Built to conquer your enemy, the Nostromo SpeedPad n52 captures all the advantages of its critically acclaimed predecessor, the n50, and cranks up the juice with advanced options to dominate your game. It puts keyboard and gamepad functionality into one small and easy-to-use device, delivering more tools for customizing your game than ever. Using feedback from hundreds of gamers, our engineers designed the n52's intuitive nature and stylish versatility to give you easy access to your arsenal of deadly maneuvers. So start programming up to 104 functions now-and watch how dangerous you become.
1 BUY IT
K.I.S.S, Both the review and the product. It is easy and effective in usage and setup, works like a dream. I've been considering buying the z board from ideazon, but then I think "why" the n52 is all I need. They got it right this time. Buy it. Oh, I also love Falcon Northwest Computers but they warned me away from this because past products have been shoddy. This is Now, not Then, and this is a great gaming device. Period. ... P.S. I,ve been pc gaming since I was 10, I started with an Atari 400 with a tape (as in tape recorder) drive as its primary input device, WOW Loads could be 1/2 an hour. I've seen a lot of products come and go, and I love this one. guess it shows.
2 N52 a must for FPS and others
By far the best imput device for gaming i have yet to see...ordered it with free shippin for 26$ and received it in 7 days.
Had a little hitch installing the N52 ended up having to install the drivers manually for theloadout manager to see the N52 after that it was a snap creating and editing profiles is very easy.
Still goin to take some time to get used to it,but feels great and every time i use it i feel it becoming part of my hand:)Being able to move it to your lap is a big plus..highly recomended
3 Good for ALL gaming
I read the review above and I have to agree with them, this thing is awesome for gaming in general. I play primarily FPS, but also RTS. I have yet to find a game it isn't worth using in. They keys are a lot better lined up for your fingers than the keys on the keyboard, and with the "shift" capabilites you can have each button do multiple things. I have been a user of the speedpad since the original n50. I love that I can create macro's that will do things I can't do in the game, like the dodge move in original UT.
I also found that since my hands are always in the same place, I can create a template to use and apply that to each new game without having to remember what the keyboard key is for that action. (ex. button 5 is always forward, regardless of the game.)
Just be sure to follow the install instructions as it can get tricky and not work if you don't.
4 Best PC Gaming Device In History
The Belkin Nostromo n52 is by far the most innovative and amazing gaming device I have ever used. I previously owned the n50 (see my review here on Amazon), and bought this updated model to see if it is as amazing as people say. I have subjected this device to numerous tests, used it in a number of programs and games, and found it to be truly the most amazing gaming device ever. This n52 device far surpasses the old n50, adding 4 new finger keys (for a total of 14), two new thumb keys, and a greatly improved 8-direction-D-pad and scroll wheel (which can be clicked). Also, the software is truly amazing, allowing you to fully customize the n52 controls any way you want, and set up to THREE (red, blue, green) other on-the-fly profiles in ADDITION to the "main" one you chose (so a total of 4 total control profiles, all intstantly switchable at any moment by touching the key that you define as the "switch" key). It all sounds complex, but don't be scared, it's a sinch. Plus, the n52 comes out of the box with the basic WASD setup, and typical FPS controls already programmed. So if you are just itching to get in some Battlefield or CS, just plug it in, and start playing, because the defualt n52 controls are identical to your keyboard. But the constimization of this beautiful controller is half the fun. I even set mine up to be able to TYPE! That's right, it has a total of 104 possible programmable keys using the switch buttons you define (which you can set to "temporary or toggle"). After about an hour, just out of curiosity, I was able to type a word document. But playing games, particularly FPS games, is where this device shines far above any other technology on the market. You become seamless with the game, you forget you are even using a controller, your mind doesn't have to think about reaching for the Drop-gun key, or the Flashlight key...your hand just reacts perfectly in the cradle of the n52. My only complaints are that, as other people have stated, the two new thumb keys are stiff, and a little distant. But I was creative and just made one my "flashlight" key and one my "drop-weapon" key...because I use the the D-pad directions to jump and perform other critical, common actions. But the point it, MESS WITH IT, it's meant to be customizable...if you don't like something on it then you become the controller programmer and make it the way that you need it. I recommend for better control to just massage out the stiffness of some of the keys, and make it truly fluid. It only takes about 5 minutes, and I got mine so fluid it doesn't even make a sound when hitting a key.
All-and-all, I have really one thing to say...BUY THE N52! This device should come standard with computers or computer games, you'll see what I mean when you use it yourself. You will NEVER use a keyboard again after you buy this. IT goes far above and beyond anything on the market, and will give you the extra edge you are looking for to compete in the online battlegrounds of CS, Battlefield, or any other game.
I would also recommend the Logitech MX500 or MX510 series of corded mice with this gamepad. And if you have an extra penny, check out the Adesso Viper Mouse, or the BFG Boomslang 2100 Mouse here on Amazon.
Overall, the n52 Speedpad is easily the greatest gaming device ever invented, even compared to its earlier brother the n50, this gamepad blows away all other competition. Buy it, love it, and never look back. Sincerely -Logan
5 Must have!
This is an absolute must for serious gamers. I've been gaming for many years and I've never seen such a useful product for so cheap. It takes about a month to condition your hand and reflexes but once you do you will never go back. It's not perfect, the thumb button is a bit stiff, but the hardware and software are still well above par and I can't play without mine anymore. I can't wait for the upgrade.
6 Fantastic device!
I've never used a previous belkin game product before, although I'm a longtime fan and user of their KVM switches such as the Omnicube. I decided to give the Nostromo N52 a shot, considering Amazon had it on sale for considerably less than my local retailers. My main reason for buying the N52 was to consolidate keys for my FPS gaming into a single comfortable interface. I'm notoriously BAD at most deathmatch games, and I was prepared to do just about anything to improve my game.
My impression of the N52:
~~The 14 main keys are arranged perfectly. the center button is marked for ease of location without looking, and I have no trouble reaching the others quicky and easily (unlike on the keyboard)
--My keys weren't too stiff as other reviewers have claimed. The main buttons are a little stiffer than my membrane keyboard, which I hope to be a sign of higher quality. The orange thumb button does require a little effort to push, but not to the extent of my entire pad shifting to the side.
~~The D-Pad is placed well and isn't stiff either. I do find it more cumbersome for movement, however, and stick to the main keys for that. The pad is perfect to remap keys to, such as jump and alt fire as another reviewer already mentioned for UT2004.
~~The bottom thumb button 15 is not placed well. This is the single button I am not happy with, as it is in an odd possition for my hand to move without feeling a little tension in my thumb. Considering I can map the D-pad for what I would have used this button for (jumping), I'm not upset over it.
~~The adjustable handrest is a godsend. :) I am an adult with large hands, and found the original position of the handrest to be uncomfortable. The scrollwheel was completely out of my range of motion without moving my hand off the home keys. My fingers in their rest position were a full rank of keys too high. The bottom mounted button 15 was completely impossible to reach. However once I realized the black handrest "pops up" and there was a second set of holes a half inch back, I was in heaven. The new position is perfect for me.
~~The mousewheel is stiff and in an awkward postion, even after moving my handrest back. I can access it, but with a looser, more responsive, easier to reach wheel on my logitech mx510 mouse, I'll not use the N52's wheel.
~~The software provided is easy to use and configure. It's powerful and does exactly what we need in mapping the keys to suit my needs.
I've tried out this pad extensively in UT2004 and my goal was achieved: my game improved tremendously. I lost a lot of matches fumbling for keys previously. :P
I also found the pad to be fantastic for navigating virtual environments. I've used it the past two days in The Sims 2 while creating in-game machinima movies. The pad makes navigating in cameraman mode much easier and intuitive.
This is a great device. For hardcore gamers or casual gamers alike, I recomend this highly. I also think Sims 2 movie makers should give this a look. :)
7 Disappointed
The idea for the product is great, but quality is disappointing. Here's a list...
1. Probably already mentioned, but the orange thumb button is too stiff and not sensitive enough.
2. The thumb d-pad is maybe too sensitive. You cannot press a diagonal without triggering one of the main directions. (If you have the product, see for yourself by testing it in the profile editor.) And make the whole d-pad a little smaller for better control. That's just my personal preference as I like to use the tip of my thumb compared to the palm.
3. The placement of the wheel mouse makes it very hard to access. You have to reach too far in which usually takes your fingers out of position. It would have been better to just put another key there and somehow put the wheel mouse in the position where the orange button is now for the thumb to control.
3. On the subject of the wheel mouse, it is very flaky. On the first unit I bought, the wheel did not work at all and I exchanged it for another one across town. The second "worked" but it seemed to scroll both up and down at the same time, whether I was scrolling up, down or pressing the wheel straight down. After a little bit, it too died. I thought it might have been the drivers and reinstalled with the same result. The first unit, I assumed was a defective unit, but after the second it seems the product is just not very well made and/or tested. I expected more from Belkin. Maybe it's just a bad batch?
4. The thumb button which is mapped to the space key by default seems to be a little low and awkward to get to. That being said, I don't know if they can raise it much higher without interfering with the d-pad. If a better position cannot be found, I'd rather leave it where it is than remove it.
All in all, if you just want mappable keys with a d-pad, this product works well. However, the defective/flaky wheel and the two thumb buttons (which are basically useless) are the reasons for the low score.
I hope the next model will address these issues or maybe another company may offer something better in the future. Until then, dispite my disappointments, I'm still going to keep my unit.
8 Fabulous for just about anything - works GREAT on a Mac!
I spend a lot of time on my computer, for games as well as more serious pursuits. The n52 has been a surprisingly valuable and wonderful peripheral.
Though the n52 does not include Mac drivers or software in the box, these were easily downloaded from the Belkin web site, and they work great. Within a matter of minutes, I had the Nostromo set up for shortcuts in my major apps - Safari, Photoshop, etc. I use it a lot when web browsing, using the "cursor" keys to navigate through pages and browsing history, the directional pad for horizontal/vertical scrolling in a page, and a couple of other keys for cycling through tabs.
For gaming, the n52 has also proven to be handy. It didn't take long for me to get it set up the way I like for Unreal Tournament 2004. I have cursor keys set to movement, various other keys set for my favorite weapons, and the directional pad set to jump or toggle the secondary fire mode. After a few hours of playing, I got to the point where I was actually playing BETTER using the Nostromo - probably because everything is all in one place, and it just "feels" like I have a more direct connection to the game.
Anyway, the long and the short of it is this: the Nostromo n52 is incredibly useful whether you play games or not. I use it for gaming and for getting Real Work(tm) done, and it's proven its worth in both areas. I've generally had bad experiences with Belkin hardware, especially on the Mac - but the Nostromo is a definite exception. The drivers and configuration software are first rate, and I'm extremely happy with the whole package. Highly recommended!
9 Great device
This is a great little gaming device. The macros and it's application are terrific. Definately a worthwhile investment if you're a fps gamer.
My only complaints are these:
The thumb-button that is supposed to represent the spacebar is too far away from the keys. You have to really stretch your hand to reach it.
Like everyone else has said, the orange button above the thumb-pad takes too much force to press. It's virtually useless unless you can get it to soften up some.
Other than that, I love this little thing. I wondered whether or not I would when I was playing my first few games, but now i am sure i made a good investment.
10 Not For Rights
This Is very Bad Get A Joystick Or Stay With the Keyboard, And if you are a righty this is not for You, the only good thing is It Can Be Good For RTS Games Like: Empires Dawn Of The Modern World And I have A Life This Is SO BAD I AM Making A review + it got lead in it SOoooooooo
11 A must for the serious FPS Gamer
This device provides a good combination of ergonomics and functionality. It is certainly more comfortable than a standard QWERTY board.
I have only two complaints. The big red thumb button requires too much force to push. To get it to work will almost always force the entire pad to slide to the left if not countered by holding down the unit firmly. Because of this, I would only find this button useful when pressing other keys at the same time is not needed. The other problem is the thumb switch, which mimics the placement of the "space" bar on a QWERTY board. This key is much farther from the other keys than it needs to be and also is a bit "finicky" in how it responds.
In conclusion, the Nostromo is well worth the money for anyone who spends considerable time with a FPS. I have only been using it for a few hours now and already I have seen improvement in my game and less fatigue on my "keyboard hand".
12 Great controller - once you learn how to move the handrest!
The reviews on here and elsewhere mention that you should give the handrest a "good yank" to adjust it. Well, I yanked and yanked, and it didn't budge... until I finally figured out that it doesn't slide back and forth! It lifts upward, off the unit! Lift it up to remove it. Then, you'll see two sets of holes - a set closer in to the keys and a set farther away from the keys. So, the hand rest has two settings. And, you can just keep it removed if you don't like it.
I figured that if I can have this much problem trying to slide the hand rest out instead of lifting it up, then others might be having the problem too. Instructions are nowhere to be found on here, on the Belkin Web site, or in the boxed instructions.
Unlike the other reviews, the keys on my unit are quite flexible... the stiffness is very minor. The unit is quite responsive. Plus, it seems to be very solidly built. The rubberized pad on the underside of the unit keeps it from sliding around too much on my desk.
Being a tech, I tend to dislike using the software that comes with most hardware - printers, mice, etc. But after installing the Nostromo software, I found it to be pretty cool (looks like it takes up about a 4MB footprint). It's easy to use - plus, once you've got the keys mapped out for a game, you can set it up for automatic mode, so that each time that particular game is launched, that key map profile is automatically loaded dynamically. No manual switching of profiles is required!
13 THIS THING I¤ GREAT!!!
I like this thing 3 days ago. The first day i found the Bottom row of keys kinda offset. Today im all fine with it in exception with one thing. Playing Halo, Call of Duty, and MOH Breakthrough i found the thumbar very alkward to get to. Its like trying to play say, Call of Duty and you have to reach to the far end of the spacebar to jump/stand up. So i had to adapt to this, i had to turn the thumbbar into the orange button above the d-pad, but that is still not as easy to operate as the spacebar. In my conclusion after the first 3 days you cant have as much finese without practice (ill eventually have it in another week) [My cod username is Msiv48]
14 Give that hand rest a good solid yank and all is well.
Yes, this is a review of the N52.
I bought the N50 a few years ago when it first came out and it was and still is great, but it had some things that should have been changed. The D-Pad was awkward, if not useless as a directional controller (though it worked fine as crouch/jump/whatever). The "throttle" was not usable in most video games (joysticks for flight sims have throttle). Each color mode had to have a key dedicated to it (couldn't use one key to swap configurations). It could have also used a few more keys.
However, Belkin seems to have listened to gamer peeves that were posted on gamer sites all over the web and fixed the things listed above. Wow, a company listenning to customers? What a concept!
The N52 now has a more functional D-Pad (though I still prefer the main keys) and two thumb buttons. Four more main keys have been added in a row below the original main keys. The throttle has been replaced with a scroll wheel (which can be programmed to any keys or actions you want). You can now use a single key to change configurations on the fly (yay).
My only complaint with the N52 is that the keys need a good deal of "massaging" before they lose their sticky stiffness. Also, the hand rest comes stuck pretty good to the unit (in a very uncomfortable position for normal/large hands), though a good solid yank up will free the stuck pegs, allowing you to move it to the second set of holes.
After abusing it for a week and setting the hand rest further back, the N52 becomes my pick for best FPS/RTS accessory on the market.
15 So you can adjust the wrist rest.
Ok, so I was sitting here with mine wondering um how can i take this thingy off... Looking at the picture on this site put your fingers in the hole in the middle. Put your other hand at the SOUTH
or bottom end. lift at the same time. So much better for me in the second position. Good Luck!
16 Great, but some concerns
I just bought one of these. It's a great thing, especially since there doesn't seem that there's much else on the market to compete with it.
Pluses are that it's stable and easy to program. It also is great for strategy games.
Minuses are if you have a small hand, you'll find it difficult to operate all of the buttons, especially when doing combinations.
Another thing I haven't been able to accomplish, is when I program one of the multi-button functions, the game pad automaticaly attempts to perform the action programmed for that button in normal mode, AFTER I press my button combinations in multi-mode. If anyone has figured out how to fix that, let me know.
17 even better than the n50
i live by this thing. i've had an n50 for about 1.5 years at this point, and decided to upgrade after the d-pad got a bit too loose and unresponsive for my tastes.
the n52 is a great upgrade.
the front area, where you put the pad of your hand, is smoother and larger, which really makes it easier to lay into. the bottom is larger and heavier, which keeps it from moving about (a bit of a problem with the n50).
it comes pre-programmed with the usual awsd config on the keyboard portion and the dpad ready to use, which is how i prefer to use this controller (the dpad is a handy area for things like 'reload' and 'crouch', but is next to useless for movement). the additional buttons are also well placed and easy to use.
if you're looking at either one, you owe it to yourself to get the n52. it'll take your shooter performance to the next level.
18 The best just got better
I have been using N50 for six months now, very please with the outcome of my purchase ($20 good buy), but when I heard that Belkin was releasing a new version (n52), I just had to have it. So I bought it having great expectations, and my first impresion wasnt that good, I didnt feel it that confortable, but that was because I was thinking of it as the N50, but after two weeks of using it, I love this thing, it does everything that the N50 does but with a lot more options, I use it mostly for 1st person shooters, and it works great, but I aslo think that this is intened for people that use the arrows, and for people that can manage with 20 keys, for me is more than enough, my fragging % is a lot better, but at first it was a lot worse, but is like all in life, it takes time getting use to it, but once you get a hang of it, you will love it. I defently recomend it.
19 I was wrong - Plenty responsive for Shooters
I have to retract my comment about the buttons not being sensitive enough for shooters. I tested the Belkin n52 much more extensively in several shooters and it seemed very responsive. My "lack of responsiveness" comments were based almost 100% on DAOC - which apparently has a flat out unresponsive client that drops / ignores / loses some keystrokes.
20 Great for MMOs and RTS games; maybe not for shooters?
[ EDIT: I revised this review 12-17-03. See below for additions. ]
The Belkin n52 is the successor to the n50 Speedpad. Like the n50, the n52 is a mixed bag of plusses and minuses. Belkin has marketed the n52 as the n50 "remodeled by gamer feedback," with added buttons and functionality. They've also said that it'll give you "Faster and More Intuitive Frags!" or some other market-eze. I had wanted the original n50 for quite a while to help me out when playing MMOs and RPGs (AO, DAOC, NWN) and shooters (NOLF, Deus Ex). When I finally decided to buy one, I heard that Belkin was shortly releasing the improved n52. So I grabbed one, and here's the scoop.
Installing this thing was a snap, and using the profile software is also amazingly easy. In only a few minutes of use I was making my own custom profiles. Macros are easy to write. The profile software has a few bugs in it, which I won't get into here. Hopefully Belkin will fix this stuff in the next few weeks. The bugs I describe are really just inconvenient - they won't stop you from using the product.
Construction is a mixed bag on the n52. In it's favor, the n52 generally feels sturdy as hell and doesn't move a bit during heavy play. Despite this it's a compact little thing - I have a cramped desk and I managed to easily fit the n52 between my keyboard and the edge of the desk. I have big hands and the unit fits comfortably under my palm with my fingers resting on the buttons. The hand rest fits right into the curve of my palm and makes the whole thing feel very ergonomic and natural. The hand rest is supposed to be adjustable but I think some n00b at the factory glued mine down, because I can't make it move the slightest bit.
More strong points: Belkin expanded the n50 quite a bit by adding new buttons. The n52 has a total of six new buttons: four new keyboard-type buttons were added in a row under the original ten; a big orange button was added over the directional pad; and a "thumb bar" was added on a little extension that sticks out from the unit on the right side. The original n50 speedpad had a throttle wheel that a lot of people described as useless; this has been replaced with a very useful mouse wheel. In addition, Belkin has apparently heard gamer feedback that the directional pad on the n50 was junky and inaccurate; the n52 features a big, sturdy, and seemingly very accurate directional pad that I really like using.
But the drawbacks: Unlike the regular keyboard buttons you're used to, the action on all the buttons is a little stiff. I don't know if this is intentional design or what - maybe they were thinking that the control will get heavy wear, so some extra stickiness is actually good? The keyboard-style hotkeys are kind of sticky when I press them, and sometimes I have to press twice to get the button to register the keystroke. To push the new orange button by the directional pad, I have to grip the front of the controller with my fingers for leverage. Finally, the "thumb bar" also takes a bit of pressure to activate, and has sometimes not fired unless I push it very deliberately in the "right way."
Likewise the mouse wheel has a funny, cheap feel to it. Clicking the mouseclick action on the wheel is a little harder to do that I'd prefer, and the wheel itself rotates too easily and doesn't lock firmly into place like a normal mouse wheel does.
The stickiness of the buttons leaves me thinking that I won't be using it in shooter type games - I can't be pushing a key over and over in shooter games that require instant reactions. If the buttons loosen up a little over time, perhaps I'll change my mind.
Still, I'm very happy with the n52 despite the flaws I've described. Using it in AO, DAOC and NWN, the thing is nothing short of miraculous. Having all of your crucial commands literally "at your fingertips" without any fumbling, reaching, or looking at the keyboard is a very, very nice thing. Hitting a button and having a macro run a series of keystrokes, saving a lot of time and distraction, is also a godsend. My impression is that it would be great in any RPG / MMORPGs and RTS type games - ones that don't require much sensitivity and reactivity, and benefit a lot from short macros due to their complex command systems. After only using it for a few days, I can't imagine playing without it.
[ EDIT 12-17-03: This thing has been plenty responsive for shooters. I've bumped my rating up to 5 stars. Although sticky, the buttons work great, and my sense is that Belkin was trying to build this thing as tough as a brick - and they succeeded. A month and a half after buying it I cannot imagine playing ANY game without it. It's a truly phenomenal product. ]
