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   ACT LABS FORCE FEEDBACK RACING WHEEL                         
                                        
 INFORMATION                                                     
Manufactured by Act Labs                                        
Hardware: Force Feedback Racing Wheel
Reviewed by: Salman                      Siddiqui                                                                                                             


INTRODUCTION
It's been a few years now. All kinds of racing wheels have been released, some good, some bad and some ugly but by now most racing wheel manufactures have realized what the racing enthusiast want in a racing wheel. So, now that most manufactures have an idea of what the racing enthusiasts want in a racing wheel, they have moved into the next thing. In this case that thing is force feedback. Act Labs Force Feedback wheel definitely has a lot to offer and there are not any major problems, which take away from the experience of using the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel.

INSTALLATION
The Installation of the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is a breeze. The manual provides a nice description of how to install the wheel. If you already know much about computer hardware then the installation should take you no longer than five minutes. Act Labs also provides you their drivers that posed no problems in the installation process.
Score- 98

DESIGN
 The Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is designed pretty well. There are eight buttons on the steering that can be programmed to use in a variety of ways depending on the game. Three other buttons are placed on the front base, which are just for show and do not seem to have a function. For shifting gears there are two small rods on the right and the left that shift up and down accordingly. The two rods that act as shifters are connected in between the steering and the base. Shifting with the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel takes some getting used as for me it got quite annoying. What I mean by annoying is the constant clicking noise as you shift up and down. The steering its self is made out of a leather type material that is very comfortable and absorbs the sweat if you play a game too long. Another positive is that the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel easily clamps down and it's sturdy. I have seen a few wheels that have had horrible clamping mechanisms that make playing games on them very difficult. Lastly, the overall design is very good, however, I think that the base is too big and it takes up a lot of room in comparison to other racing wheel on the market.  
Score- 90

HOW IT PLAYS
My goodness! The Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is fun to play with. I played several games such as Midtown Madness, Need for Speed III and Monaco Grand Prix Racing Simulation 2. The Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is simply a blast to play with. Controlling your vehicle is very easy for the most part, particularly if you are used to playing with racing wheels. The force feedback is awesome. At the highest force feedback setting, I can say it feels like driving my friends old 1981 CJ -7 Jeep across the sand dunes of Arizona. A lot of skeptics often say it's impossible to capture such force feedback effects, well I disagree. I had to hold on to that steering for dear life!
Score- 95

VALUE
I know you can't get a better price for a force feedback-racing wheel. For $140 the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is more than a bargain, it's a steal. The Act Labs Force Feedback Wheel flat out offers the best bang for your buck!
Score- 98


OVERALL
A few problems here and there, but nothing really detracts too much from the fact that the Act Labs Force Feedback Racing Wheel is an excellent piece of hardware. Add to that a relatively cheap price and you got yourself an outstanding force feedback wheel!

 

 

  Score -  95%

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System Requirements:
Required:
Win.95/98
Intel 166mhz

32MB RAM

Recommended:
Intel 200mhz
32MB RAM
3D Accelerator

Cons:

-Incomplete                               
- Horrible AI
- Bad audio
- Limited gameplay

 

 

Pros:
 
-  Great graphics

 

   

Coolinfo Bottom Line:
- Out of the box CWC 99 is not worth the money. The patches might help, a little.