GBAtemp.net review of the...

eWin Rumble Pak (Lite)
Manufactured by: eWin
Review samples supplied by: MiniOnlineStore

By shaunj66 - 16th February 2007

Review Contents & Index:

• Introduction
• Packaging and Contents
• Cart Design
• Setting Up & Using
• Performance
• Conclusion

Introduction
Welcome back to another GBAtemp.net hardware review. Today we'll be taking a quick look at the unofficial rumble pak made by the eWin team; a well known and respected team behind the successful series of eWin flash carts and accessories.

Thanks to the folk at minionlinestore.com for supplying us with the product for review.

The eWin rumble pak is the only 3rd party rumble pak for the Nintendo DS. It's designed to be a cheap alternative to the official rumble pak by Nintendo which is currently only being sold in Japan. You'll find it available online through importers but at prices that aren't far off the cost of an actual game.



The eWin rumble pak can be purchased for approximately £7/$10 and is available in black, white and pink colours, making it considerably cheaper than the official pak and also available in a choice of colours.

Currently, the eWin team only offer the rumble pak in a DS Lite sized GBA casing. The eWin rumble pak will NOT fit inside an original (phat) Nintendo DS.

Packaging and Contents
The eWin rumble pak is delivered in packaging that is designed to look very similar to the official rumble pak box as you can see below.

Inside the box is a small plastic tray that holds the rumble pak. Nothing else is included.





Cart Design
The DS Lite dust cover sized casing is an almost identical mould when compared to the official rumble pak. The only main difference is on its back, where the screw is located.

The eWin team are known for creating high quality casings, and their rumble pak is no exception. The plastic used feels very strong and sturdy, and doesn't creak or bend.

The plastic doesn't quite have the same glossy finish that the official rumble pak and dust covers do on the top of the casing, but its still got a smooth finish to it and won't look out of place in your DS (providing, unlike me, that you have matching colours!).



The eWin rumble pak inserts just fine into the GBA slot of a DS Lite. Unlike some 3rd party dust cover sized casings, it doesn't rub at all, requires no force, and fits smoothly into place. It doesn't stick out at all, and is a flush fit inside the DS Lite.
And it's just as easy to remove.



Taking a look inside, we can see that the rumble mechanism used is not the same as the official Nintendo rumble pak. The official rumble pak uses a sliding motor by ALPS whereas the eWin rumble pak uses a standard mobile phone-style weighted rotary motor. We'll find out later in the review whether or not this impedes its performance.

Overall, the cart is top notch, and is up to the normal eWin standard.





Setting Up & Using
The eWin rumble pak requires no setting up; it doesn't require you to patch ROMs on your flash kit. It works just like an official rumble pak.

All you need to do to get it working is to insert it into your GBA slot, fire up a game that supports rumble, enter the options menu in the game and enable rumble (if necessary), and away you go.

Performance
I've compared the rumble feature in the eWin rumble pak with the official Nintendo rumble pak in the following games that support rumble:

Elite Beat Agents
Magnetica
Metroid Prime Pinball
Super Princess Peach

The results were quite surprising!

The rumble coming from the official pak is not very intense, and also doesn't particularly feel like how you'd expect the rumble to feel. It just feels like the DS is "buzzing". It doesn't really "rumble" as such, and I felt the feedback more annoying than enjoyable.

The official Nintendo rumble pak produces quite a lot of noise. When the rumble is being used, the cartridge emits a buzzing noise, quite unlike the noise found in regular controllers with rumble.

Now, when I tested the eWin rumble pak, I was quite surprised at the difference…

The rumble feature in the eWin rumble pak feels very different; tested in the same situations in various games; the feedback felt more like what you'd expect compared to that given by the Nintendo pak. While still not silent; the noise that the eWin rumble produced was a lot quieter than the official pak.

Now don't expect rumble on the same level as console game controllers (except PS3 *snigger *). The rumble is a lot less intense for obvious reasons, and is delivered in much shorter bursts.

As for battery life differences, it would be impossible to test this accurately without playing a game in exactly the same way on both cards for hours on end. Suffice to say; I'm not going to be doing that! Personally I wouldn't be surprised if the eWin consumes more battery as it feels more powerful and is a 3rd party product. If anyone out there has tested battery life differences or notices a sharp difference when using either, please let me know!

I can definitely say that the eWin rumble pak produced rumble that was a lot more enjoyable and quieter in comparison to the Nintendo rumble pak.

Conclusion
From my personal testing and experience with the eWin rumble pak, I can genuinely say that it outclasses the official Nintendo rumble pak. The feedback given by the rumble motor is a lot more enjoyable, and is considerably quieter.

Whether or not you want your DS to rumble during gameplay is up to you. Personally I just find it distracting and annoying, as such a low number of games support rumble, and because of the lacklustre way the rumble is implemented, I just don't find it necessary.

If however, you do find yourself needing some rumble, then I can definitely recommend the eWin rumble pak as a purchase.

Overall, a much cheaper price tag, great build quality and great performance makes the eWin rumble pak a quality product.

Pros
+ Rumble feels better compared to official pak
+ Quieter than official pak
+ Cheaper than official pak
+ Great build quality
+ Available in different colours

Cons
- Makes noise?

External Links:
- Official eWin Team Website

Where to buy?:
- MiniOnlineStore

This review was written for GBAtemp.net ONLY. The article and all included photos are property of GBAtemp.net
If you see this review on any other site please let me know via e-mail - shaunj66 [@at@] GBAtemp [.dot.] net