Joystiq hands-on: Mad Catz Arcade GameStick (Xbox 360)
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Feb 3rd 2007 at 2:30PM }
After accidentally bursting on the scene last year following an EB Games website error, the Mad Catz Arcade GameStick is the peripheral that looked to bring a more authentic (and less clunky) experience to much of the Xbox Live Arcade line-up. The game stick delivers that authentic experience, along with a few included games. The only problem gamers may have is remembering what it's like to use a joystick.The controller retails at $59.99, ten dollars more than than we were originally quoted in August, and includes three Xbox Live Arcade games (Frogger, Astro Pop and Time Pilot), downloadable using the included codes. The USB wired controller can also be used with Windows XP.
The controller works perfectly with games like Frogger and Pac-Man. If you play these classic games often enough, this controller will solve a lot of complaints surrounding the use of the normal Xbox 360 controller. The joystick also has a button on top of the stick, which functions as the A button. If we could think of a single flight sim game off the top of our heads for the 360, that button would come in handy as a replacement trigger button. The Mad Catz game stick is great for the classics and, with some creative thinking, could also be used with newer games.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bigC24 @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:34PM
Over G Fighters is a flight sim for the Xbox 360.
I think I'll pass on this thing, I already have 2 of the arcade games that comes with it so I can't even warrant the purchase for that. Plus with Madcatz you never know the type of quality you're getting.
Spartan 1308 @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:42PM
Blazing Angels
Joe @ Feb 3rd 2007 2:52PM
If it's from Pelican or Mad Catz, I want no part of it.
Michael R. @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:01PM
I picked up mine back in December for $50 new at Gamecrazy. It's great for Astropop (I can't play it any other way) but for most other games, I find it a pain.
Brandon @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:27PM
I saw this at BB about a month ago, it looks like a nice deal, and it is licensed by Microsoft, so perhaps that may up the quality a bit? I've never had problems with MadCatz, just Pelican.
Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:31PM
Mad Catz is very hit-or-miss
Their controllers suck
Their A/V Cables (especially Wii/360 Component) rock
This is a controller, so it will suck...
Bipedal @ Feb 3rd 2007 4:21PM
Years back i bought a madcatz set for my gameboy colour setup. The power cord didn't work, the case scratched up my screen, and if i plugged in the car adaptor, it started to smoke and eventually caught on fire. Madcats for the fail.
Mitochondria @ Feb 3rd 2007 4:22PM
you guys are lame, try the thing before you label it as crap.
nick @ Feb 3rd 2007 4:46PM
I saw this about a month ago at Best Buy.
First off, past experience with Mad Catz has taught me to never run out and buy their products without trying it first or reading a review
Two, it's too expensive. Yeah, there's three games, but two of them I already have. At $29 I'd probably be more likely to impulse buy.
Three, I'm not crazy about the layout. And I'm unclear if this is any better for SFII, as there's only four (five?) buttons on top, instead of all eight.
theron @ Feb 3rd 2007 4:48PM
For real, I'm not paying 50+ bucks for anything made by MadCatz. Somewhere along the line, I'll probably see it used at gamestop for $10, I'll buy it, and it'll break after two hours of use.
dsub @ Feb 3rd 2007 5:36PM
I have to disagree with the review of this product. This is not an authentic arcade stick. It is merely a regular analog stick with a long white tube attatched to it. An arcade stick functions like a 4 or 8-way d-pad, and is not analog at all.
I'll hold onto my money until MS allows companies like X-Gaming to make adapters for the 360 so that I can use my X-Arcade Joystick, which is actually a joystick, unlike this overpriced garbage. Do yourself a favor, pickup an X-Arcade Solo Joystick for $100 and just play all these arcade games on your PC or on an XBOX/PS2 with all the "Classics" compilations you can buy.
nsolo1717 @ Feb 3rd 2007 6:23PM
if this controller makes playing Lumines any easier , then i might consider buying it. I hope someone out there can answer that....
Dirk Dorkelson @ Feb 3rd 2007 6:36PM
I don't understand why they keep bundling specific arcade games with peripherals like the camera and the arcade stick. I already have many of the games that are being thrown in. But I've definitely slowed down my purchasing of arcade games since they started bundling them with peripherals. Why not just include Microsoft points so that those of us who already have the games that come with the arcade stick can buy other games?
epobirs @ Feb 3rd 2007 8:11PM
This completely fails on the pricing. At that level of investment I'd expect wireless, not being locked into THEIR choice of XBLA games. I still have a Wico stick from 1982 that works perfectly. I'd rather use a cheap adapter that brought it inline with a wired Xbox 360 controller to get the desired effect for old games that used digital sticks and a single action button.
I wouldn't give this a second glance for anything over $40, with or without the downloads. For the price they want I could buy several of those all-in-one video game machines from Jakks and have a couple dozen classic games with proper controls.
scott @ Feb 3rd 2007 10:16PM
Why would anyone need this for Frogger?
konajinx @ Feb 4th 2007 5:59PM
This joystick is a piece of crap. I bought it and returned it the same day, after waiting a couple months for its release, hoping it would make UMK3 on XBLA a little less sloppy, but instead it's a complete pain in the ass. Try to wield the stick, while attempting to hold down the LB to run and execute your moves - it's near impossible. Other games were equally pointless with it. The stick is just too clunky, uncomfortable, and not at all worth any price out there. Save your money, people.
Sly @ Feb 4th 2007 7:42PM
I wasn't to please with the configuration after picking one up. No instuctions, just the usual warnings. It was reported to have interchangeable joystick and thumbstick, but found it completely untrue. Right hand would have been perfect for flight control. Unless there was someway of holding the controller backwards and remapping the buttons(axis too). I'm taking it back.
Blue Spotted Frog @ Feb 5th 2007 3:26PM
dsub ( #11 ) is right. Wait for the XBox 360 adpater for the X-Arcade stick. Sure, X-Arcade is expensive, but it's so worth it. The design is flawless and the quality is top notch. The Madcatz stick on the other hand looks like a practical joke in comparison. X-Arcade is also perfect for fighting games as well. Do see you yourself playing UMK3, SF HF 2, or DOA 4 on the Madcatz stick?
Jose @ Feb 5th 2007 4:25PM
What the crap? No Street Fighter test? I thought that should be standard.
chronnick @ Feb 7th 2007 9:20AM
i have to agree, mad catz is the suck.
back when final fantasy 7 was huge, i was saving my games onto a mad catz memory card.
i came home one day and the entire memory card was erased, not a trace of a save game left.
and that includes 70+ hours on final fantasy 7.
saving money < losing 70 hours.
there is no way in hell i'm buying another peripheral made by anyone other than the manufacturer.