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The first test was with the soft pads. The two Topway pads had two major issues - bunching and sliding. The first surface used was carpet where both pads drifted quite a bit once I moved to 5 - 6 foot songs and were completely all over when I went to 7 - 9 foot songs. After attempting to do some freestyle, I was forced to give up as this pad ended up bunching up to the point where I had to turn all my focus to making sure I was pulling my feet up enough. The second surface was tile which had very similar results in the case of slipping but I had hardly any bunching this time around though. I found it quite odd and could only attribute it to less friction being created.

The positive points though make up for it in a way. The sensors on the non PC version take quite quite a beating and keep coming back for more even when it's folded back up numerous times. The Pad becomes very reliable when it's fastened down to a hard surface via tape or anything else you might have handy that actually sticks. The overall performance for the price is quite acceptable as you can find it for around $20 - $25 on most online sites. Also I was only to obtain limited usage on the PC using USB adapter. I believe there might have been a problem with the voltages though.

The PC + PSX edition was another story. As I mentioned this is a earlier generation than the pad I used above. The pad lasted quite well for its initial few weeks and then seemed to only die out as problems like bunching occured. When using the PC feature of this pad to the parallel port I noticed that the pad was unable to register two arrows at the same time making it pretty much impossible to shoot for any high grade. The black box top version of this pad sadly has to go on my avoid list for future purchases. Once I get my hands on a newer edition I'll update you on it's overall performance.

MadCatz

The newest introduction by Madcatz was actualled designed for the Britneys Dance Beat game but it seems to work suprisingly well. The design is fairly simple but it is quite sturdy compared to many of its competitors at similar prices.

The nylon type material used for the top is starting to become a standard as it allows for less bunching and quicker movements by the user in any form. The pad was built with durability in mind though as it put up with forced slides and hard abuse during 7-9 foot songs. Not once did a sensor stick or did the pad try to pull together under my feet. Although there was a bit of sliding to be shown from the pad but suprisingly no tears under the pad itself.

Through all my abuse this pad came back for more. The USB adapter test was very hit and miss as the pad had about a 65% chance of working for some reason when I plugged it in. I believe this might just be through continous testing with different models though. The response from the pad was very satisfactory though as it was able to register all arrows on time without a miss.

The product easily wins it's price catagory due to its solid performance for its designed area's. If the pad truely does perform 100% with the PC adapter then by far this is the best bet for it's price range.