Where there's a will, there's a way...[]

Well, upon playing the Mortal Kombat demo, it became obvious that I would have to purchase a PS3 arcade stick. I decided this for a three reasons:

(1) I'd been meaning to for quite a while, as I do enjoy playing fighting games with the arcade stick; just a good feel to it;

(2) My PS2/Xbox/NGC arcade stick is not compatible with my PS3 for some reason, even with my USB adapter...no clue.

(3) The new MK game has a distinct use for all of the PS3 controller's buttons: the face buttons are front and back punch and kick, and the shoulder buttons all have unique and important functions. This wouldn't be so bad, except that some characters do have combos that require the simultaneous pressing of two face buttons, such as square+triangle, which is difficult (if not impossible) to do while holding the controller in the under-under position, as mentioned in my post about differences between game controllers. Therefore, it will be to my advantage to have an arcade stick layout, where all the buttons are more easily accessible.

All this is fine, except that – as those who have looked recently will know – it is incredibly hard to find a PS3 arcade stick in stores or online. There are generic arcade sticks out there, but I'm hesitant to trust something that looks too cheap. I'm also looking for one that has fighting game graphic decals, like the special edition controllers shipped with special editions of Tekken 6, Street Fighter IV, etc.

I managed to find a Tekken 6 arcade stick on eBay, for a decent price, and put a maximum bid of $50 on it...I was outbid too late for me to counter...happens far too often. Other ones I found on eBay were upwards of $100 or even $200, so I was a bit disheartened, until I saw that Amazon.com has the Tekken 6 arcade stick bundle (game + special edition arcade stick + some special pictures, or something), which I had passed on initially due to price ($150 as I recall), for a mere $72 ($80 with shipping). Problem solved, and I can sell back the extra game at The Exchange to make it even better of a deal.

There's always a way...it's the Internet.

Peace,
JT