After countless hours on the Hori EX2 Arcade Stick iTZKooPA is ready to give his opinion.
Arcade Sticks have always been one of the higher priced peripherals in video games. Since the days of the original NES, arcade sticks have been made available, in varying quality, construction and price. Due to the variations in quality and the consistently high prices, gamers often fear the day when they head to the store to pick up a stick. Or heaven forbid, a pair of them (P2 needs some love, ya know). Today, we review the moderately priced Hori EX2 to see if it belongs in the junk pile, or with a bargain bin gem sticker.
The stick sports your standard 6-button layout and lollipop joystick over a white and green background. The RB and LB buttons are located well out of your way, bumpering the Start, Back and system emblem (in my case the 360 button) at the top of the unit. Outside of the basic aesthetics of the unit I quickly realized how perfectly weighted the unit feels. As fighting gamers know, there’s nothing worse than trying to whip out a special only to send the stick skidding across the table instead of executing a semi circle. That won’t be happening with the EX2. The stick plops firmly down on a lap or hard surface, and will remain there throughout your fiercest button-mashing and key spamming sessions.
Hori was kind enough to include the buttons that any arcade aficionado will be happy to dance their fingers across. The six, multi-colored keys are responsive to slightest of taps, and confirm their impressions with satisfactory clicks. The joystick was also designed for maximum human-computer interaction recognition, as it to sports easily felt, and heard, clicks as you traverse its 360 degrees of motion.
The stick feels and responds well, but it’s not without its faults. For starters, while the stick is appropriately weighted, it isn’t as large as I like. It’s not small by any means, but if the unit isn’t resting directly in the center of your lap, you may force it off to one side or the other due to it not spanning your lap. Lap sizes, and opinions on the topic, obviously vary. The stick’s timing also takes a little getting used to, which will present an issue to those who’ve been perfecting their Hadokens for two decades. This bit of lag also crept up in online matches, but it didn’t bother me too much.
All in all, the no frills stick is one made of solid construction, and good components. It’s responsiveness and weight are top notch. At $69.99, it is one of the cheapest on the market, but that doesn’t mean the Hori EX2 should be overlooked. If your anything from a casual fighter to a semi-serious brawler, then this is definitely a stick to consider before making the leap up.
Check out our full line-up of sticks and pads here.
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