I’m pretty sure it was. The Hori Dead or Alive 5 joystick followed shortly afterwards. There’s a slight shift in the button layout on the DOA5 version that makes it incompatible with the plexi used for the SC V joystick (and presumably ‘official’ HRAP N3-SA release).
I think the official HRAP N3-SA is based on the SC V platform with identical button positions… it’s a little bit different in that the HRAP N3-SA deleted the twin USB inputs the SC V stick had – it’s the only PS3 joystick I own that has USB inputs for headphones and a keyboard – and added a plastic non-slip mat to the baseplate like the Fighting Edge and HRAP VLX joysticks (and I presume later HRAP V3’s) have.
I had the DOA and I currently own an SCV. I got rid of the DOA because I always liked there to be more space between the buttons and joystick a la the NOIR TE’s and Kai HRAP VX/3. I believe that you’re right though. The order that I believe they released in (based on the release dates of the games they are licensed for):
SCV
TTT2
DOA5
NX/3-SA
Left out of this are the Gundam sticks. This is where I get confused. The first Extreme VS game came out in 2011 with Full Boost following in April of 2012. When did the Gundam licensed NX/3’s release?
Smdh. Same case + Different button layout = Different case. 'Tarded.
Would have made more sense to make the first letter the case, the second character the system the stick is for, and have a third letter for the button layout.
Ex. - NX-A (N case, Xbox 360, Astro City)
You would then have additional characters for parts used (SA=Sanwa, SE=Seimitsu, None=Proprietary parts)
If this was the case (Haha. Puns.), I suppose there would be no reason for the case to be called “N” in the first place. Idk. Hori be trippin.
A bit late to the party, and I haven’t modded anything (yet), but I still wanted to share. I really like my "entry level " Hori Fightsticks – the price was super right and they work better than the system controller! I really wish Hori would put out new entry level sticks for the new systems (PS4/Xbox One), but I don’t see that happening.
Also, I picked up the Tekken 5 stick new in box with the game for $25 on clearance at a GameStop. Have always planned to mod it, but have never had a good project idea. The Wii one was great for TvC and some of the Neo Geo releases… and for pairing to a computer for other games. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of them.
best to go simple i’d say. What I did with mine initially was convert everything to sanwa, but kept the original look (i like tekken so it works out), so red JLF and OBSF’s, looks stock, but it’s actually modded with arcade spec parts.
I had a bunch of Tekken 5 joysticks at one time and modded ALL of them.
Great entry level practice for working on more complicated retro-joystick case mods.
Put in Sanwa parts which involved shaving off the button tabs AFTER desoldering the original OEM buttons from the PCB. The PCB itself was one of the easier PCB’s to work with because A) it was built so big that you could work with lower-quality soldering irons without many worries; plenty of room for putting on solder; and B) it was so resistant to damage… I NEVER destroyed a Tekken 5 PCB in the process of desoldering the original buttons OR installing QD signal lines for buttons.
The great news of the T5 ultimately was that it was an HRAP-lite. Everything from the HRAP 1-3 fits inside the plastic case. The installation points for the HRAP 1-3 PCB’s is still there on the case! The only major differences from the mainline HRAP 1-3’s are the stylized HRAP 1 faceplate minus the turbo panel and Hori mounting bracket which you could drill out to fit more kinds of joysticks or leave the mounting bracket in and work with a JLF (and later Hayabusa – the mod to install the Hayabusa is the same as the JLF). The HRAP 1 faceplate with uncomfortable L1/L2 spots in retrospect was the weak point of the case. I don’t even bother to put buttons in those positions on my remaining T5 joystick. The right six buttons are very comfortable; the closed positions open up the space nicely between the joystick lever and remaining 30mm buttons.
Acclaim aside, Hori SHOULD NOT go back to making HRAP-lites like this again. I understand why there are budget-line joysticks outside there BUT all the HRAP-class joysticks should be easily upgradeable and fixable from here on out… For these $100+ joysticks I think that’s what many of us expect now.
I think the HRAP EX-SE uses the same basic bodyform that that the PlayStation HRAP 1-3 joysticks used. The “EX” tells you it’s an XBox 360 joystick release and the “SE” stands for Seimitsu/Special Edition release with Seimitsu parts. Hori used the same suffix for the PlayStation HRAP 3 releases with Seimitsu parts.
This bodyform was used for the bulk of HRAP’s manufactured between 2004 and late 2009 which includes the licensed HRAP variants based on games. The American Tekken 5 joystick was an HRAP sub-variant but not a true HRAP since it used full Hori parts… the joysticks used in the Japanese HRAP’s were all Sanwa JLF’s but not in the American T5 release.
HRAP case dimensions – taken from HRAP 3 SE; case identical to HRAP 1-3 (PS2/PS3)
and HRAP EX releases for XBox 360
WIDTHS
15 3/4" max near top
14 3/4" min before curve at bottom (measured from top)
LENGTH
8 3/4" to 9" at side
HEIGHTS (measured at sides)
About 3" tall near max at top
Under 2 3/4" tall min at bottom
Faceplate
Almost 12 3/4" wide
Almost 7 3/4" length measured from middle of plate
This case has been out of production since spring 2010… the last HRAP “Classic” release I think was the HRAP Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue joystick.
I know I’ve seen pictures of a European clone version of the case… it’s not an exact duplicate but it’s close.
There are also tons of “Classic” HRAP 2’s and 3’s being sold all the time, too.
The ones that seem to be harder to get for good prices are the HRAP 1/2/3 SA and (especially!) HRAP 1/3 SE editions as well as the original HRAP (1) releases with the mirror faceplates.
Hori never made an SE edition for the HRAP 2…
I think the first Hori-licensed Gundam HRAP N3 joystick released shortly before the the Extreme VS game did… I seem to remember it was March or April 2012 around when the game was released. This is some time after the HRAP SC V joystick. Wasn’t Full Boost just released this year? I think you got your years mixed up there.
It was Japan-only release and hideously expensive to get unless you pre-ordered through a specialty shop like AmiAmi. (It’s Gundam so you know the anime fanboys that collect Gundam were going to get that joystick! Hori never makes that many licensed edition HRAP’s to begin with.) Even then, you were paying something like $60 to get the thing insured and air-mailed to the US!
I thought the stick was nice enough but preferred the Soul Calibur V joystick best of all the licensed HRAP N3/NX/A3/whatever releases. Funny thing is I like the SC V joystick better than the SC V game itself! The SC V joystick is the only HRAP joystick besides the HRAP 2 SA where I never changed out the original buttons. (It’s also one of only two licensed HRAP or Mad Catz TE joysticks where I kept the original character art, too.) Love the button colors simply because they’re not all-white, all-black, or grey! That’s the most annoying think to me about the majority of Hori and Mad Catz joystick releases. Too monotone and neutral on part colors…
Woah George, that was super fast, thanks!
I will see if these dimensions will suffice for my intentions (making a prototype of this stick, basically a clone to make a mold for finally making myself a fiberglass stick).
Sadly, I can’t find any of these old sticks for sale where I live. Thanks again!
You’re welcome! I try to be helpful (and hopefully NOT scolding) when I’m in a good mood!
As far as another Fighting Edge variant goes…
not for me; I would get the White or Black version;
I can’t understand why Hori would market another PS3-only joystick when they should be making it at the very least compatible with the PS4. I think the whole reason last Christmas was such a dry season for joysticks was because of the new console launches. Again, new PS3- or XBox 360-only joysticks don’t make sense when their successors are already out on market!
NOTE: I am NOT proposing a multi-console joystick release… I understand MS and Sony aren’t going to allow that! I am saying that if you’re going to make a new joystick release it makes more sense to make the PS version compatible with PS3 AND PS4 and the Xbox version compatible with the XBox 360 and XBox One. Unless you’re a hardcore collector or have no intention of upgrading consoles any time soon, it makes sense that you’re looking for a joystick for one of the new generation consoles!
The stick market for the last gen consoles has got to be shrinking… We don’t have a mass-market PS4 joystick release YET. Last Christmas a lot of new XBone owners were upset because there wasn’t an alternate joystick available for their system and all the Mad Catz TE2’s sold out!
Honestly, why no Fighting Edge releases for the PS4 AND XBox One??? I wouldn’t mind seeing an HRAP N4/NX-1 release, either. I personally love the HRAP N3/NX case and would like to see that style carried over to the new generation consoles.
I’m one of the people who’s “upset” about there being no alternative Xbone sticks… except that it’s pushed me towards this community and now I’m super, super excited to build up a stick on my own to do it. So, win-win.
But yeah, seriously, what’s taking so long regarding sticks coming out for the new consoles?
Yeah, you need to wait dude. Xbone hasn’t even been released in Japan yet so I doubt Hori would release anything for it. I ordered myself a PS4 stick and it’s going to sit out until Guilty Gear Xrd comes out later this year.
Actually the development for Xbox One stick been really fast, some consoles takes several years before they get their first stick.
There isn’t any fighters on the Next Gen consoles yet (the new KI or the PS4 port of Injustice don’t count, there hasn’t been a retail release of a new fighter yet)
So, win-win.