Note: This post used to be an AMA (Ask Me Anything) about the arcade stick in the title. However, I'm turning it into a review as that's better suited for this community. I believe that I've spent enough time with the arcade stick to write a proper review, so here it is. Full disclosure: I'm just starting out with arcade sticks and this is my very first unit. I'm covering this review from the perspective of someone being interested in this particular unit for the Wii U.
Introduction and availability
Hori released this arcade stick in late 2012 coinciding with the launch of the Wii U in Japan. A release outside Japan is unlikely, although a European release for a similar unit without Tekken branding was planned and eventually cancelled. The arcade stick houses common Hori parts first used in the Fighting Edge: eight Kuro buttons and a Hayabusa joystick. I wouldn't use it for tournament play, but it's plenty good for playing at home and getting accustomed to playing with an arcade stick. As of this writing, this Hori unit is one of two arcade sticks currently available and licensed for the Wii U, the other arcade stick being made by Mad Catz.
My unit shipped directly from Japan and I paid 120 Euros including VAT and delivery. Retail price for the arcade stick in Japan before the sales tax went into effect (starting April 1) was 7900 Yen. It's currently listed at 8208 Yen on the Hori Japan website: http://www.hori.jp/products/wiiu/tekken_stick/. Availability is poor, unless you live in Japan. Even on eBay I could only find two listings for it. It's best to turn to Play-Asia if you want to buy this arcade stick new, where it's currently listed at 150 U.S. dollars. Add this one to your collection if you like, it's a somewhat rare item especially being one of few arcade sticks for the Wii / Wii U.
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Compatibility and handling
The games I played exclusively for this review were Guilty Gear XX AC+ (Wii), Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (Wii), and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Wii U). All games handled perfectly with minimal lag on the unit, which connects to the Wii Remote like a Classic Controller. This makes it compatible with Wii games, which is only good considering the scarcity of fighting games made specifically for the Wii U. It's also possible to use the arcade stick with a Mac/PC using software that reads inputs from a Wii Remote via Bluetooth (e.g. DarwiinRemote on Mac). The unit has a switch that lets you decide on the input of the joystick (i.e. to control the left stick, right stick, or D-pad). This allows it to be used for games not designed to be played on an arcade stick, notably Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The arcade stick handled nicely in my opinion, but it also was disappointing in a few areas. I've only grown accustomed to the arcade parts of Namco cabinets, as there's a Galaga and Pac-Man cabinet close to my home where I like to play. The joysticks on those Namco cabinets feel much tighter than the Hayabusa on this Hori unit. At first I thought my unit was defective, but comparing it to a new Hori Fighting Edge for the PS3 with a similar joystick proved that it's handling exactly as it's meant to be. It's still a good joystick, but I can't help feeling that it's "loose" compared to the real arcade parts I've played on.
The buttons were equally disappointing: I was expecting tight mechanical switches, but the Kuro buttons feel mushy to the touch. It should be noted that the model number for the Kuro buttons used on this Hori unit is "HLF-30" and not "HKF-30" as the retail Kuro buttons. I didn't notice any real difference between the two, but Hori says that the buttons aren't actual HKF-30 buttons, but based on them. I sometimes found myself executing the wrong input as I had my fingers resting on the buttons, which can be enough to trigger them. I'd like much tighter buttons, but it's something that needs getting used to.
![qrkaq0.jpg]()
Value and rating
The arcade stick itself doesn't come cheap relative to its parts because it has to be imported from Japan, which adds to the cost. For the price I paid, the unit can be described as fancy. In other words, it's nice to have it, but it's not necessarily the best option out there. Opening it up, the unit seems very standard and easy to modify. There was no warranty seal to be broken, which adds to my reasoning that this unit is best for starting out with arcade sticks for the first time. I'm planning to replace the Kuro buttons with Sanwa buttons at some point, perhaps even replacing the Hayabusa joystick. They're good parts, but in this incarnation they don't feel as good as the arcade parts I've laid my hands on. (Damn you, Namco.)
For me personally, the only reason I wanted this arcade stick was to play Super Smash Bros. with an arcade layout. There hasn't been any confirmation yet that the upcoming game will support the Classic Controller, though. For the few Wii / Wii U exclusives such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, it's a beautiful product. As for a rating, let's say if you own a Wii U and you want to play games with an arcade stick, this is one of the very few choices you have and you can't really go wrong here. I give the Hori unit an 8/10.
![j7dclk.jpg]()
~ Yousif
Introduction and availability
Hori released this arcade stick in late 2012 coinciding with the launch of the Wii U in Japan. A release outside Japan is unlikely, although a European release for a similar unit without Tekken branding was planned and eventually cancelled. The arcade stick houses common Hori parts first used in the Fighting Edge: eight Kuro buttons and a Hayabusa joystick. I wouldn't use it for tournament play, but it's plenty good for playing at home and getting accustomed to playing with an arcade stick. As of this writing, this Hori unit is one of two arcade sticks currently available and licensed for the Wii U, the other arcade stick being made by Mad Catz.
My unit shipped directly from Japan and I paid 120 Euros including VAT and delivery. Retail price for the arcade stick in Japan before the sales tax went into effect (starting April 1) was 7900 Yen. It's currently listed at 8208 Yen on the Hori Japan website: http://www.hori.jp/products/wiiu/tekken_stick/. Availability is poor, unless you live in Japan. Even on eBay I could only find two listings for it. It's best to turn to Play-Asia if you want to buy this arcade stick new, where it's currently listed at 150 U.S. dollars. Add this one to your collection if you like, it's a somewhat rare item especially being one of few arcade sticks for the Wii / Wii U.
Compatibility and handling
The games I played exclusively for this review were Guilty Gear XX AC+ (Wii), Tatsunoko vs. Capcom (Wii), and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Wii U). All games handled perfectly with minimal lag on the unit, which connects to the Wii Remote like a Classic Controller. This makes it compatible with Wii games, which is only good considering the scarcity of fighting games made specifically for the Wii U. It's also possible to use the arcade stick with a Mac/PC using software that reads inputs from a Wii Remote via Bluetooth (e.g. DarwiinRemote on Mac). The unit has a switch that lets you decide on the input of the joystick (i.e. to control the left stick, right stick, or D-pad). This allows it to be used for games not designed to be played on an arcade stick, notably Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The arcade stick handled nicely in my opinion, but it also was disappointing in a few areas. I've only grown accustomed to the arcade parts of Namco cabinets, as there's a Galaga and Pac-Man cabinet close to my home where I like to play. The joysticks on those Namco cabinets feel much tighter than the Hayabusa on this Hori unit. At first I thought my unit was defective, but comparing it to a new Hori Fighting Edge for the PS3 with a similar joystick proved that it's handling exactly as it's meant to be. It's still a good joystick, but I can't help feeling that it's "loose" compared to the real arcade parts I've played on.
The buttons were equally disappointing: I was expecting tight mechanical switches, but the Kuro buttons feel mushy to the touch. It should be noted that the model number for the Kuro buttons used on this Hori unit is "HLF-30" and not "HKF-30" as the retail Kuro buttons. I didn't notice any real difference between the two, but Hori says that the buttons aren't actual HKF-30 buttons, but based on them. I sometimes found myself executing the wrong input as I had my fingers resting on the buttons, which can be enough to trigger them. I'd like much tighter buttons, but it's something that needs getting used to.
Value and rating
The arcade stick itself doesn't come cheap relative to its parts because it has to be imported from Japan, which adds to the cost. For the price I paid, the unit can be described as fancy. In other words, it's nice to have it, but it's not necessarily the best option out there. Opening it up, the unit seems very standard and easy to modify. There was no warranty seal to be broken, which adds to my reasoning that this unit is best for starting out with arcade sticks for the first time. I'm planning to replace the Kuro buttons with Sanwa buttons at some point, perhaps even replacing the Hayabusa joystick. They're good parts, but in this incarnation they don't feel as good as the arcade parts I've laid my hands on. (Damn you, Namco.)
For me personally, the only reason I wanted this arcade stick was to play Super Smash Bros. with an arcade layout. There hasn't been any confirmation yet that the upcoming game will support the Classic Controller, though. For the few Wii / Wii U exclusives such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, it's a beautiful product. As for a rating, let's say if you own a Wii U and you want to play games with an arcade stick, this is one of the very few choices you have and you can't really go wrong here. I give the Hori unit an 8/10.
~ Yousif