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Hey all.
I just started really getting into SF4 on XBL and I hate playing gief on the d-pad. I am looking to get a stick. I'm sure there is at least something in the official SF4 thread about sticks but its too huge and I am lazy.
Available 360 sticks:
SF4 Standard Edition fightstick by madkatz ($79.99): Apparently it is just flat out defective with the company themselves confirming loose bolts and what not in construction and users reporting issues within hours/days/weeks. Anyone know if they have fixed this manufacturer problem? Or if it is still an issue.
SF4 Tournament Edition fightstick by madkatz ($149.99): All reviews point to good, but I am not interested in dropping 150 on something unless its going to be massively worth it. I really won't mind if enough people aside from SRK forums rapid 12 years olds can tell me its worth it, meaning that it improved their game AND makes the game exponentially more fun.
HORI Fighting Stick EX2 ($49.99-79.99): Generally good reviews, better than the madcatz rival at least. I am leaning toward this the most so far. It's older, so I was hoping someone had some decent experience with it.
Arcadeinabox.com (custom order) ($135.00-180.00): All good things here, it is custom after all, how can you miss. Problems do include insanely long turnaround and pricey, also not very fightingstick noob friendly...
Anyone have any recommendations or other sticks I'm over looking. I'd appreciate it! Thanks.
 
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You can get the Madcatz SE stick and order sanwa parts for it and mod it yourself. Sanwa parts cost about 40$ and judging from the tutorials on SRK it seems to be quite easy to assemble them.
The TE is pretty much just that, SE with Sanwa parts. I had the opportunity to play with it and it felt right.
I can't commend on the HORI and custom sticks. I saw the HORI stick and it looked cheap, but I didn't get to play with it.
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Yea, that is what I keep hearing about the SE->buy sanwa and mod it.
Yea I was typing this in the SF4 thread but I was hoping for more exposure, been sitting on a decision for a good few days now...
If that is the case, I'd probably just buy the TE, just because the size would be so nice.
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I'd go SE and mod but I don't think the PCB is all that good either, so you might really need soldering skills once it breaks down.
edit:
I've tried the Hori EX2. It was WTF. It wasn't modded or anything, but one of those microswitches were NOT the same as the others, therefore fucking up one direction. Really weird stuff from Hori. If you get a normal one though, it should be pretty average. Not golden, just average.
And customs are really good, but I heard the builders were backlogged to death these days.
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I bought the HORI last week, it was back ordered until june 29th so I should get it soon enough.
I looked at pretty much the same sticks as you.. I didn't have the money to drop on either arcadeinabox or TE so it was between HORI and madcatz standard edition. With the awful reviews the standard edition got I went with HORI.
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It is pretty much all about getting sanwa or seimitsu parts if you want a quality arcade experience. Only options I know of for those is either the custom route, a HRAP, or a TE.
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More expensive = better quality. Its just dependent on how much you want to spend. Look at it like an investment, kinda like a musical instrument or something.
Thing is, currently the TE is the best stick out on the market aside from a custom. But it doesn't make you magically good at a fighting game, no stick will. It won't improve your skills or make you win all the time. You gotta ask yourself if your actually going to put in the time to get good on a stick first. If you've never used one before, it can take 2-3 weeks to start doing basic stuff. If your just going to casually play every once in a while a mid-range stick is fine.
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I've seen a lot of people say the SE joystick stops working after like 8+ hours played timed ~~. Gonna have to mod shit eventually it seems. I wanted a stick but laziness and cheapness has stopped me, dpad ftw.
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On June 30 2009 21:16 keV. wrote:
Yea, that is what I keep hearing about the SE->buy sanwa and mod it.
Yeah, that's the cool thing to do nowadays. It's really quite cheap and the SE is laughably easy to mod.
If you're going to drop some money on a stick I'd go for something with decent parts, so scratch out the Hori stick. Pretty much every custom stick maker still has insanely long turnaround times, so unless you're willing to wait for however long go for a modded SE or the TE. Basically just a price/quality of case question.
That said...
On June 30 2009 21:08 keV. wrote:
I really won't mind if enough people aside from SRK forums rapid 12 years olds can tell me its worth it, meaning that it improved their game AND makes the game exponentially more fun.
Keep in mind that a stick is hardly going to magically make you better or make the game different. It is the ideal input method, but just like anything else you have to practise and learn it, and it's not going to change anything besides any ways you're being held back by input difficulties on a pad.
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On July 01 2009 03:16 armed_ wrote:Show nested quote +On June 30 2009 21:16 keV. wrote:
Yea, that is what I keep hearing about the SE->buy sanwa and mod it. Yeah, that's the cool thing to do nowadays. It's really quite cheap and the SE is laughably easy to mod. If you're going to drop some money on a stick I'd go for something with decent parts, so scratch out the Hori stick. Pretty much every custom stick maker still has insanely long turnaround times, so unless you're willing to wait for however long go for a modded SE or the TE. Basically just a price/quality of case question. That said... Show nested quote +On June 30 2009 21:08 keV. wrote:
I really won't mind if enough people aside from SRK forums rapid 12 years olds can tell me its worth it, meaning that it improved their game AND makes the game exponentially more fun. Keep in mind that a stick is hardly going to magically make you better or make the game different. It is the ideal input method, but just like anything else you have to practise and learn it, and it's not going to change anything besides any ways you're being held back by input difficulties on a pad.
Yea, I don't expect to become bonjwa, I'm more interested in how much fun it adds. I used to be a wicked arcade rat, the only one near where I used to live shut down when I was like a 17, I'm 23 now and aside from like short stints at like a dave and busters or something. I haven't played a fighting game with a stick. I used to love it and I'm willing to bet its still awesome.
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I just finished building my own custom stick so I went through all the things you did perhaps I can help you out.
The Madcatz SE is the easiest to mod although the cost is a bit higher. But really you just need to do some minor soldering and just swap out the parts. The Hori EX2 is cheapest and works well to mod with Sanwa parts but the problem is they solder the buttons to the case. You'll have to get some superwick and unattach them. Additionally the EX2 case doesn't quite fit the Sanwa 30mm concave buttons (its to small) you'll have to do some minor filing for a tight fit. Other then that it's a swap out. Although what you should consider is even if you're doing a Hori or Madcatz stick, the Sanwa JLF sticks themselves cost 20 themselves, and the buttons are 2~ a piece. You'll need atleast 6 buttons. Then count the shipping and you're talking 40-50 in additional parts themselves (but they're quality parts).
You may also consider going with other manufacturers one being Seimitsu (another japanese brand but typically used for top-down isometric shooters e.g. ikaruga) or Happ (The stuff you see in American Arcades) Happ parts are quality in themselves but they have a different feel compared to the Sanwa or Seimitsu sticks. The primary reason is the microswitches and the restrictor plate invovled on the back. Sanwa's JLF stick (the one everyone gets) has a 4 gate restrictor plate allowing you to feel the notches of the corners, while Happ has a circular restrictor plate. Meaning it has no real tactile feedback. Another thing you might note is the tension of the springs, Sanwa/Seimitsu are looser then Happ.
Buttons to get Sanwa 30mm and Happ Competition Buttons (those specifically). You can find plenty of info at the SRK forums about these manufacturers including mod guides and all that.
All in all, i'd prob recommend Hori EX2 /w Sanwa parts for cheapest but best quality combo. Even if it requires more effort.
Also a last note, the way you move with a joystick is very different compared to the way you think you should move on a digital pad. Everything is not a circular motion and you often make direct movements to a particular direction. The best example of this is SRK (Shoryuken), on a D-pad you straight run half circle down then half-circle back up. It's easiest to do it this way on a D-pad. But on a joystick this movement is like a Z. Your final resting place is the corner. That's why having a 4 gate restrictor plate for feeling the corners is ideal for fighting games. Just thought i'd note that when you choose which brand you may go with (if it's Happ or w/e).
Oh and I guess ill plug in my stick project photos as well. Good luck on your project.
+ Show Spoiler +Yes, it's pink. Sanwa JLF Stick with Happ Competition Buttons.
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