What up, I’m new here just got the game it’s awesome. Now I trying to find out which is better the Japan import Fighting Stick or the US one. From what I can tell the Japan stick has a traditional 6 button layout (which I prefer) and the US stick has a 8 button layout. Does the extra button bother any of you guys, or do you find it useful? Thanks
Alright, having done mods for both sticks, I hope you can understand that I am a credible source for my views on both sticks.
“Japan Fighting Stick” = Exar TvC stick (artwork w/TvC:CGoH Ken the Eagle, Casshan, Ryu, Chun-Li)
The six-button layout is pretty sweet and other buttons are on the top. This stick is quite rare, so it’s definitely gonna be more expensive than the US TvC stick. In addition, the stock stick and buttons are not of great quality, but with a bit of know-how, can be modded with Sanwa/Seimitsu parts with ease. The stick is also very light in terms of weight. Not a bad stick, but probably not worth the amount of money you’ll be spending on it.
“US Fighting Stick” = Madcatz TvC:UAS (Standard Edition) Fightstick (artwork with TvC:UAS highlighting Tekkaman Blade, Ken the Eagle, Chun-Li, Ryu, and many other characters in the background
Yes, this stick has eight buttons, but the left three columns replicate the same curved, Japanese six-buttons setup, while the right three columns can replicate a straight, American button setup. The rightmost column can usually be ignored when playing TvC and hardly get in the way. This stick is based on the same production line of the Street Fighter IV Standard Edition sticks, with many of the same stock parts used in manufacturing (side note: there is no Tournament Edition stick for TvC). It’s very easy to modify this stick (even more so than the Exar TvC stick) with minimal knowledge of stick modification. It’s also much cheaper to buy and easier to find. Get this stick.
Here are a few pictures of the finished mod projects of the both the respective Exar and Madcatz TvC sticks:
Exar TvC arcade stick mod
Madcatz TvC Fightstick
Feel free to ask me any questions. Also, here’s my arcade stick modifier resume for shameless self-promotion:
http://shoryuken.com/f177/need-modder-your-local-area-check-post-247741/#post9379770
I really do not mean to step on any toes here, since Royal already said he if from the “mod your stick” backround, i will tell you from another stand point. First I think you should go with the button layout you are best with. I never get “tripped” up by the extra buttons but I would not want them there in tourney matches because I prefer 6 button layouts. Now with that said.
American made sticks are just not good sticks out of the box. If you mod them yourself or get them modded they are good then, but if you do not, you are looking at 8 months or less before a part goes out.
Now japan made sticks are just wayyyyyyyyy better out of the box. I swear by the exar stick and have a completly “freshed out” madcatz TvC UAS stick. (I got it for 50 bucks from someone on this site, they also included the original part from the Madcatz sitck so you might want to check around for those sticks, I hear/know they go for cheap modded) I think the Exar stick is really a top notch stick right out of the box for at least 16 months of good hard daily use before something fails on you.
This is just how I think about the two sitck in question. I paid full price for the Exar stick (79.99 plus playasia.com shipping) when it frist dropped, and would gladly pay the new price if my baby dies beyond fixing. I got the madcatz stick for a steal and would not have picked one up had this deal never came across me. Go on ebay and find the Exar one if you have the cash, it will be worth it.
Hmmm… Thanks guys for the reply! I might go with the 6 button just cause I like it. I don’t really see any other fighting games coming to the Wii that I might be interested in. This stick will be for TvC only, so I might as well be happy. I’m going to drop more money when MvC3 comes out in March.
Flush and Saequo especially, you guys are being way too nice to the Exar stick; it’s a piece of shit. I know because I own it and have been using mine since the day CGoh came out.
The best things I can say about that stick are that the buttons are decent (low-end Sanwa, actually) and that it’s fairly easy to mod.
The thing feels like a toy (no real weight to it, so it feels strange in your lap or on a table) and the joystick is cheap feeling.
IMHO, buy a Hori T5 stick on the cheap and rock one of those $10 GC converters. Unless you want the stick for collector’s purposes, (in which case you should get the Exar, since it looks okay) avoid Exar.
I use the USA stick. It’s my first arcade stick, and it works really well for me. I really don’t use the extra two buttons, just the 6.
TvC stick uses OMRON microswitches similar to the JLF. Heck, swap in a spring from a JLF and it’ll feel exactly like the JLF. Also, the buttons are much improved over the original SE buttons.
There’s a complete technical breakdown of the stick over at Tech Talk.
http://shoryuken.com/f177/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-stick-wii-madcatz-confirmed-211098/index11.html#post8290419
Overall, it’s probably the best quality, non-arcade parts stick on the market.