« Review: Hori Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown Real Arcade Pro V3 SA Stick »

For June along with the Fighting Edge stick, HORI released a new version of their existing Real Arcade Pro model in time for the release of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3's digital download services.

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Specifically made for the PlayStation 3, the Real Arcade Pro V3 SA Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown special edition stick does its job as a capable stick with a new neat element.

The original Real Arcade Pro V3 SA model was mostly black while this new version is the polar opposite, similar to that of the Xbox 360-based VX SA. Evidence includes the incomplete hole on the hand rest where the Xbox 360 headset would be inserted. After previous experience with the original model and its sort of rough finish, this edition felt much better on the skin. The art featuring character Akira Yuki is well composed and accommodate the white case appropriately.

These Real Arcade Pro models are much smaller than most other high quality sticks in the market while being big enough to accommodate different body types. This means that it's compact enough to bring around while still feeling appropriately sized to play on. The problem about the case is that it has a small groove to hold on to so it's prone to possibly slip.

Like its previous versions, this Real Arcade Pro V3 SA features buttons and a lever from Sanwa Denshi. They are the go to parts for high quality play. I can't really say much more as they are the standard nowadays for competitors. In other words, they are great.

One interesting aspect that's the main draw of the stick is the top panel layout. Instead of a Taito Vewlix layout found in older versions, this special edition utilizes a Sega layout found on Astro City and Lindbergh arcade cabinets. I am a fan of the layout since they fit well with my hands and it's really neat to see try it on a modern stick. The unusual part of it is that the stock Sanwa buttons are half green and half black which I am sort of confused about. Virtua Fighter 5 mainly has three buttons (punch, kick, guard) and if the green color was applied on those three commands, it would have made a lot more sense. It's not really a bad design issue but it's noticeable.

One of the biggest gripes about this stick is that it's only for PlayStation 3 with no apparent announcement for the Xbox 360. Fortunately being based on an existing case, there should be room to mod various controller boards to make an effective dual-mod. At least out of the box, the stick is compatible on Windows 7 and backwards compatible PlayStation 3 models.

The price of the stick is a bit more than HORI's other sticks such as their SoulCalibur V stick. Although the stick plays fine, the price might be a bit high for some people when the regular editions of the current Real Arcade Pro models are a couple of bucks less. I guess the possibly limited run justifies the price. It will though be a reasonable collectable for those who are into that field. The Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown stick is more or less the same thing as its older counterparts but the new layout is an interesting addition. It will get the job done and for some, it's good enough.