Not everyone has played Street Fighter on an arcade machine at an actual arcade. If you haven’t, then you need a serious education in gaming. Good luck finding a local arcade, though ... they’re all but dead in the US now. That means the younger generation of gamers is used to playing these fighting games on control pads, not using joysticks. It’s the sad truth.

There are also those few who prefer a control pad over a joystick. Not sure what their story is, but hell, at least I know I could beat them in any fighting game. Regardless, Mad Catz closed up their Street Fighter IV controller lineup with the FightPad, a gamepad that fits nicely in players’ hands and is made just for 2D fighters.

The best thing about the FightPad is its versatility. Even as a small gamepad, it has nearly every feature of the two FightSticks before it: eight buttons, a D-pad/stick switch and turbo. The six face buttons are very large and very tactile. When you push them, it gives that satisfying feeling you get from pushing every elevator button just before getting off. They are fun to push just because they are buttons.

On the off chance you don’t have barrels of money and a swimming pool filled with gold, you might not want to pick up the Tournament Edition FightStick from Mad Catz. Because it’s expensive. Very expensive. How about something for half, or less than half the price?

Then you’ll want to look at the standard FightStick, also from Mad Catz, for the consumer who thinks that having running water and air conditioning (or heating) is more important than the best gaming experience possible. Some of us have to put food on the table too! Don’t worry, you’re covered.

The FightStick is nearly identical to the Tournament Edition in terms of functionality. It has the same easy-to-use turbo, the same Japanese + American button layout, the same lock switch and the same stick/D-pad switch. They all work identically and perfectly.

Ready for Street Fighter IV? No you aren’t. Why would you lie to yourself like that? It’s not like you have an SFIV arcade cabinet sitting in your den, waiting for quarters from a second player.

Don’t worry, you don’t need it. Because the next best thing to owning an actual expensive arcade machine is having all the parts in between the giant cabinet. Like the actual joystick and buttons.

That’s what Mad Catz is offering in their Official Street Fighter IV FightStick: Tournament Edition, a carbon copy of the actual Japanese arcade seen across all of Japan and select areas worldwide. No, scratch that -- this one is better.