If you’re one thats keen on playing fighting games with a control pad, two thoughts immediately come to mind:  1) you probably didn’t endure rigorous arcade competition back in the heyday of arcades, and 2) my Geese Howard in King of Fighters ’98: Ultimate Match will totally beast you. Totally.

Dedicated stick-warriors and those that still have Neo Geo-lust will appreciate the new hardware coming out of Asia. According to 1Up.com, Exar will manufacture a line of joysticks modeled after the iconic Neo Geo AES controller – - gee, I wonder why. Those dollar signs are dancing in the pupils, eh, Exar?

Still, I’m digging the arching four buttons set up and the perfect classic color scheme. The one thing that I hope changes is the build quality; the original Neo Geo AES sticks were a tad fragile for my tastes, unable to withstand my combotastic fury for extended periods before shorting out.

This PS3 exclusive stick will arrive in Japanese stores on July 16th for 5,229 yen ($54), but we’re certain that plucky importers will have them in stock to coincide with King of Fighters XII‘s PS3 release. A dedicated King of Fighter XII stick will also be available for around $65 US (photo after the jump).

[Hat Tip: 1Up via Impress Game Watch]