Get All Nostalgic With The Mortal Kombat Fight Stick

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Ooooooooh...pweeeeetty.

Say hello to the "authentic American-style fight stick," which will come with the Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition on April 19. For $149.99, you can take home an accessory that will remind you of the early days of arcade gaming, and as they say at the PlayStation Blog, it's created by NetherRealm, the team that helped design the cabinets for the classic arcade MK experiences.

"Connected via a USB cable, the unit is big and burly with a sturdy, substantial feel and some serious heft. A thick memory foam pad cushions the bottom of the unit, enabling comfortable knee-top play (though it’ll work just fine propped on a coffee table, too). A sliding metal latch enables the top to flip open, revealing a neat internal wiring array as well as a capacious cavity that will accommodate games, accessories, and anything else you manage to cram in there. No severed body parts, please.

Mortal Kombat arcade veterans will immediately recognize the baseball-bat-shaped joystick and concave buttons — an iconic American design that Ars Technica gaming editor Ben Kuchera has cleverly dubbed the “superhero” (“because it’s a bat and a cave”). The stick itself has a tighter, springier feel compared to the looser action of ball-topped Japanese-style sticks that are widely available on the PS3. Joystick design preference can be a touchy topic with serious fighting fans: Some players will always prefer the raised buttons and looser feel of the Japanese-inspired fighting sticks, while others will appreciate the distinctive feel of this American-style stick. Like many things in life, it ultimately comes down to personal preference."

Of course, you want one. You're going to need one if you wish to be a super MK fighter. It's a requirement. You can use a silly ol' gamepad if you want, but you run the risk of being mocked by those who learned - in fact, trained - on the cabinets back in the day. There's a right way to do things...and a wrong way.

Related Game(s): Mortal Kombat

Tags: mk, mortal kombat, mortal kombat fight stick

3/11/2011 9:02:59 PM John Shepard

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