When hardware or software developers incorporate successful ideas from other developers into their own products, it's not called plagiarism, it's called "following the current trend." So with their WingMan RumblePad, Logitech seems to be "following the current trend" that was set by Sony with their DualShock controller. After all, the RumblePad has the built-in vibration feature as well as the twin thumb sticks that the DualShock has. Well, granted, there are these similarities between the two pads, but there's more to the RumblePad than that. In fact, were the RumblePad and DualShock to square off in a metaphorical battle, the RumblePad would stomp all over the DualShock until there was only tiny black plastic fragment left. Why? Because this pad is LOADED with features, baby!
While it might not be the sexiest joypad around, the strongest point in the RumblePad's favour is its sheer versatility. For one, it has more buttons than most joysticks I've seen: it has a start button, six regular buttons and two trigger buttons. Then there is of course the vibration feature that gives the pad its name as well as a regular d-pad and two analogue thumb sticks. It even has a little throttle slider above the right trigger button! As if that weren't enough, there is a button to turn the rumble feature on and off, plus a button that toggles between sports and flight sim mode with a handy LED that switches to red or green depending on which mode it is currently switched to. "Sports mode" basically sets the d-pad as the main directional controller with the left analogue stick acting as your 360-degree point of view control. Switch it to flight sim mode and the throttle controls speed, the left analogue stick controls your movement, the right your rudder and the d-pad acts like a POV hat. There aren't many joypads at all that let you fully control a flight sim with, but this happens to be one such rare beast. All the buttons and controls are easy to access and responsive. The only control that seemed odd at first was the concave D-pad which moves hardly noticeably at all when you move it in any direction, but in practice it worked just about as well as most other d-pads I've tried.