Finds! - Hyperkin K.O Fightstick

As a consumer, I believe I have very collective tendencies. Once I find something I'm interested in, I take a look and try to buy anything related to a said item. Arcade sticks are no exception. I bought an HRAP3 several months ago prior to even getting a PS3 since I was so intrigued by its design. I may have not gotten a video arcade upbringing like some in the late 80s and early 90s, but I adore arcade sticks. I just had to get more. I was in the market for one for my PS2 because there is definitely no shortage of fighting games/classic game compilations to utilize them with.

Considering the vast library of games for the PS2, there's definitely no shortage of games to be utilized with an arcade stick. Honestly, I just wanted to showcase some of the games I've managed to collect over the last few years. Like I mentioned above, I'm an avid collector when I want to be. Egotistical picture is egotistic...

I recently bought that HRAP3 in hopes of possibly dual-modding it to work with my PS2 since it is hard to find a decently priced HRAP2 or equal quality arcade stick for the PS2 at all. This all began when I started researching various methods to mod existing arcade sticks like the HRAP3; then I managed to come across methods of creating your own arcade stick as cost effective measure of having a unique stick of your own. Unfortunately, that led to further research about various vendors selling custom arcade sticks on eBay. After about a good month of seeing the amazing custom sticks and modded retail sticks, I realized most of that work was way in over my abilities. Taking into consideration that I have zero soldering skills and limited woodworking skills, in the end I decided on simply looking on eBay to look for a decently priced retail stick for my PS2.

After a few minutes of browsing, I came across a Hori Tekken 5 stick. Seeing as I already own a Hori stick and aware of it's quality, I pounced on it immediately. I managed to win the action at an unbelievable price, but the seller had a reserve price I didn't meet--blah.

I did however find a pair of Hyperkin sticks for $65.99 with free shipping. Honestly, it wasn't really what I was looking for in terms of price. Luckily I had a an eBay coupon for 10% off my purchase so the total became around $60. Hey, $30 per stick to play my numerous PS2 games, why the hell not? Unfortunately when doing some research prior to buying these sticks, there wasn't too much information on them at all. There was one lone Shoryuken thread on it; regardless of the lack of information on it, it seemed like a fair purchase for me.

About the Product:

I received the pair of sticks in a USPS flat rate box so I wasn't provided with the original packaging for the sticks, but they arrived without any damage--I can't complain. I kind of hoped the eBay user that I bought these sticks from would have given me a heads up on the details of what would be shipped. Below are some of the details on the stick:

• Square gate arcade stick
• Standard buttons, they feel mushy compared to Sanwa buttons but get the job done
• Turbo, Macro, L3,R3 buttons
• 5.5 ft cord (look to get an extension cord)

Probably the most interesting thing about this stick--the connector. It's nifty, but I'm not prying it open to see how they did it.

Honestly, there's not too much to say about these sticks. You can tell a lot from the few pictures that I provided. Plug and play works fine with Windows and Mac. It worked with all the PS2 games I have pictured above as well as Soul Calibur IV (PS3). The buttons are spaced out farther than most sticks, but after a few rounds of Soul Calibur, I kind of preferred it to the button layout on the Hori sticks. After a few rounds of Street Fighter, the sticks began to feel loose, so don't expect them to withstand heavy play.

Some size comparison images to the HRAP3. It's pretty small and fits in your lap well; just needs more weight.

It's fairly small and lightweight, so if you're looking for a stick with weight like the Madcatz TE or Hori Real Arcade Pro series, you won't find it here. The stick works fairly well with shoot 'em ups, classic arcade compilations, as well as 3D fighters like Tekken and Soul Calibur, but is very below average when it requires quick stick input for 2D fighters like Street Fighter and MvC2. Overall it's a very decent stick as long as you're not expecting too much out of it.

Prices for this stick range from $25-$50. You can find these sticks rebadged with different names but they all pretty much have the same components. After living with these sticks for a few months, I would not pay more than $25 for these sticks now. It's nice to play my PS2 fighting games with a stick now, but it reminds me that I need to get working on making a quality stick of my own.