January 14, 2000 Web posted at: 8:52 a.m. EST (1352 GMT) by Danny W. Lam (a.k.a. Lamchop)

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(IDG) -- Let it be known, Lamchop has finally defeated GamePro's Major Mike in a bout of Marvel vs Capcom (final score: 5 - 3). The victor's weapon of choice was the excellent arcade stick from Interact Accessories, the Alloy Arcade Stick.

We're not saying that you can beat Major Mike with it, but the silverish-chrome Alloy Stick is a good one for the Dreamcast if you're really into fighters and hate using the standard gamepads.

The Alloy features eight buttons on the right and a thumb button on the tip of the stick -- all of them programmable. There's also an auto-fire feature for games that support it (for the lazy gamer).

You can tell Interact really put some thought into the Alloy. It's heavy, ensuring it won't tip over in all but the most extreme cases. It's also got a big footprint, about 14" by 10" for that perfect arcade feel, and there's a compartment in the underside to tuck away the cord when not in use - a nice touch.

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The buttons are almost identical to the ones in the arcade in look and feel. (They click! Woo hoo!) If we had to pick on anything, it's that the joystick is a little tall in height -- not that this affects its performance but it just feels strange.

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That said, this is, and will continue to be Lamchop's weapon of choice to all challengers in Marvel vs Capcom and other Dreamcast fighters. Pick up the Alloy Arcade Stick (the metallic shimmer makes it an attention grabber) and show them what you can do.

What we like: Arcade-like buttons; solid construction; excellent performance

What Needs Work: A bit pricey

What it's got:

• One expansion slot
• 9 buttons
• Auto-fire feature

Manufacturer: Interact Accesories

Street: $60.00