
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $96.43
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

This is a high quality arcade fightstick . Once you get used to the Sanwa JLF if you have never played on a japanese style machine, you might have some trouble here you will certainly improve your fighting game experience.
It is not so heavy, so you can comfortably play with on your lap. It will also stay steady. I plugged it to my notebook (Intel mobo) and it was recognized as "Madcatz Fightstick TE" and worked perfectly.
Cons:
Once you use it, it will be difficult to put the usb cable back inside its compartment;
Since it was design to play SC V, the button config is a little bit strange.
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I am an avid fighting game fan and had previously bought the Hori pro fight stick (Soul Caliber Ironically) right when it came out. I was comparing it side by side with this product and ended up with the Hori. At the time they were both identical in price ($150) and the Hori offered a couple extra buttons and options (namely the L3 & R3 buttons). Whether or not I would utilize the extra features didn't matter it was more for the same money.I happened to see this product on sale one day for about $75 and immediately purchased it. I had wanted a second pro fight stick anyway so I could play with friends when they came over (me on the fight stick and them on the six axis wasn't exactly fair) and this was the perfect opportunity.
To quickly compare this against the Hori they both use the same professional brand buttons and joystick, so no difference there. The Hori is a bigger box, size and weight, so if you're putting it on a table, it's a little sturdier. The Hori unit, despite being a Soul Caliber motif, actually has a more traditional, six axis style button layout so perfect for Street Fighter, but would need to be reassigned for Soul. The Hori also has a 10' cord. This Mad Catz has a 13' cord and let me tell you, it makes ALL the difference. I didn't realize what a big deal that extra 3' would be, but it's a big deal. A+ for the 3 extra feet. The Mad Catz is a smaller and lighter box, so it's more comfortable when holding in your lap vs. table top. The Mad Catz also has the official Soul button layout, so to play other games you have to reassign the buttons no big deal, just different.
Maybe simply because it's newer to me, who knows, but I've actually been using this stick more than the Hori. I like that it's lighter, smaller, and has the extra length for slack in the cord. Play-wise, they are identical. They are the exact same components, so they feel exactly the same. The graphics on this (and the clear plastic) is much flashier than the Hori, but that's just aesthetics. The only thing I would criticize all fight sticks on is button spacing. They all have wide button spacing. I don't have the biggest hands and I get finger fatigue after a while both sticks. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one, but I'll put it out there. Just have to build my own one day! That's it, killer product!
P.S. This fight stick (the Hori as well) is AWESOME for retro arcade gaming. I'm sure you, just as I, would most likely purchase a fight stick primarily for fighting games, but for retro gaming (a la Capcom, Midway, Namco, etc.) these sticks take you right back to the arcade like a six axis never could!
Best Deals for Mad Catz SoulCalibur V Arcade FightStick SOUL Edition
This is my first real arcade stick. I have used cheap little ones in the past from Hong Kong, but they were more like toys. For my first real stick, I must say that I am very satisfied with this.It is much larger and heavier than I expected. That may sound bad, but it is actually a good thing for this. It keeps it from sliding around when you are using it. It stays in place very well, both when you use it in your lap and when you have it on a desk.
The stick feels looser than what I thought it would be. But from what I understand, that is normal. After using it for a little while, it became much more comfortable and I haven't had any problems with it. The buttons also feel like very high quality. They don't stick at all and are quite sensitive. Everything about the stick seems very sturdy, like it will last a long time.
The art is very nice. It is colorful and bright. I don't know much about Soul Calibur, but I think the art is of characters from the game. I have mostly been using this for King of Fighters 13, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat, and Virtua Fighter 5. I haven't had any problems with any of them. The controls do take some getting used to after using a controller all my life. But I am greatly enjoying it and am acclimating to it quickly.
The stick is expensive, but from what I understand, $99 is actually a good deal for a stick of this great quality. If you are a big fighting game fan and want to upgrade from a controller to a stick, this is a nice way to start. It makes me feel like I'm using a real arcade cabinet. Highly reccomend.


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