Review by:  Luckee

July 21, 2001

I first heard of Gravis back when I was in college after I got my first computer and was introduced to the EA Sports Series.  My first gamepad was the white, bone-shaped controller that had 4 buttons and a d-pad.  Gravis has been a leader in the gaming hardware arena for years, and as ergonomic designs have improved, the Gravis gamepads have also improved. With the innovation of digital connections, Gravis was able to offer more buttons, axis controls and special features such as rumble effects.  Today we will be doing a side by side comparison of two great Gravis gamepads: The Eliminator Pro and Eliminator Aftershock.

Eliminator Aftershock

8 way proportional d-pad
2 analog controls
2 Precision buttons
10 programmable buttons (4 triggers)
Powerful Xperience profile software

Eliminator Pro

8 way proportional d-pad
1 Precision buttons
10 programmable buttons (4 triggers)
Powerful Xperience profile software

Applications for both gamepads-

• Sports games (NHL, NFL, Baseball, Basketball and Soccer series games)

• Flight Sim Crimson Skies

• Racing Games (Nascar 4, Motocross Madness 2 and Midtown Madness)

• First Person Shooters I use a mouse!

System Requirements -

IBM PC or compatible with USB port, Windows 98, ME, 2000 or higher, Pentium 60 MHz or compatible with 16MB RAM, Hard drive with 15MB available, CD-ROM drive (2X or faster) for installation.

Descriptions - 

The gamepads are very similar in design, however, there are a few minor noticeable differences between them.  The main difference is the Eliminator Aftershock rumbles and the Eliminator Pro does not.

The Aftershock's d-pad is a very well designed pad.  It's a smooth surface that doesn't offer much grip, nor does it have a recess for your thumb to sit in.  Still, its action is clean enough that this is not an issue.  It glides in all directions with a small amount of pressure.  For most games I used the d-pad as the primary control surface.  Having it located closer to the front as I already mentioned is nice.

The Aftershock design is a little more unique with its dual precision buttons and the analog mini-joystick controller.  Some may find it difficult to use because the buttons on the pad are located pretty close together.  The Eliminator Pro has a more traditional layout with the d-pad on the left and the four control buttons on the right with adequate spacing for all buttons.   All of the buttons on both pads are easily identifiable with your typical color schemes.   Both pads are very comfortable to hold, the Aftershock has smooth arms whereas the Eliminator Pro has rubber strips on the arms to allow for a more secure grip. Under extended use the pads continued to be quite comfortable.  The pads have a nice solid feel to them without being over-heavy.  The fact that the pads are easy to grip and the d-pad does not require great effort to operate, makes the Eliminator Aftershock a good choice for heavy sports games fans. 

How it Works With Games -

I tested three sports games with these pads, NHL 2001, NBA 2001, and Madden 2000.  I played NHL 2001 for a few hours using the pad and was never disappointed.  Likewise, NBA 2001 performed well with both pads.  None of the games took advantage of the rumble effects associated with the Aftershock.  However, the included Madden 2000 had some effects that delivered a distinctive rumble when your player was tackled or you made a hard hit on your opponent.

In racing games you need to assign buttons to control the gas and brake functions or use the analog sticks for this purpose. We tested it with Nascar 4.   Since the sticks are self centering you need to hold the stick in the exact position you wish.  Most race games, even arcade style ones, require you to have semi-accurate brake/gas control.  It's somewhat tricky with the analog sticks and requires your constant attention unlike a throttle wheel.  The short throw of the analog sticks also makes accurate control something that takes practice.  Rumble effects provided road and engine noise, crash feedback and even helped determine the tire grip to a certain extent.  A wheel offers better tactical feedback but the rumble effects are a nice addition.

I also tested Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2  on the Eliminator AfterShock and the Eliminator GamePad Pro.  The pads performed admirably.  I used the left stick to control my player and the buttons to skate around and perform various trick and stunts.  There was little force feedback present in the game, but otherwise it was a good showing for both gamepads. 

Setup -

Setup was problem free, and it was easy too!  With the USB setup you can plug the controller into your system with it on, let Windows recognize it and insert the CD. Follow the directions and you can't go wrong. A purple haired maven even congratulates you on your controller selection and helps you with the process.  The only thing you will need to do on your own is determine which controller series you have.  For the Eliminator Aftershock select the Eliminator option and the proper drivers and profiles will be setup.

Once the software is installed, put it through a quick calibration and test and you're set to play with the advanced settings of the Aftershock.  You can create a variety of settings and save them for use.

Software -

The software included with the Eliminator Aftershock and the Pro is on two CDs.  The first CD holds the drivers and the latest version of the Gravis Xperience software.  The drivers install easily and the Xperience software is very nice to use.  I'd almost go as far to say it's easy.  It is very intuitive to use, I didn't have to refer to the manual or help files to figure it out.  To get the best understanding of this powerful utility you should thoroughly read the manual and consult the online help files.  The online help files are the best source of information since they are updated with updates to the software itself.  

The second CD contains the full version of Madden 2000 from EA Sports.  The game is a great football sim  It gives you a good opportunity to try out your new pad and play with the configuration settings to find the best setup.  The addition of a fully functional, decent game is an added bonus that makes both gamepads a stellar value.

Conclusion-

Overall, the Eliminator Aftershock  and the Eliminator Pro are both very comfortable, well laid out gamepads.  They provide tight and accurate (thanks to the two precision buttons on the Aftershock  and the one precision button on the Pro) playability.   The only feature missing from these pad is a throttle. But if you're into sports game like I am, I don't even mind those types of features being absent.  Still, its comfort and precision are far grander than the gamepad competition on the market today. The rumble effects are on par with other rumble pads. With the classic layout of the Pro you just can't go wrong in the heat of the battle or while playing your favorite sports game.

I think that both of these gamepads are exceptional and both will do the job.  If you are into sports games you will definitely want to pick up  one of these pads and take it with you into battle for your next  match.