Calling the FGC...What's a good fight/arcade stick to get?

hiccupleftovers

hiccupleftovers

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So I've finally put enough scratch on the side to put a down payment/purchase a decent if not top quality arcade stick. My only problem at the moment is really deciding on which one to get. Up until this point, I've mostly been working off of the Tekken 6 wireless stick that I was able to get for cheap as part of the bundle for like $60 or so some years ago. I've done a lot of reading around, but I'm kind of stuck on 2/3 different models:

Qanba Q4 Q4RAF

http://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Q4-Q4RAF-Black-Fightstick/dp/B007SGGLZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374710711&sr=8-1&keywords=qanba+q4

Mad Catz® Arcade FightStick™ Versus Series SH for Xbox 360

http://store.gameshark.com/viewItem.asp?idProduct=5810&idCategory=274

Mad Catz Arcade FightStick™ PRO for Xbox 360

http://store.gameshark.com/viewItem.asp?idProduct=5792&idCategory=274

Now I am not pro/tourney level to truly need such a stick, not but my old stick feels like it's starting to fall apart and back when there actually were arcades, I was actually top notch and pretty good (could have probably played in some Soul Calibur 2 tournaments at the very least, if not some SF3). In general, I hope to get more practice/more out of my fighting games and just improve.

The reason I was looking at the Qanba is because it seems like a decent price for a stick with sanwa parts and with great reviews from what I can tell. I also like the fact that it is already dual/tri-modded and would take that expense out for me when buying one of the other sticks. The fact that I would only need to store one stick instead of two is also a bonus, since I don't have too much space at the moment. The silent stick sounds kind of cool and would definitely be beneficial for when I play late when people are sleeping. I could always go for the last stick and try to find someone to mod it for me, or just buy two of the last stick - one for each system. Perhaps MarkMan or someone else that might have some knowledge on these sticks might be able to chime in their thoughts on what they would get. Really not sure, but would like to try to make an as informed decision as possible for what seems like a large/expensive purchase. Like I said, I'm leaning towards the Qanba unless someone can dissuade me otherwise or can recommend a different stick entirely.

 
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I like my Q4RAF. If the dual mod will ever be useful to you at all (you own multiple systems, for instance), definitely go for one. (There are some reports that they're prone to malfunctioning, but it's not some kind of widespread issue if it's the case. I certainly haven't had problems with mine in the 15 months I've been using it.)

I wouldn't pay the surplus for the silent stick. If need be, you can always swap in a set of silent buttons - it's a pretty trivial procedure once you do it once or twice, and there's no risk of damaging your stick or your parts unless you're careless with it. You can get them from various places in various colors, including Focus Attack. (Regular price is $3.45 + shipping, although they offer 10% promo codes during tournaments somewhat regularly.) A silent stick is going to be kind of expensive, though.

 
I've been with Madcatz since 2009 but I have the Femme Fatale version stick on 360. Not messed with any new stuff but I would say just go with the Pro series. If you wait until there's a big fighting game tournament they'll put the sticks on sale that weekend. The VS series was mainly designed to have the capability to combine two sticks into one unit.

 
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Qanba seems fine, especially if it's dual modded and you plan on playing on both systems.

A lot of the differences in the high end sticks are very minor, and a lot of those differences are mainly for tournament players. And I don't mean that like "Oh you're not good enough to notice the differences" but more like, the ease of transportation and so on and so forth, just small features that make it easier to move it around and take it with you.

One difference is the feel. I play with the stick on my lap, so I like having a wide and heavy base so that it doesn't move, and that's purely preference.

I wouldn't view quiet buttons as a necessity, but if you like them, go for it.

Since generally all high end sticks use Sanwa/Seimitsu, it's really the small things that separate the sticks at the top, and if you're like me, then it really doesn't matter. The dual mod is probably the only big feature.

 
kainzero said:
Qanba seems fine, especially if it's dual modded and you plan on playing on both systems.

A lot of the differences in the high end sticks are very minor, and a lot of those differences are mainly for tournament players. And I don't mean that like "Oh you're not good enough to notice the differences" but more like, the ease of transportation and so on and so forth, just small features that make it easier to move it around and take it with you.

One difference is the feel. I play with the stick on my lap, so I like having a wide and heavy base so that it doesn't move, and that's purely preference.

I wouldn't view quiet buttons as a necessity, but if you like them, go for it.

Since generally all high end sticks use Sanwa/Seimitsu, it's really the small things that separate the sticks at the top, and if you're like me, then it really doesn't matter. The dual mod is probably the only big feature.
Click to expand...
kainzero said:
Qanba seems fine, especially if it's dual modded and you plan on playing on both systems.

A lot of the differences in the high end sticks are very minor, and a lot of those differences are mainly for tournament players. And I don't mean that like "Oh you're not good enough to notice the differences" but more like, the ease of transportation and so on and so forth, just small features that make it easier to move it around and take it with you.

One difference is the feel. I play with the stick on my lap, so I like having a wide and heavy base so that it doesn't move, and that's purely preference.

I wouldn't view quiet buttons as a necessity, but if you like them, go for it.

Since generally all high end sticks use Sanwa/Seimitsu, it's really the small things that separate the sticks at the top, and if you're like me, then it really doesn't matter. The dual mod is probably the only big feature.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. Just curious, what fightstick(s) are you guys using? Other than Lemstar (thanks by the way), anybody else have any experience witht he Qanba? I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one through Amazon since I have a ton of Bing rewards points saved up that I'll convert to amazon gift cards.

 
There are a couple of those quality of life things about the Q4 that I didn't mention:

-The bottom has felt on it. Not only is it less slippery, but it also won't be cold if you play in your boxers.

-It has a handle on the top.

With that being said, the SC5 TEs are on sale again this week if you want something cheaper, although that deal isn't anywhere near as good as $70 shipped on Amazon on a couple of occasions.

 
For me, on 360 I use both a Round 1 TE and a TE S. I have an HRAP-SE as well but I tend to use it only on PC for random arcade games, if only because I don't like remembering the different button layouts. The R1 TE was also my go-to when I played Tetris Grandmaster Series because it was easy to switch to four-way.

On PS3 I have a red SFxT Fightstick Pro that I got just in case I need a PS3 stick. Generally I prefer the R1 TE and TE S though, because I'm more used to their width and weight.

 
One last final bump from me for this thread just to see anyone else wants to chime in. Otherwise, going to go ahead with a rather large purchase/order from Amazon on a Q4. All reviews make it sound just as good as the Madcatz TE sticks, but with the added benefit of PS3 and PC compatibility (perhaps some ahem roms... ;) )

 
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