Buy Wii Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Arcade FightStick

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List Price: $79.99
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For about the last year I've been using a modded HRAP3 with Sanwa buttons. Of course, that's really the best you can get. It's done the job, and it's done it well. So after initially trying out the TVC stick it seems like it should do the job, for now that is.

The buttons seems a bit mushy, but still responsive. The weight of the stick feels good, definitely not as light as I was expecting. The gloss on the cover art has this sort of grit (matte finish) to it. I'm not really sure how else to explain it, but it feels decent resting your hands on it. Like it or not, at this time, the TVC stick is the best (and one of only a couple) option for an arcade stick on the Wii.

Ultimately, time will tell if this stick holds up to hour after hour of play. Regardless if it does or does not, I have confirmed this can be modded just as easily (and in the same way) as the SF4 SE sticks. So if parts break, replace them. And according to numerous other arcade stick sources, supposedly the parts on the TVC stick are a "higher quality" (not Sanwa) than the parts on the SF4 SE, so who knows, it may be good to go for quite some time.

So basically it's 80 dollars for the best Wii arcade stick on the market at this time. It's moddable, and based on my (and others) initial impressions, seems decent. Like it or not, it's really one of two options for an arcade stick on the Wii. Give it a shot and see what you think!

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Mad Catz has created a high-value gem in the Tatsunoko Vs Capcom Arcade Fightstick. The layout is arcade accurate, with quality components. The stick and buttons are essentially replicas of the Sanwa parts used in Japanese arcade cabinets. It's worth noting that Mad Catz improved the quality of these parts compared to their original PS3 and Xbox 360 FightSticks. I believe it, as the TvC FightStick feels really good, very much like a proper arcade stick. The joystick is biased towards fighting games, with a square gate to make finding diagonals easier. This design choice does mean that the joystick doesn't initially feel quite as responsive for classic shooters and platformers. I found I had to be more deliberate with my movements.

There are some thoughtful touches too, such as the movement of the + and buttons to the top edge of the case so they aren't accidentally pressed in the heat of play. There's also a lock switch to disable the Home button. I also appreciate the switch that lets you toggle whether the stick functions as a D-pad, left analog, or right analog stick. Keeps in mind it's still a digital joystick, but it's a wonderful feature that broadens the FightStick's compatibility. It's especially handy to have analog stick emulation to navigate menus. Also, since the FightStick acts like a Classic Controller (it connects to the Remote), it's great for Virtual Console titles. Think of it as the ultimate NES Advantage. There's even a turbo function built in.

What I love most about this FightStick is how moddable it is, as I believe that's where the real value of this joystick lies. If you're comfortable with a screwdriver, you can purchase off-the-shelf, true arcade joysticks and buttons by Sanwa and Seimitsu, and they snap/screw right in. The wiring is even solderless. For a modest investment, you have a full-fledged arcade stick, that can personalized to your needs. In my case I popped in a Semitsu LS-56 joystick with bat style top. It's stiffer and engages its microswitches more quickly than a Sanwa (or stock Sanwa replica) joystick. I still find it great for fighting games, but now it's a great general use stick a variety of classic games.

I also highly recommend investing in a Mayflash Wii Classic Controller to PC USB Adapter. Combined with the TvC FightStick, you have an excellent arcade stick for Wii, PC, and PS3. At current prices, purchasing this stick seems like a no-brainer.

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I am not a fully experienced fightstick owner. I have never modified a stick nor do I really want to do so.

I recently bought TvsC on the January 26th release date. I was hyped, I played it and thought the game was an 8.5 outta 10 as I played with a standard wireless gamecube controller for 3 days. Upon hearing about this fightstick I didn't want to shell out 79.99 plus tax. I read the positive reviews and just decided to go ahead and buy the TvsC fightstick. Now the game feels like a 10 outta 10!

Man! Its great! You have got to have a fightstick to really enjoy TvsC game. Its solid. Plays great. Good clean design. Buttons are responsive. The joystick is also much quieter (not so much "click, click, click") as opposed to the Tekken 6 arcade joystick (PS3) which I also own. It has a nice weight and stays still if played with on a table. It works only by being connected to a wii remote which doesn't hinder play. You'll forget the wii remote is even connected.

Nice matte (non-glossy) design so you dont have to worry about fingerprints. The plus and minus buttons are placed on the front the the fightstick which is no big deal, you will have to reach around when you need them but it will be almost impossible to press them by mistake.

I placed the fightstick on one of those small foldable "tv dinner" tables positioned in front of the tv and pulled up a chair and it felt almost like playing in the arcade.

If you can't get one right away try to keep yours eyes open for a deal if you own TvsC. It is worth the full price and the $79 is low compared to decent sticks for other consoles.

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I play a lot of fighting games. I own the Madcatz Street Fighter 4 standard edition fight sticks for both xbox 360 and ps3, and this tatsunoko vs. capcom stick is in a league of its own. I've modded both of my SE Street fighter sticks with Sanwa 30mm buttons and JLF joysticks. Right out of the box, the feel of the stock joystick is perfect. I wouldn't even consider spending the extra 25 bucks for a sanwa joystick. The buttons are not as great, but much better than the stock buttons on the street fighter SE sticks. I'll still probably get sanwa buttons to install just out of my own preference for them, but in the meantime it's really not an issue at all, since all the stock parts are responsive. The weight of the stick is great, and there is no noticeable lag due to the fight stick being wireless.

But seriously, the fact that a stock Madcatz joystick can be this responsive and have such a smooth feel right out of the box is amazing. In my opinion, the quality of this joystick really is comparable to a sanwa JLF, and that is pretty awesome for the price tag.

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I got this with the game on release day, so I've had some time with it. I've played using each control scheme and have to say this is the best way to play the game hands down, none of the other controller schemes come close as to using this stick. Now for the details:

Quality:

Overall very nice build, it definitely doesn't feel cheap. I was worried it would be light and too easy to move around on a table top but it actually does have a good amount of weight on it. I also like how the bottom portion of the arcade stick slopes down a little bit, it definitely makes it a lot more comfortable. The matte finish is also a welcome touch which doesn't require constant cleaning from fingerprints and such. However it seems that most of these will suffer from a very minor imperfection as my friend and I's arcade sticks have the top left corner of the matte finish raises up a bit. Most people won't notice or be bothered by this but I thought it was worth a mention.

Stick/Buttons:

The stick itself is pretty decent although some may feel the ball top is small, I got used to it and prefer it over the much larger ball tops. My only real issue with the arcade stick is the buttons, they are mushy to me. They are responsive and work fine but to me just feel awkward like a light gun without the spring action trigger. In the end though if you decide the stick or buttons aren't to your liking this arcade stick is mod friendly.

Size:

In my opinion the size is almost perfect. It's just small enough that I can fit it into my GPak Wii Carrying case (had to move things around a bit but it fits very well). However it would have been nice if it was just an inch or two wider for larger handed players.

Overall this was worth the +$70 I paid for it (got a deal on it). Now I'd just wish some other fighting games would come out on the Wii so I could get more use out of the thing.