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Nyko Air Flo EX Gamepad Review |
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Written by Don Lee
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Monday, 11 December 2006 |
 Nyko Air Flo EX is a great gamepad for PC gaming but it's even more valuable for emulation gaming. If you are looking for an alternative gaming device, you need to take a look at this gamepad. With Nyko’s Air
Flo EX with the built in fan, you will not only have the comfort, but
also a sturdy controller that can handle the daily abuse from the
hardcore gamers.
True Plug and Play
If you’re like me and just want to play your PC/Mac games with a console styled controller without any major hassles, then the Nyko Air Flo EX PC/Mac game controller is for you. After removing the controller from the packaging and installing the Nyko Gamepad Mapping Configuration program from the CD, I was ready for action.
One of the recommended games is Electronic Arts’ MVP Baseball 2004, which is a great choice because I’m a very big fan of sports games and it’s the type of genre that was designed for these types of game controllers. After installing EA’s MVP Baseball 2004, you are given the controller options in the game where you are given the choice of a keyboard to configure. This is where you need to remember what the game’s controls are set to because you’re going to need these settings to configure the Air Flo EX. For example, the batter’s swing is configured to the spacebar. Now to get the Air Flo’s button 1 to work as the swing, you then need to launch the Nyko Gamepad Configuration Mapping application that can be installed from the CD (included in package).
From the Nyko Gamepad Configuration Mapping program, you can now press on button 1 in the program and select spacebar from the pulldown menu of keystrokes that you’re presented. If you then return to the game, you will notice that the swing and any other game action attributed to the spacebar is now being operated via the Air Flo button one. After you’ve configured all of your buttons, you can now save the configuration profile in the Gamepad Configuration Mapping program so you won’t have to reconfigure it the next time you play. This is an great feature that will save you hours in configuration time that you can spend playing.
Now that may have sounded a little complicated but it’s really not. In a matter of minutes, I had the Nyko Air Flo EX completely configured to MVP Baseball 2004 and I was ready to test it.
With 11 buttons and two joysticks (can also be programmed as 2 additional buttons) available, there were plenty of combinations that I could’ve chosen to play the game the way I wanted. Making sure that MVP Baseball 2004 was configured in a way to suit me, I found the game to be even more enjoyable with the gamepad. Using the directional pad to control the player movements, buttons 1-8 to control the action and the analog joysticks to control the pitching and swinging, the game played exactly the way I envisioned. Although there are three small buttons right beneath the fan switch, I left those for the extra game options such as pausing, new game, timeout, etc. By having the configuration of the controller saved, I can now switch the configuration to another game just by choosing a different profile from within the Configuration Mapping program. Excellent design of the configration program. Simple yet elegant.
One of the great additions to the Nyko Air Flo EX is the built in fans which has a speed switch at the center of the controller that the user can choose from off, low and high. The fan is mounted in the center of the controller and you can see it from the bottom. The rubber grips on the inside and outside portion of the handles are vented to allow the cool air to blow to your hands so you can concentrate on the action and not lose control.
The Final Word
I was very impressed with the Nyko Air Flo EX controller. After playing a few games via my Nyko Air Flo EX controller, my hands didn’t suffer any issues from the design or grips. I have medium-sized hands and the controller fit comfortably without having to stretch for any of the buttons. The configuration software really makes this gamepad shine because it takes the hassle of setting your game up. From a click of a button, you can choose what you want mapped to the gamepad then all you have to do is play your game.
The only issue I had with the gamepad is the amount of noise created by the built in fans. While I found the fans to be useful is keeping your hands cool during stressful points in the game, I found the high speed setting to be extremely loud even in comparision to the medium speed setting. I could still hear the fan whizzing along even being as far as 25 feet from the controller. The good thing is that you are provided the option to turn the fan off during use. Unless you're playing something like Half-Life 2 or you don't suffer from any perspiration to hinder your playing ability, you're probably not going to be using the built in fan that often.
 Nyko has done a great job building a very solid gamepad. Configuration is extremely simple and intuitive and even those of us who just want to get into the game ASAP, you should still be able to configure your Nyko Air Flo EX gamepad quick and easy. Very impressive.
System Requirements
Windows: 2000 or XP with minimum required RAM for these windows operating systems. An available USB port.
Macintosh: OS 10.2 or higher with minimum RAM for these MAC operating systems. An available USB port.
You can click HERE to purchase the Nyko Air Flo EX gamepad.
About Nyko Air Flo Controller
Nyko manufactures controllers for multiple platforms. Input devices are available for game consoles, Mac and PC. You can learn more about Nyko’s products from their official website located at http://www.nyko.com
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