For serious fans of fighting games, there’s nothing like a good arcade stick. Like first-person shooter fans insist that no controller beats a mouse and keyboard setup, fighting game fanatics love their arcade sticks, and will most often use nothing less. Pelican’s Real Arcade is quite possibly the best arcade fighting stick currently available for your current generation consoles.
First and foremost, know that the Real Arcade is a universal arcade stick, meaning you can use this one stick on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube without the need of additional sticks or cords; a godsend of a feature for owners of multiple consoles. The look of the Real Arcade is sleek; the unit is very solidly-constructed, with a real wood cabinet, responsive buttons, and one of the best sticks we’ve laid our hands on. The heft of the Real Arcade further exemplifies its sturdy construction; this doesn’t feel cheap.
Pelican’s Real Arcade is very ergonomic. The buttons and joystick are well-placed, but the large-sized unit helps by allowing you to rest your forearms on it while playing; critical to the arcade feel, especially when placed on your lap (which is very comfortable). The buttons are appropriately loud when clicked, with a springing sound to them when jammed on. They are extremely responsive, just like they should be. The stick is even more impressive though. Not only does it offer a comfortable grip, but its also responsive and contains click points that will subtly click when the stick recognizes a direction change. This makes the stick feel much more solid than others on the market. The Real Arcade also supports full digital mode with the simple press of a button.
Pelican’s Real Arcade is quite the package for the fighting game lover, and for those just out looking for a good arcade stick. It’s got all kinds of snazzy features that are subtle and seem unimportant, but are in fact crucial to the feel so many other arcade sticks lack. Pelican even included some small touches, like a compartment to store your cord, and a slot for your Xbox memory card. And Pelican backs its hardware with an impressive five-year warranty. Our only disappointment is that the unit lacks vibration feedback, which has really become a standard in peripherals today. But other than that, the Real Arcade is a tremendous value. If you’re currently in the market for a good arcade stick, it may do you well to give Pelican’s Real Arcade serious consideration.
