Note: If you have newbie arcade stick related questions, please post them in this thread! Please post more advanced questions in Tech Talk!
In the minds of many, arcade sticks and fighting games go hand-in-hand. Naturally, many players who are new to the fighting game community find they have many questions regarding Arcade sticks. Be it that the Newbie Saikyo Dojo is intended to help new players get a knowledge foothold in the community, it seems fitting that many common questions can be addressed here. SRK also has a very tech savvy section known as Tech Talk, which you might want to participate in as well. It’s personally one of my favorite portions of SRK, but it’s often a bit overwhelming for new users.
With that in mind, the purpose of this guide is 3-fold:
- To answer frequently asked arcade stick-related newbie questions
- To provide a central location for new users to ask newbie stick questions
- To provide a primer so that new users are knowledgeable enough about arcade sticks to be able to participate in more advanced discussion in Tech Talk
**Contents: **
Warning! This document is big! You can use the number in brackets and the find feature of your web browser (ctrl + f) to easily find specific topics!
Why use an arcade stick? [001]
Why do you call it an arcade stick, not a fight stick?[002]
What arcade stick should I buy? [003]
What are the differences with the different Madcatz TEs?[004]
What is the difference between Japanese and American parts? [005]
**Who are the major arcade parts brands? [006] **
**What is a gate? What should I know about them?[007] **
How do you hold an arcade stick? [008]
What is the standard button layout? [009]
What is Tech Talk? [010]
What is a PCB? [011]
What is stick modding? What kinds of mods are available? [012]
If I wanted to use my stick on a different system, what converters are available? [013]
Cthulhu? Imp? Chimp? What are people talking about? [014]
I want to build my own arcade stick. How do I do it? [015]
Why use an arcade stick? [001]
Simply put, most fighting game fans find them to be the superior control method. The stick itself is generally considered to be more precise and fluid than a d-pad. Having access to six (or eight) buttons on the control panel is also extremely useful for many advanced techniques in a variety of games. Some of the older, grizzled veterans also prefer them as they grew up playing on arcade parts. The “authentic feel” is very important to them.
You should also probably know, when most people first change to a stick from a pad, they find their execution suffers in the short-term. This is totally normal! It takes most people a few weeks of practice to get used to playing on a stick. Spend some time in training mode before considering going back to pad, or altering your stick in some manner. You will adjust, trust me.
That being said, many players do choose to stick to playing with pads. Ultimately it’s a matter of preference.
Why do you call it an arcade stick, not a fight stick?[002]
Arcade sticks are the proper terminology to use when broadly referring to sticks that have arcade parts in them. Fight Sticks are a branded Madcatz product, not a catchall name for arcade sticks. Many of us find the practice of calling all arcade sticks “fight sticks” to be ignorant sounding. We also get mad at those kids who play on our lawn.
What arcade stick should I buy? [003]
The truth is there is no “best” stick. The answer is really subjective. The important thing is understand the differences, so you can make good decisions for yourself.
Darksakul’s What Stick/Controller Should I Buy Thread more or less outlines all of your major choices.
My Cliff’s Notes: Virtually everything less than $60 is more or less trash. The wireless Tekeen stick is horrible. The $60 sticks are fine for beginners. This is especially true of the Madcatz line, as they are easy to mod with real arcade parts. If you’re serious about getting into fighting games, don’t get a cheapo stick. You get what you pay for. The Madcatz TE and Hori RAP lines are both fine, pick which either you think looks cooler.
What are the differences with the different Madcatz TEs?[004]
As of April 2010, there are already a dizzying amount of different Madcatz Tournament Edition sticks available. What’s the difference? d3v did a good write up of that here (check the 3rd post, or read the quote).
Which should you buy? All you really need to know is that the older TEs are thought to have less reliable electronics. Some people find the newer ones less comfortable. I personally recommend you get whichever one you think looks cooler. I know it sounds dumb, but you’ll most likely be happier in the long term with something you like to look at.
What is the difference between Japanese and American parts? [005]
In short, Japanese parts tend to be more sensitive and responsive. American parts typically require more effort to move and engage button commands. People generally view Japanese parts to be of higher build quality. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily “better”, but at this point, I wouldn’t recommend someone new to the scene to start with American parts. Most of the top players Japanese and American players currently use Japanese arcade parts.
On top of that, these days pretty much all of the commercially available off-the-shelf arcade sticks use Japanese arcade hardware, so they are easier to find.
That being said, some players still swear by American parts. The best thing to do is try them both yourself and make your own opinion. Some Street Fighter fans that grew up in arcades also have had a hard time adjusting to Japanese hardware, so still prefer American parts. Personally, I think it’s worth the effort to adjust to Japanese parts.
You might also be interested to know that Korean parts enjoy a niche success in the fighting game community, especially amongst Tekken players. They are generally regarded as pretty high quality, but with a different feel than that of Japanese sticks.
Who are the major arcade parts brands? [006]
The major Japanese arcade parts manufacturers are Sanwa and Seimitsu. Their flagship arcade sticks are the JLF and LS-32 respectively. These days, the only remaining American company worth mentioning is Happ. Even then you’re better off getting parts from iL, the company that used to produce parts for Happ. Fanta is probably the most popular Korean brand of arcade parts.
If you’re interested in reading more, some of our esteemed users have written guides that discuss the finer points of many of the brands of arcade parts.
Paik4Life’s Sanwa and Seimitsu FAQ
EvilSamurai’s iL FAQ
There is a Korean parts FAQ around too, but I haven’t been able to find it since the SRK update. PM me if you do.