Hey guys, I need to replace my arcade stick and I wanted to know what is the best stick I can buy that also simulates the arcade setup for ST? Is Sanwa the standard for buttons? HELP!<div><br></div><div>I’ll also need to know what is the most reliable place to order from. :-)</div>
<font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>If you mean the ENTIRE stick, I’m absolutely in love with my Qanba Q4RAF or Eightarc (same stick). They cost a lot, but they’re extremely solid, have standard Sanwa sticks and buttons, and comes dual-modded out of the box for use in any xbox360, ps3, or PC. Just beware, the Qanba’s have a tendency for sometimes burning out the PCB after awhile (like mine did), but it gave me a good excuse to install a better board with more functionality. </span></font><br><br><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>Probably cheaper just to pick up a used Madcatz TE. You lose dual-mod functionality, but it’s still an extremely good stick to own.</span></font><br><br><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>As far as standard arcade setups, it really depends on the cabs you’re playing on. The standard in Japan would be Seimitsu LS-32 with Sanwa buttons? It varies much more here in the States where Sanwa JLFs are getting more popular and commonplace. </span></font><br><br><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>I’ve only purchased stuff from here:</span></font><br><br><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>http://focusattack.com/<br></span></font>http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/29-sanwa-pushbuttons<div><br>Focus Attack seems to be the go-to site for most people living in the US. If you wait until a major tournament, guys like MadCatz usually have a coupon deal on new sticks. <br><div style=“font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;”><div><br><br></div></div></div>
I recommend Omni sticks from etokki.com. They’re made from Korea. I have the newest revision 3 Omni Korean edition stick and it is rugged, versatile, and the ability to play on 3 platforms (PC, 360 and ps3). <br>You also have the option to choose japanese style buttons and joystick in the sanwa edition Omni too. <br><br>P.S. @ eltrouble I had no idea Japan is standard to seimitsu joysticks over sanwas. True?
<P>Qanba Q4RAF </P>
<P>Because its realible and i own it :)</P>
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/5265/7%205%200">7 5 0</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”>I recommend Omni sticks from etokki.com. They’re made from Korea. I have the newest revision 3 Omni Korean edition stick and it is rugged, versatile, and the ability to play on 3 platforms (PC, 360 and ps3). <br>You also have the option to choose japanese style buttons and joystick in the sanwa edition Omni too. <br><br>P.S. @ eltrouble I had no idea Japan is standard to seimitsu joysticks over sanwas. True? </div>
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Never tried a Korean stick. However, the idea of having a rubber grommet instead of a traditional gate worries me. Rubber degrades and gets weak over time, which I imagine would lead to mushier inputs after awhile. I don’t understand why metal gates haven’t been the new standard yet.<br><br>Regular Astro City ST cabs in Japan come with Seimitsu from factory. Of course, as it wears out, there’s a slight chance it’ll get replaced with Sanwa instead, but I hear Seimitsus tend to be cheaper to purchase, so they get used more often. Don’t quote me on this, it’s just what I’ve gathered from various news sites and talking with people that have gone there.<br><br><br><blockquote class=“Quote”>
<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/62432/MegamanX-8">MegamanX-8</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”><p>Qanba Q4RAF </p>
<p>Because its realible and i own it :)</p></div>
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That’s what i used to think, until the damn PCB burned itself out after 1 year and 2 months of use (conveniently died RIGHT outside it’s 1-yr warranty). I treat the stick like a goddamn baby, never abuse it or drop it, and I fold the USB chord according to the bias that it came with. It failed while it was still plugged into the PS3 and just sitting on my bed. I swapped out the PCB for a PS360+, daisy chained the wiring to get a common ground, used the original USB chord, and it hasn’t had a problem to this day. If anything, it works better due to the auto-detect function for consoles. <br>
Thank you guys for the suggestions. Much appreciated.<div><br></div><div>Just to give you more info…I don’t own a PS3 and I don’t really play on Xbox at all anymore. I’m strictly on a PC.</div><div><br></div><div>Is sticking to a TE with Sanwa buttons the way to go? </div><div><br></div><div>I have a TE stick but the PCB is shot. I constantly lose my RH kick button even with swapping out the button. I have to unplug the USB cable and reconnect to get it to work. Very frustrating.</div>
<font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>Decoy, as you have already said, the TE stick’s pcb reliability is really bad.</span></font><div><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>Ganelon warned me before I purchased mine, but now 3/4 of my TE are furbar’ed. Those are all round1/round2 version of the TE.</span></font></div><div><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”><br></span></font></div><div><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>I don’t know about the latest madcatz sticks but this incident really puts me off from purchasing anything else from them.</span></font></div><div><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”><br></span></font></div><div><font face=“Arial, Verdana” size=“2”><span style=“line-height: normal;”>I would recommend a HORI stick with sanwa components (I rarely hear complaints) or you can try the Qanba that others suggested.</span></font></div>
Decoy, if only your PCB is shot, then replace the PCB. Far cheaper than buying a new stick and more reliable than going with the used option.<BR><BR>Cthulu boards are about $30 but require that you solder the wiring. I recommend PS360+. It costs $60, but it’s extremely easy to install if you don’t want to learn how to solder. If you can cut a wire and know which way to turn a screwdriver, you’re pretty much set. You might need to buy a cheap USB cable ($5 or less) and if the TE doesn’t use common-ground, you’ll need to buy a daisy chained wire or make one yourself (less than $10).
<p>Cthulu boards are solderles as well. Mine at least is.</p><p>I dont recommend the Sanwa route. IMO Seimitsu > Sanwa on both stick and buttons. I have my own reasons for this though…</p>
I also prefer seimitsu over sanwa, but if you plan on entering tournies in the US, you better practice on sanwas. Seems like all the machines here use sanwa. I just swapped out my seimitsu at home for a sanwa for that reason. I still play like ass on sanwas, but i’m getting better.
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/28257/Born2SPD">Born2SPD</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”><p>Cthulu boards are solderles as well. Mine at least is.</p><p>I dont recommend the Sanwa route. IMO Seimitsu > Sanwa on both stick and buttons. I have my own reasons for this though…</p></div>
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True, but it doesn’t come with functionality with the Xbox360. You need a PCB and the control board for that one. PS360+ just seems easier to work with if you want the full package. Comes down to preference and level of experience with stick modding I suppose.<br><br>Care to tell us the reason for why you prefer Seimitsu over Sanwa? Or is it just preference and nothing major?
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/50728/eltrouble">eltrouble</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”>Decoy, if only your PCB is shot, then replace the PCB. Far cheaper than buying a new stick and more reliable than going with the used option.<br><br>Cthulu boards are about $30 but require that you solder the wiring. I recommend PS360+. It costs $60, but it’s extremely easy to install if you don’t want to learn how to solder. If you can cut a wire and know which way to turn a screwdriver, you’re pretty much set. You might need to buy a cheap USB cable ($5 or less) and if the TE doesn’t use common-ground, you’ll need to buy a daisy chained wire or make one yourself (less than $10). </div>
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Good point eltrouble. I actually used one for an old Happ stick I have and it has worked great. Maybe I’ll order another to convert my TE stick. I’ve never tried <span style=“color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Helvetica, Arial; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);”>Seimitsu buttons but I’ll hold out for now and stick to Sanwa because I want to compete on Candy cabs with the Sanwa buttons like I’ve seen in many tournaments.</span>
When it comes to buttons, it’s all preference. Some guys swear by them and claim that they feel better for pianoing inputs. I like the light touch and clickiness of the Sanwas, it just feels very responsive and tactile for me.
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/50728/eltrouble">eltrouble</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”>When it comes to buttons, it’s all preference. Some guys swear by them and claim that they feel better for pianoing inputs. I like the light touch and clickiness of the Sanwas, it just feels very responsive and tactile for me. </div>
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It’s virtually impossible to do frame-perfect pianoing on Sanwa buttons. I’m not aware of any non-09’er/SF4 teen who thinks otherwise. They have relatively loose springs and a very short activation distance, so it is very hard to press them soft enough so they deactivate on the next frame.<br>
<p>^ this, x10000.<br></p><p>As for the stick, its known that Its easier to do flick SPDs (a.ka.a Hajiki Screw) on LS-32. This is really good for thawk, walk in typhoons are soo easy that way. Harder to use with N.Gief though because of green hand. I also preffer the “feel” of the LS-32 over the JLF.<br></p>
Idk how can players play on balltop sticks. I always go battop when I buy any stick. I agree on the sanwa buttons, they’re sensitive as hell that I end up swapping it to seimitsus. <div><br></div><div>Seimitsu buttons with sanwa battop for Japanese parts. Omni stick for Korean. <br>The PCB in the Omnis are excellent, I have no problems with it and in the past I bought their Inpin converters from Laugh years ago and it works on all my devices like a charm. <br><br>Give the Korean sticks a shot players. These are built as a tank than any japanese stick. </div>
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/5265/7%205%200">7 5 0</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”>Idk how can players play on balltop sticks. I always go battop when I buy any stick. I agree on the sanwa buttons, they’re sensitive as hell that I end up swapping it to seimitsus. <div><br></div><div>Seimitsu buttons with sanwa battop for Japanese parts. Omni stick for Korean. <br>The PCB in the Omnis are excellent, I have no problems with it and in the past I bought their Inpin converters from Laugh years ago and it works on all my devices like a charm. <br><br>Give the Korean sticks a shot players. These are built as a tank than any japanese stick. </div></div>
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<p><br></p><p>Why would you play on a battop, when almost every tournament is played on a japanese cabinet ? </p><p>If you’re a online warrior you can use what ever you want but if you want to play in tournaments, get used to the standard! </p>
^ Yes that’s true to tournament standards. However, just this past 25th anniversary tournament, the winner was a battop player in SSF4AE. Everything does not have to be sanwa. Sorry. <br>I simply find American players to be over-envious to Japanese products that don’t suit them most times because of the fact it is japanese games we all play/compete on.<br><br>I’m suggesting gamers whether pro or novice should find a comfortable desired preference to play instead of adopting to devices not comfortable with them.<br>I tried sanwas and they’re not for me. So are few gamers share this conclusion.<br><br>Remember the 90s fighting arcade scene? They were all American style layouts and endlessly shoving quarters down the machines. Not a single complaint from a player without the opportunity of knowing japanese sticks or korean sticks or chinese sticks for matter.
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<div class=“QuoteAuthor”><a href="/profile/5265/7%205%200">7 5 0</a> said:</div>
<div class=“QuoteText”>^ Yes that’s true to tournament standards. However, just this past 25th anniversary tournament, the winner was a battop player in SSF4AE. Everything does not have to be sanwa. Sorry. <br>I simply find American players to be over-envious to Japanese products that don’t suit them most times because of the fact it is japanese games we all play/compete on.<br><br>I’m suggesting gamers whether pro or novice should find a comfortable desired preference to play instead of adopting to devices not comfortable with them.<br>I tried sanwas and they’re not for me. So are few gamers share this conclusion.<br><br>Remember the 90s fighting arcade scene? They were all American style layouts and endlessly shoving quarters down the machines. Not a single complaint from a player without the opportunity of knowing japanese sticks or korean sticks or chinese sticks for matter. </div>
</blockquote>I dearly miss the grip of the battop. It took me a year to get sorta used to balltops: it felt like the stick had missing parts. You can use any of your fingers to move a battop stick, as you can put them all close to it, jerk-off position. It was just more natural, specially since we would play SF2 when we were on our teens.<br><br>Edit: I feel the PCB on my TE is dying. I’m getting dropped inputs even offline. Any tips for PCBs?<br>
It’s all in preference. Bat tops seem better suited for movement with finger tips. Traditional balltops have a bit more texture to it, especially Korean bat tops with those nice lines cut into it, which allows for better precise finger movement. Balltops, with their smooth surface, are better fitted for the inside palm of your hand. So while your fingers can manipulate it to an extent, it’s better for hand movement, while your fingers are sort of there as a guide.