TR Fight Stick's Octopus Arcade Stick might not be the cheapest control option on the market, but it's certainly one of the best, as it not only offers high-quality arcade-style input but also compatibility with a wide range of systems, including Dreamcast, MiSTer, PC and more.

One of the big selling points of the Octopus was the fact that it could be upgraded or enhanced easily, and TR Fight Stick has released the first optional extra in the form of the $170 Kraken Spinner module – and the company was kind enough to send one out to me for testing.

The Spinner replicates the control input seen in arcades during the '80s and '90s, where a spinning wheel proportionally influences the on-screen action. Breakout and Arkanoid are two of the most notable examples, and anyone who has played these titles in their original coin-op guise will know that it's simply impossible to replicate the same 'feel' with a joystick, D-pad or analogue stick.

With this in mind, TR Fight Stick has designed the Kraken, which is a drop-in replacement for the Octopus' main control 'OctoPlate' panel. No soldering is required, but it's no easy install; you have to unplug a lot of cables to remove the existing OctoPlate and the base panel, then rewire the Kraken in its place. The entire process takes quite a while, and I'm not afraid to admit that it tested my patience at points – however, once done, you've got what is arguably the best spinner interface money can buy.

The spinner itself is machined metal and feels really sturdy; it's a good size, too, and I found it easy to grip and spin. This isn't a one-and-done setup, either; TR Fight Stick has included the ability to alter the sensitivity of the spinner using button combinations and the Octopus' built-in OLED display – the latter of which shows the currently selected spinner speed via a cool animation.

The Kraken Spinner is exclusive to this hardware configuration; it also works with original arcade cabinets, like the Sega Astro City, so if you have one and want to make it compatible with spinner-supported games, this is a potential option.

I tested the Kraken Spinner on both my PC and MiSTer FPGA, and it works like a dream, giving supported games an authenticity arguably unmatched outside their original arcade incarnations. The only catch is that I'm not going to be playing Arkanoid until the end of time, and returning the Octopus Arcade Stick back to its original configuration is quite a fiddly process.

If you're feeling particularly rich, you could purchase an Octopus and mod it with the Kraken purely for spinner games, but I imagine that is an option reserved only for Premier League footballers and oil barons.

For the rest of us, it's best to be prepared for a lengthy swap-over process whenever you want to use the Kraken – but ultimately, it represents one of the best ways to play spinner-compatible arcade titles, so purists will no doubt endure the extra work without complaint.