Hands On: Mortal Kombat (2011) Tournament Edition Arcade Stick

J

Jeff Greeson

Administrator
Staff member
On <b>Saturday</b> the <b>Mortal Kombat Truck Tour</b> rolled through <b>Plano, Texas</b> and brought a special passenger, the <a href="http://www.trmk.org/games/mortal_kombat_9">Mortal Kombat (2011)</a> <b>Tournament Edition Arcade Stick</b>. The version on the truck was labeled a <b>prototype</b> and was lacking a few finishing details that will be on the final retail edition. However, from what we noticed, it was extremely well-built and made of melamine-laminated <b>MDF</b>. The stick is being manufactured by <a href="http://www.pdp.com">PDP</a> and designed in close conjunction with <a href="http://www.netherrealm.com">NetherRealm Studios</a>. We were able to get our hands-on the sturdy arcade stick and filed this video preview of the prototype <b>Xbox 360</b> version.

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While this was the <b>Xbox 360</b> version of the <b>Tournament Edition arcade stick</b>, the truck tour trailer was only equipped with <b>Playstation 3</b> consoles. We did try to see what would happen if we plugged in the <b>Xbox 360</b> controller to the <b>Playstation 3</b>. The controller's <b>guide button</b> lit up and the screen displayed an <b>unknown USB device connected</b> error message. So, we were unable to see how the game played with the <b>arcade stick</b>, but <b>NetherRealm Studios</b> has said all along that <a href="http://www.trmk.org/games/mortal_kombat_2011">Mortal Kombat (2011)</a> has been designed specifically for using the arcade stick.

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The build quality was great and the size was very wide. The attention to detail was prevalent even in this prototype version. For example, there is a dragon pattern etched throughout the gold piano hinge that really looked amazing. It was a heavy and stout arcade stick that had a decent amount of stiffness in the bat-top stick handle. Those who have pre-ordered the <b>Tournament Edition</b> will definitely not be disappointed with their purchase.
 
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Awesome video, thanks! I've been waiting to get a nice look at the arcade stick in video form while someone shows off the size compared when one actually holds it. Definitely looks great. I am not huge into arcade sticks, but I knew this was a must have. I am definitely glad I told my gf to get me it for my bday. Heh.

Also, forgot to point out how funny the ending sounded. "It's probably...not a bad deal..." lol Considering most sticks cost $100-$150, and the stick itself has a $150 price tag if bought on it's own, I think it's pretty great deal being only $90.
 
The attention to detail is amazing - dragon engravings, protective plastic for the guts, etc. Great quality indeed. I can't wait to get my hands on one.
 
***_SPITFIRE_*** said:
Still, you should have the option
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It's a case with fighters where instant input reaction needs to happen, Wireless has gotten good with it over the years with the introduction of Bluetooth and whatnot, but It's not as reliable compared to a Wired connection, I think people would rather have it wired to play it safe rather than playing online with a wireless stick and get occurances of input delay.
 
Hrm, this one is slightly different than the one they had in LA. I distinctly remember that golden bar where the latch is. It wasn't just gold, it had an engraving on it too. Something along the lines of MK9 with a dragon between the k and the 9. Or something like that. It definitely wasn't blank. Odd. It still looks amazing. And makes me even happier I splurged and bought it.
 
I thought that the tournament sticks were limited to 20,000 that was one of the reasons I decided to buy one. Now it appears that they change their mind and started making more.
 
U know those jokers lied abt that one. I never believed it in the first place. I'm glad I got mine from Walmart BC the game stop dude was like just get a KE and see if we have at TE left over on opening day.

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Can't wait to see how this performs in gameplay.

This thing needs to prove that it is worth $150 in performance over a normal gamepad. I cannot reliably use this stick for any game other than Mortal Kombat.

Looks great though.
 
sandoval57 said:
I thought that the tournament sticks were limited to 20,000 that was one of the reasons I decided to buy one. Now it appears that they change their mind and started making more.
Click to expand...

20,000 Mortal Kombat Tournament Editions for the US. There are not any more of those coming out.

The nice thing about the video Jeff shot is we know how long the cable will be for the stick, as you can get a cable as long as you want to get. Like this 10ft cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1030302&p_id=3897&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
 
I assume the RT button is block. And the LB button is grab/throw.

What about performing the XRAY? Isnt that the LT RT buttons? If it is then thats gonna be a pain in the ass to pull off.
 
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