Stick Fight Controller

[Eliz Cisneroz]

Ilike to think of myself as a party game aficionado. While my spouse has a closet full of board games, I always have a drawer full of XBOX controllers and a steam library full of crazy indie games. One of my all time favorites was Stick Fight: The Game. A physics based multiplayer fighting game published by Landfall Games. Now with its release on the Nintendo Switch, you can bring the party to your home console.

Stick Fight is a physics-based couch/online fighting game where you battle it out as the iconic stick figures from the golden age of the internet. Fight it out against your friends or find random sticks from around the world!

Features

- 2 to 4 players in either Local or Online Multiplayer

- Physics-Based Combat System

- 100 Highly Interactive Levels

- Lots of weapons!

Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online

The core advantage of the Hit Box is that you have more deliberate control over your game, helping you make fewer mistakes in a match. Random execution mistakes are significantly decreased when you use your entire hand for motions, rather than your wrist or thumb.

Your inputs are naturally faster and your reaction time is improved by utilizing the sensitive Sanwa buttons for your movement. Utilizing the sensitivity of the buttons allows for moves to come out in the minimum amount of frames possible.

The deliberate control not only yields higher consistency with your inputs, but it allows you to push the realm of what is possible in a fighter. There are many Hit Box only techniques and shortcuts that you can take advantage of to help secure the win. You can get tons of fantastic tips on our video page to see just how far you can push this controller.

Generally deciding on what makes a fight stick one of the best is down to a lot of personal preference alongside things like the price tag. Button layout, size, and additional features play into your decision, making it impossible to give a definitive answer on what makes a stick one of the best, but any from our list guarantee a high-quality product and performance.

When it comes to deciding whether a fight stick or a controller is better, it'll be down to personal preference and what is more comfortable. Fight sticks do not give you any meaningful advantages when it comes to actual play; it's more for the experience and potential comfort factor more than anything else.

The best fight sticks are perfect if you're looking to recreate that arcade experience from the comfort of your own home, and in 2024 there are more products than ever to suit any preference or budget you might have. For fighting and arcade titles, they're an excellent alternative to the best PS5 controllers and best Xbox controllers.

That said, shopping for one of the best fight sticks can be pretty overwhelming if you're a first-time buyer, not least of all due to their relatively higher price tags when compared to regular controllers. Luckily we've been around the block, so we know what makes a controller so excellent, and that stretches from PC to PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and last-gen systems, too.

Having one of the best fight sticks can also help to immerse yourself in the latest and greatest fighting games, including Street Fighter 6, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and Tekken 8, but also applies to any existing fighters you might already be practicing too.

The Hori Fighting Stick Mini is a fantastic introductory fight stick, if you're still on the fence about embracing the hardware. It's an aggressively affordable stick that's perfect for both beginners and arcade game play.

The Hit Box won't be for everyone, and some tournaments are cracking down on its use, but its leverless setup can provide an input advantage if you're planning on taking your game to the professional level.

The Daija features top-notch build quality overall. Plus, developed in partnership with pro player Kayane, the Nacon Daija sports top-end Sanwa buttons and both ball and bat top options are included in the box for its square gate stick. A selection of side buttons allows for ease of navigation on your console, too.

Hori's Fighting Stick Mini bears a fairly average build quality, understandable given its price. It does lack the premium feel of other sticks on this list, but the silver lining here is that it's lightweight. This makes it perfect for an entry-level player getting into sticks for the first time.

The Victrix Pro FS is about as premium as it gets when it comes to the best fight sticks. It features a wide chassis for extra hand room while playing, and the overall build quality is exceptional. We're also huge fans of the various choices of colorways, especially that gorgeous purple.

First and foremost, we love the 8BitDo Arcade Stick for its lovingly designed retro aesthetic that instantly brings to mind Nintendo consoles of old. It's just a seriously well-built stick on top of that, too. And while it doesn't come installed with high-grade Sanwa parts, you're able to pop it open and replace the base parts with your own modules should you desire.

Play fighting games across a range of platforms? The Mayflash F500 Elite fight stick is a universal option that works across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and more. If your fighting games are scattered between platforms, we highly recommend this stick to save you some headaches.

The Hit Box has been around since 2010, and is a popular choice among fighting game players thanks to its leverless setup that swaps a traditional ball/bat top stick for face buttons instead. This allows certain movement and inputs to be performed quicker on average, giving a significant advantage in tournament play.

Like some other sticks on this list, the Hit Box includes high-quality Sanwa buttons by default, pushing its price up. Such excellent buttons are one of the main reasons the Hit Box is burgeoning in popularity, though. Just be aware that it remains a controversial piece of kit, and many tournaments are cracking down on their use, including Capcom Pro Tour. However, opinion is beginning to positively sway for the Hit Box, and it may become more of a standard in the future with potentially cheaper options in the coming years. Definitely a space worth watching.

The best fight sticks in our list were tested with some of the best fighting games you can play right now. We analyzed each stick based on the parts they use, overall build quality, general feel, customizability and of course, price. After testing each for roughly a week or two, we're confident in including each on this list, either from our own expert testing or recommendations from the very best fighting game players in the world.

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.","contributorText":"With contributions from","contributors":["name":"Kara Phillips","role":"Evergreen Writer","link":"href":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/author\/kara-phillips","name":"Dashiell Wood","role":"Hardware Writer","link":"href":"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/author\/dashiell-wood"]}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Rhys WoodSocial Links NavigationHardware EditorRhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

Are you a serious gamer looking for a keyboard controller that will push your skills to their very limits? Want to ensure every button press is perfect, every key is responsive, and every move you make is on point? Then you need the only and only stickless Mixbox Controller.

The ideal arcade gaming controller for duking it out in

fighting games, the Mixbox is the only control you need to be at the top of your game; especially when you need more out of every click, movement, attack, defense, and keyboard press.

The large surface gives you plenty of room to access the WASD movement keys as well as the mappable action buttons, while the 11 slanted wrist rest optimally supports your wrists, especially when you are playing it on your lap.

Well I assumed the controller mapping feature was "sysyem wide", not a Nintendo-specific thing. I know Xbox One lets you use remapping on all controller brands as an OS feature, but has 2 problems I can see.

Second i tried using a Hori Pad and THAT was unremapplable. Nintendo says they are looking for licensing, when in reality they are locking out either Wired USB controllers or ones without Amiibo readers.

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