Cheapskate Arcade Sticks - Opinions

dake360

Hey Guys.

What?
I'm in the market for some "economical" arcade sticks.

Why?
I have and play fighting games a lot on my PS2 and PC and i want to try my hand at using an arcade stick.
The Issue is I can't afford a stick for each and if i happen to like arcade stick for one i don't want to limit my stick usage to just that one platform.
TEs are out of the question because i don't have a PS3 or 360 and i don't necessarily like the idea of having to buy a new stick if i get one.
So i quickly skimmed the net for some cost effective sticks and i came across these.

1. Self Proclaimed Professional fighting Stick

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Fighting-Stick-Arcade-Japan-Style-6-Buttons-PC-PS2-/320664046859?pt=AU_Video_Game_Accessories&hash=item4aa9110d0b#ht_3467wt_952

2. C-C-C-KO Fighting Stick



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Fighting-Stick-K-PS3-PS2-PC-Street-Fighter-/280700468917?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item415b0d3eb5#ht_2147wt_1185

3. Universal USB Arcade Stick


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Fighting-Stick-USB-Universal-NEW-PS2-PS3-PC-/160665172111?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item256863f88f#ht_6712wt_1185

The Bottom Line
I know that from a noob's point of view these look like a bargain, so I want opinions on them or at least these types of sticks.
Did anybody ever come across these potential monstrosities or have you had any bad experiences related to a cheap stick?

~ Dake360

rtdzign

Those choices. All. Ass.

For a PS2 stick get a namco.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-great-condition-PS1-PS2-NAMCO-arcade-stick-fight-stick-joystick-all-stock-/230688323105?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b6187621


Or at the very least a tekken 5. With drill and soldering iron and solder suck pump, and wire it is possible to Sanwa Upgrade, if it breaks.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tekken-5-Ultimate-Collectors-Edition-Hori-arcade-fighting-stick-Playstation-2-/250901028688?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item3a6adddf50#ht_500wt_1114

dake360

Figures.

Hmm. I completely forgot about converters...

If nothing else i think i'll go with the namco.

Are there converters for the pc?

Kyle

Namco+Inpin will get you PS2 PS3 and PC. You can also hang out with the cool kids in the Namco club.

pzlate

Feels good being apart of the Namco cool kids club. Only cost me 12 dollars to join.

dake360

A good stick, a universal converter AND entrance to an exclusive club.

Oh boy. Namco it is.

THANKS EVERYONE.

True Grave

dake360, post: 6076751 wrote:

A good stick, a universal converter AND entrance to an exclusive club.

Oh boy. Namco it is.

THANKS EVERYONE.

The Namco stick is known in the community for being good, so the demand has caused the price to soar somewhat.

You could try the Mayflash stick instead:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Fighting-Stick-USB-Universal-NEW-PS2-PS3-PC-/160665172111?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item256863f88f

http://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-Universal-PS3-Arcade-Fighting-Stick/dp/B0021Z7154

^^ Its works well with PC, PS2, and PS3 out of the box, and costs about $40. It can also be modded at a later date with real arcade quality parts.

dake360

That's one of the sticks i posted. I'm conflicted again.

Do you or do you know someone who has or used that stick?
I haven't found any reviews for it.

EDIT: Found

RosserRooster

dake360, post: 6077311 wrote:

That's one of the sticks posted. I'm conflicted again.

Do you or do you know someone who has or used that stick?
I haven't found any reviews for it.

The mayflash is fine as long as you replace the buttons and the joystick because they are utter garbage

dake360

Yea, i saw that in the reviews.

Great...I'll just learn how to mod then.

or

Is there such a thing as a backwards compatibility converter? (eg.ps3 stick working on ps2)

RosserRooster

no there are not any adapters like that

also its not a hard mod really

dake360

Any recommendations for stick parts?

RosserRooster

dake360, post: 6077540 wrote:

Any recommendations for stick parts?

sanwa www.focusattack.com

dake360

Thanks Man.

Kyle

Counterpoint: Mayflash is not a simple mod. Stick to the Namco.

dake360

Namco

-used, old stick (may only have some much years or months left in it)
-good to begin with
-with inpin it's everything i need
-total cost over $100 (including shipping)

Mayflash

-New
-crap parts
-cheap at first
-with new parts its everything i need (have to learn how to mod properly)
-total cost over $100 (including shipping)

pzlate

Namco can be had for cheaper if you're patient and wait for an auction to come up.

d3v

Whatever base I used for TwinTail.
http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/project-twintail-d3vlicious-s-grade-playtech-pro-arcade-stick-mod.138547/

RosserRooster

dake360, post: 6077935 wrote:

Namco

-used, old stick (may only have some much years or months left in it)
-good to begin with
-with inpin it's everything i need
-total cost over $100 (including shipping)

Mayflash

-New
-crap parts
-cheap at first
-with new parts its everything i need (have to learn how to mod properly)
-total cost over $100 (including shipping)

pm'd

Missing Person

pzlate, post: 6076631 wrote:

Feels good being apart of the Namco cool kids club. Only cost me 12 dollars to join.

Now you're just rubbing it in my nose.

Darksakul

Rule of thumb, for the MSRP be vary of sub $54 dollar arcade sticks. There are exceptions to the rules like the TvC dropping in price not long ago.

Of course you might find deals on eBay, craigs list or SRK's Trading post. Those Stick that Fall on the $54 dollar amount are in a grey area, Mayflash for example isn't worth the price unless your willing to spend more to modify it.

dake360

Noted.

Chad

For a first stick I think it's worth it to pay slightly more and not have to mod. Modding sticks becomes a hobby in and of itself, and if you don't have any tools the little things here and there that you'll need can add up quickly.

Either get the Namco+converter or keep your eyes peeled for a PS2 HRAP and get one of these:

http://etokki.com/Xtokki360

You may not want 360 now, but it'll work on PC.

pzlate

Man before Super came out a lot of sticks were going for dirt cheap. Stick prices easily jumped 30% retail.

RosserRooster

pzlate, post: 6079258 wrote:

Man before Super came out a lot of sticks were going for dirt cheap. Stick prices easily jumped 30% retail.

stick prices fluctuate a lot but when the fighting game bubble bursts the market will be flooded with sticks who knows how long that will be from now there are lots of goodies coming for a while. But back in the day before SFIV was announced you could get some good deals on stuff but there were also a lot less options on retail and customs sticks

dake360

I'm not in a rush to get one so waiting until prices drop is an option i'm ok with.

Chad, post: 6078993 wrote:

For a first stick I think it's worth it to pay slightly more and not have to mod. Modding sticks becomes a hobby in and of itself, and if you don't have any tools the little things here and there that you'll need can add up quickly.

Either get the Namco+converter or keep your eyes peeled for a PS2 HRAP and get one of these:

http://etokki.com/Xtokki360

You may not want 360 now, but it'll work on PC.

Noted

Kyle, post: 6076596 wrote:

Namco+Inpin will get you PS2 PS3 and PC. You can also hang out with the cool kids in the Namco club.

Where did you buy your Inpin?

pzlate

eTokki has them as well.

http://etokki.com/Playstation2/iNPiN-PS2-to-PS3-Converter

spenzalii

Honestly you're almost better off getting a HRAP, SE or BrawlStick if you can find them at a decent price. The parts are better quality than the Mayflash or any of the other sticks originally posted, and can be modified relatively easily. The Namco would be fantastic, but as mentioned earlier they have been out of production for a while and you'll need some patience to find one at a decent price in auction. Not impossible, but not the quickest thing either.

Starting out with a cheap knockoff stick is going to cost you in the long run, no matter how you look at it. Either your execution will be off trying to compensate for the low quality parts or you will spend more money and time modifying them to a decent spec than if you bought one from a more established manufacturer in the first place. Some things just aren't worth going the super low budget way. This is one of them.

dake360

Ok, thanks for the help & advice everyone.