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Hori has finally revealed details about the mysterious giant arcade stick it had on display at Tokyo Game Show. The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX series will be released in Japan this March in Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, for ¥30,000 ($330) -- a price that ensures that it's for fighting game nerds only.

But what do said nerds get for their money, besides obvious proof that they've spent a lot? An enormous controller patterned after the control panel in Taito's Vewlix arcade cabinet -- the cabinet used for Street Fighter IV machines. It comes equipped with arcade-standard Sanwa buttons and joystick, and features a flip-up panel for wiring access and extra button storage (in case you want to remove some to create an authentic button layout for a particular game).

Importer Play-Asia will carry both versions of the VLX, but currently has no pricing information. Expect to pay a lot for shipping, on account of the bigness.

Today's Amazon Deal of the Day offers would-be World Warriors, Kings of Fighters and, uh, people who play BlazBlue a reduced-price ticket to hardcore fighting game certification. The Hori Real Arcade Pro EX SE, a high-end arcade stick for Xbox 360, is discounted from its original $139.99 price to $89.99. Still expensive for a controller, true, but less expensive.

Though it's not a one-day deal, Amazon is also currently selling the PS3 equivalent, the Real Arcade 23 Pro EX-SA , for the same price. Either stick would be a great gift option -- and the recipient would have a really hard time figuring out what that large, heavy box was all wrapped up.

Well, it's time to throw that Real Arcade Pro 3 joystick in the garbage, because it's obsolete and you should be ashamed to own it. At its booth in the Tokyo Game Show shopping area, accessories maker Hori handed out a pamphlet introducing its new Real Arcade Pro V and other joysticks.

Few details are included in the pamphlet: we know it weighs 3 kilograms and features a Sanwa JLF joystick and Hori buttons, and that it should be in Japanese stores sometime this winter. The mock-up image even uses Roman numerals for the button labels instead of anything that would identify the platform.

In addition, new mid-range sticks for PS3 and 360 are due out this winter for 5,500 and 6,980, respectively -- a price discrepancy that suggests that wireless technology is involved, based on the historical evidence of Rock Band guitars. See all three sticks after the break, along with some gigantic Taito-licensed stick that was on display at the Hori booth.

At $150 -- including a copy of Tekken 6, mind you -- Hori's upcoming arcade sticks for the fighter's sixth iteration look to be a pretty decent deal for those of you still interested in picking up a fighting stick. Coming straight out of Namco's conference at GamesCom, we were given an opportunity to check out the Tekken 6 arcade stick. Lucky you, we've also snapped a few pics and added them to the gallery you see below. Let the ogling begin!

If you haven't spent all your money buying Street Fighter IV controllers, Namco Bandai has a new arcade stick for you to invest in. The official Tekken 6 Wireless Fight Stick Bundle bundles the upcoming game with an art book and a wireless stick made by HORI. The set will be available at various nationwide retailers, and will cost $150 for either the PS3 or Xbox 360 version.

In addition to revealing the official arcade stick for the game, Namco Bandai also released 33 new screenshots of the game, showcasing some of the new characters featured in Tekken 6. Our favorite character? Well, there's that decapitated robot girl ...

Finally, official details of Penny Arcade's collaboration with Tekken 6 have been revealed. The "Samurai" Pack includes a playable Cardboard Tube Samurai skin for Yoshimitsu and 40 Samurai Battle Banners which can be used to customize the other characters in the game. The DLC pack will be available as a GameStop-exclusive pre-order bonus.

Amazon has stripped 10% from the price of all its gaming accessories in an offer that lasts until January 10th.

Okay, so 10% isn't a very significant discount -- especially where already cheap accessories are concerned -- but these are harsh times. And besides, we think $13.49 for one of Hori's splendid Charge Stands is great value. $7.19 for those Star Wars Lightsaber styli isn't too shabby, either -- you could pick up the illuminating versions for $15.29 for covert beneath-the-sheets DS sessions while you were there!

Check out more doodads here. Does anything take your fancy?

This month, Hori will release their own take on the Classic Controller, called, shockingly enough, the Hori Classic Controller. The new controller combines the designs of the GameCube and Classic controllers, with the former's general shape, stick layout and shoulder buttons, and the latter's face button layout and Wii-specific extra buttons. It also has individual autofire switches for each button, which make it look scary, like a mini Steel Battalion controller or something.

Black and white versions of this controller will be available starting November 27, and a light blue version will follow on December 4. All will cost 2,980 yen ($30.50). Play-Asia is currently taking preorders for $29.90.

This looks ideal for people who like the feel of the GameCube controller but hate the scrambled button layout -- or for people who want to artificially boost their performance in the myriad shmups on the VC.

When you're looking for a case for your DS, or another non-gameplay-oriented accessory (strap, screen cleaner, sticker, etc.), do you tend toward mass-produced products, like the generally excellent ones from Hori or Keys Factory, or the bizarre puffy ones from Tomy? Or do you prefer a one-of-a-kind homemade item from Etsy?

Or are you like us -- you would prefer a nice handmade one, but for whatever reason you bought a Hori case instead, and now you feel kind of guilty for some unspecified reason? You're probably not like us.

Those of you who were on the fence about the Soulcalibur Limited Edition Fighting Stick 3 by Hori last month might want to reconsider the peripheral again: the price has been reduced $8 to $41.99. Not too bad for a newly released product.

We are aware there are some higher-end fighting sticks around, but at this price range, this particular one is unbeatable. With Soulcalibur IV arriving in stores a week from today, order one now and you might just have it ready when you bring the game home.

[Via CAG]

In preparation of Namco Bandai's upcoming fighting game, Hori is set to release an arcade pad in the US. There are a few things of note of this peripheral, as noted by Siliconera. Firstly, the PS3 pad is only $50 (as opposed to the Xbox 360's $60 controller). Secondly, Hori hasn't announced plans to bring this to Japan. Could the tables have finally turned? Strange!

Hardcore fighting fans swear by arcade pads, opting not to use standard controllers. We'll see if Soulcalibur IV dominates the competitive fighting scene when it releases at the end of next month.

Just yesterday, NCSX began taking preorders on adorable Dragon Quest slime DS Lite styli. Today, they've revealed a thematically appropriate companion piece: this Dragon Quest V DS protector. Much like other Hori Protect Cases, this is a transparent hard plastic cover for the DS, with attractive monochrome artwork on the top. This one features artwork of the Hero and the game's logo, and looks cooler than we expect things with Akira Toriyama art on them to look. This one doesn't come with any other accessories, which in our minds is just another excuse to go ahead and spend the $7 on a Slime Stylus.

The Dragon Quest V Accessory will ship in July for $13.90. Try not to scuff up your DS before then!

We hope you haven't already put in a preorder for Hori's upcoming DS Lite Charge Stand! When we last previewed this accessory, Play Asia had put up a product page promising to deliver the stylish dock to your doorstep for $16.90 (plus $5.90 s/h) once it debuted in Japan this month.

Checking the online import shop earlier today, we spotted a pair of notable details, bad news and good news, if you will:.

• Bad news: The charging base's shipping date has been moved to May
• Good news: There is now a listing for the White DS Lite Charge Stand bearing a US flag, scheduled for June and priced at $14.99.

Is Hori's North American arm planning to bring the dock to the states as it has with many of the company's other DS accessories? If so, it might worth waiting an extra month to pick up the Charge Stand at a local store for a few bucks less. Hit the gallery below for glamour shots of the White and Black models.

You know, we've never really felt the need to actually purchase one of the many stands available for the DS. We don't own Cooking Navi and playing Elite Beat Agents (or Ouendan) can be accomplished fairly easily by holding the DS with one of our hands and playing with the other. Then, we get an eye full of Hori's Taiko no Tatsujin stand and immediately felt the need to get one.

We can't imagine what we'd use it for, so we figured we'd ask you! Who better to let us know the many uses of a DS stand than the fine folks who've been using one for awhile now. So, tell us how your DS rocks its stand.

Similar to its Sangokushi Taisen DS-branded base, Hori has another themed stand set in the works for rhythm game series Taiko no Tatsujin. The adjustable platform comes in red and has two holders for the drumstick styli that come with every copy of the original game. Also included in the kit is an adorable screen wipe

The bundle may or may not also come packaged with the attachable banner of cheering characters -- we haven't decided yet if this would be distractingly goofy or awesome to the max.

Japan has already seen one Taiko DS title release and has another coming, whereas every other country's DSes have been so far Taiko-less. Thus, it's safe to assume that Hori's accessory won't appear in North American stores any time soon. Import shop Play-Asia, however, has the stand available for preorder (due April) for $19.90. Peek past the break for a look at the full, watermarked product sheet.

Bringing in the Chinese New Year, import shop Play Asia has slashed the prices on over five thousand of its in-stock games and accessories. What's more, each order you put in between today and February 29th will count towards an entry for you to win a variety of Japanese consoles, games, and store credits. There's just too many items on sale to list, so we've picked out a few from the DS and GBA sections that might pique your interest.

DS game sales:

• Ryuusei no RockMan: Dragon, Leo, and Pegasus - $48.90 $9.90
• Nodame Cantabile - $48.90 $14.90
• Operation: Vietnam (US) - $24.90 $16.90
• Slide Adventure: Mag Kid - $58.90 $19.90
• Oshare Majo Love and Berry (DS Collection) - $58.90 $19.90
• K-1 World GP - $48.90 $24.90
• Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 - $48.90 $29.90

Jump past the break for the accessory and GBA bargains!