Ideazon Fang Gamepad Review

The Fang also has some keys located on each side of the gamepad that are situated for use with the thumbs for jump and an additional function of your choice. The buttons are labeled the same on each side for the sake of an ambidextrous design. However, each button on both sides can be mapped to a different game function via the games controls set up application or the ZEngine programming software.

In all the Fang sports 50 keys neatly arranged to allow for one-handed use so you never have to take your hand off the mouse during your game. Ideazon also included basic media controls on the Fang with volume buttons, stop, play/pause, forward, reverse and mute buttons. Dedicated buttons labeled for quick save and quick load are also provided and situated far enough form the action keys that you won't hit them accidentally and close enough so they can be reached without problem.

Ideazon also added a removable wrist rest to the Fang that makes extended gaming sessions more comfortable. Gamers that despise wrist rests can remove it and go au natural. On the back of the Fang are two tabs that drop down to allow you to place the Fang at more of an angle to suit different tastes. Overall, there are 50 keys on the Fang including the media control keys and the "Z" button that launches the ZEngine software. 11 of the keys are arrayed to be used as the quick-change keys for weapons in games like Quake 4 and other FPS shooters. Ideazon also built the Fang to accept up to seven simultaneous keystrokes.

The ZEngine software will be familiar to gamers that have used other Ideazon products. To launch it you can simply press the "Z" key on the Fang or right click the icon in the system tray and it will launch. From within the ZEngine you can choose predefined layouts for over most popular PC games. You can also use the software to create your own layouts for game titles as well. From within the ZEngine you can also update the software to get the latest profiles created by Ideazon for the Fang community.

Ideazon Fang in Use
Once the software was installed I played a couple of my favorite games, Quake 4 and Oblivion. One look at the Fang tells you it was made for FPS titles, and it delivers. The butterfly layout of the WASD keys is very user friendly and allows you to be sure you have your fingers on the all important movement keys without even looking down. The center of the Fang is slightly cupped, placing the remainder of the keys slightly higher than the WASD and QE movement keys. This makes you need to lift your finger slightly to press the other keys. This slight lifting to reach the other keys goes a long way to helping you to avoid unwanted keystrokes during the action. We all know that in a game like Quake 4 you can frag yourself quick if you choose the wrong weapon at the wrong time.

Around the WASD and QE keys are the dedicated keys for score, reload, use, voice and score as well as three other keys you can map to other commands as you wish. The keys mounted on the side of the Fang are easily activated with the thumb and are a great location for the jump function to be bound. There are keys placed in exactly the same spot for gamers of either hand dominance. However, that doesn't mean that the other two keys on your off side go unused. They can be activated with the pinky and are a great location to bind less frequently used commands.

Strangely, Ideazon backlit their "Z" logo on the Fang but opted to not backlight the keys. I lamented the lack of backlighting on the MERC as well. On the Fang they actually already have the backlight in place, translucent keytops would have made gaming in dark rooms or LAN parties much more efficient. The feel of the keys on the Fang is great. They don't click audibly, but they offer great resistance and tactile feedback, leaving no doubt as to whether or not you pressed the key.

The Fang also worked very well for RPG titles like Oblivion. There are enough keys on the Fang that even on RPG games with lots of keystroke commands if you set it up right you can get what you need on the Fang and not have to use the keyboard at all. I found with Oblivion that the jump key on the side performed well in that location. I mapped the other key on the side to the spell cast function.

The Bottom Line
At the end of the day I think that the Fang is by far Ideazon's best gaming product. Again, not because it adds much in the way of new features or controls to their product line, but because with the Fang Ideazon has unbundled their excellent gaming pads from the keyboards that just were not of the same quality as the gaming keys. The Fang allows gamers to have a dedicated and well laid out and arranged gaming weapon, and still choose their best keyboard for their other needs. Of the entire Ideazon products I own, the Fang is likely to be the only one that I continue to use after the review is completed.