Good stick, no mods required.
There's a lot of negative reviews about this stick. I want to clear some things up. The only reason this stick is getting bad reviews is because of complete elitists. They think that since it is not as good as a the Real Arcade Pro that it is garbage. This is not true. In fact, there are some advantages to its design. Firstly, the joystick is very nice and responsive, with an octagon plate so that you can easily do rolling motions. The microswitches inside are a bit loud, but the stick works so well that it is a worthy tradeoff. Second, and probably the most controversial, the buttons. They are not microswitch buttons. I knew this when I bought it, and I cannot see how a person would expect complete arcade parts for a mere 50 bucks. They are rubber contact switches. The downside is that there is no satisfying click when you press the button to know that the button press has gone through. The upside, however, is that they are still very responsive, and since there is no clicking you can jam the buttons quickly and still be very quiet. They spring back up just as fast as you let your finger off of them as well. They just have a different tactile sensation. I can go either way on button types, and would rather have microswitches but for rubber contact buttons, these are very well done. Lastly, the case. The case is a hard plastic shell, with a plastic overlay that shows fingerprints very easily. It is perfectly weighted, not too heavy, but not so light that you knock it around while playing. My only gripe is that it could stand another inch or so between the buttons and the joystick, but you can get used to it.

Overall, a wonderful stick for the price. I hope they get some more in stock so I can order another, as I made the mistake of only ordering one and now they are out.

Yeah this stick is insane
yeah i bought 2, one for my friend and the other for me...
we are only 3rd strike players and thanks play-asia for the very fast shipping...
i love this stick, it has a nice case for modding,too...
order it, and u'll get a very good stick for fighting games..

Not That Bad
I've finally got this stick and when I played it, it's kind a exactly what I expected. This stick was perfect for my fighting games collection, including my most favorite, Arcana Heart. This stick was also perfect for one of the game that you can't barley do the easy command moves (The King of Fighters NeoWave). With this stick, you'll be able to have more fun with your fighting games. I'd even had more fun with this joy stick with my Marvel vs. Capcom2 game. This Hori joy stick nice, and very affordable. For $49.90, it's a steal.

Amazing price, amazing stick.
I was doubtful from the few recent low scores about making the purchase. However, since I've just received and tested it, I'm glad I made the purchase.

The stick in itselt is very easy to get used to. The joystick isn't too loose and it isn't too stiff. Just got back from a couple games of CvS2 and everything went very smoothly. The buttons feels like there are cushions underneath, so hitting it hard still doesn't make loud noises, although it's not recommended. Other than that, everything pulls off perfectly, given the right inputs. No idea about the rumble feature, but it's there. The turbo buttons are there give it more variety, but you don't really need those for fighting games.

All in all, a very solid stick. It's not a HRAP (1 or 2), but it's the best deal given that those are insanely hard to find now. Make the purchase and have a great time.

Perfect to getting your feet wet.
I bought two of these things so me and my roommates can play some MVC2 the right way. I thought they would be a little bigger, but they feel super sturdy everything down the the stick and buttons.

Cant go wrong with Hori!
5 out of 5.