My first experience with fighting games had me setting an alarm for 6 a.m. so I could get to the local laundromat and get in line to contend with the fiercest Grade 2 had to offer in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Being hands-on and in the thick of Iron Man’s Proton Cannon was the stuff of legends, so when I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the new FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, outside of Grade 2, I set my alarm in anticipation.
Although my time with the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick was brief, it embodies everything a new or returning fight fan could want in a stick, and it looks great doing it. First things first, if the Sony PlayStation 5 is a spaceship, the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick could be mistaken for an add-on component. The FlexStrike oozes the same futuristic aesthetic as the PlayStation 5, and its finish matches to a T.
The stick ball itself can screw on and off and appears glassy, but smooth and lighter than advertised to the touch. When pushed to one side and released, the stick bounces back with aggressive buoyancy, as if begging the player to push it again.
The face of the stick is adorned with every button you can find on a DualSense controller. I am serious. Instead of what is commonly found on the front of a fight stick, at least the ones that still have a stick, the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick has a whopping eight face buttons for players to mash. R2 and L2 are found in conveniently pinky-placed locations. The touchpad, the menu button and even the R3 and L3 buttons can be found on the surface of the FlexStrike, making this a great lap-bound controller on top of a fight stick.
“Although my time with the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick was brief, it embodies everything a new or returning fight fan could want in a stick, and it looks great doing it.”
Like the stick itself, the buttons are pleasant and bounce back with a springy feel. One of my favourite features on Flexstrike Wireless is its focus on catering to every player, experienced and fledgling. This fight stick has each button tattooed with its function (R2 is labelled as such), a godsend for those just starting or for those who forget where their hands are. On top of that, with all the buttons front and center on the controller, the Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick can serve as a solid controller offering greater accessibility for those who need it, much like the Access Controller. The Flexstrike Wireless serves users as a multitool beast.
Trying the Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick out in a match makes all the difference. Flexstrike can connect wirelessly using Bluetooth or using PlayStation Link. For those who don’t yet have the PlayStation Link, it delivers a wireless solution for ultra-low-latency when issuing commands. What this means is it takes less delay from when a user presses a button to when it activates in-game, and unlike Bluetooth, it doesn’t need to be re-paired. The Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick comes with one handy.
In a Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls match, this amounts to near-instant responsiveness, like the arcade in Grade 2 but without the grogginess and waiting in line. Unleashing combos with Ghost Rider feels like second nature, and the rust returning players have after months of not using a stick evaporates in an instant. Stringing together special moves, holding another button and swapping characters feels natural with the many-button-faced FlexStrike, and it feels as if it adapts to the player after a short learning session.
“The FlexStrike Wireless serves users as a multitool beast.”
The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick feels like riding a good-looking bike for a returning player, and although it has an intimidating two extra buttons, in practice, it is for the better. In development, the FlexStrike even put the touchpad far out of harm’s way, because in real competition, like EVO or Combo Breaker, pressing pause during a round once nets you a disqualification.
Hot-swapping characters, putting together combos and general gameplay behind the roster of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls feel like an extension of everything I have learned at arcade cabinets, except the FlexStrike flexes to fit the player’s needs and not the other way around.
Often, at a cabinet, controls would feel too rigid, and they are literally fastened to the heavy machinery, forcing the user to conform. The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, on the other hand, conforms to the player and fits their playstyle with efficiency, and it can sit on a player’s lap without weighty heft.
“With its modular design, lightweight feel, sleek presentation and long-lasting battery, the Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick is the next serious contender in fighting games.”
When you turn the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick over, it has modular support for every fight fan. You can adjust the friction ring sitting beneath the fight stick to alter it to your preferred style. It can be adjusted to a circle, curved square or octagonal gate, making it easier to whip out diagonal inputs on opponents. This also helps those criminally bad at crouch-guarding in midair do better. There is also storage for a user’s PlayStation Link, in case you need to bring one with you on the go, or you just do not want to lose it.
With all of its functionality, it is surprising to note that the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick is light and easy to carry in one hand while moving around. This makes travelling with it easy, and to make things even simpler, the FlexStrike comes with its own carrier, like the PlayStation DualSense Edge. It also has protection to keep the stick itself in check when moving around.
With its modular design, lightweight feel, sleek presentation and long-lasting battery, the Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick is the next serious contender in fighting games. Just like its name, the Flexstrike appears designed to adapt to the player, making playing fighting games a cinch. Adding every button on the Dualsense to the Flexstrike’s surface and making this usable as a secondary accessible controller is just another way the Flexstrike feels designed for everyone.
For those who want to secure one for themselves, the Flexstrike Wireless Fight Stick comes with a PlayStation-branded carrying case, the PlayStation Link, a charging cable, the Flexstrike itself and will be available for pre-order starting June 12, and it will retail at $199.99 USD ($269.99 CAD). The official release day lands on the same day as Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls, on August 2, so fans will be able to take up arms against one another in Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls on day one with Flexstrike.
