My Weapon of Choice

I’ve made little pretense regarding my relative distaste for Capcom’s latest Street Fighter. Whether it’s the conflicting desires to be a game both readily available to the novice but unfathomably deep for the pro player, or just my utter revulsion towards the she-monkey they’ve unfortunately named Chun-Li, unlike some, I’m not intensely entranced by its quasi-3D pugilism.

Still, the irrevocably sweet pull of swirling lollipop sticks and joyous clickity-clack of plastic wafers made it disgustingly difficult to deny an addict’s urge to score myself another hit.

I was so damn close to buying into their digital drug, except for the heavenly intervention of one impossible decision: which arcade stick do I procure? Because you see, of the various husky-hunks of plastic, metal, and wires available, the choice ever remained between a unit compatible with Sony’s onyx behemoth or Microsoft’s concave brick.

Long before, however, I had pledged such a decision would rest on the broad shoulders of another, more two-dimensional fighter. The system this game ultimately made its home would act as the North Star for my future controller purchase.

Thankfully, I stuck to my resolve, and now that time has come.

King of Fighter XII is coming to the Playstation 3, and Summer 2009 can’t get her fast enough. Now, off to hunt down a precious stick to call my own.