Arcade Stick

[NotAProdigy]

So after I received a $100 gift card to a local arcade, I got to say that I'm really getting into fighting games. Now that my card has run fresh out, I'm looking into buying an arcade stick.
I own a 360, PS3, and a PC. Any recommendations?

 

[Void(null)]

X-Arcade [http://www.xgaming.com/] are an amazingly durable and high quality launching pad for anyone getting their first Arcade Stick. The X-Arcade sticks are great on their own, or if at some point you find you need something of higher quality, they can be very, very easily modded (Plug and play style) with additional parts of your choice from a reputable site like Lizard Lick. [http://www.lizardlickamusements.com/] (Sanwa parts are highly recommended.)

Alternatively, for a cheaper approach you can grab something like a Hori Fightstick EX2 for like, $50 and toss in moded parts.

If you want to take a more DIY approach try Arcade -in-a-box. [http://www.arcadeinabox.com/] or Gamingnow.net [http://www.gamingnow.net/] if your desire is to build your own stick from the ground up.

 

[Nutcase]

Void(null), what's the point in X-Arcade stuff? At that price it should come with the good hardware already on board and not just be easy to mod.

The PS3 doesn't really have any exclusive games which would benefit from an arcade stick, so I think the OP is best served with a 360 stick.

The best 360 sticks right now are the Mad Catz TE Fightstick (all Sanwa parts) and Hori Real Arcade Pro EX SE (all Seimitsu parts). I'm using a TE with my PC, works great and I recommend it. The only thing I have against it is the busy graphic design, which can be rectified by putting in your own faceplate art. The HRAP might be hard to get, limited availability, etc.

Cheaper and decent: Hori EX2, Mad Catz Fightstick. Haven't used these but the impression I have is that the Hori is more responsive, while the Mad Catz is more reliable and easier to mod. Fightstick has more buttons. I'd go with the Mad Catz.

The remaining option is the soon-to-be-released Tekken 6 stick bundle which gives you a wireless Hori stick. Wireless might be a significant convenience depending on your circumstances.

 

[NotAProdigy]

Void(null), what's the point in X-Arcade stuff? At that price it should come with the good hardware already on board and not just be easy to mod.

The PS3 doesn't really have any exclusive games which would benefit from an arcade stick, so I think the OP is best served with a 360 stick.

The best 360 sticks right now are the Mad Catz TE Fightstick (all Sanwa parts) and Hori Real Arcade Pro EX SE (all Seimitsu parts). I'm using a TE with my PC, works great and I recommend it. The only thing I have against it is the busy graphic design, which can be rectified by putting in your own faceplate art. The HRAP might be hard to get, limited availability, etc.

Cheaper and decent: Hori EX2, Mad Catz Fightstick. Haven't used these but the impression I have is that the Hori is more responsive, while the Mad Catz is more reliable and easier to mod. Fightstick has more buttons. I'd go with the Mad Catz.

The remaining option is the soon-to-be-released Tekken 6 stick bundle which gives you a wireless Hori stick. Wireless might be a significant convenience depending on your circumstances.

imo, Mad Catz and best shouldn't really be in the same sentence. Just pointing it out, the 360 doesn't really have any exclusives either to make it go in favor between the PS3 and the 360, unless there's a stick quality difference in which if there is please point it out.

But how's the durability with the TE fightstick? Are you super careful with it as well or do you trash the Shoryukens like no tomorrow?

 

[Kajt]

So after I received a $100 gift card to a local arcade, I got to say that I'm really getting into fighting games. Now that my card has run fresh out, I'm looking into buying an arcade stick.
I own a 360, PS3, and a PC. Any recommendations?

Buy Mortal Kombat II from Playstation Store. Now.

 

[Nutcase]

imo, Mad Catz and best shouldn't really be in the same sentence.

Spoiler: see 3:56

Well, maybe we should say Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong made it into the SFIV finals in spite of both using a Mad Catz TE Fightstick.

Just pointing it out, the 360 doesn't really have any exclusives either to make it go in favor between the PS3 and the 360,

Sure it does. The 360 is the arcade console of this generation, like the PS2 was in the last. Raiden, Ikaruga, Triggerheart Exelica, Wartech, Garou, etc. Japanese 360 has even more - Death Smiles, Otomedius, Dodonpachi, Mushihime-sama Futari, Ketsui, ...
Plus, it's not all about exclusives. The 360 also has the better versions of some games, at least Virtua Fighter 5 and SSF2THDR. And there's the question whether Live or PSN gives you more and better opponents.

But how's the durability with the TE fightstick? Are you super careful with it as well or do you trash the Shoryukens like no tomorrow?

The thought of babying an arcade stick has never even entered my mind. Why would you do that?

Until I get a 360, my TE sees just light shmup use. (I doubt I'll suddenly start liking SFIV.) The stick feels as solid as my Hori Real Arcade Pro 2. No complaints, period.

 

[Void(null)]

Void(null), what's the point in X-Arcade stuff? At that price it should come with the good hardware already on board and not just be easy to mod.

The hardware in the X-Arcade Stick is top of the line, High quality, durable and highly responsive. But they are top of the line, high quality and durable American parts... not Japanese. Japanese and American Sticks, Gates and Buttons have an entirely different feel and response to them. Both equally as good at the end of the day, but it all comes down to personal comfort and preference.

A Sanwa stick will cost you $20 or for the top of the line, best of the best $40. Buttons $3 each.

So for around $38 you can mod your X-Arcade to use Japanese Parts... compared to buying an equally high quality Arcade Stick prebuilt with Sanwa Parts is going to cost you around $250-$500 depending on where you shop.

So in the long and the short run, the X-Arcade is cheaper to buy and use as is, or to mod.

$130 for 2 complete, high quality sticks is a steal.. that's $65 a stick unmoded and around $100 a stick fully modded and customized.

Well, maybe we should say Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong made it into the SFIV finals in spite of both using a Mad Catz TE Fightstick.

Just because it is tournament standard does not make it the best. The MadCatz TE Fightstick is made from high quality Sanwa parts and provides a high quality, even playing field for all involved. Everyone can play on the same, level field without the hardware being a factor which is why they are used in events like EVO, and why high level players practice with them. But at the end of the day the SFIV TE cant hold a candle to a custom built stick.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING beats building your stick with your own two hands.

 

[NotAProdigy]

Spoiler

Void(null), what's the point in X-Arcade stuff? At that price it should come with the good hardware already on board and not just be easy to mod.

The hardware in the X-Arcade Stick is top of the line, High quality, durable and highly responsive. But they are top of the line, high quality and durable American parts... not Japanese. Japanese and American Sticks, Gates and Buttons have an entirely different feel and response to them. Both equally as good at the end of the day, but it all comes down to personal comfort and preference.

A Sanwa stick will cost you $20 or for the top of the line, best of the best $40. Buttons $3 each.

So for around $38 you can mod your X-Arcade to use Japanese Parts... compared to buying an equally high quality Arcade Stick prebuilt with Sanwa Parts is going to cost you around $250-$500 depending on where you shop.

So in the long and the short run, the X-Arcade is cheaper to buy and use as is, or to mod.

$130 for 2 complete, high quality sticks is a steal.. that's $65 a stick unmoded and around $100 a stick fully modded and customized.

Well, maybe we should say Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong made it into the SFIV finals in spite of both using a Mad Catz TE Fightstick.

Just because it is tournament standard does not make it the best. The MadCatz TE Fightstick is made from high quality Sanwa parts and provides a high quality, even playing field for all involved. Everyone can play on the same, level field without the hardware being a factor which is why they are used in events like EVO, and why high level players practice with them. But at the end of the day the SFIV TE cant hold a candle to a custom built stick.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING beats building your stick with your own two hands.

Yeah, valid, but posh. Do you really expect me to have knowledge of how to make one right off the bat? Or is it simple circuitry? I have my own sodder and can make a few working lightbulb-resemblance of a circuit board, but nothing more complicated than a uniform voltage going through to power . . . well a light bulb//resistor.

I mean, shouldn't I just get a cheap one and mod it myself if I'm going to go through all that trouble? Just curious.

Sure it does. The 360 is the arcade console of this generation, like the PS2 was in the last. Raiden, Ikaruga, Triggerheart Exelica, Wartech, Garou, etc. Japanese 360 has even more - Death Smiles, Otomedius, Dodonpachi, Mushihime-sama Futari, Ketsui, ...
Plus, it's not all about exclusives. The 360 also has the better versions of some games, at least Virtua Fighter 5 and SSF2THDR. And there's the question whether Live or PSN gives you more and better opponents.

Some obscure Japanese titles can't really convince me (besides Capcom vs SNK2>all so it doesn't matter anyway), but you do make a good point for X-Box live despite how inanely annoying the community is. Though I can't really say from a perspective of how good the fighting community is in XBL ever since I severed ties from MS. Care to give me hindsight of it?

 

[Void(null)]

Yeah, valid, but posh. Do you really expect me to have knowledge of how to make one right off the bat? Or is it simple circuitry? I have my own sodder and can make a few working lightbulb-resemblance of a circuit board, but nothing more complicated than a uniform voltage going through to power . . . well a light bulb//resistor.

Most of the pain has been taken out of it, In the past few years most of the common brand boards have moved to a solderless system, so once you built your box and mount your board everything else just sort of plugs or snaps in.

Great example over at CheapAssGamer. [http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5037&page=2]

You can find the Cthulhu PC/PS3 Board over at LizardLick [http://www.lizardlick.com/pages/boards.shtml] Should be the very first board and sells for $40.

There is also a ton of info on the Cthulhu Board over at SRK. [http://216.246.50.234/showthread.php?t=162026]

 

[NotAProdigy]

Yeah, valid, but posh. Do you really expect me to have knowledge of how to make one right off the bat? Or is it simple circuitry? I have my own sodder and can make a few working lightbulb-resemblance of a circuit board, but nothing more complicated than a uniform voltage going through to power . . . well a light bulb//resistor.

Most of the pain has been taken out of it, In the past few years most of the common brand boards have moved to a solderless system, so once you built your box and mount your board everything else just sort of plugs or snaps in.

Great example over at CheapAssGamer. [http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5037&page=2]

You can find the Cthulhu PC/PS3 Board over at LizardLick [http://www.lizardlick.com/pages/boards.shtml] Should be the very first board and sells for $40.

There is also a ton of info on the Cthulhu Board over at SRK. [http://216.246.50.234/showthread.php?t=162026]

Great! Thanks. I'll invest my time into building my own. Not only will I learn how to build one cheaply, but replace inefficient//broken parts cheaply as well.

 

[Void(null)]

You are most welcome, always happy to help.

 

[Nutcase]

So for around $38 you can mod your X-Arcade to use Japanese Parts... compared to buying an equally high quality Arcade Stick prebuilt with Sanwa Parts is going to cost you around $250-$500 depending on where you shop.

And what exactly is this magical "quality" that the TE Fightstick, Real Arcade Pro, Virtua Stick High Grade etc. do not have? What does it have to do with actually using the thing?

So in the long and the short run, the X-Arcade is cheaper to buy and use as is, or to mod.

$130 for 2 complete, high quality sticks is a steal.. that's $65 a stick unmoded and around $100 a stick fully modded and customized.

Except the word on SRK is that X-Arcade PCBs and adapters aren't good. If you also replace sticks and buttons, you are actually paying full stick price for an empty case to build a custom stick in.

Well, maybe we should say Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong made it into the SFIV finals in spite of both using a Mad Catz TE Fightstick.

Just because it is tournament standard does not make it the best. The MadCatz TE Fightstick is made from high quality Sanwa parts and provides a high quality, even playing field for all involved. Everyone can play on the same, level field without the hardware being a factor which is why they are used in events like EVO, and why high level players practice with them. But at the end of the day the SFIV TE cant hold a candle to a custom built stick.

Wrong. There is no "tournament standard". Everyone is free to bring in whatever stock or custom stick they want. Umehara and Wong chose to use the TE Fightstick, and obviously it's good enough for them.
http://evo2k.com/?page_id=378
http://negativegamer.com/2009/07/24/the-sticks-of-evo/