When I hear the words Arcade FightStick I instantly think of Mad Catz and with good reason. Over the years they have perfected their craft in building FightSticks for various consoles. Not only that they release some real sweet editions alongside major fighting games. Their latest release is the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition S+ which has been approved by Namco Bandai. You can find my unboxing video here and read my full review below.
I don’t normally comment on boxes in my reviews but in this instance it deserves to be mentioned. The box artwork is just awesome and can double up as a handy carry case. A great option if you want to take this stick round to you mate’s house to give a good ass kicking… Or maybe the other way around. The box art consist of Heichachi and Jin with a smashed glass effect, its great if you are going to use the box as a carry case. The stick is secured in the box by two nicely packed bits of foam holding it firmly in place.
Mad Catz has spared no expense when it comes to the build quality, as they use Swansa Denshi 30mm buttons as well as the Swansa ball-handled stick. If you’re a hardcore fan of fighting games then you will know that these are the best of the best in arcade parts, and the standard in Japanese arcade cabinets. Of course if you want you can change the buttons and stick, however this is something that Mad Catz doesn’t officially support. It’s still good that Mad Catz has allowed the ease of changing parts, meaning gamers can use the stick and buttons they feel most comfortable with.
The overall design of this stick is the best I have used yet giving outstanding comfort especially in the heat of the moment. Mad Catz seems to have got the weight of this stick spot on. It’s not too heavy to use for long sessions with it sitting on your lap, and not to light that you can’t give it a good beating. The base of this stick is all metal with non-slip foam padding which is perfectly placed to give you the grip on your lap where needed. This really does give the reassurance that it won’t move about all over the place in the heat of battle, and trust me it doesn’t. You can secure the stick to a solid surface just by unscrewing the rubber feet.
The default top panel coincides with the main box art and consists of a black background with a shattered glass effect portraying the stick breaking through. There is a smooth green boarder around the top panel stopping your writs being caught on the edges. This stick would certainly look sexy beside a black Xbox slim. If that sounds a bit on the plain side fear not, Mad Catz has included an exclusive second panel with original Tekken Art titled Femme Fatale. This is a lot livelier with a selection of female Tekken fighters in a white background. It is a breeze to change top panels with the included Hex tool. Mad Catz has added see through side panels allowing you to have a peak at what goes in the heart of these sticks.
The layout of the buttons uses the Namco Noir layout which is reminiscent of SEGA’s classic Astro City configuration that has been used for years in arcades. There are ten buttons in total with eight on the face, and start and select buttons on the top side panel. You will also notice a neat little hidden compartment which houses the more than generous 13ft USB cable. As always you have the 360 guide button; turbo button and two switches located just above the stick. The switches allow you to change between the LeftStick, D-Pad and RightStick functions. The lock function can be used to lock out the use of the turbo functions for when you are taken part in pro tournaments. It also locks out the use of the guide button so you don’t accidentally hit pause in the middle of a heated fight.
Now we get down to the most important thing and that is how well the stick performs. Does the sticks performance back up the build quality? I am pleased to report that this stick plays like a dream come true. When using it you can certainly feel how durable and solidly built this stick is. I have put in a fair amount of play time with this stick and I have had no problems at all. I’m pulling of special moves as well as combo moves with such ease. I will even go as far to say that it really has improved my skills, which I noticed almost instantly. Not once have I had any trouble with buttons not registering or the control stick having any dead zones. I have tested this stick out on many games ranging from 2D/3D fighters to some great little retro arcade titles. The results being that it provided excellent performance consistently over all titles.
The Good Things
Solid build quality using AAA Swansa Denshi parts.
Feels the perfect weight and non-slip foam pads holds it firmly in your lap.
Pin point accuracy and Lag free gameplay with the 13ft USB cable.
Must have for fighting fans and collectors alike.
Additional top panel if you feel like a change.
And The Bad
None at all, this truly is the perfect arcade fightstick.
My Verdict…
Once again Mad Catz get the perfect score. The Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Arcade FightStick Tournament Edition S+ is certainly the best arcade stick Mad Catz has produced to date. Built using premium components including Sanwa OBSF-30 action buttons this stick really does not have any weak chains. For any collectors of Arcade FightSticks then this is a no brainer and won’t look out of place.
If this is your first time delving into these then look no further, this is the perfect investment and you won’t regret it. I have gone through numerous pads but with this it performs on a whole different level. It gives you the real arcade experience and is so durable and solidly built it will take a hell of a beating to break this bad boy. For those that also have PC’s this will work on them as it gets recognized as a 360 game controller.
If you are serious about your fighting games then you need this fightstick, built from the best Japanese arcade parts and an absolute dream to use.