Street Fighter IV 'Round 2' Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition
Same high quality Mad Catz fighting stick with a slick new look. Impressions and unboxing photos within.
Following up on the success of the high-end, official Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 released last February, Mad Catz has recently (and somewhat quietly) released a "Round 2" version of the award-winning stick. After spending quite a lot of time breaking one of these Street Fighter IV 'Round 2' Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition sticks in, it's clear that this is probably the most attractive, well built off-the-shelf arcade sticks that you can buy in North America.
For those who have the pleasure of owning a Tournament Edition FightStick, the Round 2 Tournament Edition FightSticks are functionally identical. The only difference is the slick new Street Fighter IV art and the more attractive piano-black base. The original art was certainly good looking, but the new slightly reflective, monochrome art on the Round 2 stick provides for a more sexy, classy look. Unlike many, I'm not a huge fan of bright, distracting art plastered on my electronics, consoles or accessories, so the new look is definitely up my alley. The Standard Edition, very limited Femme Fatale TE stick and the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom 2 TE stick are such examples. By replacing the white casing with a glossier black finish the stick gives the impression of being chiseled out of a solid block of granite. It also distances it from the cheaper, white colored Standard Edition FightStick. The Round 2 version maintains the white Sanwa ball top, white/grey buttons and the red bezel, and they work nicely with the new art and casing. Like a high-end piece of home theater equipment, the Round 2 FightStick looks like something you would like to leave out on display. I actually felt bad even breaking the seal on the box... almost.
The front and back of the packaging, along with the new box art.
Opening the magnetic box clasp. The "Certificate of Authenticity".
As great as it looks, the real beauty of these Tournament Edition FightSticks are found on the inside. Using authentic Sanwa Denshi parts, the sticks are modeled after the Vewlix arcade controls found in popular, modern Japanese arcade machines such as those housing Street Fighter IV. The specific model of ball top joystick and the 30mm buttons are arcade standard, so they feel identical to those configured for the arcade machines. This is exactly why Mad Catz saw fit to bless them with the "Tournament Edition" title. The motion on the joysticks and buttons are incredibly silky smooth, and it's here where you'll notice the difference between a regular stick and the more expensive TE FightSticks. One feature in particular that can't be stressed enough is the weight, size and balance of these Tournament Edition sticks. Yes, the casing is big and fairly heavy, but if you don't have the perfect piece of furniture available and in front of your TV, they work amazingly well sitting on your lap. If you're relaxing on a sofa or comfy game chair with the stick on your legs, it's at a good height and stays nice and stable and never feels like it's going to move around or slip off. This was my number one concern previously and why I've always preferred a fighting pad controller. Also, if your hands are large, the additional surface area allows you to rest the heel of your palms on the top surface, so it makes for a more comfortable experience for longer sessions. Needless to say, I'm definitely a convert.
Another great feature of the TE FightSticks the fact that they are easily modded. If you don't like the color or style of the buttons or the ball top, change 'em. If you prefer a more American arcade-style feel, you can inexpensively swap them out with a Sanwa compatible bat/teardrop topper and octagonal restrictor plate. Online retailers such as Lizard Lick have a full line of parts for arcade machines and high quality sticks such as these. If you're a little more artistic and daring, some users have even swapped the art out and replaced it with their own. It's extremely easy to pop the FightStick open with an allen wrench, and thanks to quick connects, neat wiring and ample working room, it's not at all a chore to mod.
I really feel bad opening this thing. It looks too pretty and shiny.
It's free! Time to start breaking it in.
Besides the impressive design and innards, Mad Cats included a couple of additional niceties in the TE FightSticks, all of which are identical in the Round 2 version. You have your PlayStation button/Xbox Dashboard button, a switch which allows the joystick to emulate either the right or left controller analog stick, and a turbo activation button with LED indicators. Both versions have a long, 13 foot long USB cord and a little compartment/door in the back of the FightStick to neatly (if not snugly) store the cord when not in use. There is no wireless version of the FightStick, and most fighting game enthusiasts wouldn't rely on a wireless signal to be as lag free as a corded stick anyway.
Breaking in the FightStick is obviously the fun part. The TE performed just as wonderfully on Tekken 6 as it did on Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Marvel vs Capcom 2, and a PSone Classic such as Soul Blade. Tapping and circular motions come out as consistent as you'd hope or want depending on your abilities. The slight arch of the button configuration make take a few games to get comfortable with if you're accustomed to a straight 3 over 3 layout.
The slick new reflective monochrome SFIV art.
A good shot of the new piano-black casing.
There not much of anything negative to say about the Round 2 TE FightStick or any of the TE versions specifically. If I had to really think of something, it would be the somewhat strange positioning of the Start and Select buttons on the front surface of the casing instead of the top. It's also a little difficult to wrap the USB wire tight enough to fit back in the storage compartment. I wouldn't have minded some sort of colored "power" LED light somewhere, but that's really being nit-picky. It needs to be noted that the PS3 version does not work on PlayStation 2 games, either on a PS2 itself or via emulation on a PS3. It does however work perfectly on original PlayStation games being emulated on a PS3. The PS3 stick also isn't officially supported as a controller on a PC, though it definitely works in a number of games and emulators. The Xbox 360 is supported as a Windows controller, so that's not a problem there.
The MSRP of the Street Fighter IV 'Round 2' Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition is $149.99, so while it seems pricey (especially in this economy), you do get what you pay for. It's more or less in line with the best Hori sticks, depending on the model. And since the whole series of FightSticks are produced in limited amounts, just getting your hands on one may be not particularly easy. These Round 2 TE sticks are only available at Mad Catz's online GameShark store, GameStop retail locations and GameStop.com (sometimes) at the moment, and I've yet to see any others in the wild. Amazon occasionally stocks the original TE FightSticks for under $130. Mad Catz wisely chose to release more Tournament Edition sticks around the Holidays, and for console fighting game fans, it would make a pretty awesome gift.
Eds. Note: Amazon looks like they will start stocking the Round 2 TE FightStick, as seen here.
A closer look at the Sanwa stick and buttons, and the additional controls.
The cord compartment and door, Start/Select buttons and the aluminum base bottom.
What more is there to be said? The Mad Catz Street Fighter IV 'Round 2' Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition is sleek, well designed, high end fighting game stick for fans who want only the best. It's also by far the highest quality stick available at retail in North America. And with Super Street Fighter IV around the corner, now is probably a good time to track one down.
