Gamertell

Product: X-Arcade Tankstick
Price: $199.95
Rating: 9/10
Pros: Easy to install on pretty much any computer and fun to use. Works on Mac and Windows PCs as well as many game consoles (with separate adapters).
Cons: Programming the buttons can be a little tricky. It’s not compatible with the Xbox 360, the trackball does not work on all consoles and it and might not work too well on older computers.
Overall: An impressive controller not just to use but to sow off to all your friends. Definitely a great buy - or gift - for a fan of arcade games or a nostalgic gamer.

Classic games are experiencing a bit of a revival as $5-10 downloadable goodies through the latest generation of videogame consoles. Sure, it’s not the inexpensive 25 cents per play from decades ago but it’s sure less expensive than the small fortune you can spend in few hours in a modern arcade and the medium fortune to own your own arcade console.

If you want to get a bit closer to your own at-home arcade experience, there is an option somewhere between the two. X-Arcade’s Tankstick takes all the controls of a standup arcade console and puts it into a fairly affordable retro housing.

The beauty of this controller is not only in its oversized old school design, but that it features actual arcade controls including two joysticks, extra pinball buttons and a trackball. Better yet, it is fully programmable, ready to go on either a Mac or Windows PC, works well with your favorite emulator (for those who have been gathering old arcade ROMs) and may even work with your game consoles.

Design – This mammoth controller is actually many controllers in one housing.

It includes two sets of joysticks and a total of 20 action buttons, two white players buttons - one with a One Player icon and the other with Two Player icon - and two black program/function buttons on the back. Four of the 20 action buttons are white pinball style buttons, two mounted on each side. To the left of each cluster of buttons on the top of the controller is an 8-direction arcade joystick that stands 3 14/ in. tall and has a rounded end for a more comfortable grip. In the center is a white arcade style trackball.

With the exception of the X-arcade logo and the white buttons and trackball, everything else is black. The entire top edge of the controller is trimmed with rounded black rubber. The underside of the controller appears to be solid wood with matte black laminate and is squared for easy mounting (or creating a nice slot to place the unit into an arcade cabinet) and six small rubber feet to prevent slippage

The unit measures 28 1/2 in. long (at its widest point), 13 in. wide (widest point) and stands 4 7/8 in. to 3 5/8 in. tall from back to front so the entire surface is sloped towards the players. It is quite solid and likely weighs more than 20 pounds.

On the back is a black sliding switch with four positions and two cable clusters. The cables on the right include a PS/2 keyboard input plug and female 9-pin serial cable that extend 5 1/2 in. from the case. The second cluster, the trackball cable, is a longer single cable that splits at the end (10 ft. 3 in.) to both a PS/2 plug and a USB plug (with an additional 1 ft. of cable from the PS/2 to the USB cable).

It also ships with a screw-on extension cable for the short 9-pin serial plug that splits into two cables, one with a USB plug and the other with a PS/2 plug. It splits at 5 ft. 3 in. and each plug is an additional 8 in. from the split. A 6 ft. 9-pin extender serial cable is also included.

The controller ships with two disks: an Atari Anniversary Edition CD and a Midway PC Game Bundle CD. The Atari disc includes two Volumes of games. Volume One has Missile Command, Pong, Super Breakout and Tempest. Volume Two consists of Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Millipede and Warlords. The Midway disc has Gauntlet, Rampage, Robotron 2084, Joust, Defender and Smash TV and a DirectX 9b installer.

Finally, you’ll also receive a 23-page manual with wireframe diagrams of how to properly set up the Tankstick for various computer and console configurations, preset key legends, a troubleshooting guide and a page with blank Tankstick diagrams for you to fill in your own programmed settings.

When the unit is turned on, a small red LED in the upper right corner is illuminated and will blink when programming buttons.

Features – There are 4 memory banks, although only three can be programmed. The first memory bank is preset for MAME games (you’ll need to download MAME and compatible ROMs on your own). The step-by-step instructions for programming the buttons is a little tricky, but if you follow them precisely it should not take you more than 10 minutes to get the hang of it. You essentially plug in a keyboard, flick the switch, press one of the back buttons on the back and go at it.

The other black button of the back of the Tankstick is used to deactivate the horizontal sensors for the trackball so you can make straighter shots in golf games.

Performance – Installation was easy since the controller is essentially a keyboard and mouse. You don’t need to download or install any drivers. The buttons are paired with keyboard keys, which can all be reprogrammed, and the trackball is essentially and oversized, inverted mouse. If you do decide to use it like a computer mouse (which would be a silly use of disk space), the side pinball buttons also double as mouse buttons.

This controller works amazingly well. All of the buttons have that wonderful arcade feel and the joysticks have great motion. You can hear the eight action points for each joystick which makes it a little easier to learn the best movements. The trackball has full motion with smooth rolling action. It’s easy to glide your hand over it with full force without the base budging and with the ball

I did have some conflicts when connected the Tankstick to an older laptop, causing the game to get temporarily locked in one direction. I suspect there were some conflicts with the laptop’s internal keyboard and it was trying to swap between the Tankstick and the internal keybaord in the middle of a game. On newer computers, there were not any conflicts and every control worked perfectly.

Including the classic games discs was a genius move on X-Arcade’s part, providing the perfect way to test the controller and immediately get into a few great, classic games without any potentially illegal downloads.

The Tankstick also allows the few games that used two joysticks in the arcade, like Robotron (one of my favorites), to once again be played using two joysticks instead of some weird button combo. If you do download common arcade or console emulators, many include X-Arcade settings and MAME has been supporting X-Arcade devices for several years. There’s even a page and a half in the manual dedicated to MAME settings.

The controller’s large design is not only to fit all the springs and wires that let everything work but also to offer a little extra room for two gamers to play at the same time (even more room than earlier X-Arcade controllers). If you are a hardware modder, you can easily break into the box to get at the springs to adjust the tensions, though I’d only recommend that for expert tinkerers.

If you do want to try this with the newest consoles, you’ll need to purchase the appropriate adapters which typically cost $20 each. You can already buy adapters for a Dreamcast, GameCube (also works with the Wii), Xbox, PS1, PS2 and PS3 but there is not yet an adapter for the Xbox 360. From my contact with X-Arcade, it seems the Tankstic’s trackball is not really set up to work on the current generation consoles though the buttons and joysticks work fine.

I did test the Tankstick on the Wii using the GameCube adapter and it worked wonderfully. It can really only be used with the Virtual Arcade games but the joysticks offer better control than the Wii Classic Controller’s control pad.

Overall – If you ever plan to build your own arcade setup or just want to get into that nostalgic place, this is the perfect controller for you. The combination of two sets of controls, programmability and the trackball make it an all-in-one nostalgic package of fun.

The biggest obstacle may be the controller’s huge footprint which will take up a good amount of desk or table space and is certainly not comfortable on your lap for more than 5-10 minutes. Of course, it’s meant to be set down and enjoyed on a solid surface for a long, long time. If, like me, you plan to one day put all your old computer parts to good use and build your own cabinet, the Tankstick is an ideal purchase and will be $200 well spent.

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