Playmagazine.com posted a review of the vanilla Mad Catz FightStick, which approaches things from a casual player's viewpoint.I have tried some of the other options available in the same price level as the FightStick, and I can tell you this with absolute certainty: at this level, this is the best stick that I've used.
When you first take the FightStick from its packaging -- not quite the glorious unboxing experience of the Tournament Edition FightStick, I'm sure, but still a reassuring experience -- the first thing I noticed was that this is a stick that feels like $79.99 (I tried the Xbox 360 version) of plastic, wires, parts, and metal.
Even before you actually test out the joystick and buttons, see if they'll hold up to a match of your favorite Capcom or SNK fighter and all that jazz, your hands feel this product, notice the curves and feel of the plastic, acknowledge the button positioning, experience the weight of the overall unit, and they tell your brain that they're feeling something that has been put together and crafted by somebody who actually gave a damn.
