Super Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition S Hands-onS

A new year, a new Street Fighter and a new update to Mad Catz's tournament edition fight stick. We went hands-on with the newer, slimmer Super Street Fighter IV branded model at CES. Is it worth the upgrade?

Like our hands-on time with the original Street Fighter IV licensed sticks, the controller impressed mostly for its authentic Sanwa arcade parts and solid construction. Not much has changed here in that regard.

What has changed is the footprint, as the Super Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" gets its "S" for its slimmer body. That doesn't have any real impact on the way the stick plays, but it makes for a better looking chassis.

One new tweak to the Tournament Edition "S" is the button input locking mechanism. The toggle switch that made the PlayStation 3 "home" button and Xbox 360 "guide" button inactive now inactivates the start and select buttons on the back of the stick's base.

The other new addition? New Super Street Fighter IV graphics. So there's that.

The newest Super Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition plays just as well and features the same solid construction as the original, easy to recommend if you're looking for a new arcade accurate control option. The only nitpick I had was the sharp edge on the top plate, which sits about a millimeter or two higher at the seam, rubbing against my delicate, baby soft wrists. Non-wimps probably won't notice, but fragile flowers like me might.

The Super Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition "S" is due to hit North America whenever Super Street Fighter IV does at a $149.99 USD price.