14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo's latest invention is called "Hori's Fighting Stick" and it's a funny looking joystick, that has nothing in common with the Wiimote or the Nunchuck. This arcade controller is designed for Nintendo's top-selling console, the Wii and it will hit the stores on August 30, in Japan.
The bad news is that this new controller is not motion sensitive, so don't return it to the store if it doesn't react to your hand movements. With this release, Nintendo tries to go back in time a few years and reinvent the classic games, by providing modern gamers with old-school joysticks. Hori's Fighting Stick is compatible will all of Virtual Console titles and the upcoming hit title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Keep in mind that you won't be dealing with a standalone joystick, since you'll have to first plug in the Wiimote in order to activate Hori's Fighting Stick. I, for one, don't really like this device... It looks like a brick, for crying out loud! Also, eight action buttons are stuffed in the same package, making the control system frustrating and what's with that stick on the left side? It really doesn't seem to belong here...
If you've spent your entire childhood in arcade rooms, Hori's Fighting Stick will make you feel right at home, but if you're a fan of the SIXAXIS, Wiimote or the Xbox 360 joystick, adjusting to the new device will be a pain in the ... port. Will Nintendo's attempt at going old-school spawn other gadgets or games? The Wii's just fine for now, thank you, so there's no need for the producers to go out and try to recreate a successful gadget from the past and attach it to a modern console. It's like creating a SIXAXIS joystick for the PS2... Oh, wait that just happened a few weeks ago!