Not so long ago, before video game consoles were all the rage or had the graphical capabilities they do today, we had the arcade. You could beg your parents to take you to your local video arcade, Chuck E. Cheese in my case, and spend your tokens playing the latest and greatest games around.
Fast forward twenty some years and the arcade is dead, with only a few places and nickel arcades fighting for life. So, how is a person to go about reliving their halcyon days? Well, X-Gaming has the answer in the form of the X-Arcade Dual Joystick.
Over the years I have played with several different joysticks, in both a casual and competitive setting. In all that time I have never, ever, found a joystick as rugged and stylish as the X-Gaming line of stick. To say this piece of kit is beautiful, is an understatement. This thing is built like a tank and is unmatched in quality.
When you are lugging around a joystick in the competitive circuits, you are going to need something that not only will perform flawlessly, but will also stand up to the rigors of the road. We lugged around our unit all of March, taking it to and from the office, back and forth to friends homes and putting it through the ringer at more than a few drunk gaming parties. But the ultimate test came about in the most unexpected way. One night while with a friends home, having a number of heated matches of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, her two year old decided it would be fun to use the X-Arcade stick as a dance stage. For all of those that are parents can attest to, a two year old can render most anything into a pile of rubble before you even know it.
The X-Arcade stick took the beating and never even flinched. Wrenching the sticks back and forth, jumping repeatedly on all the buttons, dragging the unit around the house and it didn’t even get a scratch on it. I have never seen a product put under as much stress as the X-Arcade stick was over the past month, and still look and work like it was just pulled out of the box. And what if something did happen? Well, X-Gaming offer a 100% fully serviced lifetime warranty, which they can easily offer, as I’m sure they get very few units in for repair.
That’s all well and good, but what consoles is the unit compatible with? Each joystick comes standard with a USB connection that makes it compatible with any Mac or PC, which makes it a perfect choice for building your very own arcade cabinet. All X-Gaming sticks are also compatible with every current generation console, and even as far back as two generations, covering the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube and even Dreamcast. It is able to do this with various adapters that are available for purchase separately.
The X-Arcade Dual Joystick features a well spaced two player setup, allowing for heated competitive play with friends. Each player has eight buttons set up in a very standard arcade layout, with an additional button on each side for pinball support. Two classic white player one and player two buttons adorn the to of the unit for an even more authentic arcade look and feel.
The joystick controls themselves, have amazing response for multiple styles of games. It’s a breeze pulling off incredible combos and super movies in a game like X-Men Vs. Street Fighter to a more intricate shooter like DonPachi. The stick performs well in all situations and with all sorts of games. If you are looking to pick up a stick, and want something that is going to last you for years, then the X-Arcade Dual Joystick is the only way to go. It’s the arcade joystick that all other joysticks are judged by, and is an easy recommendation.
But wait, there’s more. Make sure to check out next months issue where be build a full size MAME cabinet, using plans that even the most amateur woodworker can follow. Build a basic upright cabinet for less than the price of a night out at the movies.
You can pick up a X-Arcade Dual Joystick here
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