Customer Reviews

Mad Catz 04758 ARCADE GameSTICK for Xbox Live Arcade on XBOX360

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This joystick is not for gamers who are looking for an authentic joystick. I bought this joystick only to gut it and use its printed circuit board (PCB) to create my own custom joystick. The PCB is very easy to solder to and is a decent size.

I don't recommend trying to play any fighting games with this Madcatz Gamestick, but if you are planning to make a custom joystick of your own, I highly recommend buying this Gamestick solely for it's PCB.

When you first look at this product, it's hard not to get excited about
Spending hours with Mrs. Pacman. While you can still have a date with her, you will not be using this stick. The absolutely atrocious flimsiness of the actual stick will drive you mad as you unintentionally run into ghosts. The only thing that is cool about this thing is the click-wheel, which almost no game uses.

Now, for dischodians out there, the stick has a solid redeeming factor. It's a game in itself. Actually using this thing to play a game is one of the biggest challenges you will ever face. If you are just too good, and have become bored and disillusioned with your gaming experiences, ratchet up the difficulty a bit by using this so-called controller. Seriously, stay away unless you enjoy horrible things, and if that is the case, I value at 9 dollars. I use it as a backup controller when guests visit. If I value their company, I let them use a real controller.

I have purchased many madcatz products over the years and the ones I really liked such as the DREAMCAST PANTHER TRACKBALL all eventually broke. I was excited to get a stick for some of the LIVE ARCADE titles I have on disc for my 360 and while the controller worked well for PAC MAN and a few others the stick would get stuck in a corner to the top left sometimes and my biggest gripe the 3 LIVE ARACDE TITLES aren't on disc as I had hoped, they are downloadable cards with expiration dates and I don't have access to high speed internet where my console is, while I wouldn't buy it again I don't mind having a second controller for my 360 and this one has all the buttons and functions of a normal 360 so live and learn. Probably most gamers will find this an unsatisfying arcade stick replacement and want to go with a HORI, or Xarcade stick for real arcade action. That said the button atop the stick is great for LIVE ARCADE titles like TEMPEST, TIME PILOT etc. which really only require move and shoot.

This is a good idea with poor execution.

2 stars for the joystick, and 5 for the games that come with it.

The good thing is that it comes with 3 games (astropop, frogger, and time pilot). Its good that is has a spinner control like the atari paddle and that's where it stops.

The bad:
1. It should have come with a game that uses the spinner control which would either be Tron or Tempest.

2. The spinner does not currently with with Tron.

3. The joystick has too much range of motion meaning the stick leans too far left, right, up and down.

4. Gameplay can be awkward using the controller while trying to use the button on top of the stick and playing an intense game.

Currently, you should not play more that $30 for this item (about how much the 3 games are worth) because it really isn't utilized by any game I am aware of.

This is extremely poorly designed -- there is not nearly enough weight in the bottom of the controller, so I often found myself knocking the thing over instead of, say, encouraging Ms. Pac-Man to chase down blue-and-white flashing ghosts.

It would be completely useless if it didn't include downloads of several Xbox Live Arcade games, but save yourself the trouble and just download Astropop from the XBLA Marketplace and forgo this controller.