WolfKing Trooper MVP
Pointing devices are very important to us all during every day use of a PC. Advances in technology have made them extremely accurate, quick to respond and great for gaming. The optical mouse was a great innovation and a change for the better. The advent of the laser engine gave us much more accuracy, faster response times and no more cleaning. The laser mouse has become a "must have" for any serious gamer in these current times. Benchmark Reviews has been afforded an opportunity to examine one of these devices, the Wolf King Trooper MVP Laser Gaming Mouse.
Being a bit of a gamer myself, I am always looking for something that will help me improve my skills. The thought of changing from the standard optical mouse to a laser based mouse had crossed my mind on occasion, but I just never followed through. I have a habit of just clinging to what works well and is in my price range. But, I like new technology and when afforded the opportunity to give this mouse a try, I just couldn't resist any longer.
The Trooper MVP has 7 buttons, 3 fire modes and 3 resolution settings (800, 1600, and 2400 dpi). It has a rubber coating that has a satin feel to it, a thumb rest, sexy shape (primarily for the right hand) and pretty comfortable in the hand. It comes with a driver disk, but I was informed that they are not required for the mouse to operate on Windows 2000, XP, or Vista.
The latest innovation in gaming mouse technology.
The Trooper MVP Gaming Mouse delivers all the firepower you can handle. With its patented Rapid Fire Switch, you can select up to 4 shots per click and devastate your enemies with superior firepower. Combined with a deadly accurate Avago advanced laser engine, this high powered gaming mouse will give you the winning advantage on the battlefield.
About the Company: Wolf King
A Gaming Enthusiast Focused Technology Company
WOLFKING is a world leader in the innovation and creation of gaming input devices. Featuring broad-based PC & Mac hardware/software compatibility and a diverse selection of options in color/shape customization, WOLFKING products utilize advanced engineering and unique ergonomic designs that deliver the ultimate gameplay experience. WOLFKING is privately held and headquartered in Englewood, NJ.
The Trooper MVP is certainly not overburdened with features and buttons, but it has the potential for a useful gaming device. I have seen mice with buttons on top and both sides. Personally, I think it can get a bit overwhelming. Trying to assign a task to all those can be a daunting task, not to mention remembering what they all are set up to do during a game. Wolf King kept it kind of simple.
The Trooper MVP Gaming Mouse delivers all the firepower you can handle. With its patented Rapid Fire Switch, you can select up to 4 shots per click and devastate your enemies with superior firepower. Combined with a deadly accurate Avago advanced laser engine, this high powered gaming mouse will give you the winning advantage on the battlefield.
Trooper MVP Features:
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Avago ADNS-6010 sensor - With LaserStream architecture designed to give you all the precision and stability you need.
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Full speed USB 2.0 data transfer - Gives you instant cursor response from as many as 500 reports/sec., bidirectional connection.
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Programmable frame rate - Over 7080 frames per second.
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High speed motion detection - Up to 45 inches/sec. And 20g of acceleration.
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Low power consumption - Output currency 7mA when moving, single power supply 3.3v.
Specifications:
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Resolution: 3 sensitivity levels (800, 1600, 2400 dpi)
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Image processing: 6.4 megapixels/sec.
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Max. acceleration: 20G
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Max. speed: 45 - 65 inches/sec.
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Power supply: 3.3 Volt
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USB date format: 16 bits/axis
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Button life (left, right): 7 million clicks
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Feet: 250 kilometers
Trooper MVP Detailed Features
The trooper comes in a box that is not extremely exciting but does have a cutout to show off the mouse itself. It doesn't really have a "look at me" appearance at all. The only thing that would attract a potential buyer is that you can actually see the mouse.
The sides and back of the box carry plenty of information on the Trooper and can certainly get you interested in what it has to offer. It lists the advantages, describes the speed settings as well as the three fire modes.
The contents of the package includes the mouse, users guide, driver disk (not actually required) and an extra set of teflon pads. I like the additional pads because I have had them fall off of other mouse products (from different manufacturers) on occasion and needed a replacement that wasn't included.
The side buttons are a useful addition to this mouse and, with the addition of the drivers, can be set up to do any of a large number of tasks in the Windows environment. Tasks such as, forward and back, cut, copy, paste, delete, minimize, maximize and so on. Of course, in a game they can be set to whatever you wish. They are easily accessed and no problem to get used to. I found myself using them to page forward and back in my browser rather quickly. In games I have only used them for switching weapons, but after getting used to that, it works quite well.
The resolution settings are controlled by the top button marked with an S. There are three different resolutions 800dpi, 1600dpi and 2400dpi. Each indicated by a different colored LED light. Red for 800, blue for 1600 and green for 2400. This button is difficult to access unless you can learn to hit it with the back of your middle finger. It is too far to easily use any other way. I think it would be better suited if it had been set just above the wheel.
The fire modes is definitely a nice feature. The main use of this for me would be to help conserve ammunition during a game. There are three fire mode settings that are indicated by the mouse wheel color. The different modes are two shot mode indicated by the red glow of the mouse wheel, three shot mode which is a blue glow and four shot mode which is a purple glow of the wheel. So, each time you depress the left mouse button it will only fire the specified number of rounds rather than to just continuously fire. The fire mode button is marked by a F and is awkward to reach, but not as bad as the speed button's placement. It would also be better set just above the mouse wheel.
Final Thoughts:
The Trooper MVP is a comfortable mouse to use. Their ergonomic design works well for me. I like the fact that there are not a mass of buttons to have to try to deal with and the weight seems just right. It glides very smoothly on the four Teflon pads. There is no resistance or "drag" feel to it at all. Getting used to this mouse was pretty simple since there are only 7 buttons to deal with and 3 of them are standard. The fire mode and speed buttons are just a bit far back and the speed button is easily bumped by the back part of your middle finger when using the wheel.
The fire modes are great for conserving ammunition during battle. This is a real asset when playing a lot of the popular first person shooters. Personally I like it a lot since I have always been one to get carried away when in close combat against multiple enemy soldiers. It really can be fun to hose down an area with bullets sometimes, but when you are short on ammo...
My biggest gripe with the Trooper is the cord is a bit too short and measures only 60" (5'). It is noticably shorter than my former optical mouse, which reduces my distance from the tower. The drawback is that it doesn't reach my computer where it sits in my current layout. I had to connect it to the Timber Wolf keyboard so I could use it.
That in itself brings a second issue. The USB port I am having to use is USB 1.1 rather than 2.0. So, I suppose I am not really getting the full effect of its potential.
Trooper MVP Conclusion:
To me, the packaging leaves something to be desired. The front of the box just seems a bit dull to me. Might as well have just stamped the name on a plain cardboard box. The only real attraction to it is that you can see the actual mouse.
I think that the mouse looks kind of sexy and nicely designed. There could be some color choices for it though. Some of us do like exciting colors to choose from.
The mouse feels quite solidly constructed. I am quite sure it will be able to handle a bit of abuse, just ask my wife, I am hard on keyboards and mice. As with the Timber Wolf keyboard, it has a rubbery coating that may or may not last for a long period. I have read some complaints about coatings such as this that start to peel quickly, but I have had it for a month so far and nothing has happened so far.
The overall functionality is very good. It has excellent tracking, the side buttons are easy to use, sensitivity switching and fire modes work as expected. Again, button placement for the speed-switching and fire modes could have been better.
At this time Wolf King has the Trooper MVP for sale on its site foe $49.99. I feel this is a good price for this mouse.
In conclusion, I find that I really like this mouse. It fits in my hand much better than a standard mouse like I had been using for several years. The weight of it feels good to me and it slides quite well on the Teflon pads. The fire modes are a really nice innovation and a welcomed feature for me. The speed switching is what it is. I personally haven't found a lot of useful situations to use it, so I just can't say too much there. The tracking of the laser engine is very good in all three settings. Overall, not a difficult device to adapt to.
Pros:
+ 2400 dpi Avago laser engine
+ On-the-fly sensitivity switching
+ Ergonomic design
+ 3 Fire modes
+ 6.4 Megapixel/sec. image processing
+ Long button life - up to 7 million clicks
Cons:
- Cord is too short (60")
- Speed and fire buttons are poorly placed
- Black is the only color choice
Ratings:
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Presentation: 8.25
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Appearance: 9.50
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Construction: 8.75
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Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 9.25
Final Score: 8.95 out of 10.
Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.
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