Fighting game players in this current generation have a lot of options to select from regarding their choice of instrument for playing competitively. Various existing brands like Qanba, Hori, Razer, and Mad Catz are among many arcade stick manufacturers available to fit the needs of the majority of players. Even players with a specific taste, like those who prefer Korean-style levers, can rely on manufacturers like etokki to fulfil their niche.
Players who are more crafty can also opt to create their own arcade sticks using parts from various companies among various specialized websites to ensure each stick created is a personalized experience. There are hundreds of options that fighting game players have now that arcade players in the 90s simply did not have at the time. Tragically, the pioneers of the "home arcade stick" that would define a generation have passed away, leaving behind a legacy that would continue to this day, over two decades later.
On March 29, an accidental kitchen fire claimed the life of 63-year-old Reynalda Lynn Nguyen, with her husband, Thao Nguyen, suffering severe injuries. Unfortunately, he would succumb to his injuries after two weeks of being hospitalized on April 13, leaving behind two children, Anthony and Alexandria Kristen Nguyen. Currently homeless and unemployed, the children created a GoFundMe to help support the family during critical times. The Nguyens were known among the FGC as the family responsible for creating the Multi Arcade System sticks, an integral fight stick that was the cornerstone for developing a community for fighting game fans.
At the time, players who wanted an authentic arcade experience at home didn't have the selection available to them like today. Japanese sticks weren't as commonplace as ordering a stick directly from Japan came with its caveats. Commercial ready sticks weren't quite up to the quality that players expected from arcades at the time either. In response to the demand of fighting game players, the Nguyens created the MAS, a weighty all-purpose arcade stick meant to be a 1:1 recreation of American arcade cabinets like Marvel vs Capcom 2 and other Capcom fighters.
As each stick was made to order, purchasing them wasn't cheap, but players who owned these sticks praised its quality and the amount of care made into each stick. The sticks have long since been considered a collector's item, with sellers on eBay selling them from upwards of $500. It could be said that the influence of the MAS sticks served as the catalyst for companies like Hori to promote sales of their Japanese arcade sticks to the Western market.
Many prominent members in the FGC, including Mark Julio and Justin Wong, sent their condolences to the Nguyen family, with the latter fiercely promoting the GoFundMe, raising money for the family on a recent stream. As of right now, the GoFundMe has raised close to $30,000 of their $50,000 goal.