Reviews// Capcom, SNK & Sammy revive the 2D beat 'em up

One of the critical issues in launching all these old games for the Xbox is the big controller question. For the most part, fans of 2D fighting games will fully appreciate the genre’s arcade heritage. The precise level of control required, and the inherently violent way in which you want to pull off these moves definitely invites the need for arcade sticks. Whilst PS2 controllers can cope fairly well with this style of game (especially in the case of the new-ish bespoke Street Fighter joypads), the bulky Xbox controllers are less appropriate.

However, given that these games are likely to be cut-price offerings: particularly further down the line, Xbox owners might manage to stump up a few extra quid (or Euros) for a big-ass joystick or two. Not only do arcade sticks breathe a dramatically engaging air of interaction into these fighting games, but they will also add a pleasing level of authenticity to any arcade styled offering. And with Metal Slug 3, Psyvariar 2 and Xbox Live Arcade all on the cards, there’s never been a better time to invest in some seriously heavy-duty digital peripherals.

SPOnG’s beat ‘em specialists are still divided on the question of what the best arcade stick is though. The main debate is Japanese style versus American style. The slightly smaller Jap-style spherical-topped micro-switch based arcade sticks, perhaps the best example of which is the classic Dreamcast Arcade Stick, are favoured by some. These stick’n’ball affairs are certainly precise and reliable, and do all that you would want them to in a nicely satisfying way. And although various Xbox arcade sticks (Gamester, Logitech etc) are available in the average high street retailer, there are better ones on the market for those looking to investigate further. A certain import specialist, for instance, stocks a superb, wallet-friendly Dreamcast-style stick built from Virtua Fighting stick components.

However, we recently got our filthy mitts on a massive US style teardrop beast of a joystick – the X Arcade 2 (available through www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk ). This ultra heavy-duty monster is an absolute beast of a peripheral, and with its lifetime guarantee, just made us want to smash the living crap out of it in order to test the claims. We can confirm that it’s virtually indestructible and could conceivably have been built from Humvee gearbox parts. One half of SPOnG reckons that these are almost too hardcore. The sheer size of the sticks requires full arm movement from the shoulder, rather than diminutive wiggling and jiggling from the wrist. For those already trained with the stick’n’ball set-up, this can make some of the more complicated moves tricky to pull off.

The other half of SPOnG, however, has been converted by the X Arcade. Once you’ve got used to the seemingly exaggerated motions required of you, it can provide an even more satisfying ‘feel’. For every fire ball you throw, you do actually have to crunk the stick round in a physically-demanding type of way. It does actually feel as if you’re fighting. The other inherent advantage of the X Arcade 2 (apart from the fact that it can be used with most consoles and PCs) is that it’s a two-player peripheral. This helps avoid those arguments about who gets which stick, or who gets lumbered with the creaky joypad. It may be a pricey bit of hardware, but for arcade enthusiasts who favour teardrop arcade sticks, it could be a worthwhile investment indeed.