I liked the old Hrap body design, its sturdy, its got heft, and I don’t feel it will break if I throw the stick down the stairs.
The new case design feel cheap to me.
9-Button is troll
The new HRAP doesn’t have enough palm room for me. Too bad because I think they look at least ok. I’ve owned two just to mod and sale. Not for me.
I really don’t like the HRAP V3, either.
That’s where I think Hori’s quality control also took a dive with a cheap faceplate sticker that rubs off, an HRAP SA/SE model line that DOESN’T open from the top(!), a cable cord compartment door that tends to fall off, and an overly cramped interior that makes any kind of modding a much more difficult proposition. Again, you need “child hands and fingers” just to remove the buttons from the HRAP V3 case!
The HRAP N3 is a solid case but it’s another instance where Hori doesn’t know how to design/lay out the interior of the case and it gets in your way of modding or doing simple part swap out. I know I’ve said that a million times before, but I’ll repeat it again without belaboring the issues with removing/installing alternate joystick levers. That commentary will fly over many people’s heads because they don’t own Hori product. I would say probably AT LEAST a good third of the people who own a joystick in the States probably have not played with anything but the Mad Catz line simply because the Hori HRAP line isn’t generally available retail unless you special order it.
After Mad Catz released the TE2, they just raised the standard expectations of people that want a classy joystick.
I’m afraid that the Fighting Edge and the HRAP V3 just aren’t at that level…
The HRAP N3 really isn’t TE2-level, either, but I think it’s a much nicer alternative to the HRAP V3, it’s a better lower-budget alternative to the Fighting Edge with more built-in functions at a lower price (!), and the best currently available in-production HRAP.
I don’t see Hori going back to the old-style HRAP 1-3 case. That’s done… They were available for over 5 years and it’s time to move on. The only thing they need to bring back from the HRAP 3 days is more consistent production line quality and better interior case layout. There are still so many people selling those old Astrocade-style HRAP bases and you don’t have to pay inflated online prices like Amazon.com. You can do much more reasonable deals if you wait or deal constructively with people. No question those HRAP SA/SE’s are going to cost more, though!
The one lingering quality control problem I encountered across the Hori HRAP line – whether it was the licensed variants or the HRAP SA/SE editions, and the in-production models – was a problem with the threading in the joystick mount areas. It’s simply inconsistent faceplate to faceplate and AWFUL. I’ve had issues where I stripped screws of threads or could only screw in screws halfway on and had to use spacers/washers to secure the joystick mount areas. At the very least, there was always at least one thread area that was difficult to install screws in – and I’ve always checked to make sure I was using the right screws. That’s the single area where I’ve found the Mad Catz joysticks I’ve bought and owned to be consistently better across the board than the Hori’s. That’s weird… It’s like Hori has an attitude that, “Yes, we’ll provide a universal mount area but don’t expect it to be manufactured with quality and make it easier to install/use anything but a JLF in our cases!”
With that lingering problem and the other interior design issues with 2 (HRAP V3/N3) of the last 3 production HRAP’s, it’s like Hori needs an attitude adjustment, too. Again, good PCB’s and overall quality – generally better than most of the competitor’s product – but it’s like Hori exists in a vacuum sometimes and doesn’t completely understand the customer pool out there…
I ended up completely replacing the top panel in one Hrap (an heavily modified Hrap EX) and in my Hrap 3 modded to be a Hrap SNES stick, I ended up drilling out some of the mount holes in order to mount something other than a JLF. (I installed a JWL inside). I did wish Hori made their mounts better.
I’m in the same boat as you. I tend to like a good flat palm-rest for my button-hand, and the HRAP V3/VX casing doesn’t provide in that aspect. Which is too bad, because I actually really like the look of it.
On the flipside, while the feel is good, I don’t actually like the look of the HRAP 1/2/3; the rounded front section plus the fact that it’s relatively bulky/thick are big turn-offs for me.
In the end, my favorite Hori casing is actually their Fighting Stick V3/VX formfactor: thin, square-y and with plenty of palm-room, though it’s slightly tougher to mod due to it being part of their budget-line sticks.
Back on topic, I’m a little surprised that these Hayabusa HRAP V3s aren’t using the wider “Kai” layout, which I actually like more. Imagine? “Hori Wireless Real Arcade Pro V3 Hayabusa Kai”. What a mouthful.
How is the Hayabusa stick? Is it basically a high quality JLF clone, or does it have shorter engages/throw than the JLF, like a Seimitsu? Anyone have any measurements on it?
I have to disagree about the V3/VX having adequate palm room. Then again I have big hands and I dont play with the stick in my lap but on a table.