Mad Catz wins SPOnG’s coveted ‘Third-party Peripheral Trophy of Justice’ award this week for doing what any hardware company with commonsense should do: providing gamers with essential peripherals to make their lives better.
Yes, we know. Just like you, we rarely get excited anymore about third-party gaming peripherals, as the industry continues to churn out largely useless and easily-broken tat. Why anybody would want to buy or use a third-party PS2, GameCube or Xbox controller is still way beyond our ken. However, we’ll step down off that soapbox for just one moment.
This is because, also just like you, SPOnG’s been getting increasingly infuriated with the one slightly niggly and annoying aspect of the otherwise mighty Xbox Live Arcade service. That is, the lack of a decent joystick with which to fully enjoy the arcade classics being pumped out of Microsoft’s XBLA mega-brain on a regular basis.
If, like a number of SPOnG staffers, you are just too lazy and could never really be bothered with the overall fangle of making MAME work properly on your PC and then installing a monitor inside an old arcade cabinet (plus of course, not to mention the clear illegality of being one of those naughty people who own thousands of unlicensed MAME ROMs) then you will be worshipping at the altar of XBLA right now, especially seeing as Mad Catz has topped off the home arcade dream with this must-have peripheral (pictured here, from a leaked US sales sheet). All we need now is a small bar in the corner of our lounge and a fag machine in the toilet and life will be complete.
Further details and official pics of this little beauty have yet to be released and SPOnG’s put in a number of calls to Mad Catz in the UK this morning to find out more. When we do, we’ll make sure we update you, seeing as we (hopefully) have just successfully convinced you to buy one.
So far it sounds like it will retail in the States for $49.99 and will come bundled with a number of full Live Arcade games. Mint! As we used to say down the arcade many moons ago.
Slightly off-topic, but one for the forum here. Best ever joystick? Quickshot II anyone? Sega’s Dreamcast Arcade stick?
UPDATE: We just spoke with a PR rep for Mad Catz UK. She was not aware of any plans to release this in the UK in the near future. We will keep pestering them over the coming weeks to try to teach them the basics of running a profitable peripherals company (i.e., if you have good products, make them widely available).
Yes, we know. Just like you, we rarely get excited anymore about third-party gaming peripherals, as the industry continues to churn out largely useless and easily-broken tat. Why anybody would want to buy or use a third-party PS2, GameCube or Xbox controller is still way beyond our ken. However, we’ll step down off that soapbox for just one moment.
This is because, also just like you, SPOnG’s been getting increasingly infuriated with the one slightly niggly and annoying aspect of the otherwise mighty Xbox Live Arcade service. That is, the lack of a decent joystick with which to fully enjoy the arcade classics being pumped out of Microsoft’s XBLA mega-brain on a regular basis.
If, like a number of SPOnG staffers, you are just too lazy and could never really be bothered with the overall fangle of making MAME work properly on your PC and then installing a monitor inside an old arcade cabinet (plus of course, not to mention the clear illegality of being one of those naughty people who own thousands of unlicensed MAME ROMs) then you will be worshipping at the altar of XBLA right now, especially seeing as Mad Catz has topped off the home arcade dream with this must-have peripheral (pictured here, from a leaked US sales sheet). All we need now is a small bar in the corner of our lounge and a fag machine in the toilet and life will be complete.
Further details and official pics of this little beauty have yet to be released and SPOnG’s put in a number of calls to Mad Catz in the UK this morning to find out more. When we do, we’ll make sure we update you, seeing as we (hopefully) have just successfully convinced you to buy one.
So far it sounds like it will retail in the States for $49.99 and will come bundled with a number of full Live Arcade games. Mint! As we used to say down the arcade many moons ago.
Slightly off-topic, but one for the forum here. Best ever joystick? Quickshot II anyone? Sega’s Dreamcast Arcade stick?
UPDATE: We just spoke with a PR rep for Mad Catz UK. She was not aware of any plans to release this in the UK in the near future. We will keep pestering them over the coming weeks to try to teach them the basics of running a profitable peripherals company (i.e., if you have good products, make them widely available).
Companies:
Mad Catz
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Comments
Dreadknux 18 Aug 2006 15:59
1/9
Best: Quickshot II, definitely. That takes me back.
horngreen 18 Aug 2006 16:49
2/9
I have to assume the "arcade" stick portion will NOT be analog. Just making an analog stick that is taller won't be better. Surely they know that? Don't get me wrong analog is the best thing to happen to gaming but these games need simple on/off action to really get the feel. If it turns out right I may even put some cigarette burns on my console and dump a cup of chew spit on the carpet to fully re-create the experience!
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Joji 18 Aug 2006 16:56
3/9
I'm glad Mad Catz had a go at this, I just hope they do a pad that makes SF2 easier to to play.
Interesting design of this joystick, flip it on one side for different play and such. We'll find out in time what 2d games it'll play well with.
Perhaps the huge joystick bit is unscrewable, Horn.
Mmm...Quickshot 2 was groovy.
Interesting design of this joystick, flip it on one side for different play and such. We'll find out in time what 2d games it'll play well with.
Perhaps the huge joystick bit is unscrewable, Horn.
Mmm...Quickshot 2 was groovy.
vault 13 18 Aug 2006 18:20
4/9
Joji wrote:
Mmm...Quickshot 2 was groovy.
Wow, did we ALL own a Quickshot II? I loved how the Atari 2600 controllers worked on a Commodore 64 too. And yet I had so many controllers. This though, was my baby. I called her Joy. Clever eh?
Dreadknux 18 Aug 2006 18:31
5/9
vault 13 wrote:
This though, was my baby. I called her Joy. Clever eh?
I had one of those as well, alongside my Quickshot when I had (still have) my Amiga 500+. It wasn't that exact one though nor do I think it was that particular make - mine was black and had yellow buttons.
Pissed me off though that joy because I thought the buttons on either side, instead of just one side, was a bit of a poo idea. Well, not really... I enjoyed it but it still got on my proverbial tits.
PreciousRoi 19 Aug 2006 02:06
6/9
Epyx 500j was my fave
NiktheGreek 19 Aug 2006 23:52
7/9
I really, really like the Dreamcast arcade stick. It's really essential as far as Capcom games go, simply for having the six-button layout that the standard pad lacks, but works pretty nicely for a whole bunch of other arcade ports too.
Still, I was rather pleased with one particular arcade stick purchase I made - two brand new official Saturn ones, £8 each. Street Fighter Alpha 2 is all the reason you need.
Still, I was rather pleased with one particular arcade stick purchase I made - two brand new official Saturn ones, £8 each. Street Fighter Alpha 2 is all the reason you need.
thane_jaw 20 Aug 2006 07:09
8/9
Svend Joscelyne wrote:
I had one of those as well, alongside my Quickshot when I had (still have) my Amiga 500+. It wasn't that exact one though nor do I think it was that particular make - mine was black and had yellow buttons.
I know exactly which one you mean, I had two of those black and yellow ones. I think they were the most functional joysticks I've ever used. Cant remember what they're called though.
Dreadknux 21 Aug 2006 11:21
9/9
NiktheGreek wrote:
I really, really like the Dreamcast arcade stick. It's really essential as far as Capcom games go, simply for having the six-button layout that the standard pad lacks, but works pretty nicely for a whole bunch of other arcade ports too.
Agreed. It was a bit of a hulky piece of kit for my liking, but it was heavy duty. Those chunky buttons could take some abuse when in a heated match. :)