Joystiq

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus coming to Japan this summer, limited edition arcade stick in tow

Jordan Mallory — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:30:00 EST

The XBLA/PSN port of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus will roman cancel its way into Japanese living rooms sometime this summer, according to Siliconera's translation of Famitsu. Still no word on a North American or European release date, however, but a Japanese release window is a good sign that things are progressing in some fashion.

Despite years of inactivity brought on by legal troubles and developmental purgatory, the Guilty Gear series still holds a very special place in the living, beating heart of the fighting game community. So much so, in fact, that arcade parts manufacturing powerhouse Sawna Denshi is producing a limited edition Guilty Gear arcade stick for the PS3, set to launch alongside the game's Japan release.

The stick will be available from Ebten for ¥13,980 ($171.95) when it does launch, but since Sanwa only operates in Japan, we doubt it'll make its way to any domestic retailers that don't specialize in importing esoteric wares from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus coming to Japan this summer, limited edition arcade stick in tow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video review: Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Soul Edition

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

A few weeks ago, Mad Catz sent me one of its latest arcade sticks, the SoulCalibur 5 branded Soul Edition arcade fightstick. After daily testing on SC5, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Mortal Kombat, the Soul Edition not only met my expectations, but exceeded them, as you can tell from the review video above.

The company's Tournament Edition sticks have always been excellent pieces of hardware, and the Soul Edition is no exception. It's solidly constructed from arcade-quality parts and is heavy enough to stay in place, regardless of whether you fight on a table-top or your lap. The stick's striking motif and subtle design elements set it apart from every other mass-produced arcade stick on the market; if you want to stand out at your local Ranking Battles without incurring the cost of a custom-made stick, you'd be hard pressed to find a piece of fighting tech that's this unique, right out of the box.

Video review: Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Soul Edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Joystiq Joystick, chapter 1: Parts

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

You see that video up there? That was taken at Arcade UFO in Austin, TX, during its 2011 fall Ranking Battle tournament series. The fight was between me and the arcade's owner, Ryan Harvey, and took place on a custom built Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet, one of the few in existence at the time. I'm the guy playing Kitana, and if you watch the whole thing, you'll see that I'm also the guy who loses.

That's all right though, because I should have lost that fight. Fubarduck (as Ryan is known in the fighting game community) is an exceptional fighting-game player, as his multiple Top-8 finishes at EVO will attest, and his combo execution was far more solid than what I was laying down with Kitana. Ryan had won, I had learned something about fighting Johnny Cage, and we all moved on. Right?

Well, in a perfect world yes, but unfortunately we live in a world where this fight is available on YouTube. By now I've watched it dozens of times, and at this point I can pinpoint every single mistake I made over the course of those matches. Most of them were strategic mistakes, granted, but there were also execution errors: Because the arcade parts Ryan uses in his cabinets are far superior to the parts in the $35 fight stick I practice with at home, I was at a disadvantage.

High quality joysticks and buttons are light, accurate and require very little manual force to move. Cheaply made parts, on the other hand, are stiff and less responsive, and as such require a lot more effort. My hands, being acclimated to a sub-standard stick, were expecting to work a lot harder than they needed to. I was forward-jumping instead of dashing, doing directional normals instead of neutral normals ... The whole fight was a mess, looking back.

It was a good fight, though, because it made me realize how important it is to own a proper fight stick once you get serious about competitive fighting games. After all, a craftsman's tools are as important as the skill he has acquired, as far as the final result is concerned. To that end, I'm going to build my own, custom fight stick, and you're coming along for the ride.

Continue reading The Joystiq Joystick, chapter 1: Parts

The Joystiq Joystick, chapter 1: Parts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hori making Soulcalibur 5 branded fight sticks

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST

Remember how Mad Catz is going to make those gorgeous, dynamically styled Soulcalibur 5 themed fight sticks? Well, if shiny bevelled edges and an LED-ready see-through plastic casing aren't your jam, accessories manufacturer Hori has a rather minimalistic alternative: The Soulcalibur 5 Joystick.

The stick's fancy name matches the rest of its aesthetic, and is slated for a January 2012 release, with versions being made for both the 360 and PS3. While Hori has yet to announce pricing or parts information, the size of the stick suggests that it will be similar to their Sanwa-packing $140 Real Arcade Pro. That's wild speculation on our part, of course, so while we're speculating let's go ahead and say that the stick is also filled with molasses. Gross, Hori!

Hori making Soulcalibur 5 branded fight sticks originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Hori arcade sticks are large

JC Fletcher — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Hori has finally revealed details about the mysterious giant arcade stick it had on display at Tokyo Game Show. The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX series will be released in Japan this March in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, for ¥30,000 ($330) -- a price that ensures that it's for fighting game nerds only.

But what do said nerds get for their money, besides obvious proof that they've spent a lot? An enormous controller patterned after the control panel in Taito's Vewlix arcade cabinet -- the cabinet used for Street Fighter IV machines. It comes equipped with arcade-standard Sanwa buttons and joystick, and features a flip-up panel for wiring access and extra button storage (in case you want to remove some to create an authentic button layout for a particular game).

Importer Play-Asia will carry both versions of the VLX, but currently has no pricing information. Expect to pay a lot for shipping, on account of the bigness.

New Hori arcade sticks are large originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Collection of strange and obscure Famicom peripherals, controllers

Eric Caoili — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Peripherals

It's astounding that, despite all the eBay auctions we've followed and Nintendo oddities we've researched, there are still so many Famicom accessories out there that we've never seen, much less heard of. Thankfully, an obsessive Japanese collector has put up a page documenting these rare controllers and peripherals, like Hori RF adapters and Disk System cleaning sprays. Check out the Hyper Shot Zapper-clone pictured above -- can you believe that Bandai made a submachine gun for the Famicom? Jump past the post break for more Famicom odds and ends.

Continue reading Collection of strange and obscure Famicom peripherals, controllers

Collection of strange and obscure Famicom peripherals, controllers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 May 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hori brings non-wacky controller to the Wii

Eric Caoili — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Imports, Controller

With almost every controller accessory and attachment for the Wii seeming more hare-brained than the last, it's a relief to come across a more traditional product. The only evidence to suggest any link between Hori's Fighting Stick and the Wii, besides its white and blue colors, are the three buttons on the top right labeled with the remote's home, plus, and minus symbols. Uh, and the parts where it says "Wii."

Though it isn't completely clear yet what purpose the top left switches serve, they're probably meant for turbo/slow/hold functions. Like Hori's fighting sticks for other consoles, this one employs the Japanese design favored by the hardcore -- convex buttons, ball top stick (Sanwa, likely), arced button placement, and what we assume to be a square gate. It might take some time for you to adjust to the layout if you're used to western setups.

Play-Asia's $52.90 import price might sound expensive, but it's indicative of Hori's reputation as a manufacturer of relatively high-quality arcade sticks. Hopefully, the Wii will actually have some fighting games that are compatible with the stick by the time its November release in Japan comes around. Check past the post break for a larger image.

Continue reading Hori brings non-wacky controller to the Wii

Hori brings non-wacky controller to the Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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