Mad Catz Super Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition 'S' Review

If you love playing fighting games or are looking to have an authentic arcade experience in your own home (or both!), then the Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" is a must own accessory. The FightStick is available to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners, and this review is based upon the extended use of an Xbox 360 version.

Features
• "Authentic Japanese-style Sanwa Denshi™ joystick & buttons
• 8-button layout with additional multi-speed Turbo functionality
• Premium-quality components with genuine arcade layout
• Controller lock/unlock switch prevents accidental button presses
• 13 FT USB Cable with internal cable storage
• Connect to console via lag free USB
• Storage compartment for efficient cable management
• 3-way switch enables joystick to function as left or right analog stick or D-Pad
• Integrated headset port for use with Xbox LIVE®
• Officially licensed and designed by Capcom"

A High Quality Accessory
The first thing that I noticed when I started using the Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" is the quality of the accessory. One can tell that thought was even put into its packaging. The original package makes a fine storage case that will protect your FightStick for years to come. Upon removing the FightStick from the its box I was surprised by its weight - this isn't a delicate controller that can be broken easy like other third party accessories either.

For two months straight my friends and I have used the Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" controller almost every day. It has been the subject of serious abuse for several hundred hours of play - from advanced players to drunken button mashers during parties. What was the one thing that they all agreed on? After playing with the Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" controller they thought it was the best gaming accessory they've ever used.

Improved Gameplay
When I started using the Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S", my game play at first suffered. It had been almost two decades since I played the original Street Fighter 2 in an arcade, and I had forgotten what it felt like to hold a stick. These aren't any ordinary sticks either. "The new Tournament Edition "S" uses the same premium Sanwa Denshi™ Japanese style ball-handled joystick and 30mm action buttons found in official Street Fighter® IV arcade machines."

After about an hour of using the FightStick not only did I see my play return to normal, I noticed an improvement in my game. There are several reasons for this. The first is that the FightStick itself requires minimal effort to use. There is no need to jerk around the stick - soft and quick movement of the ball on the palm of your hands will let you feel and hear the directional clicks - something a traditional game controller will not allow.

The second feature that helped improve my game was the programmable turbo buttons. This made using characters such as E Honda, Chun Li, and BLanka a lot easier. Lastly, because the FightStick is hard wired directly into the Xbox 360's USB slot, my inputs were read faster than someone who uses a wireless controller.

For More Than Just Fighting Games
One of the great things about this videogame accessory is that it can be used for more than just fighting games. With Xbox Live's Game Room (Related Article - An In-Depth Look at 'Game Room' for Xbox 360), one can play thousands of original arcade games at home. What better way is there to heighten the experience than by playing with an authentic joystick?

Cleaning The FightStick
An important thing to note is that the accessory is easy to clean. It may seem silly, however I've found that a baby wipe is perfect for cleaning the controller.

Final Thoughts
The Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick is one of the toughest videogame accessories that this gamer has ever seen. It is able to withstand heavy abuse without suffering any damage or breaking like other third party gaming products.

While playing Super Street Fighter IV or another fighting game, this videogame accessory delivers incredible results and gives its owners an edge compared to gamers who are using a normal wireless controller. It will make you feel as if you are in a real arcade - be it when you are playing Street Fighter or Microsoft's Game Room. Most importantly, it is fun to use! My only complaint about this wonderful video game accessory is that the cord never seems to fit back into the controller.

The Mad Catz Super Street Fighter™ IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" has an MSRP of $149.99 and is available from most mass market retailers and game shops. For those who can't find it from a local store don't fret - you can purchase it online from BestBuy.com or Amazon.com.

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Source:
"Official Street Fighter™ IV Round 2 FightStick™ Tournament Edition for Microsoft Xbox 360 ," Madcatz.com. Retrieved Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from "http://www.madcatz.com/productinfo.asp?page=247&GSProd=4696&GSCat=97&CategoryImg=Xbox_360_Controllers"