| Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Thursday, 22 September 2011 | |
Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro
Manufacturer: Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Mad Catz. For as long as I can remember, I've been a huge fan of arcade fighting games: Street Fighter, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter. Street Fighter was the original arcade quarter-goblin, and its sequels were financed by my paperboy earnings. Tekken and Virtua Fighter absorbed any disposable income I earned as a teen. So when game consoles replaced arcades, I was among the first to jump onboard and practice my moves at a discount (with a Sega Saturn and Virtua Stick). Because of exciting characters, you could hardly master one game before the others lured you in - which is why Mad Catz "Street Fighter X Tekken" theme makes sense. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro for PlayStation3. I've played in arcades across the land; from the beach boardwalks of Santa Cruz to New York City. Once upon a time I lived near Tokyo, Japan, and enjoyed the hysteria of arcade tournaments in Akihabara (see Before PC and Console Games: The Video Arcade). But regardless of my geography, arcade egos lived and died on the results of a fighting game. Thanks to the Internet, gamers no longer need to travel the globe to prove their skill, and the longest hours of dedicated play are often done from the home on a gaming console like the PS3 or XBOX360. With products like the Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro, I can recreate the arcade experience down to the Sanwa Denshi joystick and buttons used on cabinet systems.
Features and SpecificationsSource: Mad Catz product website Created to appeal to the serious fighting game enthusiast, nothing brings the arcade experience closer to home than the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick PRO. Approved by both Capcom and Namco, and embellished with exclusive game artwork, the FightStick PRO uses arcade-quality components from legendary Japanese arcade manufacturer, Sanwa Denshi. Featuring a Japanese-style ball-handled joystick and 30mm action buttons placed to match the Vewlix arcade cabinet configuration, arcade gamers will feel right at home. Screw-on rubber feet for solid-surface play and unobtrusive placement of the Start and Select buttons exemplify the detailed touches that went into the FightStick's design and creation. With a useful locking mechanism to prevent accidental pauses or activation of Turbo settings during tournament play, the Arcade FightStick PRO represents the best possible choice for competitive gamers.
Mad Catz Arcade FightStick ProCapcom's Street Fighter X Tekken game title matches iconic characters from each franchise into the ultimate tag-team video game. The Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro comes in two versions: Sony PlayStation3 or Microsoft XBOX360. This review covers the SXT883810SA1/02/1 model for PS3, which is nearly identical to the XBOX360 version (model SXT473810MA1/02/1). As of late September 2011, both versions of the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro sell directly from GameShark Store for $159.99.
Mad Catz has offered their FightStick series with previous game releases, and the new FightStick Pro offers some advantage over competing joysticks from Hori and Namco. Sanwa Denshi is the premier supplier of arcade joystick components in Japan, and Mad Catz has tapped their technology for the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro. This FightStick features Sanwa Denshi's ball-handled joystick and 30mm action buttons, which match the Vewlix arcade cabinet configuration.
The Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro weighs exactly 5 lbs 6 oz, and the base measures 10"L x 15"W x 3"H. At the top of the unit are eight buttons, one joystick selectable as left/right analog stick or direction pad, and turbo assignment button with PS3 button. In Tekken the standard buttons control attacks (first two on top and bottom rows), while Street Fighter uses the first three buttons in each row.
One particular advantage the Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Pro series offers over other joysticks and game pads is Turbo Control Module functionality. Each key can be programmed to enable variable-speed rapid actuation by holding the 'Turbo' button on the Control Module, and then pressing the desired action button: one time for fast turbo, two times for slow turbo, and three times to cancel turbo on that button. Turbo settings are cleared when the 'Turbo' button is held down for five seconds, the unit has been unplugged from the gaming console, or when the PS3 is turned off with the master power switch.
The control stick can be assigned as a Left-Analog Stick (LS), Direction-Pad (DP), or Right-Analog Stick (RS) from the Control Module switch. The Turbo/Control Stick buttons can be locked using the 'Locked/Unlocked' switch on the Control Module. This can be useful when preventing settings from being assigned, or keeping custom settings from being changed.
The 'Start' and 'Select' buttons are both located on the back of the Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro base, which keeps them out of the way of errant fingers but also making them troublesome to locate you're trying to pause the game in a hurry. A storage compartment panel opens to reveal the joystick's 13' long USB cable, which is plenty long enough to reach even the most distant seating. I was able to sit all the way back in my recliner, and there was still three feet of cord remaining. Arcade FightStick Pro ConclusionIMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate. As you might expect, the Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro works and functions very much like the standard Sony PS3 Dual Shock 3 gamepad. The buttons map out the same, but their ergonomic orientation on the base unit make them more usable, and the joystick gives you a distinct advantage in fighting games. Sanwa Denshi branded ball-handled joystick and 30mm action buttons recreate arcade cabinet authenticity, and are durable enough to outlast the most abusive gamers. Of all the functionality this adds to the platform, it is the Turbo Module that I found most interesting. It's not an instant-win for all games, because Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and Virtua Fighter games rely more on timed attacks than button mashing. But in the Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom series, adding turbo to the light attack buttons works very well. The same goes other fighting games such as Fight Night or UFC, which offer jab/light attacks.
Button placement, while matching a Vewlix arcade cabinet configuration, does compromise some functionality. I understand that to create an authentic 'Arcade' FightStick you must adhere to a traditional cabinet layout, but I've always been a fan of function over fashion. If there were to be follow-up to this product, I would recommend moving the Control Module from the upper-right corner to the upper-left, and position the 'Start' and 'Select' buttons in its place. Additionally, the eight 30mm action buttons should be arranged into natural finger-length positions, since the last column of buttons on the far right is presently located beyond the reach of most pinkie fingers. While unsure of the XBOX360 version Arcade FightStick Pro, the PS3 version is compatible with PC, and works as a Plug-n-Play USB device on Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and 7, which all report the controller as "Madcatz FightStick TE". With some in-game button-mapping, you can effectively use the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro with games on your personal computer... a dramatic improvement over the restrictive keyboard controls for some video games. Even though I have Street Fighter & Tekken combos such as: Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6, and Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3, I still occasionally find myself playing old-school Virtua Fighter 2 on my computer, but for those willing to risk copyright prosecution nearly every old gaming console title can be played on PC with an emulator. The Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro comes in two versions: Sony PlayStation3 (model SXT883810SA1/02/1) and Microsoft XBOX360 (model SXT473810MA1/02/1). As of late September 2011, both versions of the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro sell directly from GameShark Store for $159.99. Use our Price Comparison Tool to locate other online merchants. While functionality is the Mad Catz Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick Pro's biggest selling point, the asking price is steep considering the price of competing gamepad solutions, so the Value rating takes a hit in our final score. If you're not very serious about winning the fight, go ahead and suffer a beat-down with your PS3 controller. I've played Tekken 6 online against veteran gamers, and assure you that winning requires every possible advantage. For the hardcore fight series gamer an arcade joystick is necessary equipment and the Sanwa Denshi joystick and button components joined to Turbo functionality could be considered well-worth the asking price. Pros:
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Comments
olin says he has street fighter x tekken for the ps3 even though it hasn't been released yet, and is not scheduled to be until next year.
it's a licensed stick aimed at street fighter x tekken players so it is going to use the viewlix layout that the arcade units will use - this cannot be criticised as a flaw as the function is there for its intended purpose otherwise why not mention the lack of 2 analog stick type controls? if the buttons were to be rearranged this stick would be a heavily flawed "fightstick" and wouldn't deserve the licensing.
start and select buttons are positioned to make it difficult to accidentally pause the game which in a tournament situation could disqualify a player - strictly speaking use of turbo is also forbidden but its addition is for the casual fights.
a well informed gamer and windows user will know that xbox controllers will work on a windows machine (winxp will need seperate drivers, vista and 7 will work out of the box) so the xbox version of the stick will definitely do the same. this stick, the ps3 version, does not work on a pc because it's a ps3 stick but because the pcb inside it is pc compatible - an official ps3 controller cannot be made to work on a pc without some driver hacking.
You go on about how it's a licensed product and I "cannot" criticize the layout or it wouldn't deserve the qualification, but I have clearly stated as much in my conclusion and added that "If there were to be follow-up to this product, I would recommend...". That means I'm making suggestions for consideration on their next product.
Finally, I said "Even though I have Street Fighter & Tekken combos such as: Street Fighter IV, Tekken 6, and Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3...". However, I do have plans to buy Street Fighter X Tekken when it's available.
I hardly think these misinterpretation make my review of the product 'flawed'. Of course, you're welcome to write up your own full review.
Nor is the price for sanwa switches ect.
Im not saying there are no cons... just not the ones you picked.