[VFDC CHOICE] Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

I'm in Canada too and right now i'm in the process of ordering one...but from toysnjoys....so the shipping cost is like $30!!!
If anyone knows a cheaper alternative I would love to hear about it.

 

No one has talked about the Shadowblade Arcade stick.....I would like to know what you think of it...

 

<font color=yellow>Read this thread more thoroughly, Lion_210, or read a short thread on it right </font color=yellow>HERE</font color=red><font color=yellow>. It's been thoroughly discussed already. No one thinks much of it... Peace...</font color=yellow>

 

There were threads on it, though it probably deserved a few posts in this thread. Most of the voices that posted here say the stick isn't good (more like they said the stick sucks).

If you want my opinion of the Shadowblade Arcade Stick, I think it sucks. Even though I prefer Japanese style sticks, I would say that the Shadowblade does a horrible job immitating US sticks.

If your preference is the US style sticks, there are a number of people who privately put together sticks identical to whatever arcade setup you would like, and then there's also the popularized MAS Sticks (for which I don't know exactly what parts they use for their standards). Unfortunately, all of these options are usually expensive unless you put it together yourself.

-Chanchai

 

Doing a web search, I came across these at some import retailer.
<a target="_blank" href=http://shop.store.yahoo.com/a-sonic/minarjoyforp.html>Mini Arcade Stick for PS2 ... $17.99</a>
<a target="_blank" href=http://shop.store.yahoo.com/a-sonic/psxarjoy.html>Mini Arcade Stick for PSX ... $27.95</a>
<a target="_blank" href=http://shop.store.yahoo.com/a-sonic/psxtwinarjoy.html>Twin Arcade Stick for PSX ... $69.00</a>

I particularly like the Twin Arcade

Albatross

 

That twin arcade is a bit of a rip off.

I managed to get mine for $10 at the local game shop. Mine is solid black with red buttons.

 

I have big old hands , so I think that that is DEFINATELY a strong contributing factor , but while playing I find that I cannot pull moves in the rapid succession that are nececarry to fight effectively , even if I could pass the training mode version repeatedly .

I tried all of the smaller "arcade sticks" (and I use this term VEEEERY looseley) , as between me and my freinds we have purchased them all , as we are all adults with jobs , so have tended to pack-rat them instead of having to return them to get new gear . and on other games I could get by with the lesser "pro" level sticks like the Hori Tekken one and whatnot , but as the timing , speed , and subtletey of this game is MUCH more evident , I was stuck at around 5th dan no matter what I did , and I found that even though I KNEW what to do next , making my hands do it perfectly each time was next to impossible , as my thumbs are nearly always touching more than one part of the controls at a time , on both sides .

A freind had A MAS Systems Prostick , and I tried it , and I absoloutley loved it . It also brought into question all the ppl who call things like the shadowblade and the ascii ARCADE joysticks . They are JOYSTICKS , but ARCADE they are NOT . The Prostick weighs FOUR KILOS (10 lbs , I think) and therefore DOES NOT MOVE !!!! and is EXACTLY the joystick you get in the arcade , with EXACTLY the buttons you get in the arcade . Also , due to its weight , it is not hard on your wrist due to having to hold the base still while fighting . Hell , I think you'ld have to bloody KICK the thing to move it . So I bought one . It cost me $150 U.S. , with my personal customizations . And if you consider that the base price is $95 U.S. {which is less than 3 memory cards or dualshock 2's) , not to mention that we are waiting patiently for Tekken 4 and Soul calibur 2 to come out on the PS2 , I think its WELL worth it . Although I have not yet asked , I am pretty sure that you could ship your stick back to MAS Systems and have them add a system to it at a later date , for the aditional $35 that it would have been initially , as they seem pretty cool and VERY flexible .

There are , however , some other companies out there that make TRUE "arcade" joysticks , but MAS was the only one I could find that made a SINGLE controller here are some references :

http://www.massystems.com/ProStick.html

http://www.x-arcade.com/

http://www.hanaho.com/products/HotRodJoystick/

Theese are the ones I think are the best out there that I have personally tried out . All of them are pricey . All of them are worth it .

 

How did you like the Twin Arcade? Could you give me a phone number to your local game shop? Thx.

Albatross

 

<font color=yellow>Another web search, for flavor and fun:

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.psreporter.com/ps2_arcade_joystick.html>Click here for more details: the Dominator 2 Arcade Stick $14.99 and the Arcade Fighter Joystick $19.99.</a>

At least they look cool and ergonomically minded. The Dominator 2 appears to be programmable (if you're into that). There are several nay-sayers against both sticks who voiced their opinions on that site. There are also some who dig 'em. <a target="_blank" href=http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage.asp?image=79-101-002-01.JPG>Here's a closer look at Pelican's Arcade Fighter Joystick.</a>

A Shadowblade is also advertised along side them.</font color=yellow>

 

<font color=yellow>Djimbe, these are off the hook yo! Good finds, dude. Wish I had that kind of commitment...</font color=yellow>

 

i was thinking of making my own arcade stick. does anyone know of web sites about how to construt one? ( wiring, where to get parts, what to use, etc.)

 

I posted a reply previously, but I don't see it.... so here it goes again.

I would like to hear more comments on the MAS stick. I sent a couple people who said they had it private messages but I received no replies. Anybody have comments (good/bad) on this stick?

 

<font color=yellow>milhouse, go up a few threads. Djimbe likes the MAS creation.</font color=yellow>

 

I don't know of web sites with instructions on how to build a stick, but I do know that you can get parts from your local arcade/amusement game distrubutor. Look up "amusement devices" in the yellow pages.

You basically need a box with holes drilled out on top for the stick and buttons. You can use wood or plastic. The arcade parts are made to fit thru half inch wide fiber board that most north american arcade cabinets are made of, so you can make your home made sticks very sturdy. I bought some cheap aftermarket PSX controlers for about $5.00 each to use to convert the joysticks I had for Saturn VF2 for use with my PS2. It's not that difficult to wire up a non-dualshock controller IMO. Just connect a ground wire from the controller's ground to all your joystick's switches and then match up the joypad's directionals to the stick's switches and the buttons to your buttons.

Moby, could you post a link to the pics that you once sent me showing the home made sticks that some of your group uses? I remember they were wooden boxes with hinges on the lid, so that you could open them up easily to fix them if necessary. If you could take a pic with the insides showing that would be great.

Also, I had a chance to try out the ASCII2(?) stick (the hori type stick with bluse base and card holder) and the old Tekken 2 stick (the one with grey base and yellow buttons) when I visited the guys down in Orlando. The Tekken 2 stick is great and I'd say equal or better to the 'official' VF4 hori sticks I've used. These are very similar to the japanese arcade set up and feel that you would find on a vs. city cabinet in Japan. The ASCII stick is crap IMO, but it's mostly due to how I hold the stick. The ASCII stick I used (I believe it belongs to The Dude) did not return to neutral by itself, and I found it almost impossible to double tap with it. (I could barely forward or backward dash.) You have to move it back to neutral manually to get the speed needed for many moves in VF. Also, the buttons on the ASCII stick seemed kind of mushy. I prefer buttons to be clicky so that I know exactly when I've pressed them down.

 

sayow, I saw Djimbe's post. I sent him a private message, but no reply yet.
My main question is placement of the unit. It looks big, solid, and heavy. Does it just sit on your lap?
It looks like a good stick, a little pricey. I just want a couple more comments/reviews before I take the plunge.

 

go to www.arcadecontrols.com
it's mostly for MAME, but a lot of good info for us console people too.
a heck of a lot of info. and also a butt-load of examples from many people who have built their own. i built my own for Saturn and VF2, and will do the same for PS2 and VF4.

but basically: go to www.happcontrols.com for the buttons and joystick (super 8 joystick is generally liked best, and for buttons go with the one with the horizontal microswitch... the vertical has design flaw if you take the time to read all the reviews).

 

Can anyone who has used the ASCII stick tell me if it's easy to press the buttons fast. I'm asking because the pelican stick has crappy buttons that are hard to push down really fast and when I do my fingers get cramped.

Oh yeah, can you replace the buttons on the ascii stick with the ones from www.happcontrols.com?

 

The buttons used in the Ascii FT2 sticks are pretty good imo. Though they are not my favorite, they respond fast, can take and respond to very rapid tapping, and have an often described "mushy" feeling. The mushy feeling refers mostly to the spring's tension, and isn't describing the texture of the buttons or anything like that.

-Chanchai

 

are they easy to replace?

 

<font color=yellow>Right on, milhouse. I feel you on the MAS's appearance: that sucker has meat on its bones. I say it goes on a table top. You'll lose some play if you put that on your lap. It looks like it can be recessed into a table top. That, I think, is optimal...</font color=yellow>