GAME REVIEW: X-Arcade Dual Tankstick for Multiple Platforms and Soul Calibur IV for PS3

By Lex Eskobar

With a slew of new fighting games on the horizon (Street Fighter II HD and Street Fighter IV to name a couple) I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about something near and dear to many fighting gamers out there: The arcade stick.

The arcade stick is the tool of choice for most diehard fighting game players; however, the feeling of playing a game in an arcade is a hard thing to replicate. Sure, you can take a great game and port it over to console. Hell, in most cases, the consoles are more powerful than arcade machines now. But, it is a much harder task to make a gamer feel like he/she is back at the arcade wailing on the controller in the fight of their lives.

I recently picked up Soul Calibur IV for the Playstation 3. It’s an amazing game but like most sequels in the fighting game genre it falls under the category of “more of the same.” Yes, Namco Bandai beefed up the create-a-character aspect and yes they added a few new moves and characters but at the core of SC IV is everything you remember from the original Soul Calibur, a game that many still play on their Sega Dreamcast systems.

The story mode is short and can be completed in about 10 minutes. Yup, 10 minutes! But that isn’t why we play fighters; it’s for the VS mode. This is where SC IV excels. With online multi-player (a first in the series) you can take your created character across the globe in search of the ultimate fight.

The graphics are top notch and the sound is amazing. If you are done with GTA IV and need a new game to play while smoking that doobie, I suggest this one. The lighting effects alone will keep you saying, “Wow man.”

The controls are easy to pick up and most people will find more than one person that they can play as without a great deal of frustration. There isn’t much to say about this game because it doesn’t even come close to reinventing the wheel; instead it puts an insane amount of shine on that wheel.

If you love fighting games and love smoking weed while playing them then you can’t go wrong with this one. It gets 4 out of 5 pot leaves easy.

Arcade sticks are nothing new, but they can add new life to stale games. Ever since the NES Advantage came out, gamers have always had the option to play a game with a joystick over a control pad but now it is a new age. There are quite a few companies out there that are dedicated to recreating the arcade feeling at home but how many of those arcade sticks offer complete functionality with more than one system?

I did some research and found one particular company with a product that is compatible with a number of systems as well as PCs and Macs.

X-Arcade’s Tankstick is a true work of art:

It has two arcade controllers each with eight buttons (not including separate start buttons) which are more than enough for almost all fighting games, not to mention ANY arcade game and a trackball for those super retro games. With the purchase of additional adaptors, you can hook your Tankstick into your PS2, PS3, Xbox, GameCube, Wii, PC, Mac and even your Dreamcast.            

X-Arcade’s slogan is “Built like a friggin’ tank!” and they aren’t lying. I put a beating on this controller and it still did the job. I can’t stress enough how nice it is to play older games using this controller. When you put the controller up on a table or somewhere sturdy and have a buddy come over for some good ol’ fashion gaming you really do get a sense of nostalgia for the old days of quarter eating combat.

The Tankstick is sturdy and can take whatever you throw at it. The price may be a little steep but if you are serious about your games it is probably a worthwhile purchase. If you think you will be doing most of your gaming solo, the company also makes solo controllers and a two-player model that doesn’t include the trackball. The only thing this massive controller is missing is a built in ashtray for my joints.

I love this controller and I am giving it 5 out of 5 pot leaves.

You can look at X-Arcade’s full line of products at www.xgaming.com