Mad Catz is releasing a new version of its popular fight sticks for Street Fighter X Tekken. I had a chance to play with the new design, and to see its very special—and oddly specific—killer feature: you can link multiple sticks together to recreate the arcade experience.

Not much has changed in terms of the sticks or buttons of Mad Catz hardware we've reviewed in the past, and this new version looks and feels great. The new design allows you to connect two sticks after purchasing a $20 kit. There is a plate that connects the two sticks on both the front and the rear of the hardware, as well as a plate on the bottom, and two metal rods connect the two sticks internally. It may seem like overkill, but once everything is connected and locked down it feels like both sticks were always meant to be one product.

The connected unit feels impressively solid, and you don't have to stop there: if you want to play any games that support more than two players, you can connect multiple sticks and have a party. If you've ever wanted to recreate the feel of play the classic X-Men arcade game or even the Simpsons or Ninja Turtles arcade games, complete with four players, this is your chance.

The fight sticks are great pieces of hardware alone, but the ability to link multiple units is a neat, if niche, feature. Mad Catz spokesman Alex Verrey nodded when I told him this would be a very easy way to build a multiplayer MAME cabinet. He also pointed out that when linked, the two sticks are exactly the width of that controls in a Japanese arcade cabinet. "Down to the centimeter," he said, proudly.

Mad Catz continues to find new ways to sell me things I didn't know I wanted. The sticks will launch alongside Street Fighter X Tekken, and no price has been announced.