The Final Say! Design 8.0 Usability 7.9 Installation 10.0 Value 8.5 360 Modena Racing Wheel - reviewed by Tory Favro Review Date: 31 July 2002 Review Score: 7.9/10 Distributed By: Thrustmaster

The 360 Modena Racing Wheel from Thrustmaster is accurately modelled on the Ferrari wheel of the same named car. It clamps with ease to your coffee table and features the following: 360 Modena® F1 wheel replica offering the ultimate driving experience equipped with : - Authentic F1 gearshift levers as adopted by Ferrari - 8 progressive quick action buttons for proportional and realistic driving control - Fully controllable dual acceleration and braking system with stable analog foot pedals or progressive wheel mounted levers - Ergonomic rubber textured handgrips for maximum comfort

Features/ Specifications:

- 8 way D-pad
- 2 wheel mounted digital gearshift levers
- Rubber textured ergonomic handgrip
- 2 built-in powerful motors in handgrip, Dual Shock™ compatible
- Central clamping system
- 8 progressive quick action buttons
- Start, select mode buttons (analog, digital, Negcon™)
- Progressive gas and brake control with 2 wheel mounted levers and stable analog foot pedals
- Compatible with all car racing games developed for Dual Shock™

·         Compatibility requirements :

Compatible with PlayStation® and PlayStation® 2

THE REVIEW:

The 360 wheel was a pinch to set up and get going. Putting it quite simply, it operates exactly the same as Dual Shock or Dual Shock 2 controller. Packing a strong vibration feature, I tested the game on the Gran Turismo series, World Rally Championship and the V-Rally series. These games are on both PSone and PS2. The majority of testing time was on Gran Turismo 3 for a comprehensive appraisal of how the wheel featured on an extremely realistic.

It does take some getting used when steering for the first time and I would think that there is almost a window of about 30 minutes learning time to adjust to how the car will react to your movements on the wheel. The wheel is centred by what feels like a powerful band of rubber and does require a bit of a steady grip as it does want to return to centre.

The pedals are well placed and easy to manipulate and connect easily to the wheel unit through a 9 pin plug. The controller itself did not require any special connectors, it just connected directly into the controller port, not utilising the USB on the Playstation 2. I was also able to connect my controller extension lead onto the wheel without any degradation of performance. Another good point about the pedals is that the cord is long enough to cater for players with long legs as well.

The wheel behaves nicely on most games, though I did find that you do have to be quite careful when steering as I was having to overcorrect a lot initially. The wheel itself did not seem to allow for extremely precise steering which I would attribute to the rubber band trying to right the wheel. This caused a couple of frustrations at first, but with a steady grip the wheel is a pleasure to use.

The wheel itself is a nice size and has plenty of hand room for all players. I know that this may seem a weird thing to say but I have noticed that some manufacturers have forgotten about us folk with large hands which makes for a very cramped playing experience. The wheel also has rubberised grips, ensuring that you maintain control during even the most exciting race.

Button placement is very easy to reach and the wheel features all the buttons found on a normal controller with the exception of the analogue sticks. I found it very easy to navigate the menus on the game using the wheel's Direction Pad and standard buttons. To look at the wheel is an attractive piece of equipment and nicely designed.

An attractive price point of $99.95 makes this wheel a great addition to your gaming setup for both PSone and PS2. Also at this price, it is possible to afford two for some intense multiplayer action against your mates. Be prepared to encounter a slight awkwardness when steering at first, but with practise you will be able to compensate for that.

- Tory Favro