Check Out My New Arcade Stick! (No Image Quoting)

Tech Talk
161

Don’t want to dirty up this shiny new thread with an X-Arcade, but as I picked it up for ze cheap, and it’s my very first mod, and it should end up in a MAME cabinet by the end of next month allowing me to focus on the two MadCatz SE’s and a TE waiting in the wings, I thought I’d share this and hope I can avoid being burned at the stake. At the very least X-Gaming is trying to resolve their lag issues, but enough back-pedaling, here’s the stick. Clicky for large size.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhGBP_ogI/AAAAAAAAQSw/1FZgB_PeHyg/s400/01%20-%20Halfway%20There.jpg
Halfway there: standard on right, custom on left

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhGdH45rI/AAAAAAAAQS0/QuKsaY-Tqps/s400/02%20-%20Not%20Quite%20a%20Rat%27s%20Nest.jpg
Not quite a rat’s nest, but still pretty close quarters

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhHpy1fUI/AAAAAAAAQS4/Y46FwoUlPvE/s400/03%20-%20X-Arcade%20Standard%20Components.jpg
These are the Chinese el cheapo X-Arcade standard components

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhHmjq2iI/AAAAAAAAQS8/hIAd2imxol4/s400/04%20-%20Looking%20Much%20Better.jpg
Ahhh much better - Happ competition pushbuttons and iL Eurojoystick

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhHt_gmfI/AAAAAAAAQTA/2KoQ5zYuMw8/s400/05%20-This%20%20iL%20Eurostick%20just%20fits.jpg
This il Eurojoystick just fit without any problems…the other, however…most certainly did not

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhPTyfekI/AAAAAAAAQTE/7c1nFf0NG4Q/s400/06%20-%20Blood%2C%20Sweat%20and%20Tears.jpg
Bloody knuckles from the quick-disconnects, pinched thumbs from the needle-nose pliers,
mucho sweat from trimming down the player two joystick - but only a few hours later,
she was looking great. Modeled by my lil’ helper!

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhPW57QQI/AAAAAAAAQTI/lUQV72ztm-s/s400/07%20-%20Oh%20goodness.jpg
Aaand just as we put it all together, looks like the iL’s are too long.
Had to make due with some pretty quick and dirty cuts to give em’ some breathing room.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhPdmCX8I/AAAAAAAAQTM/POoSrfxkjoM/s400/08%20-%20Hack%20job.jpg
Hack job to hide the holes…looks a bit better since I trimmed it up

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xYEqP15Un2M/SnJhPknUDAI/AAAAAAAAQTQ/zmFz1gwoMMk/s400/09%20-%20Let%27s%20do%20this.jpg
Thar she is…retro Apple logo colours, pro components and ready for some arcade action!

All in all, sore hands notwithstanding, it went pretty well. The quick-disconnects were different than I expected, one of those ‘don’t really know until you have a chance to play with one’ kind of thing, and the original X-Gaming pushbuttons had a bit of glue which made them a pain to screw out. Considering it was my first time ever even seeing the inside of a stick in person, I was pretty happy with how it went. Followed the advice I found here, but there were a number of times where it varied; maybe case/hardware revisions on X-Gaming’s part or something.

Ordered everything from LizardLick and was very satisfied with their service. Now I just need to wait for them to ship my MadCatz replacement bits and I’ll be ready for round two.

I do a lot of graphic design (hence the Apple colours?) but the one person I’ve found who did a full plexi replacement of the X-Arcade dual kinda warned me in no uncertain terms that it was a pretty intensive project. I think if I can find another one for the same bargain-basement price I might consider it, as admittedly the X-Arcade graphics are pretty blah. Since this will be a jack-of-all-trades MAME stick I’m not really too fussed for now. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to show off some neat designs for my MadCatz in the next few months; this thread is such a great place to showcase the unique personalities of the stick-owners and I’m continually finding myself with a big smile on my face with all the creativity and expression posted here!

162

It looks like a hella nice stick. Just change the x arcade panel art.

163

Billy, you are a badass. You’re comfortable playing like that?

164

good work well done

165

Billy, you’re my hero.
Everything has changed now that i saw your aristocratic style of play.

166

lol, is that really what it’s called, or did Billy coin a new term? It makes me picture a guy in a top hat and monocle playing Street Fighter.

167

‘Let’s fight… like gentlemen’

168

You sir, are a very funny man! :slight_smile:

169

Lol!!! All classy and such but then you got those multi-coloered laces and throw it all off!!!
But still dude… classy as hell… classy!
“The Billy.” Brand new style of playing!

170

I think if I saw someone playing on stick set on it’s side like that I would just rage quit. It’s takes a Rainman level of comprehension to play like that and I’m just to conventional too compete against that.

171

kaa- you have committed a serious crime by cutting away at the greatest stick man have ever known, but since it came out nicely so i may just let it slide.

172

Very cool, Billy. That’s pretty much how I thought you held it, and it actually looks pretty comfortable! Perhaps one day I too can learn the aristocratic style of play . . .

173

haha thanks man! yeah i’m not really trying to be number one tournament champion fighter style. i just like to goof off and be silly so this really seems to add some “class” to my game nights :slight_smile:

174

my friends actually call me “Master Luke” strange but true
billytwix is my old skool email and sn on aim and everything from 15+ years ago - its a fun alias but in person its definitely either LUKE WESTBROOK or MASTER LUKE haha - it makes alot more sense in person.

175

extremely comfortable actually - i used to be a psychological therapist. so sitting like this is natural in a tense situation. funny how having people in family therapy curse each other out and yell while i have to sit there and remain composed leads to a game play style.

176

niiiiiiice, one’s plenty for me.

i hate my neck getting cold so its like the summer version of a scarf.
haha

177

nothing really new externally.

Just added an imp switch to make it dual modded for 360 and ps3.

(best of both worlds :smile:)

178

LOL. I had the :wtf: look on my face when I saw the pirate stick for like 10 seconds.

179

These sticks are pending an artwork change, but I’m happy with how they look so far.

SE Fightstick mods for the 360. Sorry for the camera phone pics. Once I get the finished products done, I’ll borrow one of my friend’s high quality digital camera to get good pictures.

Both use Seimitsu LS-32’s. One one the right in the main pic. is the oldest one, has a blue bubbletop, and 6 blue PS-14-KNs, and 2 clear PS-14-KNs. It’s also modded (you can’t see it, but I’ll snap pictures of the full mod later) with a MC Cthulhu, and has a Neutrik RJ-45 adapter that handles all the consoles, as well as a DPDT Switch. The one on the left has a pink Sanwa meshball, 6 PS-14-P pink buttons (the pearl variety), and 2 blue PS-14-P buttons. It will also be modded in the same manner in the near future.

180

I thought I was hallucinating. That’s one of the most interesting mods I’ve seen. If this was a complete custom, it would rank up there too. I would’ve never thought to do that at all, so seeing that was just one of those “WTF am I seeing?” moments.