Tilt Pak
Score: 80% Developer: Pelican Device Type: Miscellaneous
Function: The Pelican Tilt Pak works as a Rumble Pak and a Motion-Sensing Pak. It consists of two parts, a normal ?Pak-type? part which fits into your N64 controller, and a small ?dongle? which plugs into the controller port, and has a port in it for your N64 controller to be plugged into. The Pelican Tilt Pak has a sliding switch which alternates between different levels of Rumble: off, low or high. It also has a Turbo button which can be used to set a turbo feature on any button, and a Set button. The Tilt Pak is seen by the N64 as a Rumble Pak, and works very well as such. There is, however, no memory feature built in, so you will need to switch out when saving your games.
Performance: The Pelican Tilt Pak acts quite well as a Rumble Pak, providing force feedback as good or better than others I?ve tested. However, the Rumble feature isn?t the main attraction here. The tilt feature is very nicely handled in this N64 controller. The Pelican Tilt Pak offers the ability to set the sensitivity levels, the ?dead zone,? the center position, up/down reversal, and many other settings that allow you to customize the tilt action to fit both your personal preferences, and the game?s demands. Some games require tighter handling than others, and with this controller, you can tweak the settings till it works just right. This is handled nicely in and of itself. You change these settings by hitting the ?Set? button, and then hitting certain key combinations to increase or decrease these settings. This works very well. The only complaint is that you can?t SEE what the levels are, so you have to judge strictly by feel and response. The Pak itself fits into the N64 in the old familiar way. The ?dongle,? however, is a new spin on things, although its also a breeze to install. Simply plug the dongle into the controller port you wish to use, and then plug the controller into the dongle. Now turn on your N64. That?s it. (PLEASE NOTE: You should never plug anything into or remove anything from your N64 while it is on.)
Features: Uses ?Tilt? Motion to Control Game Action Has Rumble Feature For All Games with Rumbler Option Works Great with Racing Games Settings are Highly Customizable 2 AAA Batteries Required
Drawbacks & Problems:: First, batteries. I hate to see a piece of hardware require batteries. I admit that it?s sometimes a necessary evil, but it means that the device has a recurring cost of operation. Okay, beyond the battery requirement, the device works very well at what it does, but takes some getting used to. Tilting the controller to play a game can feel ?just right,? but only after you?ve done it for a while. And that?s if you set the settings just right. It is one of those things that takes some getting used to, but is well worth it once you take the time. Those with little patience may disagree, however. Finally, only a wish. I wish they had stuck a memory feature in the device, so that I wouldn?t have to switch to a memory card to save my games. Also, if they could have allowed the Tilt Pak to save its OWN files for setup for different games onto an internal memory slot, that would have been cool as well. Maybe Pelican will make a Tilt Pak 2 with these extra features. In the meantime, the Tilt Pak is a load of fun if you take the time to get to know it.
-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins
Extension Cord Thunder Pak