Arcade in a Box Review

After getting Street Fighter 2 HD off Xbox Live Arcade I knew I was lacking an edge, that edge was an arcade stick. A few years back I bought a Hori stick from Japan and it was fantastic quality. This time I wanted something unique. A few Google searches and forums posts later I came across a site called www.ArcadeinaBox.com. AIAB source the best parts from Japan and hand make a stick for you.

You can choose the type of buttons, colour, design, stick, layout you name it. They source the best parts such as Sanwa and Seimitsu. I chose to go for a slim arcade and all Sanwa layouts.

10 out of 10 for Performance. The quality of the components improved my game straight from the get go. The only difference I would have liked was to purchase an octo gate instead.

9 out of 10 Build Quality. The quality was almost perfect; I noticed a small gap between the closing of the box but nothing worth crying about.

Features 10 out of 10. One stick from AIAB can support Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. What more can you ask for.

8 out of 10 Ease of Use. I chose to go for an extra length cable which was perfect for playing at distance. The only reason I gave it an 8 was due to a poor microphone connection, but overall it didn’t make me want to send the stick back and especially since I waited almost 7 weeks for it.

Value 9 out of 10. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the pricing of the stick. My custom stick set me back $280 and I know this isn’t the average purchase. If your a hardcore gamer and you want the best, you buy the best.

Overall:

9.5 out of 10. AIAB isn’t in the market of mass production. They take their time to build the best they can make. I couldn’t recommend a joystick any more highly.

I’m sad to see due to the mass requests for arcade sticks in general; AIAB is now only shipping to North America. I hoping this will change in the future because I would have no qualms buying another.

Here are some images:

Stick 1
Stick 2
Stick 3