Xbox Live Arcade Stick priced at $50, includes games
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Aug 18th 2006 at 5:22AM }
Contrary to what the recently deceased EB Games page indicated, the newly revealed Xbox Live Arcade Stick from Mad Catz will actually retail for $49.99 and will come bundled with extras. Several full Live Arcade games are to be included with the purchase, simultaneously enhancing the stick's value and implying that someone working for the prolific peripheral producer does, in fact, have a functioning brain. We're rather fond of those.The leaked (and still very small) sales sheet was promptly yanked because Mad Catz is still gripped by the process of finalizing which games they'll be tossing in. If we weren't barred entry from metaphorical casinos, we'd place our brightly colored chips on Frogger, Galaga and Pac-Man being the survivors of a rigorous selection process. It's unclear as to what kind of an endorsement would make the Arcade Stick itself survive the retail world, though a sticker reading "Not the standard D-pad!" would probably suffice.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wickedneoq @ Aug 18th 2006 5:36AM
Why not just bundle it with an MSP card? I already own the retro classics that I'd be playing with this peripheral if I bought it. Mad Catz sure makes things awkward. I wonder how good this will stand up against the Hori DOA4 Arcade Controller...
james @ Aug 18th 2006 5:38AM
cool, more things for me to buy that i'll never use and stick under the sofa, just like my steering wheels!
elmer @ Aug 18th 2006 6:02AM
I'm getting concerned with that D-pad. So far as I know, Nintendo own the patents on true 4-way cross hair D-pads, which is why everyone else 'till now seems to have used variations of the theme (circularised, segmented etc.). Of course it has been more than 20 years, so the patents might have lapsed.
Nick James @ Aug 18th 2006 6:44AM
I have never used a Mad Catz peripheral that wasn't a complete piece-of-shit. Totally disposable products.
They're like the Kia's of video game accessories.
...I'll wait. Until then I'll just keep sucking at Street Fighter II.
J.Goodwin @ Aug 18th 2006 7:04AM
Yeah, bundle it with a points card. I already own any arcade games that they might choose to include :(
Headcase @ Aug 18th 2006 7:18AM
"I have never used a Mad Catz peripheral that wasn't a complete piece-of-shit. Totally disposable products."
Agreed. Buy this, and you're buying the extra arcade games that are bundles and little else. Don't say we didn't warn you.
360insight.com @ Aug 18th 2006 7:28AM
yeah i've always found that mad catz periph's are always POS. but to be fair to them, how wrong can you go with an arcade stick??
however i'm SURE they will find someway of proving to me that it is possible to go very, very wrong...
saboola @ Aug 18th 2006 7:57AM
I guess im the only one that has never had a problem with Mad Catz stuff. Cheap, and lasts forever, almost. Only had one Gamecube controller die but thats after my niece had an over zealous session of super smash brothers.
PodMonkeys @ Aug 18th 2006 8:04AM
Neat idea, but way too many buttons and controls. It'd be neat to see something a little simpler, like halfway between that and the oh so awesome Atari joystick.
Lorben @ Aug 18th 2006 8:42AM
It looks like you would bump your hand every time you tried to press a button and go right at the same time.
Also jumping on the Mad Catz sucks bandwagon. I never bought from them but my brother did. 3 dead PS2 controllers later he wasn't very impressed.
Meanwhile the original controller that came with the system in 2002 still works.
devi8i @ Aug 18th 2006 9:42AM
I have to agree with the "quality" of madcatz products... I have purchased a couple of their pads before and my wife bought a steering wheel for me from them.....all have been pretty crap-tastic.
Now lets look at this stick.... is it intended that you turn the controller and hold it from different sides depending on what directional controller you want to use? If not it seems it may be fairly awkward to use the dpad and the buttons simultaneously. Also, I am an old throwback to the atari days. I prefer to use a joystick with my right hand and use the buttons with my left.
Evil Inside @ Aug 18th 2006 9:46AM
I've owned various Mad Catz products in the past, and while not as high quality as first party or even Logitech products, they are decent enough. Bundled with some Arcade titles and this is a good value. A points card makes more sense, but the bundled games are no doubt a marketing tool and not just random titles thrown in.
However, if Microsoft announcing a similar product I'll have to pass on this one.
Player1 @ Aug 18th 2006 10:01AM
As far as Mad Catz goes, this says it all:
http://www.sonofgamenight.com/content/view/20/9/
james f. @ Aug 18th 2006 10:02AM
Another vote for the "Mad Catz Suckz" camp. I still have an original xbox mad catz controller thats chugging along but got is it ugly and cheap feeling. And I've heard a few horror stories about memory cards being wiped on ps1's when mad catz controllers were plugged in. That name and logo is also uber crappy.
And also, games included or not doesn't $50 seem a tad pricey? All this said i might give it a spin.
Player1 @ Aug 18th 2006 10:03AM
There is rumor of a MS controller on the way:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/25/microsoft-planning-simpler-controller/
Scott @ Aug 18th 2006 10:18AM
That is just an awful looking controller. Looks like it would be completely unbalanced and a PITA to use.
Lord Meph @ Aug 18th 2006 10:21AM
I've always been wary of 3rd party accessories, but I am getting desparate for a decent Street Fighter 2 d-pad.
IGN reviewed this Madcatz redesign, and the pad looks good on it. Also, they claim that the analog stick is very tight and snaps back to center.
I will probably pick it up to try it out for Street Fighter...
Link: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=74824
Lord Meph @ Aug 18th 2006 10:24AM
Too early in the morning for me. Copied wrong link lol
Here is the pad I am talking about:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/683/683344p1.html
Blue Spotted Frog @ Aug 18th 2006 10:31AM
This Madcatz controller looks too small and flimsy. The XBox 360 needs a rugged and sturdy arcade stick such as the X-Arcade joystick because we all know that Pac-Man just doesn't work with D-pad or analog stick. Arcade games need an arcade stick.
badbob @ Aug 18th 2006 10:33AM
I don't know what's the big deal with emulating the old sticks... You know what, I HATED the atari controller. The stick was stiff and I had to hold the base with an iron grip to keep it stable. It was tiring. It was a godsend when I replaced the atari with the atari-compatible gemini console with its nicer controllers.
It looks like it would be impossible to reach the left shoulder button when using the stick. So much for using this for Street Fighter. They should at least do the capcom 6-button config... afterall, isn't Street Fighter the fastest selling live arcade game?
If the idea was to create a simplier and more friendly stick... this is NOT it. In fact, all the controls and buttons crammed together makes it even more intimidating. If they really want to give it the old arcade feel, they should emulate the arcade controllers out there with a much larger base and spread the controls out... like a 'lap' controller.
Jason W @ Aug 18th 2006 10:36AM
Most 3rd party conrollers suck. The only exception I can think of are the Logitech controllers for the PS2. They are clearly better than the PS2s controller.
Jeff @ Aug 18th 2006 10:42AM
I have several MadCatz MicroCon controllers (I got them free) and honestly, they are pretty good controllers. I got one of them before the Controller S was released for the original Xbox and it was actually far superior to the original MS controller. It wasn't just the size, either; the buttons and d-pad were better too. And it felt solid. I still actually use it about equally with my Controller S - I have never liked the way MS's buttons feel. They're mush. I like snappy buttons and the MicroCons have that.
I will say that this line is the one line of MadCatz products that I've ever actually liked. But they are capable of building good controllers.
Honestly, though, I look at the picture above and I can't figure out how the heck you're even supposed to use that thing. Why not just put out a *real* arcade stick for the 360? I realize you can import one, but it was made for a specific game (so its button layout isn't all that versatile), it's pretty expensive (being an import) and not that easy to find anymore. The 360 is sorely in need of a real arcade stick for XBLA, if MS wants to be taken seriously in that area.
badbob @ Aug 18th 2006 10:48AM
Squitting at the picture, it looks like the stick can be pulled off the controller to give it the old xbox look. Why not allow you to have two sticks for some insane robotron/smashtv/geometrywars?
Lord Meph @ Aug 18th 2006 10:49AM
Jeff - Have you ever used the MicroCon controller for Street fighter? If so, how is it?
Evan @ Aug 18th 2006 10:54AM
A proper arcade stick should have large buttons on the base that you can slap with your hand, not little thumb-buttons.
J.Goodwin @ Aug 18th 2006 10:56AM
Jeff, the Xbox buttons were mushy because they were pressure sensitive.
That's gone away on the 360.
rcholbert @ Aug 18th 2006 11:02AM
I have a ton of Mad Katz products I bought in the last two console generations, and all of them were awesome and the best thing besides the besides the the 1st party controllers.
I've bought several of their normal, microcon and wireless (sometimes microcon AND wireless) controllers and all of them worked beautifully. Out of the 20+ controllers I've bought from them, only one quit working and I still had my receipt for that one, no big loss.
Did I mention the Xbox 360 Mad Katz controller already has a nice d-pad? People crying about Street Fighter II may find this useful.
#19, Pac-Man works flawlessly with the d-pad. It's not as if the game has complicated moves or combos. You simply move in 4 directions. That's it.
Josh @ Aug 18th 2006 5:51PM
Yes Mad Catz products are a waste of money. And bundling games that I already own? Whos idea was that? Anybody with Pacman, Street Fighter and Galaga will not be pursuaded with any such "bundle". Instead they, myself and EVERYONE ELSE WITH AN X-ARCADE will be waiting for Microsoft to get over itself so I can use my REAL ARCADE STICK with the 360.
Your Uncle Ricky @ Aug 18th 2006 6:04PM
On a completely unrelated, please delete this post beacuse it's so unrelated, I was playing the Pac-Man demo, just about to get killed by Blinky, and I kick it in reverse to plow into the bastard. Lo-and behold, I pass THRU him. Well, it was more like behind him.
It was weird. The game must suck, because the demo sucked...just like Crackdown is the worst game ever for the 360, because the 3 videos I've seen on it are grainy and small and the explosions look totally fake, and there's no way someone can jump that far, or throw a car, or juggle someone in the air with a rocket launcher.
Brad Lee @ Aug 20th 2006 3:48PM
I keep asking this question but I don't get an answer. Why doesn't MS team up with Capcom and create an official XBox360 Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting Arcade Stick? There are a lot of Street Fighter fans that would eat that up, and it would really solve the dilema of playing fighting games on the 360. I also think it would help move some 360s over in Japan. Perhaps not by much, but even a little boost should be well welcomed over there.
I don't know how well the DOA4 Stick worked because I canceled my order. I would have liked to try the stick on DOA4, but my disc had an unfortunate 'accident' after I got really pissed playing online. Yes... accident.
Oh and that Madcatz Stick looks like a piece of shit. I can't imagine trying to use that stick while accessing the buttons, especially the shoulders.
sandy gett @ Oct 19th 2006 9:04PM
The solution many have been waiting for when it comes to playing the classics ! The design looks great, for right handed or left handed players. The ability to play the old classics has been cumbersome on the XBOX 360. It looks as though MAD CATZ has really thought this one out by the appearance of the design and by the description of its functionality. Can't wait to get one. Every MAD CATZ product that I've owned so far has been great!