Don’t think I’ve mentioned this on here before (even though I’ve reviewed the game earlier this year) but I’m a huge Street Fighter IV fan. I play for at least a half hour every day to stop the rust from settling in and to try out some new stuff in the training mode. Being honest, most days I end up spending a lot more time than that (although Fallout 3 has been eating into that time a lot lately). Anyway, after trying the game with a PS3 controller first, moving over to a Saturn Replica controller I finally accepted that if I was to try and get even remotely competent with the game I’d need an arcade stick. I looked around and, probably, got caught up in the hype and bought a Mad Catz Tournament Edition FightStick. It’s done me well, and is excellent for Street Fighter IV. I’d read it has all top quality parts but, meh, I don’t really pay attention to that, if it works it works.

Anyway, I was kinda getting bored with the artwork on the faceplate of the stick so started searching around the net for a way to change this. I came across this thread on the SRK Forums (if you are into Street Fighter at all you are probably already a member) and after a few emails back and forth with the guy, I designed some artworks and sent them on to him to be printed. A week after the payment cleared they arrived in the post.

That night, pretty much, I installed the new faceplate. It was such a relief for it to fit in place exactly. Usual with custom made parts that are coming from another country I always have the slight fear that they just won’t match up for some when they are being installed, which causes the headache of sending them back… etc. To have it just screw into place like the stick was always meant to have this faceplate was excellent, and I take my hat off to the guy who makes these plates.

As you can see in the gallery below. I got a second artwork printed should I ever get bored of the one I have currently. I’ve also designed a 3rd artwork which I’ll get printed in time for the release of Super Street Fighter IV (whenever that may be?)

If you have any questions or want to know the specifics of how the faceplate was installed (it’s fairly straight forward) then leave a comment and I’ll be sure to reply.