A Custom Made Racing
Stand. Built By Hand, Out Of Wood, To Be Sturdy As Well As Light Weight.
Steering Wheels. Peripheral manufacturers love to make them and
gamers love to buy them. But no one likes to use them. That’s because using a
steering wheel is usually an awkward, uncomfortable experience. If you have ever
sat in a chair — or worse yet, sat on the floor — and tried to play with a
steering wheel in your lap, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Every time
you make a sharp turn, the wheel is pulled from your lap. Your legs were not
created to hold a steering wheel in place while you explore Crazy Taxi’s
enormous city. And even if they were, what fun would it be to have a wheel so
close to your chest? Your arms are supposed to stretch out to reach the wheel,
not bend in a position so cramped that it makes the Dreamcast controller seem
comfortable.
The whole process is so frustrating that I gave up almost
immediately after taking the wheels out of their boxes. I have three steering
wheels for the PlayStation 2 and I never use them! Getting a new desk will not
help solve my problem. For one, I don’t have enough space in my game room, and
the desk I have in there cannot be moved. I tried one of the steering wheels
with an old metal table, but that didn’t work either. The table was very wobbly
and took up way too much space. Don’t even bother asking me about a stool —
it’s a lost cause as well.
But what if there was a way to enjoy all of your racing games
and steering wheels with an arcade-like setup? Finally, there is a way to do
just that with the Wheel Station 2.
The Wheel Station 2 is a custom designed wood stand for game
console steering wheels. The top of the WS2 is slightly angled, alleviating one
of the problems I had with the table. By being angled, the steering wheel can be
easily placed in a straight position, making it a lot more comfortable to use.
For some reason, peripheral manufacturers feel the need to angle their steering
wheels. When is the last time you’ve used an angled wheel at an arcade? All of
them, except for 18 Wheeler Pro Trucker’s large, over-sized wheel, are straight.
The base of the Wheel Station 2 is large and very solid. A small
square has been cut out to hold the GT Force’s pedal base (hence the "custom
designed" part). However, any steering wheel that clamps will work with the WS2.
The pedal base holder is great, especially for gamers who jerk their feet around
a lot while racing. But I had no trouble using smaller or larger pedals with it.
I tested Saitek’s RX400 steering wheel and it worked like a charm. The pedals
never slid or moved around. It wasn’t an exact fit, but then again, Zidane and
Garnet weren’t an exact fit either. She was a beautiful princess, while he was
just a freakish-looking guy with a tail! Yet they still worked perfectly
together.
The Wheel Station 2 is so good, you’ll wish you had two! That
way, you and your friend could experience Gran Turismo 3 the way it was meant to
be experienced. Once you’ve tried the WS2, using a Dual-Shock 2 controller just
won’t cut it anymore. Cyber Cafés should hook up a few Wheel Stations, set up
four TVs and charge people to play Gran Turismo 3. Then, even if the latte
sucked, no one would want to leave.
I have used more peripherals this year than I can count, and
none of them have been as cool or as useful as the Wheel Station 2. I can’t
figure out why someone didn’t come up with this brilliant idea sooner! Kyle
Goodknight is the man behind this terrific invention, and you can purchase the
Wheel Station 2 at his Web site:
http://www.capitoldiecast.com/gtforce.html
If you love racing game, you absolutely must buy the Wheel
Station 2. I highly recommend it.
