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style="font-style: italic;"> style="font-style: italic;">Razer Naga

Ten Ton Hammer isn't known for hardware reviews. However, when Razer came out with the 17 button Razer Naga MMOG mouse at a hefty $79.99, we knew we had to put it through its paces for our readers (and for me in particular).

This is Razer's first mouse geared completely towards the MMOG market. They’ve even gone so far as to call the Naga "the ultimate Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming mouse," a rather big claim to make. I have played with most of the high performance mouses on the market from the Razer Diamondback to the Logitech G9X, and even the SteelSeries World of Warcraft mouse. So, I figured if Razer had the gall to call its Naga MMOG mouse the ultimate, they had better bring their A game.

At First Look   
If a cell phone and a mouse hooked up and had babies, what would they look like? The answer is the Razer Naga. The mouse with a keypad slapped on the side on it will grab the attention of anyone who sees it. Black and sleek, with glowing blue keys, the Naga is one sexy mouse. The 7 foot braided cord which ends in a gold plated USB connection tells you that this is not some $15 bargain bin find.

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style="font-style: italic;"> style="font-style: italic;">Razer Naga Contents

Inside the box, Razer throws you lots of guides and books to make you feel like you’re getting a lot for your money. From a 35 page Master Guide to a Certificate of Authenticity (why the hell you’d need this is beyond me), Razer wants you to know that this is one serious mouse.

Size and Layout    
When I first saw pictures of the Razer Naga online, it looked bulky and large. (I mean, it has a 12 button keypad slapped on the side of it.) However, upon opening the box, I was surprised to see this is not the case. The mouse is slightly smaller than the SteelSeries World of Warcraft mouse weighing in at 116L x 69W x 41.6H (in mm), which is still good sized, but not the behemoth it appears to be in pictures.

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style="font-style: italic;"> style="font-style: italic;">Mouse Pad Not Included

Having average size hands, the size works quite well for me, and should be fine for anyone with small to average hands. The keypad is the same size as that of most cell phones. Only those with very large hands might have an issue with hand fatigue. The feel is comfortable with an ergonomic design that puts your hand into a very natural position. Unfortunately, the ergonomic shape means left handed people are left out in the cold. The mouse is so well designed that I was able to play for 8 straight hours with no cramping or hand strain.

Functionality & Performance       
The Razer Naga is like no mouse that has come before it. Razer has gone to great lengths to make this mouse work for almost any gamer out there. While the default keys are set to the number keys across the keyboard, this is merely to get you started. With the downloaded drivers, you are able to bind each and every key on the mouse to any keystroke or mouse button you want. The customization is nearly limitless and you can spend hours finding the perfect set up for nearly any game.

Razer has recently included the ability to assign macros (useful in MMOGs that allow them, as most gamers know) to any key as well. This allows the gamer to make the Naga into whatever he wants. This ability makes the mouse as flexible as top end gaming keyboards like the Logitech G15. If you can think it, this mouse can do it.

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style="font-style: italic;"> style="font-style: italic;">Naga Interface

While geared directly to the MMOG market, the mouse has some amazing specifications. Sporting a 5600dpi resolution, 1000 Hz polling, and sensitive top mouse buttons, the Naga can compete with the best first person shooter mouses on the market. Your average MMOG gamer has no use for such high end resolution, but it is nice to know you have it if you want it. Most will find the default settings of 1800dpi more than satisfactory.

I know what you’re thinking, "Matt, we get that the mouse can do it all, but how easy is it to learn?" Well, Razer says that it takes most gamers about 18 hours of gameplay to acclimate to the mouse. In my personal experience, it took closer to 25 hours to feel completely comfortable and not worry about hitting the wrong key. Razer goes out of its way to help with those having trouble learning the layout by providing small training pads you can place on certain keys to help you remember where they are. They can be removed later once you feel comfortable with the layout. However, most gamers won't need this, and those who text on their cell phones a lot should feel right at home.

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style="font-style: italic;"> style="font-style: italic;">Naga Compared to Quarter

When I first started using the mouse, I was worried that I would accidentally keep pressing the keypad as I was trying to move it because my thumb rests exactly where the keypad is placed. My fears were soon alleviated; the keypad requires enough pressure that you have to actually try to depress the key to get a response. The main two buttons at the top are very sensitive and take a bit of getting used to, but I have never pressed a key on the keypad without meaning to.

Addons           
Razer provides add-ons you can download for both World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online. These add-ons allow you to set up key binding in game for not only the first bar of hotkeys, but by pressing Shift, CTRL, ALT, or any number of other combination of keys you are able to set up to 10 hotkey bars. These are excellent add-ons, and let you take your Naga to the next level. You can save this setting for each character you have, so no need to change your layout depending on which character you are running.

The add-ons feature of the Naga would have scored more points with me if they supported more games. Those who play WoW or WAR will love the feature; players of other games will have to set everything up outside of the game on their own.

Value        
It is hard to sit here and tell anyone that paying $79.99 for a mouse is a good value. I am one cheap bastard, and the idea of paying more for a mouse than I did for the game I’m using it to play is hard to swallow. With that said, swallow, because this mouse is worth the money, period. I would like to say the mouse should cost $50. I would like to say Razer is high for thinking any mouse should cost as much as this one does…but I can't. If you’re a serious gamer, and want to take your game to the next level, this is how you do it.

Pros & Cons
Pros:
Great feel and look
17 completely programmable buttons
Ability to assign macros to keys
Ability to save profiles for different games
Cool blue glowing lights

Cons:
Learning curve takes some time
Damn thing costs $79.99 (it's worth it, but still)
Doesn't come with an option for cool green glowing lights (I had to think of something)

Conclusion
Razer claims this is the ultimate MMOG gaming mouse, and I'll be damned if it's not. They brought their A game with this creation, alright. I have tried many peripherals and just about every mouse under the sun, and I have to say that this one has earned a permanent spot next to my Logitech G15 keyboard. Not since the G15 has anything come close to giving gamers this kind of customization and ease of use.
This mouse is the real deal. If you have been thinking about getting one, or want to take your MMOG gaming up a notch (or two), run, don't walk, to grab the Naga. It blows every other gaming mouse out of the water.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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