The rumors are true, somewhat. The Cardboard Tube Samurai will be appearing in Tekken 6, at least in spirit, as a downloadable GameStop pre-order bonus costume for Yoshimitsu, who can be seen dual-wielding the powerful weapons in the official screenshots here. Along with a Pac-Man kimono, cardboard tubes, and a hat, the pre-order bonus DLC also features Samurai Battle Banners, which can be used to make any Tekken 6 character look a little more attractive. On top of that, GameStop customers who pre-order the game also receive a Tekken 6 calendar, which you can then use to retroactively circle the October 27th North American release date.

Now how much would you pay? But wait, there's more!

Both versions of Tekken 6 will also be available bundled with a limited-edition Hori fight stick and an art book, for only $149.99. That's cheaper than buying three copies of the game alone!

Check out the gallery for shots of the new bundles and the new Yoshimitsu outfit, and let us know if you're one of the few and the proud who plan on scoring one of those sexy stick bundles.

It is strange to think that there is now an entire generation of gamers who never had to suffer the pain/thrill of holding on to one of these during a marathon gaming session. But now, thanks to retrogaming pushers Legacy - you may remember them from the Atari Flashback 2 - the Classic USB Joystick Controller can wreck current-gen wrists as well.

Ideal for MAME usage, this should work out of the box on Windows, OS X and Linux 'puters. Your tendons may not thank you, but for just $14.99 semi-authentic 1970s gameplay can be yours.

Man's Necessities: Air, Water, and USB Atari 2600 Joysticks [Gizmodo]

Yeah, I'm just going to leave that one hanging for a bit.

I sometimes wonder if when future generations talk about our era and the decades-long financial and environmental apocalypse that it produced, they will mention stuff like this as indicators that our civilization was not just in decline but stick-a-fork-in-em done.

Anyway, if hot hands is such a problem for you that you think you can justify the purchase of one of these you should know that it features "Three levels (off/1/2) of air control to keep your hand cool plus feel the effects of flying". It also comes with vibration, force-feedback and 13 programmable buttons.

Hang on - Isn't that actually two levels plus 'off'? Hmm.

Hand-cooling joystick for sweaty flight-simmers [Boing Boing Gadgets]

The Wii is the counter example, but before you start thinking, "I've heard this all before," Harris continues to argue that game reviews haven't figured out what to do with the Wii. Games like Carnival Games have sold well despite terrible reviews because, well, they're just easy and fun to play.

Harris doesn't mention this, but it was Nolan Bushnell's original mistake of including complex controls in the Spacewar! adaptation Computer Space in 1971 that lead to the pick up and play values of coin-op, starting with PONG.

How the Videogame Industry Shot Itself In the Joystick—and Why the Wii Has Stopped the Bleeding [Newsweek: Level Up]

WiiShaft [via gizmodo]

Does starring in adult films affect your brain? Let's ask superstar Tera Patrick, who's appeared in seventy plus pornos. And since, we're a game site, how about some game questions via Gamerhelp.com. Tera, what titles appeal to you?

I personally have a thing for most of the Dead or Alive girls. I also love Rumble Roses. The way they bounce really gets me going.

Titles, Tera, we said "titles." Let's imagine a gamer wanted to ask you out. What's the best approach?

Don't try to hide your dorkiness. Use a pickup line like 'want to play with my joystick?'

NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER. Elsewhere, Tera mentions how the adult industry is "aching" for more sex games and that she once did an appearance at E3 creating a line "a mile long" of gamers who wanted to meet her. Ya think? Brian Ashcraft

Tera Patrick Interview [Gamerhelp]

As we dig in for the evening, here's a collection of retro game controllers, joysticks, dpads and whatnots. Don't really care if you can name 'em, but rather, if you have 'em. Okay, so which of these do you own? Bragging rights in the comments section. Brian Ashcraft

Name That Pad [Urban Retro Lifestyle]

Worst part of cell phone gaming? The controls. Face it, punching out an email is hard enough, let alone shooting up a hoarde of baddies. That tiny d-pad just doesn't cut it. A Russian company Industrial Design hopes to make cell phone game better, way better. Called the "CompactAnalog Thumbstick," it's a retractable joystick that pops up when pushed. Otherwise, it phone retains its traditional d-pad. Sadly, this is not a real product as of yet, but just a concept. A good one at that. Brian Ashcraft

Pop-Up Joystick [Boy Genius Report]

We love linking our pals over at Destructoid... a gaming culture blog rising so fast that one of these days, we're going to have to glass them in the face over a friendly bout of pints, lest they challenge us for gaming culture blog supremacy.

But until we end up ripping out their still beating heart and holding it in front of their scarcely comprehending eyes before we devour it then scream, unblinking, as we stare directly into the sun, the links can continue.

So check out this video of a very excellent PSP joystick solution they found. The problem with the PSP joynub is much like the problem with the clitoris upon which it is modeled: although the smaller ones are less unwieldy, the larger ones control better. Florian Eckhardt

Finally! A PSP joystick that doesn't completely suck [Destructoid]

Tips about PSP hardware mods are few and far between here at Kotaku HQ, so it made a nice change from the endless Mario quilt-cake-kleenex-pantsu tips I have to wade through to get to the real meat of the tips inbox: mail-order Russian child bride spam.

This apparently comes from one Joe Stranger, which is a nickname I can get behind. Says Joe to game site Maxconsole:

i just carried out my first psp hardware mod, i love racing games and ever since i got my psp i couldnt beleive how unresponsive the thumb nub was. I opened it up once with a veiw to adding a steering wheel but I couldnt work out how to wire it. Then last week i read an article about Benjamin Heckendorn "porting", hacking, a ps2 analogue stick onto his psp.

This thing should be a standard peripheral. But then again, so should a goddamned keyboard.

But I think I speak for everyone when I cut right to the chase and ask: dude, are you even wearing a shirt?

See what I did there? That was my hard-hitting video game reporter stylings. Eliza Gauger

Ghetto Joystick PSP Mod [Maxconsole]

Right now, the Mad Catz Arcade Stick is up for pre-order on Gamestop's site for a whopping $59.99. Release date is December 1st... just in time for Christmas! At least it looks pretty swank, like the 360 controller's rape-child with the Atari 2600. Florian Eckhardt

Mad Catz Xbox Live Arcade Retro Stick [Gamestop]

Blog GameSetWatch points to a 360 controller that's actually fit for Xbox Live Arcade. That's right, an actual joystick. Because, Street Fighter and Frogger just don't feel right with a controller. There are several GSW site links to, including a tutorial for the brave. Proceed at your own risk. Brian Ashcraft

Learn How Here [GSW]

In a bizarre first for video games "journalism", over at Toybane they reviewed the Atari 2600 joystick key ring that we wrote about last month. This post's image? The crazy ass wire and battery pack that allows it to hook up to your television.

Toybane's judgment?

Yeah, not so ideal as a keychain. Still, we can ignore that as part of the ironic appeal of the device. It is still adorable as an object. And it does a good job of playing its' games. Pong and especially Warlords are most appealing as multiplayer games, but they play well enough through the controller. Breakout is still a classic, and it's great to play it with a paddle again. The joystick just isn't the same. While the controller feels oddly small at first, it's hardly a dealbreaker, and it quickly becomes comfortable. The wheel rotation is fairly smooth, but has some odd spots of resistance which make it feel as though it's fully turned when it's not. I did become accustomed to this fairly quickly though. The button feels very cheap and mushy, but in its defense, it is very cheap and mushy. One thing to keep in mind, three AAA batteries are also required to play the game, though not for keychain functionality.

But, of course, shove it down the front of your pants, and as Ash suggested, it's an excellent accessory for your Florian Eckhardt Halloween costume. Florian Eckhardt

Nostalgia Is Key To Attacking My Wallet [Toybane]

The Guardian Gamesblog • which we link less than we read • has posted a round-up of the least joystick friendly games of all time, "It Came Off In My Hand." I've had that problem, alright.

Most videogames are designed with the limitations of the hardware in mind. Most... but not all. Sometimes, game designers - for whatever reason - just don't consider the delicacy of the average joypad. In fact, a few titles seem to have been designed with controller destruction as a key priority.

Like Keith Stuart, I've broken at least a few gamepads through Soul Calibur, although unlike Keith Stuart, these gamepads were destroyed by being smashed nunchuck style off the head of the person who had just Volsoed me to death. Florian Eckhardt

It Came Off In My Hand [Guardian Gamesblog]

Bigger ain't better, just easier to see. Spotting this 9-foot joystick, which was modeled after the Atari 2600 'stick, was no prob. It was created by New York artist Mary Flanagan and is on display at networked exhibit Game/Play touring the UK. Something this big needs four hands to handle it—one presses the button and the other moves the shaft. Working together, communication is important between both players so that they are able to score. A must for size queens. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [WMMNA]

Straight from the Early Morning Bummer Department, we're sad to report that Alan Kotok — the MIT visionary who helped create both the first video game, the first joystick and the first implementation of multiplayer — is dead.

Kotok was one of the guys who put together Spacewar in 1961. Kotok was the guy who put together the initial sine and cosine routines on which the rest of the game was based. He also single-handedly created the prototype joystick.

It's sad to lose a real gaming visionary. We here at Kotaku — unofficially re-christening ourselves as Kotoku in remembrance of his spunk and love of fun — tip our glasses in fond remembrance. Better late than never. Thanks, Alan! Florian Eckhardt

Alan Kotok's Obituary [MIT]

Man, why do controllers have so many buttons? What kind of digital Briareus do you have to be to control two joysticks, four face buttons and four shoulder buttons at once? It's like these controllers have been designed specifically for the next stage in human evolution: the ten-fingered mutant...hey. *counts* Wait a second.

Anyway, the point is that Peter Moore thinks there's a significant portion of gamers who work at saw mills with lax safety standards. He points to his daughter, who wrestles with the controls in PGR3. These gamers, he argues, are confused by all the buttons and want a controller that sticks to the ergonomic ideals of the Atari 2600. And although Microsoft isn't ready to announce anything yet, they are exploring all options to simplify controllers for casual gamers... whether that's inspired by the Wii or a single joystick with a bright orange button in the middle. Florian Eckhardt

Moore hints at plans for new Xbox 360 controller [GamesIndustry]

Some big dude named Big Kurt shelled out for a custom-made SlikStik arcade joystick cabinet that supports four players and weighs in at a whopping 60 pounds! Not to be a size queen, but that monitor is teeny and embarrassingly so. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Cathode Tan]

Sega's networked dungeon crawler Quest of D has one of the purdiest joysticks in recent memory. This picture does not do the crystal filled stick justice. In an age when gaming has moved from the arcade to the home, It's nice to see a company putting such care and craftsmanship into the little things. Good work, Sega.

Good Article On Arcades [1Up]