Xbox 360 arcade stick
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 19th 2006 at 5:00PM }
A few months back EB Games' website accidentally leaked information about an arcade stick for the Xbox 360. Due to some production hiccups we should finally have the Arcade GameStick next month. The joystick will include Xbox Live Arcade games Frogger, Time Pilot and Astropop. The joystick includes all the buttons found on the Xbox 360 controller, including the rumble feature and it can connect through USB to a PC. The MSRP is $49.99 USD.It's about time this thing comes out. Playing a lot of the classic games on Xbox Live feels horribly awkward because the games were designed in a time pre-thumbsticks -- five minutes with Street Fighter II makes that abundantly clear. Now as long as the thing is made well and we can bang our joystick around like in the good old days without it snapping off, we'll be quite happy -- 'cause nobody likes to see their joystick snap off.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nick @ Nov 19th 2006 5:10PM
With only four buttons on top of the unit, this one really isn't the greatest joystick for Street Fighter, but that they're attempting a new joystick for the 360 is a step in the right direction. There's quite a few XBLA games that would benefit from Joystick control.
I would like to see one with 8 buttons on top for fighting games.
Supposedly this Joystick also has paddle-like controls (for Tempest and Space Giraffe perhaps?)
killr0y @ Nov 19th 2006 5:22PM
speaking of joysticks... Its a sad day for mii. After spending some quality time with the wii, I find myself a bit depressed over how the wiimote actually works. Nintendo fans, please don't read this, as its kind of a spoiler for well, the wii, and if you do read this, it might take a bit of magic away from the little white console.
See, part of the alure of the wii.. Ok, to be honest, the only reason to own a wii is for Nintendo IP's like Mario & Zelda, and for the magic of the wiimote. Well, the wiimote isn't as magic as I thought it was. Another way of putting it, is its nothing but a cheap gimmick, and that makes me very sad, because I grew up on Nintendo and always believed in them.. Mode 7 anyone? Just hearing about a game that used Mode 7 would send my spine tingling!
But alas, the wiimote is not some magical next-gen gizmo that, as Reggie says, lets you "feel the game". Disappointingly, the wiimote is more or less like the old Palm Pilot's "grafitti" character recognition system. It takes a very basic stylus input, or in case of the wii, an accelerometer input, and translates it to, well, a B button, or an X button.
Yes, that's right... it does NOT replicate your hand motions virtually. Its not some kind of VR device. All it does is simply convert a shake, jerk, or thrust into the equivalent of hitting the X or Y button or what have you.
Alternately, it does work with the sensor bar when in its pointing device, aka light-gun mode... but its definately just that, and NOT the console FPS godsend we may have hoped for.
Is this a bad thing? Well, yes and no. It IS something different then just pushing buttons, that's for sure. It at least gives us something new to play with, but in the end, when you are looking for a pure input experience, tapping that "X" button is going always be more accurate, responsive & predictable then wiggling a controller a certain way. What it ISN'T is something magical...
Iced_Eagle @ Nov 19th 2006 5:22PM
Source?
Miharu @ Nov 19th 2006 5:23PM
Uh, how about using the Dead Or Alive 4 Hori stick? That thing looks like a toy and not comfortable to use at all. Why do they only make good arcade sticks in Japan?
daniel @ Nov 19th 2006 5:26PM
@3 well what games did you try?
Qube @ Nov 19th 2006 5:33PM
What I'm more worried about is that the stick isn't attached to the D-pad! All these classic arcade games (SFII especially) really need a tight digital stick.
killr0y @ Nov 19th 2006 5:34PM
#5, All I have is the included Wii sports.. I thought that when you bowled, it would sense your hand movements and hook the ball based on how you twist your hand (like in real bowling), but it doesn't work that way. And it Tennis.. oh.. I was upset that you only have 4-6 different kinds of pre-scripted swings that are based on how you would "mimic" those movements with the wiimote.. I was under the impression that it actually used your real hand movements... it doesnt :(
In fact, the only time it uses your real hand movements is when you are using it in the pointer mode like on the channel screens, etc.
I'm going to at least get Zelda for it but after I play through it, I'm afraid the wii is going to just collect dust like my gamecube has (since I beat RE4 I haven't touched it). It really breaks my heart that the wiimote works the way it does. I can overlook the graphics if the input is something special, you know? But now I know that it isn't all that special, I just don't know.
20XX @ Nov 19th 2006 7:11PM
Oh boy! I look forward to playing Street Fighter II on a $400 system with a fake 2600 joystick.
$49.99 is enough for them to make a reasonable approximation of a real arcade stick. This is insulting.
virtua @ Nov 19th 2006 5:35PM
@ #3 killrOy,
Apparently you have not experienced the wii or played any games with the wii remote because it is motion sensitive!!
oz0ne @ Nov 19th 2006 6:03PM
LOL @ #8
Dude he just said he spent time with it.
killr0y, you make some interesting points. I have not personally tried it yet, but what you said, "All it does is simply convert a shake, jerk, or thrust into the equivalent of hitting the X or Y button ..." sounds believable.
Anyways, about this 360 arcade stick, it looks sweet. Me want.
moksha @ Nov 19th 2006 10:28PM
#3
What about Baseball? That senses your hand movements pretty freaking well. Also, I don't think Nintendo utilized the full power of the Wiimote with Wii Sports. Once you try out Monkey Ball, I hope you'll agree with me as well that the Wiimote is great. Some games, like Zelda, really under-utilize its power, but hopefully as we get a lot of great games for the Wii, it'll get better.
FOX @ Nov 19th 2006 6:48PM
Finally I can play joust how it was meant to be enjoyed.
Ernie @ Nov 19th 2006 6:49PM
lol, killr0y. The classic anti-Nintendo poster of Kotaku has now moved to Joystiq? XD
I still fail to see the excitement in the Wiimote, though. Maybe when the console is 100 dollars in 2 years, I'll consider it. Until then, DS360PC.
killr0y @ Nov 19th 2006 7:06PM
#11. Anti-Nintendo? So that explains why I've owned every Nintendo console since the NES? Just because I'm not a fanboy doesn't mean I'm anti-Nintendo. Sorry if I'm less than impressed by the Wiimote, but it is no VR device. Its not something special, and yeah, for $250 I expected something more than an overclocked Gamecube with a gimmicky remote.
I don't know what it is with you Nintendo fanboys, that goes for any fanboy, Sony, MS, etc.. We deserve a little more than what we've gotten, at least they all promised us more. Except maybe for MS, who gave us what they said they were going to. Sure, it would have been great to have a real VR input system.. I'd almost kill to have a higher-resolution, color version of the Virtual Boy.. I love my VB! Don't know why the industry is going down a path of mediocrity and familiarity.
Pal @ Nov 19th 2006 7:38PM
This is more like the Atari Controller, not an Arcade Controller. Does Microsoft expect us to play Street Fighter on this thing? I don't think so, so I don't see why some of you here do...
diskoboy @ Nov 19th 2006 7:57PM
When X-Arcade comes out with a 360 adapter, then I'll buy an arcade stick.
And it's definitely needed... But unless MS themselves put one out (which ain't happenin'), I'm waiting on the X-arcade. Best arcade controllers money can buy.
Ernie @ Nov 19th 2006 8:13PM
Wow. You're labeling me as a fanboy, even though I basically agreed with you on the Wii. I jokingly referred to you as "anti-Nintendo" after reading pretty much every comment you post on Kotaku and Joystiq, even if the article has nothing to do with it.
J.Goodwin @ Nov 19th 2006 9:48PM
Hori is a Japanese company, renowned for their arcade sticks. The DoA4 stick is a prime example of the Japanese arcade style, with convex buttons etc.
They have previously made extremely good sticks.
This one happens to be crap, but it's Japanese crap.
GoPodular @ Nov 19th 2006 10:34PM
Your best bet is to go with a custom built controller for playing SF on the 360. We make them and there's a couple other guys that do.
Check our site: http://www.gopodular.com
or browse the Shoryuken forums: http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/index.php
#15 - The current X-Arcade controller pinout is incompatible with the licensing format MS has for the 360. They need to change the production line on their controllers, wait until a different licensing format exists, or get special consideration from MS.
Chris @ Nov 19th 2006 11:37PM
Chew on my chrum, killr0y - I'm playing the exact same copy of Wii Sports that you are, and I love it.
My family loves it. It feels like the NES release all over again, Thanksgiving will be a blast!
PodMonkeys @ Nov 20th 2006 7:35AM
The controller looks kind of neat (in an atari2600 sort of way), but that mini analog stick looks like it gets in the way of the buttons. I can just imagine the wrist pains involved with holding your right hand at an akward angle so the thumb isn't hitting the mini stick.
Nekura @ Nov 20th 2006 11:41AM
The problem with this and the Hori stick is the fact that they're 8-way sticks. (U-D-L-R and the diagonals). Some games (like PacMac) don't work very well with 8-way.
Arcade machines of this type used a 4-way stick that typically had a plate that only let the joystick travel on the 2 axes (u-d/l-r). MAME panel layouts typically include a 4-way stick specifically for this purpose.
I have a Hori stick, but it sucks for PacMan because it's too easy to hit a diagonal which causes the Pac to stop completely which is usually an instant death. I'm experimenting with a small jig that would force the stick into a 2-axis configuration. I'm also considering dissecting it and building a better controller box with a 4/8-way convertable stick (http://www.ultimarc.com/controls.html) and real arcade buttons.
Charch @ Nov 20th 2006 11:58AM
Unless I'm mistaken, the stick is wired. I'm surprised that nobody else has mentioned their disappointment over this aspect.
Rob E. @ Nov 26th 2006 9:46AM
You guys might know - is anyone working on a nunchuck type controller for the 360?
I mean, that'd be the ultimate.
Nathan @ Dec 12th 2006 9:19AM
killr0y, you make incorrect points in posts #3 and #7. From your very limited perspective you may think the wii-mote translates a swing to a button press, but you are wrong.
Example 1: in excitetruck you cover up the IR sensor on the wii-mote with your left hand (NES controller position), yet it sends your tilt angle as steering control to the game. Try it and you'll see the sensitivity is like an analog stick/steering wheel.
Example 2: In Red Steel your gun points with the IR sensor but try twisting your wrist and firing gangsta-style. A position sensor does not record the twisting wrist motion.