Fierce 3500 Wireless Gaming Mouse

Fierce 3500 Wireless Gaming Mouse
	Score: 90% Developer: Rude Gameware Device Type: Controller

Function:

The Fierce 3500 Wireless Gaming Mouse is pretty much exactly what I was asking for when I ended my review of Rude Gameware's previous mouse, the Fierce 5000 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse v.2. While the 3500 doesn't have the higher resolution the other mouse did, this one has a much better feel outside of games and seems to fit a more utilitarian purpose.

For the most part, the Fierce 3500 looks and feels like its 5000 brother. It contains a pair of buttons just above your thumb, as well as another pair on the left edge of your pointer finger. It is still designed primarily for right-handed users given this button placement, and the mouse feels just as comfortable and slides around a desktop just as smoothly as the other version, if not more smoothly.

The 3500 is also wireless where the 5000 version had a lengthy tangle-proof cord connecting it to the computer. In that older review, I mentioned that I thought a wireless mouse could be a danger in intense gaming sessions and keeping to a corded one can reduce the number of issues that might arise. As a more middle-of-the-road mouse though, making the 3500 wireless is a viable option and is sure to appeal to a wider variety of users.

Another difference between this model and the higher-end version is the fact that the 3500 doesn't contain a compartment that lets you add weights to your mouse in order to find a better balanced feel. Again, this seems like a good choice to take out when making a device that can be used for more than just high-end gaming.

Performance:

For the most part, the Fierce 3500 Wireless Gaming Mouse feels just as good as the Fierce 5000 DPI variety. Obviously, it doesn't have as high a resolution, but even in my earlier review, I said I couldn't tell much of a difference between the Fierce 5000 and my normal Logitech MK700. It could be that my mousing-pallet isn't as refined as it needs to be in order to truly appreciate the higher resolutions of these gaming mouses [sic], but for me at least, the 3500 definitely gets the job done.

The buttons on the gaming mouse are responsive and while there have been others released with more programmable buttons than this one, the placement of these makes for really quick and easy to use macros to make your gaming sessions easier. Like with the 5000, I gave this mouse a try in both Transformers: War for Cybertron and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Using the same configurations I had put together before, I found that this version of the Fierce Gaming Mouse behaves just as well as the 5000. It really feels like most of the core functionality of this lower-end version is still there from the more hardcore model, but with a few tweaks to make it more manageable on a day-to-day use rather than just gaming.

One of my major complaints about the Fierce 5000 was its configuration software. Well, it seems like even that has seen a bit of refinement. The older version of the software contained a Main Control screen and an Advance Settings. Besides letting you map commands to the different buttons, the Main Control screen also lets you control various sensitivity settings (the CPI values) on the mouse. At the time, I expressed how unintuitive this was and the fact that there wasn't really any kind of guide as to what these settings meant or did. Meanwhile, the Advanced Settings contained options like Double Click Speed, Scroll Wheel Speed and Polling Rate which feel more like basic setup options rather than advanced.

Well, the various CPI settings have been removed and replaced with a DPI switching panel. Here you set three bars whose values range from 250 and 3500, and the mouse will switch between the different setting levels for you. Another big plus is in the drop down lists that contain your various button options. Before, you had to record a macro just to make single-key commands or even basic multi-key commands. Now there is an option that lets you type in the key combinations you want. This means setting up a game to replace oddly placed keys or keys that you want to hit regularly is much easier. There are even a few new options added to the list like tilt commands and commands for pulling up applications like Internet Explorer, Word, Excel and Power Point, all of which shows that this newer mouse is much more geared towards the average user, not just those that want to use the mouse for gaming only.

Features:

3500 DPI Engine
2.4 GHz Wireless with Nano Receiver
Ultra-Fast Polling and Response Time
Onboard Memory to Save Your Modifications
8 Independently Programmable Buttons and Macro Support
Zero-Acoustic Ultra-smooth Teflon Feet
Low Power Architecture
On-the-Fly Sensitivity DPI Adjustment (No Driver Needed)
LED DPI Indicator
Smart Surface Analyzer
Included Customization Software

Drawbacks & Problems::

I have to say, it looks like most of the issues I had with the Fierce 5000 have been resolved with the Fierce 3500 Wireless Gaming Mouse. Everything from how the mouse behaves outside of gaming, to the software used to configure it, makes this a much more well-rounded mouse. I really don't have any problems with this as a mouse to replace my MK700; in fact, it most likely will replace it.

That being said, it is a toned-down version of the 5000 DPI model, so those high-end PC gamers out there who are looking for the highly customizable features of the other mouse won't necessarily want to pick up the 3500. I can't argue with the fact that the 5000 gave me more control and, even though it took me a good bit of work to get a handle on its sensitivity settings, once I did, I was able to do some low level refining for specific games. That combined with the removable weights makes the Fierce 5000 great for pure gaming situations.

If you are like me though, the 3500 does a far better job for your every-day mousing needs, and if you are looking for a good, solid mouse that also does a good job in games, then this is what you are looking for.

-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

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