PS3 Street Fighter IV Round 2 Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition

Remember going to the arcade when you were a kid? Quarters jiggling in your pockets (loonies nowadays).
Then later you'd play a mame port of the game at home and it just sucked in comparison. Didn't you always wish you get the same game play at home? So you'd look for arcade controllers or mame arcade machines but the prices were insane. Then you'd look into buying arcade parts and building your own. Well forget all that. The future is here and in your reach.

For years I've always wanted a controller that really played like an arcade machine for my PC. I finally gave up realizing the demand was too small to bring them down to affordable prices. But the popularity of the console market has changed all that! Now there are choices and several of them.

Before sinking 100+ bones on a stick I'm sure most of you will be reading tons of reviews. There are other cheaper sticks like the Hori stick for 40 and you might be tempted, but forget it. This stick is the real thing.

Why is it great? (Glad you asked)
- Built like a tank. This thing will never break. You can wale on it just like you did at the arcade slapping the buttons full hog and it can take it without blinking. Trust me, I would have smashed any other stick by now.
- Heavy. You can play it on a desk or your lap and it won't slide around. Great rubber feet that grab your desk. Feet can be removed and the stick can be mounted to a desk.
- Components are real arcade and have the same feel and sensitivity. The faceplate is the same laminate you find on arcade machines.
- Position of the stick and buttons is same as the arcade
- Works flawlessly on PS3 or with mame on your PC (I run XP)
- Features like a lock out button, so you don't inadvertently hit the PS button and leave a match in the middle
- Price. Worth the cash for a stick of this quality and construction and well thought-out design. Amazon has a really good price for this stick with free shipping, and they ship in a day (if in stock).

So how does it play? Awesome. Extremely responsive, no skips, and comfortable on your hands. A lot of money but you won't need another stick. You can use it for regular non-fighting games but their gameplay is not designed for this controller. You might find some you like this with though.

I had no previous experience with arcade sticks (a few times with a machine 15 years ago doesn't count). So i actually had no problem getting used to it. The square gate is very comfortable (i don't understand why some people don't like it). Anyways, if someone is thinking on buying it but doesn't have any previous experience with arcade sticks - don't worry u'll get used to it after one-two weeks.

By the way, the first unit i received was malfunctioning, when I would press X and O buttons together inclining the stick to the right, the character would continue moving in that direction. I had no problems exchanging it for the new one, and the new unit works perfectly.

I recommend the stick, buy it, you wont regret!

Simply put this is the best fight stick you can buy. I normally don't write reviews, but I was so impressed with this fight stick I just had to write something. Recommended to anyone interested in playing fighting games. Spend the extra money if you can and get this quality stick. You won't regret it. It's durable and very responsive. The weight is great and everything is spaced nicely. Made from Sanwa arcade parts so I'm not surprised. Easy to mod too if that's your thing. Not a single negative thing to say. Improved my game tremendously over the pad. Amazon was great with shipping and if you live in Canada, you already know how hard these things are to find. The Round 2 artwork is much better than the original IMO. Chances are if you're looking at this product you already know all about it and just wondering if it's worth the price. My advice - get this stick.