Hori Fighting Stick Mini 3 Review (PS3)

As time goes on, gadgets and accessories tend to grow in features, but shrink in size. However, the opposite seems to be happening when it comes to game controllers meant to emulate the arcade cabinet experience. These arcade sticks appear to be increasing in size as more and more come out. Hori has also been following that same path, but they haven’t neglected that the market demands stuff that shrinks. Here is a look at one of their latest products, the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 3.

For those looking to not necessarily shift from gamepad to stick but are curious enough to want to spend a bit of money, this might be the stick you are looking for. The FS Mini 3 is what its name suggests: it is a mini arcade stick. It’s as fully functional as any of its bigger brothers, sporting an 8-button layout, a square-gate arcade stick, both Start and Select buttons, a PlayStation Home button and a Turbo button.

The Stick

Due to its small size, the square-gate stick doesn't have much room and definitely feels a lot tighter than those SANWA Denshi sticks you'd find in Japanese arcade cabinets. I wouldn't knock it points for that though, as the more solid feel might be more suitable to your style. I found myself pulling off fireballs and tiger knee inputs a whole lot easier on this stick, and the tighter clicks makes me feels as if I'm playing on an octagonal-gate to some degree.

The Buttons

The buttons follow the standard button layout found on most arcade sticks I've seen for the PS3 with Square, Triangle, R1 and L1 filling out the top row while Cross, Circle, R2 and L2 fill out the bottom row. They aren't the same kind of soft touch buttons found in the arcades. They do feel a bit spongy but are still very responsive and work well. The turbo button allows you to set which button you want turbo activated on, and you can have more than one button set on turbo. Not as convenient as having a turbo toggle switch, but it's still nice that it's there.

"Size comparison with the Hori Real Arcade Pro V3 Sa"

I got this cute little sucker at Mr. Dynamic for 2500php and it's definitely better than the iCore Arcade Stick that I got earlier this year. I've tried it with games like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition and Persona 4 Arena. I guess the only real downside I can give to this controller is that when I'm playing with it on my lap, I usually need to find something to put under it for additional support, like a wide notebook or a throw pillow to keep the whole thing from wobbling around. That said, if you want a functional arcade stick that barely takes up any space, then this might be the stick for you.

Score: 86/100

Pros:

• Compact and lightweight
• Wired (3m long cable)
• Good grip rubber feet
• Works on PC
• Price

Cons:

• Wired (if you don't like wired controllers)
• Small size might be awkward
• Still more expensive than a regular PS3 gamepad
• Doesn't look to be easily modifiable
• No cable storage

                    

Prepare to Die Edition out now in PH

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is now out in the Philippines. Now if you haven't played Dark Souls and have a PC setup that can run this game, you just go right now and get it. Friendly warning though, this game isn't very forgiving. You will die and probably burst a vein while playing it.

But stick to it! This was one of my personal favorites in 2011 and the character customization is surprisingly deep if your into that sort of thing.

Datablitz currently has the game at P1,795, which is ridiculously cheap. It includes a  poster, an artbook, 5 exclusive post cards, DVD of "The Making of Dark Souls", the original soundtrack, and of course the game itself.

The PC version of the game also includes extra bosses and content that were cut out during the game's development. It's pretty much DLC  integrated into the game and PC gamers get first dibs on it. So that's another reason to get this version of the game.

Console gamers, don't rage just yet. We will get the extra content eventually, but it will be released as DLC at the end of the year.

Still having second thought? Check out my PS3 review of the game.

Play Borderlands in 16-bit style

Ever wondered how Borderlands would be like back in the 16-bit days? Well people at Gearbox wondered about the same thing. To further promote Borderlands 2, Gearbox released a Free-To-Play 16-bit browser-based version of the first game for us to enjoy. 

It's definitely a unique way to market the game, and to be honest this 16-bit version isn't too bad. It's an overhead, arcade-style shooter. You still level up and you open up chests to pick up new guns with unique properties.

Borderlands 2 has gone golden, which means that the game is complete. Mass production has started and Gearbox devs are currently working on future content(DLC).

If you want to give this 16-bit version of Borderlands a try, go ahead and click on this link.

Borderlands 2 hit stores on September 21 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

New screenshots for Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar has been pretty quiet with Grand Theft Auto V, but it looks like they are ready to reveal new info about the game. Sadly, they are just new screenshots of the game. These new screenshots though shows us the different ways travel in the game, and the many things you can do in GTA V that doesn't involve you breaking the law.

Since the reveal of the announcement trailer, these screenshots are the latest reveal of the game in a long time. Rockstar skipped this year's E3 and Gamescom, two events that would have been perfect to promote the game, so it made me wonder whats taking them so long to reveal more to the public? The official reveal of the game was way back in November of 2011. A few months pass by and out of the blue, some screenshots. But with screenshots hitting the web, it looks like Rockstar is preparing for a big reveal, possibly a new trailer to keep the hype train rolling.

Oh and just in case you missed it, here's the announcement trailer again:

Guild Wars 2 and its five pillars of gameplay

Guild Wars 2 is almost here. The game is only days away and I can't wait to start playing. I've pre-purchased the game, downloaded and updated the client. All that's left to do is stock up the fridge and wait for the servers to go live. To celebrate Guild Wars 2's launch, here are five videos that pretty much explain each core feature that makes Guild Wars 2. Just in case you're wondering what this game is all about.

Personal Story

Dynamic Events

Active Combat

Player vs Player

World vs World

Guild Wars 2 is the MMORPG that will set the bar higher for future MMO's. I participated on the third and final beta weekend and it's definitely not going to disappoint. I'll be playing under the name QuashTMG on the server Isle of Janthir.  With what I experienced during the beta weekend, I decided to go with a Charr Engineer as my main character. The kit and toolbelt system got to me and wielding dual pistols are just too cool for me.

Guild Wars 2 will be out on Aug 28, 2012, but for players that have already pre-purchased the game online, they(me) get a 3 day head start(Aug 25).

It's not too late though. You can still pre-purchase the game to get that 3 day headstart. Just head over here and get yourself a copy.

If you live in the Philippines, Datablitz is now offering pre-orders for Guild Wars 2.