Alright, let me tell you about this project I’ve been working on – this “Dark Matter Fight Stick.” Sounds kinda cool, right? I’ve always been into those old-school arcade games, and I figured, why not try to build my own fight stick? Seemed like a fun challenge.

So, I started digging around to see what I needed. First thing, obviously, was a good case. Something sturdy, you know? I didn’t want some flimsy plastic thing that would break after a few button-mashing sessions. I hunted around for a while and eventually found this solid metal enclosure. It was a bit of a pain to modify, but it gave it this awesome, industrial feel.
The Guts
Next up was figuring out the guts of this thing. I needed a PCB, basically the brains of the operation, that could handle all the inputs from the buttons and joystick. Did some research, asked around in some online forums, and settled on a decent one that wouldn’t break the bank.
- Joystick: I went with a classic Sanwa JLF. Super responsive, feels great, and it’s what all the pros use.
- Buttons: Sanwa OBSF-30s, of course. Gotta have that satisfying click, you know?
- Wiring: This was a real pain in the butt. So many wires! I ended up color-coding everything to keep it somewhat organized.
Putting It All Together
Once I had all the parts, it was time for the real fun – assembly. I drilled out the holes in the case for the joystick and buttons, which took forever. I tell ya, a good drill makes all the difference. I mounted everything in place, which was a bit fiddly, especially getting the joystick to sit just right.
Then came the wiring. Man, I spent hours soldering and connecting all those tiny wires to the PCB. My eyes were definitely crossed by the end of it. But, I got it done. Double-checked all the connections, made sure nothing was shorting out, you know, the usual.
The Final Test
Finally, the moment of truth. I plugged it into my PC, fired up a fighting game, and… it worked! The joystick moved smoothly, the buttons were responsive. It was a thing of beauty. I spent the next few hours just playing, feeling that satisfying click of the buttons and the smooth movement of the joystick. It felt amazing to have built something like this with my own two hands.
I’ve been using it for a while now, and I gotta say, it’s the best fight stick I’ve ever used. Sure, it took a lot of time and effort, but it was totally worth it. There’s just something special about playing with a controller that you built yourself. It’s like, this is MY fight stick, you know? Anyway, that’s my story about building the “Dark Matter Fight Stick.” Maybe it’ll inspire some of you to try your hand at a DIY project. It’s a blast!