Topic: Fighting Sticks - doing it up arcade style

Question: Has anyone used a X-Gaming Arcade Joystick? I know a lot of fighting games (Smash Bros, TMNT Smash Up, TvC) support Gamecube controllers, which means I can use the Gamecube adapter with this joystick. A $129 price point (+$20 for the adapter) is a bit of an investment, but it appears that this stick really is top of the line. Anyone every play with one of these puppies? Can they vouch for it?

If you're going to pay 100$+ on a fightstick. Get a Mad Catz one..
. They come in many variations, but are basically considered among the best ones.

Good place to post this question! I own one and have for a little over a year. It's..well, top of the line considering what it is (the only stick of its class really, what with the adaptability without excessive tinkering).

My issues thus far - the actual joystick, while good in theory, is a bit fumbly in practice. The little levers that the joysticks run into when moved (and in turn, press the buttons that register directional movement) need to be set perfectly or you can run into direction sticking...and it's a very difficult issue to "prove" via photographic evidence to customer service...but to be fair, replacement sticks are like 20 bucks for a 2-pack I think, which is way less than most cost (even used). I also had the PS/2 connector (used as the "hub" of sorts when plugging in adaptors or the USB PC connector) fall apart after a few months of plugging/unplugging. However, don't let my first comment influence your perception of the CS personel too negatively, as they almost immediately shipped (at no charge) a replacement PS/2 connector that was really easy to swap out myself.

Also, that's another really nice draw. They're incredibly easy to modify if desired. You basically unscrew three screws on the back, then stick a butter knife (or something similarly flat/sturdy) in the side of the panel and remove the back piece of plywood (or whatever it is) and there you go. Everything's labeled, obvious, and logical. The online tutorials are also great help.

Keep in mind though--games that require 2 analog sticks cannot be played easily, and the joystick emulation (given that it processes like a d-pad--you're either pressing or you're not) is iffy since it's either all or nothing. This can be set, however, with a switch that allows you to change analog sensitivity from low to high (sorta like the GC stick is moved about halfway), but it's a bit cumbersome. You can also switch a joystick out for a C-stick (with a button-combo), but games that require you to use both are a bit out of the question. Still, the fact that you can play them at all is incredible. Don't think you can set the right stick of the first player controller to the second stick on the X-arcade--each side is player-specific.

It's great for PC use because you can have 3 programmable sets of keys, and it reads input like a USB keyboard. You can set anything you want to any stick direction or face button, allowing for games like Dragonica (freeware MMORPG for PC) to be played entirely with the X-Arcade controller (it's a blast--I'm on a lot). You can also play any PC game that uses keyboard input, and with stuff like Joy2Key, you can set the mouse buttons/axes to X-arc buttons too. The thing is really quite versatile.

The only thing that really keeps it from getting "perfect marks" in my book is the joystick issue...also the button layout can be a bit painful for long arcade-style play-sessions. Overall though, it makes VCA games (and Virt. Console of all types) amazing. We played through the entirety of secret of mana, 3 player, me and my roomate on X-arc and my buddy on classic...it was next to godliness!

Hope this was what you were looking for--if you have any questions let me know. I do alright at SF4 with it, but I kinda suck at SF4. I could be controlling it with a trackball and a footpedal and I'd probably have the same W/L ratio.

EDIT - that MadCatz stick is nice and equally customizable, but lacks any of the above-and-beyond connectivity that makes the X-Arc so unbelievably versatile. It's also not as big, but the buttons/layout is a lot better. Overall I think the value of the X-Arc is a lot higher, but that T.E. Hori-wannabe is a really, really nice stick. I own both, but X-Arc gets more use due to its versatility (I test my own homebrew games with it!)