A multi-button mouse, such as the Kensington Ci95m Wireless Mouse, is a necessity while playing first-person shooters (FPS) and comes in handy when tackling a real-time strategy (RTS) game.
Embark on the adventures found in such titles as to BioShock and you’ll soon discover that a second mouse button becomes crucial when you need to access a weapon’s extra abilities. For example, in Battlefield 2142, you’ll need to right-click to aim down your sight, and the mouse wheel lets you cycle through your available weapons.
Most first-person shooters also allow you to carry multiple weapons and switch between them when necessary. While you can use your keyboard to make a change, a scroll wheel lets you rapidly move between options without looking away from the screen and fumbling with keys. Not only does this come in handy during single-player campaigns, but this option becomes crucial when you head online for multiplayer action. There’s nothing worse than running out of ammo and trying to switch to your grenades, only to be gunned down because you weren’t fast enough.
In the strategy genre, such titles as to Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and Black & White 2 also benefit from mice with extra functions. A scroll wheel often allows you to zoom in and out of the action while the second mouse button acts as a shortcut to other game commands. The Razer Mamba Wireless Laser Gaming Mouse fulfills these needs.
Those of you hampered by wrist problems may want to use a trackball instead. There are a variety of such peripherals available, such as the Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring, that allow you to fly through FPS and RTS maps with a flick of your fingers. Most feature a variety of buttons that you can map to different functions.
For the ultimate in FPS, RTS, and MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing) action, the Belkin n52te controller will help you get more than a leg up on the competition: you’ll tower over them, thanks to the n52te’s 15 programmable keys that offer up to 104 custom functions and its programmable eight-way thumb pad. You can personalize your profiles for several games, so you can slip between Call of Duty 4, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and World of Warcraft sessions with ease. And its backlit keypad and scroll wheel allow you to dim the lights for perfect gaming ambience. Also check out the similar Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard, which includes an LCD that displays vital stats. And don’t miss the Razer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse, which combines a multi-button thumb grid and a game interface add-on to place commands.
Other mice
Wires can also be an obstacle to gaming success, particularly if your desk doesn’t have a lot of room. If that’s a problem, try one of the many wireless multi-button mice available, such as the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX. You don’t need a tangled wire getting in the way as you try to turn and see who just snuck up behind you during a FPS battle, or if you need to quickly move across a map in a RTS to discover who has breached your defenses.
And road warriors take note: there are a variety of portable mice, like the Razer Pro|Click Mobile Notebook Mouse and Razer Orochi Bluetooth Notebook Gaming Mouse, that you can use instead of your computer’s track pad. These mice really come in handy when playing games on a laptop. And, grab the Razer Kabuto Mobile Gaming Mouse Mat for an on-the-go surface.
