Review: Monoprice's DARK MATTER ARCADE FIGHTING STICK Is Exactly What You Expect
I remember vividly always getting excited when seeing an arcade cabinet when I was a kid (and I still do now). It didn’t matter the game, all I wanted to do was find some quarters and play whatever game was there. It could’ve been Street Fighter, Galaga, Pac-Man, House of the Dead or any other plethora of games, but my younger self could not wait to run over to smash those buttons and flick around the joy stick. Now, we have arcade stick accessories at home and can leave out all those quarters and lines waiting to play a game. Monorprice has come out with the Dark Matter Arcade Fighting Stick that is as nostalgic as it is professional feeling even if it has a few drawbacks.
Let’s talk about the thing itself. The shape, size and materials are all exactly what I would want from an at home arcade stick. The buttons are smooth and sensitive, the joystick is springy and crisp to move around, and the hard plastics feel like breaking in a brand new cabinet at an arcade (or even better). The customizable cover is nice and easy to switch out, but there aren’t any easy to find or make art work to insert into the arcade stick. I was pleased with how easy it was to set up overall, but disappointed that it only works on PC and last gen consoles (sadly my PS5 version of Street Fighter 6 and DNF Duel will have to wait for another arcade stick). The size of it feels a bit large, especially for how much empty space there is, but it isn’t too bad being placed on a table or on the player's lap.
As for the actual performance, the Dark Matter is finely tuned and great for any player of any skill level. The buttons and joystick are lightning fast when it comes to responsiveness and are comfortable to use over long and intense gaming sessions. While the Dark Matter feels and looks great, it isn’t quite up to professional grade fighting sticks quality, but it will help any player get into the realm and feel of playing fighting games (or others) with an arcade stick.
The Dark Matter Arcade Fighting Stick is a high quality piece of hardware that does its job exactly as intended. It feels great to use even if its size seems a bit off initially. The customization is nice and the installation was smooth as butter. However, not being compatible with current generation consoles is a bummer and feels like an odd choice being so far into the lifespan of the current generation of gaming consoles. This is a solid way to relive the older days of playing at an arcade cabinet as well as a way to hone in on fight game skills for most modern titles.
