you use a joypad. The directional pad is rather strange – looking at it you'd think that it was a digital pad, but it is in fact an analogue pad. It feels strange at first but it is very comfortable to use, and after hours of continuous use my thumb wasn't sore in the slightest like it has been with some other PC pads. The entire pad is in fact particularly comfortable, in part thanks to the ribbed handles. It turns out that those rubber lines that decorate the front and back of the pad aren't just for decoration after all. Although I initially doubted the claims of the press release, they do somehow seem to help make the ergonomically designed gamepad even more comfortable to hold for long periods of time.