Are
you gellin'? I'm gellin'.... by
Vaughn Smith
January
16, 2006 - My
apologies first to the Madison Avenue marketing genius
who invented the "Are You Gellin'?" series
of gel insole commercials. My second apology goes
out to anyone who has already read a GelTabz product
review, as I'm sure every journalist must have used
this tired phrase in their reviews of this product.
If not, I'm a flippin' comic genius. That being said,
here I am about to embark on a 5000 word review (give
or take a few thousand words) on the tiniest gaming
peripheral ever released...The GelTabz Performance
Thumb Grips available for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and
GameCube.

Performance
Thumb Grips...sounds a little pretentious don't you
think? I must admit I guffawed at the notion of these
little gel things. When I read the marketing copy
on the back of the packaging which read "...playing
with a stock controller simply isn't good enough",
I balked. Then I opened the package, and having read
the 450 page manual, managed to get my GelTabz configured
on the Xbox 360 analog sticks (setup is easy for any
controller and the Xbox and X360 Gels are interchangeable).
I'm kidding, there isn't a manual. Set up is extremely
simple. Pull the GelTabz onto the analog stick tops
and you're good to go. That's it.
The
GelTabz are ribbed for your thumbs pleasure and I'm
not kidding when I say these little things really
do make ALL of the difference. The copy on the back
of the package began to echo in my one good ear..."playing
with a stock controller simply isn't good enough..."
Hey, they're right!

GelTabz
provide comfort and grip to the analog sticks. If
you've ever experienced thumb fatigue after a marathon
gaming session you'll realize this inexpensive and
ingenious product is something you'll want in your
bag of gaming tricks. Even if your hands don't suffer
from an over-productive perspiration problem when
playing, you'll want the GeTtabz for the extra comfort.
I've
been playing with the GelTabz for almost two weeks
and I'd like to outfit all of my controllers with
them. If you are interested in this great product,
GelTabz can be purchased online at www.geltabz.com
and it appears that the company is trying to solidify
retail sales for the near future.
While
most players wouldn't go out of their way to hunt
them out, trust me when I say they make a perfect
gift. They're priced just right at $5.99 per package
and even though the recipient may initially wonder
just what they are and what they do, the GelTabz usefulness
will become immediately apparent once installed. In
fact you had better buy two packages - one for you
and one as a gift because you don't want your friends
having the upperhand now, do you?

Concerns:
None really, except I would have loved a GameCube
GelTab that fit over the C stick. Why? Because Fight
Night Round 2 ripped my thumb apart!
Summary:
A great fit. Affordable. Comfortable. Improves
grip due to ribbed rubber surface and increases the
circumference of the analog stick head for added control.
Durable although it appears they could wear out over
a few months of constant use. If properly applied,
should not come off during play.
By
Vaughn Smith
CCC
Site Director
A
Second Opinion
Ditto.
Whatever Vaughn said.
You
want more? Oh. Products come across the CCC desk weekly.
Some are good, some are average and some are downright
terrible. GelTabz might be small - In fact, they're
the smallest peripheral I think CCC has ever received
- but they will make a big difference in terms of
gaming.

Adding
grip and comfort to your controller is an idea that
seems like a no-brainer, so why has it taken until
now for someone to invent these? It's not like the
regular analog sticks are painful to use obviously,
but the comfort level increases greatly when the Geltabz
are in use. So why not be more comfortable? You gotta
buy these.
By
Dave Allison
CCC
Site Owner
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