X-Arcade Solo Stick Review

The X-Arcade stick screams quality, not only in performance but also rates highly in the durability and presentation categories.  This is the arcade stick to end all other arcade sticks.

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Upon first impression of the packaging, the user will know they are holding a quality product.  The stick comes packed in a clear plastic box, housing firmly by some styrofoam. The total package comes bundled with the stick, a manual, a lifetime warranty card, and adapter cables to hook up to your PC. 

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This Solo Stick contains 9 face buttons and a very study arcade joystick.  All the buttons are very reminiscent of arcade cabinets as the buttons are slightly indented and the stick can be man handled without any type of breakage. 

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The overall construction of the unit is nothing short of the highest quality.  The deck itself is slightly textured to not only increase presentation but also allow for a better grip when using the unit’s buttons.  I cannot emphasize enough how study the joystick is.  This piece is so strong, even the most violent users will probably be unable to break it.  However, if you do manage to break the stick, or anything else on the controller, everything is backed by a lifetime guarantee.  This only furthers the point that this is the best arcade stick on the market.   

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Despite being a solidly built controller, there are just a few minor downsides.  First, the manual is not exactly the clearest piece of work.  I wish there were a few more illustrations and the instructions were a bit more detailed.  However, the user could always do a Google search if there are further questions or concerns.  Secondly, the unit itself is rather large and heavy.  This baby is about 11 inches wide and weights a hefty 12 pounds.  You will definitely need to clear off some tabletop space to use this honker.  Some users might not the space needed to use this stick.  But on the other hand, this stick designed to mimic that of a real arcade.  Both a curse and a blessing.

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This stick is even compatible with other gaming systems.  The PC, PS2, Xbox, GC, Mac, and even Dreamcast are all supported.  In order to use this unit with these consoles, an adapter can be purchased through the X-Arcade website for a price of $19.99.  When you purchase this stick, however, you also get 1 free console adapter of your choice as an added bonus. 

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MAME users will also be pleased to hear that this stick is fully supported.  Fighting games, such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, probably make the best use of the stick whereas classic sports games like Tecmo Bowl and Madden Football come behind in close second place.  Recent FPS and RTS games are probably the only type of game that you might want use a different controller.  But this is defiantly the best for fighting game fans.  

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This is the best arcade stick on the market.  The $99.99 price tag might seem a bit hefty, but when you consider how study the unit is, the lifetime warranty, and the ability to plug and play from multiple different consoles, users will consider this price point to be rather cheap. X-Arcade even offers a dual stick and track ball version of this arcade stick.  If you plan on playing any type of arcade style game on your PC then this controller is a no brainer, especially for fighting game fans.  If the X-Arcade stick was built with a machine gun attachment, it could single handedly end the war in Iraq; that is how much of a tank this thing is. 

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Visit http://www.x-arcade.com/index.shtml for more info and to order your controller today.  Highly recommended.