Controls

Dual Shock Controls

As a PC gamer, I was skeptical of the Playstation 2's controls going into this article. Of course, I'd adapted to the N64 controller (which many feel was the most awkward controller of all time) for Goldeneye so I wanted to give the Dual Shock 2 on the PS2 a try.

Coincidentally, for Unreal Tournament, I learned the Dual Shock 2 controller the same way I learned the N64 controller -- during multiplayer deathmatch. Unlike the N64, I was able to feel comfortable with the controls after about 10 minutes.

Initially it was a bit awkward using the pad to control vertical movement, but once I became comfortable with it, control was a snap. While I wasn't racking up the frags like I'd like to with the Dual Shock 2 controller, I don't think it should intimidate any console gamer (or PC player for that matter) from trying the game. Quite simply, it works, and it works well.

See?	Pretty lights

PC Controls

After giving the Dual Shock 2 controller a try, I decided to hook up my keyboard and mouse. With the Playstation 2's two USB ports, these input devices can be installed easily, just plug them in and you're all set!

However, I did run into one issue with my old Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite. The USB adapter that's bundled with the keyboard wasn't recognized by the PS2. Once I installed my Natural Keyboard Pro (the newer natural keyboard with hot keys) the PS2 detected my keyboard just fine. While the Natural Keyboard Elite uses an adapter for its USB functionality, the Natural Keyboard Pro offers native support for USB, with both USB and PS/2 adapters available on the cable.

In addition, the Natural Keyboard Pro offers a built-in 2-port USB hub on the back of the keyboard. I was able to hook my USB mouse up to the PS2 via this adapter without any problems, saving the second USB port for another player with a similar setup. (Or you can hook the mouse straight in to the PS2 without any problems)

Just like the PC version of the game, keys can be mapped to any function you wish. For some reason, I wasn't able to map controls to both the number and function keys on the top of keyboard, but the keys on the numeric keypad worked fine. I'm not certain if this is a quirk with the Microsoft keyboard, or all USB keyboards, as my Natural Keyboard Pro was the only USB keyboard available for testing.

In any case, it's refreshing to know that the PS2 offers built-in support for all USB keyboards (unlike the Sega Dreamcast which requires its own proprietary input devices).

Back to defense

Hurts for him