Every time I buy a new fighting game, I debate about getting an arcade stick for my system. With ‘Marvel vs. Capcom 3’, I finally took the plunge. I’ll never look back.<\/p>\n
I’ve had my eye on a quality arcade stick for quite some time. Ever since I first got the Xbox 360, I’ve wanted an arcade stick to go with it. I knew that it would help me out in ‘Dead or Alive 4’, but there weren’t many around. The same goes for ‘SoulCalibur IV’. There were only a few sticks available, and I just didn’t like ‘SoulCalibur’ enough to make the plunge.<\/p>\n
Once ‘Street Fighter IV’ came out, I knew that I had to have a high-quality stick. By then, there were plenty to choose from. The only trouble is that they were sold out nearly instantaneously, and then put back on Amazon and eBay at ridiculous prices. It seemed that the fates had conspired against me yet again.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, while perusing SlickDeals<\/a> (a site that I frequent for cheap computer parts and games), I happened across a deal that I couldn’t pass up. Best Buy has the ‘Tekken 6’ bundle<\/a> which includes a wireless arcade stick marked down to $29.99.<\/p>\n Thirty bucks for an arcade stick is a ridiculously good price, not to mention that this one comes with ‘Tekken 6 ‘. It’s such a good deal that many of the stores around me sold out before I could get my hands on one.<\/p>\n Still, I managed to track down one of these ultra-inexpensive sticks, which my roommate picked up on his way home from work. He brought it home and I quickly tore open the box so that I could play with my new toy. I popped in the batteries and put in ‘Marvel vs. Capcom 3’.<\/p>\n I’m not exaggerating when I say that using a joystick dramatically changed the game for me. The stick itself is more precise than the analog stick on the Xbox 360, and the button layout makes combinations much simpler to pull off.<\/p>\n I’ve found that rather than spamming attacks, I’m able to execute the moves I want to at will. It’s no longer a matter of inputting moves and hoping they work. They work every time.<\/p>\n Hardcore fighting game players will tell you that the stick included with ‘Tekken 6’ is at the low end of the spectrum, and that the wireless connection causes a bit of input lag. That’s all true, but it’s still a huge step up over the normal controller.<\/p>\n The nice thing about the ‘Tekken’ stick is that it’s a cheap way to get a feel for the experience. I know that I’ll want something better as time goes on, but no longer am I wary about dropping real money on an arcade stick.<\/p>\n