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View Full Version : Review: Hori Fighting Stick Wii



bandit
January 11th, 2008, 04:26
Hori Fighting Stick Wii
Manufacturer: Hori
Site: Buy from Goldenshop (http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/wii/fightingstick.htm)
Price: $49-53


http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/wii/hard/fightingstick.jpg

Overview : If the Wii Classic Controller isn't cutting the mustard for your fighting needs perhaps Hori's Fighting Stick will better suit your condiment slicing and head-to-head brawling needs. Set turbo for any button you want (Turbo is approx. 20times/second). The fighting stick layout replicates the classic arcade style. The joystick acts like the classic controller, just plug it into Wiimote and it'll be at your mercy.

Features :

Arcade style stick for Nintendo Wii
Wii remote extension
Turbo mode can be set for all buttons
Easy to use button layout

Quality/Usability : The Wii itself lacks some titles that either require or takes advantage of the Hori Fighting Stick, which is an arcade stick. But that doesnt mean the Virtual Console doesnt. The Virtual Console is full of games that would work great with the fighting stick especially Neo Geo and old school fighting games such as Street Fighter, Gunstar Heroes, etc.

The Fighting stick is manufactured by Hori, known for their high quality products. The Fighting Stick is an Official Nintendo Product so you know you're getting a good product. The stick comes in a cardboard box that mimics that of the Nintendo Wii inner console box that holds the console and accessories. Gotta love the packaging and creativity. Everything about the way the fighting stick is package mimics that of the Wii packaging. The fighting stick is covered by a clear plastic bag with the cord and connectors wrapped up and protected. The top surface of the stick is protected by an adhesive film. You can leave this on or off..its up to you. I prefer to leave it on to give it added protection from any scratches or marks. I'm just anal when it comes to my electronic devices.

The buttons are laid out as follows:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa112/dcemureviews/wiistick.jpg

The joystick and buttons are very responsive. Whatever direction you push the joystick, the joystick makes a clicking sound. Even when it returns to its original spot.

The Minus (-), Plus (+) and Home buttons are located at the upper right corner of the stick (above main buttons). To the left of the menu buttons are eight switches. These are your autofire switches for each of the main buttons. These switches are fairly small and will require you to look at if you plan on switching them on or off during gameplay.

What makes the Fighting Stick work? Like the Classic Controller, you'll need to connect the Fighting Stick to the Wiimote. With this, the Fighting Stick will work with any game supporting the Classic Controller whether it be a Wii game or VC game. The joystick is configured to the Classic Controller's D-pad so you wont be able to control any N64 games with it or move the Wii pointer so you're foruced to use the Wiimote.

The stick worked great with fighting games on the VC such as Street Fighter and shooters. But what about Wii games? As mentioned, there werent many games that would benefit from the Fighting Stick. Super Smash Bros. Brawl wont be out for the next couple months (if it doesnt get delayed) and there werent much fighting games to begin with but since I know a friend who has Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not into fighting games but with the Fighting Stick, it made playing much more fun and arcade like.

Conclusion : Overall, the Hori Fighting Stick Wii is a must have for gamers who love fighting games (when more are available) and perfect for Virtual Console games. The fighting stick resembles the Agetec Stick for the Dreamcast. The quality is sturdy and top notch. Buttons and controls are very responsive. It would be nice to attach the Wiimote to the side of the Fighting Stick or be able to hide it in a compartment of some sort.

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