The X-Arcade arcade controllers thread

Tech Talk
1

Everything you need to know about the X-Arcade arcade controller from someone who does not and will not own one…
But I have the displeasure of using one of these “sticks” as well as spend time working on a few.

First off here are my reference links (Do not reply to them, I will Grief you/flame you, put any replies or comments you would have on this thread).

[details=Spoiler]X-Arcade Official site

Tech Talk Threads - Google Search site:shoryuken.com x-arcade
[HOW BAD IS A X-ARCADE TANKSTICK? / CUSTOM STICK QUESTIONS](How Bad is a X-Arcade Tankstick? / Custom Stick Questions
[X-ARCADE LINE OF ARCADE STICKS](X-arcade line of arcade sticks
[X-ARCADE STICKS. ANYONE HERE HAS ONE?](X-arcade sticks. Anyone here has one?
[WHAT ABOUT THE X-ARCADE?](What about the x-arcade?
[HAPP COMPETITION JOYSTICK IN X ARCADE SOLO STICK NOT EFFICIENT](Happ Competition Joystick in X arcade Solo Stick not efficient
[HELP WITH X-ARCADE MOD](Help with X-arcade mod
[X-ARCADE AND MOD QUESTION](X-Arcade and Mod question
[X-ARCADE JOYSTICKS](X-Arcade Joysticks
[X-ARCADE ARCADE JOYSTICK? GOOD OR BAD?](X-Arcade Arcade Joystick? Good or Bad?
[X-ARCADE MODS](X-arcade Mods
[X-ARCADE WOES (LOL)](X-arcade woes (lol)
[FUN WITH X-ARCADE (SANWA)](Fun with X-Arcade (Sanwa)
[REPLACING AN X-ARCADE JOYSTICK](Replacing an X-Arcade Joystick

Outside Links - Google Search x-arcade modification, x-arcade mods
http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/ArcadeParts_pliki/modXADen.htm
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=92230.0
http://www.arcadecab.com/Projects/Cab_Mods_for_X-arcade`s_TankStick.html
http://www.xgaming.com/service/joy-support.shtml


http://www.crackteam.org/2009/03/04/street-fighter-iv-fight-sticks-and-x-arcade-modding/[/details]

So here are the 3 Models of X-arcade controller currently on the market.

http://www.xgaming.com/content/store/products/135/4/156.jpg

The Tank Stick

http://www.xgaming.com/content/store/products/1/4/464.jpg

The Dual Stick

http://www.xgaming.com/content/store/products/132/4/521.jpg

And the Solo (as you has no friends)

And here is my entry of the above in the What stick to buy thread?

Yes first thing you notice is X-arcade uses cheap knock off parts that sadly installing Happ Parts would be an upgrade. Considering the current Quality of Happ parts, this is really bad for X-arcade.
Here is a video done by Lord Karnage of Classic Game Room Review and Instillation video of the X-Arcade Tank Stick.


Even in his first play though Lord Karnage has issues

Lord Karnage said himself he isn’t technically or mechanically inclined, so you know even a complete noob should be able to do this kind of mod.
The buttons, well they are easier and more straight forwards then the joystick.

Yes he used a Happ Competition Joystick, Lizard Lick is no more so I suggest taking you business to Paradise Arcade Shop
The Joystick I most recommend would be IL EUROSTICK for the X-arcade, good alternatives would include the Sanwa JLW and the Ultimarc Mag stick.

Here is another mod video of the X-arcade stick by alexlexus

Tools needed to Upgrade your X-arcade stick to real Arcade parts.

Phillips Screw Driver
A Flat head screw Driver.
Needle nose Pliers
Wrench or pliers for the nuts holding the joystick in place.
a Dremel or other rotary tool
Griding bits for your rotary tool.
Pencil and paper for taking notes (such as what wires go where)
Optional - Digital camera. to take a picture of the wiring before disassembly and to perhaps document your work for Show-N-Tell here on Tech Talk.

So how bout the PCB? Are the X-arcade Adapters worth it?
No, No and NO!

Honestly the worst part of the X-arcade controllers are the crappy Electronics inside.
a Toodles Multi Console Cthulhu would fit the bill much better for the Solo (and 2 of them for the Dual, one for each player)

Now the Tank Stick? I don’t know how you are going to wire the Track ball.
Perhaps gut a mouse/track ball for parts?

2

Thanks you for this thread.

Hopefully, anyone wondering why there is a bias against X-Arcade in these boards won’t be confused as to why anymore.

3

Even the honest non-bias Classic Game Room Review of the X-arcade tank Stick pointed out some huge and glaring issues with the controller.

http://missileheard.com/eckychapwp/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/x-arcade1.jpg

Even as a base for future mods, I can’t recommend the X-arcade stick.
Just look at that layout. What is even up with those two lower buttons.

And why the Player 1 and Player 2 buttons off center?

Yeah there button hole plugs, but I find plugs a pimple on a stick design.
And anything else would be so involved (like a plexy overplay) you are almost better off looking else where.

http://www.talkxbox.com/hardware/plestick.jpg

If you are looking just for a nice case, I recommend the Pelican Real Arcade/Universal arcade stick
There are a few variations exist, including sticks for various systems (some are multi system sticks) few include a possible Home button for mods, some lack this extra button hole.
Obviously the 3rd menu button is the Mode button for the multi-system version of the stick.

Pelican Real Arcade Reviews

[details=Spoiler]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9KfgmZlfiA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik1PSIph5iU[/details]

Also I felt very dirty after writing this thread first post.
I burned my clothing and took a long hot shower as I quietly sob.

Skip to 0:50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LjwM3B688&feature=youtu.be&t

My hands still will not come clean, and I ran out of bleach for my eyes.

4

it doesnt have to suck… my east/west tankstick… only thing that’s stock is the case and the start buttons… love this thing now

*edit… lol my such a noob post is in your reference links… wow… come a LONG way since then… my first padhack!

5

A few years ago I had the Solo… and for someone who was raised playing with IL sticks in all the arcades in my town… well, it wasn’t that bad… but I only have it for two days, one friend wants it and I end up selling it to him.

He still has it and uses it with emulators and some Steam games, but yeah, the knock off parts was the biggest disappointment for me and the main reason I get rid of it.

6

8 fucking years ago man, where is my wise???

LOL I am dumb. Hours.

7

wtf lukas? why the youtube time links no work here? I was wondering why you said to go to .50 and then I messed with it… ugh

8

man i tried the link with the time marks, it would not work.

Glad to see someone did this thing justice.

For the n00bling I don’t recommend the X-arcade stick, specially the spoiled, rude, “needed-to-be-held-by-the-hand” types we been getting lately.

9

I nearly got an X-Arcade stick, then I came here and found out all about them. Glad I did.

Remember kids, knowing is half the battle.

10

I considered an x arcade myself years ago, might have jumped had the price been lower. Very glad I didn’t.

11

A 37-year-old dad wants to build an arcade cabinet for to spruce up the mini-bar/man cave area of the house, maybe even something for the kids. He then gets an old dynamo cabinet from cragislist at a reasonable price. It needed work, luckily he is quite handy with tools and construction. He completely restores the cabinet, more-so, improves it, repaints, re-did the T-molding, undid the faded vinyl and added clean black matte for that polished look. everything looks great. He even got a pretty good tri-sync monitor for it, and redid all the electronics in it. He will be running MAME, even though it involves, a Hyperspin setup, but all-in-all that’s just for convenience and overall variety, it’s nice to have a cabinet with everything in it. Sadly he took a wrong turn, decided that the old control panel could not handle all versatility needed to control all sorts of MAME games. So he researched, and the first thing he saw online was an X-Arcade stick.

killing the dream, one dad at a time.

12

Don’t get me wrong its [The X-arcade controllers] not completely bad, if you are willing to gut the whole stick and rewire it.

There are much, much harder sticks to mod. Pretty much every sub $50 cheap knock off Asian style arcade stick (like the Mayflash arcade stick) on the market is harder to mod over the X-arcade stick.

13

I’ve seen the Tank Stick layout (including trackball bur minus the right buttons on the very bottom row because of Neo-Geo) in various MAME cabinet builds. Now obviously those builds use IL or Suzo Happ parts so yeah.

14

I want to offer a different opinion here, because I think a lot of people are a bit bent up on nostalgia. I have tried the old version of the Tank Stick, and while it definitely had problems, I don’t think it’s that bad. The stick felt really nice, and I was able to hit Hadokens and Shoryukens quite easily with it. It’s not as if Happ/IL parts are all that great. Doesn’t anyone remember that one arcade machine where nobody wanted to be player one because a direction on the stick didn’t work right? I’m seriously interested in whether X-Arcade’s newer versions are better.

15

Put a jlw um and some comp buttons in it and it’s golden.

16

The major problem with the damn things is the button layout. Why they have those 2 extra buttons below the 6 button layout is beyond me. That was just one of the dumbest design choices I’ve ever seen.

Other than that, I like the trackball idea, but these are all good ideas executed poorly. The case build quality doesn’t seem bad though, and if it wasn’t for the dumb ass control panel layout, it might be worth looking into. I almost considered one of these at a point myself, but the bozo design choices told me no, don’t do it.

17

Honestly, just ONE of the lower buttons (the left one) makes some sense; it’s in a good location for MK3’s Run-button, or using the lower row for an SNK-style arc.
The right lower button, on the other hand, is just retarded.

18

Yeah, that I can see.

19

I’m sorry, but in hibachifinal’s example, if you’re that good around power tools, and you opt for replacing the panel for an X-Arcade when you could’ve redone the panel to your specs, then you deserve the Arcade Cabinet Police to come and confiscate your cabinet from you and give it to a good home.

20

Still does not address the lag that these things have.