Xbox360 Fighting Stick EX 2 - Soul Calibur 4 Limited Edition

by Hori

Product Features

• Dual licensed by Microsoft and Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
• Arcade style controller for the Xbox360 featured with Soul Calibur 4 characters.
• Recommended for Fighting, Action, Shooting, and Classic games that are available on xbox live.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0018OCJ5Q
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 12.5 x 4.5 inches ; 3.4 pounds
• Media: Accessory
• Release Date: June 24, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,332 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #18 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Hardware > Controllers > Joysticks
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Dual licensed by Microsoft and Namco Bandai Games America Inc. Arcade style controller for the Xbox360 featured with Soul Calibur 4 characters. Recommended for Fighting, action, shooting, and classic games that are available on xbox live.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Arcade Stick for Fighting/Arcade Games, July 22, 2008

By 

Iruka - See all my reviews

This review is from: Xbox360 Fighting Stick EX 2 - Soul Calibur 4 Limited Edition (Accessory)

I bought this joystick so I could really enjoy the arcade feel of playing fighting games as well as the Xbox Live Arcade games I own. The description for the product isn't that great so I thought I would provide some more information on this product. The stick itself feels pretty responsive although it does make a clicking noise when it is pressed against the edges. I'm assuming that was done to let the player know they are successfully pulling off motions. I personally don't mind it, especially with the game volume on.

The joystick is indeed wired but it is very long so I don't see it being an issue for most people. Wireless would of been nice but I guess at least this way you have zero chance of losing a signal in a heated match (although I've never lost a signal with my normal 360 controller). The cord does have a release in case you tug too hard on it just like the older Xbox controllers. You connect the joystick via USB (flap by power button on console).

The joystick itself feels pretty sturdy and is responsive. It does not include any special features such as slow motion or turbo in case that's your thing(like the old school NES Advantage). The only reason that I have not given this joystick a full 5 rating is because the joystick is not compatible with a lot of non-fighting games. The stick is mapped to the directional pad and does not support Analog control. What this means is you can't use it for most other non-fighting games like Lost Odyssey that support movement with the analog stick. Not a big deal since I got this stick for fighting games only but I thought everyone should know.

I can't speak to it's long term durability at this time but will probably update this review in a month's time to indicate whether the stick becomes too loose or buttons become non responsive.

*Update: Well, I've been using this joystick for about a month now and it's still good as new. The stick is not loose and the buttons are still very responsive. Overall, a very nicely made joystick.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time tested and solid, August 8, 2008

By 

Dan Amrich (California) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Xbox360 Fighting Stick EX 2 - Soul Calibur 4 Limited Edition (Accessory)

This is the same stick that was issued as the Dead or Alive 4 joystick; the non-decorated version is known as the Fighting Stick EX2. The joystick has a nice soft feel -- very good for rolling quarter-circle moves. I've used it in Street Fighter Anniversary Collection as well as DOA4 and Soulcalibur IV; it's well worth the money and the build quality is quite good -- other EX2s I've used have had no problem over the long term with durability. Also, it's small enough to fit on your lap if you don't have a coffee table or TV tray.

However, while this stick is excellent for fighters, it's not so good for classic arcade games like Ms. Pac-Man or New Rally-X -- the soft-springed joystick doesn't feel accurate in those games, which were designed with stiffer four-way sticks in mind. But if you use it with the games for which it was built, you'll be quite happy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars For that price? No way., August 6, 2011

By 

Due Tomorrow (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Xbox360 Fighting Stick EX 2 - Soul Calibur 4 Limited Edition (Accessory)

Historically I've liked Hori sticks. They're affordable and they work fairly well. This one though was a completely bust.

I've known a few people to own an EX2, including the re-branded SoulCalibur. The problems we've had varies from stuck buttons to bad buttons and almost always terrible stick design for anything that's not a 3D fighting game. 2D or anything that plays on a 2D plane like Street Fighter, good luck with hitting those corners 100% of the time while playing normally.

We've taken one apart and even my friends that work with arcade parts as a career were commenting how poorly the stick was constructed and badly the circuitry was designed. Modifying is very difficult (but possible with a lot of unnecessary work), so trying to put a different stick is almost not worth it.

I barely owned my SoulCalibur stick for a year, used it once in a while (since I had another stick I'd switch off with) and problems just kept piling up. Now one of my buttons is stuck down and another stopped working altogether. And replacing them are a pain because the contacts are difficult to get to without unscrewing a whole bunch of stuff, and of course soldered to a control board (WHY???).

tl;dr: It wasn't worth the money I paid for (and I bought this on Amazon for a very short-lived deep discount, brand new). Save your money for a Hori Real Arcade Stick Pro or a MadCatz FightStick TE. If you're strapped for cash and still want an affordable Hori stick, get the Tekken wireless stick.