So the original art work does fade off! I dunno why Hori went with a simple glossy graphic for a surface that’s frequently played on. Anyway, very nice graphic and I would like to mention that NRX was the original member who did all the work(measuring and stuff).
The VLX template is my own concoction though 
The fading was mostly from the dust washer rubbing against the surface… But yea idk why HORI went with that style, had this stick since late 09 so the art really took a beating with nicks and scratching due to it being so soft and unprotected. *correction big ups to NRX for the template
I want the Arcana heart 3 V3SA’s to come to the USA. I really like them, but I cant be bothered paying for the high import fees. They were only $150 on play-asia, but then they wanted to charge me $50 shipping! I’d much rather then just get a regular V3SA if I had to, and vinyl dye it white, then red, and apply some custom AH3 artwork.
Good luck with finding the Arcana Heart 3 stick in domestic shops!
NONE of the import shops in the US that I’ve looked at have the stick.
NCS imported a limited quantity of 360 and PS3 AH3 joysticks but sold out of the few examples they imported of the PS3 version – even at near $230 per stick! (That’s more expensive than buying through Play-Asia.)
Even if some shop did import the AH3 joystick, you’d still probably pay at least $200 for it. Remember, with the currency exchange rate as it is now, the stick MSRP is at least $145 American. $200 would be a modest mark-up compared to how earlier import joysticks were marked up in 2009 and 2010. Of course, exchange rates were more favorable in 2009.
MarkMan said in a post in this thread or another that estimates were that roughly 3,000 AH3 PS3 sticks would be produced but I really don’t know. It looks like there have been two production runs since the stick wasn’t available for a few weeks… It was sold out everywhere it seems.
I don’t think JapanVideoGames will get this stick since they have plenty of the BlazBlue: Continuum Shift sticks still in stock. For that matter, their general stick selection has gotten thinner since late 2009… They don’t have any PS2 sticks now, period.
The AH series also has a limited audience in the US and I don’t think most stores would import what amounts to a girly-looking stick at any rate. It took forever for the AH2 joystick stock to thin out… There were tons of those available just a few months ago that were selling for $100 or less. I remember those AH2 joysticks averaged around $200 for a while but then dropped down to reasonable prices before the below-$100 “firehouse” sales on eBay.
It’s difficult getting hardware from overseas. Sorry, but $50 is a typical air mail shipping rate for joysticks and consoles. Good thing is that you can still get games safely in padded envelopes or boxes for $6 shipping or less…
Yea, $50 shipping isnt bad for over seas, but when I look at the total cost of the product I’m purchasing, I have to think to myself if it’s worth it or not.
I find it funny though, I was able to find AH3 Collector’s edition with the 24 pin set and art book for $80 shipped in the USA imported from japan, while the game itself roughly goes for around $80 in japan itself…
You have to keep in mind vendors do get discounts on items from distributors and then mark them up to MSRP when they sell them.
On some items, the discounts are horrible and they don’t really make money off those items… Things like consoles and to a lesser extent joysticks. I know game stores in the US were not happy with the PS3 and 360 prices near the beginning of the lifecycles of those consoles. They literally made no money off the hardware for at least a year… probably close to 3 years for the PS3 until the slim redesign.
(Right now, it’s the Wii that’s not selling. Guy I talked to in a local gamestore said the Wii console really isn’t selling now at his store. They haven’t sold a Wii console in weeks. The only thing deader in the US than the Wii is the PSP. The game is basically in-court for the PS3 and 360 now, and it’s the PS3 that’s generally doing better. That pretty much fits with other reports I’ve read in other gaming news websites.)
Who knows what’ll happen with AH3. The price might go down for the regular edition for all we know.
I don’t have the game myself but I really have no interest in getting the limited version. I can really live without the luxuries.
If you got it for $80 then it means it must not be selling that well. When the regular edition is at least $75-$80, I don’t think a lot of Japanese would buy the LE, either. Most people have no conception of how most Japanese live. Very small housing, limited space, expensive food, and not as much disposable income. While it seems like there are more uber-fans/otaku in Japan than the US, they’re rare amongst fans in Japan.
There are confirmed reports of an AH3 port for European PS3’s and an outside chance the US PS3 and 360’s will get the game, too.
I’m not holding my breath… I’d pull the trigger and buy the Japanese version now if I had the cash.
The reason for getting the Japanese version is if you’re limited to SD CRT’s you have to keep in mind SD video standards. The Japanese and US PS3’s use NTSC in addition to the universal HD standards. European Blu rays will be coded for PAL – which is incompatible with US and Japanese SD standards – in addition to universal HD. The Euro-disc problem popped in particular for the European release of Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe…
I believe the prices at discount(considering that Ami Ami should be the best place to get import stuff) are:
5,900 JPY regular edition
7,900 JPY LE
Considering the high exchange rate, off the top of my head, the price in USD for the regular edition is around $75 not including shipping as well. The reason why I bought AH3 locally was simply because there was no justification in paying extra for pins that I have no use for. At least for other import LE, they come pretty extravagant which makes it worth it and don’t forgot that some popular titles get “The Best” treatment in Japan rather quickly which means that it goes from 5,900 JPY to 2,900 JPY. I could really care less for LE sticks as well now unless it were for the VX-SE because I really do prefer Seimitsu over Sanwa. AH3 HRAP V3 offers nothing but a red case and a AH3 graphic that would probably be damaged seeing how the original graphic isn’t that great and it probably comes with a sticker sheet which is meh. This is the same logic towards the Amazon exclusives, the HRAP V series are pretty much SA standard nowadays so why am I paying almost $100 more for something the domestic release offers but with a slight color difference?
The only benefit of AH3 getting released state side is that it will be in english and it will be cheaper for the locals, this won’t effect the chances of the AH3 stick coming over but Madcatz would probably go out and make a AH3 TE stick(which would be cool since I like the look of the BB CS TE stick more than the HRAP V3 stick). The only stick I was considering to drop $200 for was the Hyper Stick Otomedius Gorgeous stick which was pretty much a HRAP EX but with only four buttons(Sanwa equipped) and a touch pad because it was so ridiculous and it would have use for all my shmups I played.
So yeah, with all the craze still going on, I would think it over and with birchboi96’s awesome Akuma HRAP V3, people could do Arcana Heart 3 custom themed sticks that look better than the HRAP V3 AH3 edition stick. I’m totally changing up the look of my VLX stick simply because I dinged the left bezel so I’m going all the way and making it a Yoko Littner custom stick.
I’m considering getting another V3 SA “vanilla” black in the future, too, to do some extensive modding. (Thinking of painting one white OR red… So many decisions! Paint will be vinyl/VHT after positive experiences using white vinyl spray paint… Don’t get me started on the problems I had with both Rustoleum and Krylon paints…!)
I loved doing case mods with both my Agetec and R1 (VERY first!) Mad Catz TE.
I’ve already gone ahead and replaced my OEM JLF in my V3 SA with an LS-40-01. Changed all the Sanwa’s for other better colors IMHO. I had an LS-32-01 in it for a while but swapped that stick into a modded T5 case. Yes, I drilled off the godawful stick mount on the T5 faceplate and can install any Seimitsu stick I want in addition to the JLF!
Totally agree with your assessment of BlazBlue CS TE versus the Hori BB:CS V3 SA. In that case, the Mad Catz stick really did look a lot better!
Character art seems to be a weak point in many of the Hori joysticks in spite of generally better-built components and superior PCBs.
Awesome. Thanks much for the template, NRX!
I know it’ll be less expensive if I do that however, I like the rarity of a V3-SE. If it was ANY color besides that green, I’d be all over it! Heck, I’ll even take bright orange or pink, LOL! Love the V3-series!!! I’ve had 2 of them already (I get bored easily). Just want something different.
That’s awesome! Can you provide that V3 art (not template)?!? I’d like to save it so whenever I get another V3 down the road. Even though I suck at SF, Akuma’s my fav. character, thx!
Think about it…
The V3-SE is GREEN.
Would you drive a bright green car around? I’d feel more comfortable driving a purple/plum-colored car!
That’s how much I dislike green!
(Personally, I like red-colored cars best. Due to circumstance, I’d driving a light bluish-grey toned car but if I had my druthers I’d be driving a Milano red car like my old Civic Couple…)
LOL, who said I was buying fo sho! All I said was that I like the rarity of a V3-SE, that’s all. Yup, I love red colored cars as well (my weekend toy’s red).
I’d drive a bright green car, if it looks like this:
Although I agree, those green buttons are just ugly on that stick.
It sucks to know that the art on the original stick fades out. I’ve always wanted a V3SA but with this in mind, it makes me appreciate my TE’s more.
If it makes you feel better, the TE artwork tends to get scratched up nicely in no time flat unless you get an Art Hong plexi to cover it… :lol:
I’m only keeping of my TE’s with the original artwork, though — my Femme Fatale and the less-limited MvC2 stick. I don’t even really think the MvC2 stick was THAT limited considering you could once buy them in GameStop for $100. Still took at least 3 months for the Femme Fatale (PS3 versions) to sell out, though, and Mad Catz made something under 700 of those.
I have an HRAP 2 SA and the cover art on that thing has scratches, too. And it was supposed to be “brand-new” in the box! So says the guy from Queens that I bought it from…
The newer HRAP 3 models (vanilla black/white, SA, SE) are definitely more scratch resistant with regards to the artwork. What the 2SA has on it is markedly cheaper art covering than the 3SA and 3SE regardless of the fact that many people consider the 2SA a mythical superstick. It’s not… It’s just an alternative in case you want to cover your PS2 and PS2-compatible systems.
I’ve never replaced artwork before so do I just take it to a Kinko’s to print it? Certain size?!? Thx!
I’ve used Kinkos for TE’s and Custom boxes and they’re good, but those are for sticks with plexi over them. I don’t know how they do vinyl.
I didn’t know the Hori V3-SA uses vinyl. So where do I get this printed at then?!?