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TGS 2009: The next generation of Real Arcade Pro joysticks

by JC Fletcher { Sep 26th 2009 at 11:30AM }

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.

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Take a timeout to ogle Hori's Tekken 6 arcade sticks

by Ben Gilbert { Aug 19th 2009 at 2:45PM }

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!

Gallery: Tekken 6 Hori Fight Stick

Tekken 6 wireless sticks revealed, priced

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 22nd 2009 at 4:45PM }

View high-resolution: PS3 or Xbox 360

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.

Gallery: Tekken 6 (6/22/09)

Gallery: Tekken 6: Penny Arcade "Samurai" Pack

All DS accessories cheap(er) at Amazon

by Chris Greenhough { Dec 23rd 2008 at 8:15PM }

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?

Hori making Cube-style Classic Controller

by JC Fletcher { Nov 14th 2008 at 9:00AM }

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.

DS Daily: Case couture

by JC Fletcher { Aug 4th 2008 at 9:00AM }

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.

Deal of the Day: Soulcalibur IV Hori Fighting Stick $42

by Alan Tsang { Jul 22nd 2008 at 12:15PM }

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]

Hori bringing Soulcalibur arcade sticks to US

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 9th 2008 at 4:00PM }

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.

More Dragon Quest DS decor: DQV cover

by JC Fletcher { May 20th 2008 at 7:00PM }

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!

Hori Charge Stand delayed, coming to America?

by Eric Caoili { May 6th 2008 at 10:35PM }

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.

Gallery: Hori DS Lite Charge Stand

DS Daily: taking a stand

by David Hinkle { Feb 27th 2008 at 9:00AM }

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.

Taiko: Stand Master

by Eric Caoili { Feb 26th 2008 at 11:15AM }

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.

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Huge discounts and prizes at Play Asia's Year of the Rat Lucky Sale

by Eric Caoili { Feb 13th 2008 at 12:45PM }

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!

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Hori creates Monster Hunter pack, will make money

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 13th 2008 at 12:00PM }

Anything with the words Monster and Hunter together seems to sell well in Japan. One of the best selling games of last year is getting a psuedo-sequel of sorts, and Hori is poised to capitalize on the frenzy. Their upcoming PSP accessory pack is totally Monster Hunter-branded. You'll get a sweet looking fleece cover, some headphones and a pouch. It actually looks pretty damn good.

It'll be available in Japan on March 27th for the price of 2,919? (about $27). Wait, that sounds like a great deal! Thankfully for Monster Hunter fans, it looks to be available for pre-order on import sites.

Hori Charge Stand is style over substance, just our thing

by Chris Greenhough { Feb 1st 2008 at 8:00PM }

We're struggling to justify to ourselves the idea of purchasing one of Hori's new Charge Stands. After all, a standard wired power adapter -- like the one you get totally free with your DS -- does the same job. The only obvious advantage to owning one of these is that your DS can be displayed at a jaunty, kind of cool angle.

We suppose this is a case of form over function, though we're not ashamed to still want one -- the DS is an attractive piece of kit, so why shouldn't we show it off? For just under $17, you can be as superficial as we are, though you will have to wait until April. Oh, and they only come in black or white, meaning any new cobalt blue DS owners might have to go without.

[Thanks, Chris!]