Stuck in Canada, help me choose the best fight stick for xbox 360

Tech Talk
1

1st post, thanks for having me this site rocks!
Background: I have wanted a good fighting stick since SFIV the 360 controller just doesn’t work, and I’d like the best I can get. I’m not hardcore tourney style but I’d play more and better with a stick. But it seems here where the snow flies, and ‘gamers’ talk about crap Wii games (I own a Wii, calm down) true gamers are left with little choice of where to shop, and worse what is stocked.
This is my thread, these are my questions…

The only place I can find with a selection of fight sticks is Amazon.ca
eb/gamestop seems useless site & store, there aren’t a lot of other game stores, if you have a suggestion I’d appreciate it.
I don’t want to order from the states because I will need to pay in US funds, pay for shipping, and be charged import taxes (it may be the same as my normal tax I’m not sure, I don’t want ‘extras’)
So I’m stuck with Amazon.ca

My choices are;
Hori fighting stick EX2 for $67.99
Tekken 6 Limited Bundle for $76.17
Hori Real arcade pro vx sa for $139.99 (Oct 11, 2010)
Mad Catz Street Fighter TE for $169.99

Pro and cons for each
EX2 Pros-inexpensive, so so reviews Cons-cheap, not easy to mod (I don’t solder, yet)
Tekken 6 LE Pros-inexpensive, stick seems decent, free game Cons-few reviews, cheap, not easy to mod
HRAP3 Pros-FULL SANWA (big plus), great reviews, not a TE Cons-more expensive, less customizable artwork/no plexi, not easy to mod (Sanwas already who cares), not a TE, doesn’t ship till Oct
Mad Catz TE Pros-Sanwas again, best reviews, easy to mod, the current ‘standard’ Cons-most expensive, ‘everyone has one’

Last option is build my own, or use one of these as a starting point for a custom stick. The EX2 and Tekken LE would be best for starting points but are less mod friendly, and may/may not fit the Sanwa parts I’d use (PCB for buttons, space for JLF sticks)

I like the HRAP and TE because they use the best parts and I’d like to have high quality products that will last, I may be tempted to mod the others to make them this good. All the Hori sticks will required soldering to mod, and at this time I don’t know how, and I would not like to destroy an expensive stick trying to mod it.
If the Street Fighter SE was sold at a decent price it would likely be my choice but thats not the case.
At this point the 3 Hori sticks are leading because of the price, but the TE is the standard to beat/match esp since it can be easily modded.

Sorry for the long post but with little options and big differences in price and quality I’m stuck and I don’t want to waste my money.

Any advice I can get would be great, I’ve been trolling and its been a huge help so far.

2

why would you care if everyone has one? It’s not like you are going to leave your house with it.

3

HRAP 3 is not Xbox 360.
It is PlayStation 3.

Other than that, it is as easy to modify as the Tournament Edition.

Okay, so I see you edit.

HRAP is all customizable as the Tournament Edition.
Art and Custom Acrylic.

http://www.tek-innovations.com/arthobbies/

Also same all the Joysticks that work for TE also work for HRAP EX SA.

But I see you are talking about the HRAP VX SA now.
True that there is not Custom Acrylic for that.
But people have done art mod for it.

HRAP VX SA doesn’t require soldering.
HRAP EX SA does not require either; just need to strip and crimp.

4

HRAP3 is for PS3 only as JDM has stated. What you’re looking for is the HRAP EX-SA.

5

I don’t have the Hori that you listed, but I do have a HRAP3 SA & SE (both were HELLA cheap on Amazon; one was a “Lightning Deal” and the other was just mispriced, which they didn’t catch for a while, so no pull-back order), and the Premium VLX. I also have an MVC2 TE.

Seeing as how the TE and the HORI SA use the same parts, you can’t complain about 'em.

The layout on the TE and the HORI SA VX are the same (if not, then they’re REALLY SIMILAR)

As for the cases, here we go: all the HORI products that I’ve gotten were in mint-condition – no scratches, everything’s aligned right, and so forth. Yes, that includes the three sticks that I listed. As for the TE, that’s a different story: when I got mine, I saw light-scratches here and there (which is no biggie for some, but meh, if I’m paying full price, I honestly don’t want to see crap like that, even if those scratches will come eventually). Not only that, but with the TEs with the side-panels comes another problem: some of them aren’t aligned correctly. For instance, the right panel on my TE is a tad-more elevated than the left panel (yes, mine came like that). Again, it’s nothing major (I mean, if you lose, it’s not gonna be because of that, haha), but it just goes to show that the quality control at Madcatz isn’t the greatest.

That said, I’d just wait for the SA VX – you get the same layout, same parts, and, from past experience, a base that doesn’t come with scuffs nor scratches or any other deformities (of course, maybe that’s just my luck? the same could be said about my TE, as some have claimed that theirs came in “perfect” condition).

Have fun…

6

How did you get HRAP 3 SE on Amazon when it never got US release?

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Majinhurricane I may leave the house, sometimes people need to get shut down in person! Its a pro and con, its nice to have something different, but its better to have the best product you can.
jdm714 & d3v this is the one I’m looking at Real Arcade Pro VX SA: Amazon.ca: Computer and Video Games I may have gotten the name wrong but this is the stick. Does this have quick disconnects on the buttons, if not I need to learn to solder, but the RAP and TE both come with good parts, I’d only mod it to customize it not make it better. The EX2/Tekken I would be modding to improve the sticks (if I think they need it). I’m more worried about the hardware than art.
I’m closest to choosing the RAP VX or TE because they’re better and I think I may be happier and less likely to mess with them, but for the price of the other Hori sticks I could get two and mod them or leave them for the price of the VX or TE

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HRAP VX SA uses Quick Disconnect, yes.

And check out this art mod.
http://shoryuken.com/f177/check-out-my-new-arcade-stick-thread-part-deux-201537/index464.html#post9299986

The V Series HRAP I feel is better without Custom Acrylic.