Just saw the X-Arcade machine at Fry's (an informal review)

[1UP]

I just have to say once again that I think this is overpriced for what you get.  It really looks more like a store display than anything.  They have it running Soul Calibur 2 on an X-Box, and I really didn't get any impression that I was playing on a "real arcade machine" at all.  The only distinction between it and any old computer stand is when viewed from the side (the "cab-like" profile).  It does feel sturdier than a bookshelf, and probably would be cool for a kid to have in their room, but not at $999.

  Also, it seems that they use lower-grade parts inside the included X-arcade control panel, as the player 1 joystick was already busted, and the buttons are much noisier than regular Happ buttons.  They list some fairly cheap prices for replacement parts, which would seem to back me up on this.  The controller is made of a lighter, 1/4" hardboard or MDF or something similar.  The solo controller on display elsewhere in the store in particular seems way too light, and even with the six rubber feet on the bottom, it was sliding all over the place in fighters.

Admittedly I was on lunch break, so only had a few minutes to form an opinion, but my initial "hands-on" was not impressive.  Sorry X-Arcade!

Agree?  Disagree?  (And let's not turn this into a flame fest this time...   )

[tmasman]

I've got the X-Arcade sticks & buttons & the buttons are definately clickier than Happ's stuff, but I like the shape & look of them better... (The outer skirt is shaped differently)... Eh...

Otherwise I like the X-Arcade hardware... But I'm not at all impressed with the assembled control panels. (haven't seen the upright in person yet).

But, like you said, the CPs would be good for kids to have at home or something... Although my kids (when I have them) will just have a full arcade in the garage...  

[Chris Goodwin]

My X-Arcade is now working perfectly, after I received a shipment of microswitches from the company.  I am very happy with it.  

Yes, the buttons are clicky.  That might bother some people; it doesn't bother me.  

As for the cabinet, I've seen guys playing on it apparently having a great time.  I get the feeling they forget they're not playing a real arcade machine.  If I can use wine as an analogy, most of the people I've seen playing on the X-Arcade cabinet are happy with a cheap merlot or chardonnay, while the people on this site are all conoisseurs and winemakers.  The average poster here has higher standards than the guy standing around Fry's waiting his turn to play Soul Calibur 2.  I did see various games running on the one at Fry's here in Dallas; mostly fighting games but an occasional sports game or Pac-Man variety pack.

Edit:  Fixed what wasn't broke, then un-fixed it.

[Radical]

Is Fry's selling that machine?  Are there any other outlets that will carry it?

I want to take a look but I don't think there is a Fry's within 1000 miles of here.

[CitznFish]

Is Fry's selling that machine?  Are there any other outlets that will carry it?

I want to take a look but I don't think there is a Fry's within 1000 miles of here.

you're lucky. Fry's pisses me off whenever I go there.

[1UP]

If I can use wine as an analogy, most of the people I've seen playing on the X-Arcade cabinet are happy with a cheap merlot or chardonnay, while the people on this site are all conoisseurs and winemakers.  The average poster here has higher standards than the guy standing around Fry's waiting his turn to play Soul Calibur 2.

Except that their "cheap merlot" costs as much as our fine wines...  It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

[Brax]

It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

Ooo, what i wouldn't give for good wine in a juice box!!!! The wilderness park I camp at has a can and bottle ban!  

[1UP]

As for the cabinet, I've seen guys playing on it apparently having a great time.  I get the feeling they forget they're not playing a real arcade machine.  

I don't think they forgot, I saw guys having just as much fun playing the same game on a folding table before the X-arcades came in...

It's funny, I was talking to one of the salesmen there about how I built my own full upright cab for about what one of those X-Arcade units costs, and that I could probably build a 2-player controller for $50 and it floored him.  It didn't seem strange to him that the one player panel costs almost as much as the two player, with only half the hardware...  

BTW, does anyone else find the X-Arcade buttons too stiff?  My hands hurt after playing on their controls...

[CitznFish]

It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

Ooo, what i wouldn't give for good wine in a juice box!!!! The wilderness park I camp at has a can and bottle ban!  

they don't sell wine in boxes where you live?  

[Hoe]

It didn't seem strange to him that the one player panel costs almost as much as the two player, with only half the hardware...  

When you buy a single can, you often pay around 75cents for it. When you buy a 6 pack of cans, you pay less.

I use their joysticks and buttons and have been pleased. I would probly never buy one of their premade products. They all look pretty cheap. The buttons do have a louder click, but for 50cents with a switch, I'll get over it. I let a moron bash and wack away at the controls for about 2 hours one night, they still worked perfictly fine after that.

[Sasquatch!]

Except that their "cheap merlot" costs as much as our fine wines...  It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

And for this reason, the X-Arcade's best customer for this thing is going to be the ignorant customer.  I have to say it: the only people that I see buying this are people unaware of any alternatives.

[1UP]

When you buy a single can, you often pay around 75cents for it. When you buy a 6 pack of cans, you pay less.

That in no way applies here.  They don't buy their buttons in sets of 20 for a 2 player or 10 for a 1 player setup, they buy them in huge bulks and then use them for whatever.  I don't get the price break...

[Chris Goodwin]

Except that their "cheap merlot" costs as much as our fine wines...  It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

And for this reason, the X-Arcade's best customer for this thing is going to be the ignorant customer.  I have to say it: the only people that I see buying this are people unaware of any alternatives.

After coming here and asking around, I bought it.  I was aware of alternatives, most of which I couldn't take advantage of.  After a few initial hurdles, I'm quite happy with it.  

(Edit:  I bought the X-Arcade joystick, not the cabinet.)

[1UP]

After coming here and asking around, I bought it.  I was aware of alternatives, most of which I couldn't take advantage of.  After a few initial hurdles, I'm quite happy with it.  

Granted, with a little work (maybe the addition of a marquee, monitor bezel, and some kind of door or panel to cover the shelves) it could be made more arcade-like, but for about the same price, you can get a Slikstik machine that is already built like a real machine, AND you can get it shipped flat to build, just like the X-Arcade.  Actually, for a MUCH cheaper price, you can go to your local amusement supplier and get a jamma cab, AND rent a truck to drive it home!

I have to agree, most folks who would buy it are not familiar with what you can really get for that kind of money.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say about this subject, I don't want to rouse the moderators' wrath by ripping on it too hard...

[kspiff]

I was up at Fry's picking up some molex connectors and had the opportunity to play one of these as well.. only 1 thing to say: TV stand (with a modular joystick holder.. for a crappy joystick).

When I saw the flipper buttons, I about laughed ---my bottom--- off

[RedSquirrel]

i nearly bought an x arcade control panel at one point, but i am SOOO glad I made my own. Not only does it look better, its suited more to my cab-in-progress and doesnt feel cheap. Plus I learned alot about making cp's!

[Tiger-Heli]

When you buy a single can, you often pay around 75cents for it. When you buy a 6 pack of cans, you pay less.

That in no way applies here.  They don't buy their buttons in sets of 20 for a 2 player or 10 for a 1 player setup, they buy them in huge bulks and then use them for whatever.  I don't get the price break...

Basic business 101 - Of course that applies.  It costs the beverage company less to make six single cans than a six-pack or twelve-pack or case.  They don't have to make the plastic holder or the cardboard box, but the 12-pack with box is less than 12 individual cans.

X-arcade Solo is not half the price of the X-Arcade b/c then people would buy two Solo instead of one X-Arcade and the company would lose money.

Lesson 2 - Price is determined by what the market will pay for something, and what competitors are charging, not what it costs to produce.

A CD with Microsoft Windows XP costs maybe 5 cents to produce. M$soft gets between $100 and $180 for it.

A 79 cent soda at QuickTrip cost about 7 cents for the cup, about 3 cents for the ice, and about 1 cent for the actual soda.

Etc., Etc.

[davieboynj]

Personally, I'm a big fan of X-arcade's stuff.  For what you get and quality of build, they are a bargain.  more importantly, it's something that's out there in the general populus that pushes something we love and fuels these boards with people. 
I personally wouldn't be in the hobby if i never found the x-arcade on a console gaming site.  I now have built 2 cabinets from scratch and restored 2 old arcade games. 
I agree with the wine comparison, hopefully we're above becoming arcade snobs.

[NiteWalker]

Honestly I tried the x-arcade solo and didn't like the feel of the buttons or stick. Plus, the pcb went haywire about a year after owning it. Also I hated the button layout. All in all, an ok stick that should be priced at no more than $50.
Later on I learned to build my own...
Happs parts for me from now on!

[BenderTheGreat]

It's more like buying wine in juice box, but paying premium prices!  

Ooo, what i wouldn't give for good wine in a juice box!!!! The wilderness park I camp at has a can and bottle ban!  

You just made my day! 

[Jazzbo]

I bought a big batch of parts from X-Arcade when first getting started... the sticks are OK at best but the buttons are fine, if noisy.

However, I've found since then that my very best buttons are the mix-and-match ones... I did it just for the colors, but found that the action on a button with Happ button and X-Arcade skirt is really happenin'.  Now I'm gonna order a bunch of Happ buttons and do them all that way.

[severdhed]

x-arcade is not top of the line, but it is a nice gateway product, something that can pull people in.  I had wanted an arcade cabinet since i was about 12..i remember that my TV used to sit on top of my clothes dresser, so i would pull out the top drawer, put a board across it, and set my two SNES joysticks on it and play mortal kombat 2 for hours that way.  Years went by, and i still was trying to get that arcade feel, but just didnt know how to do it.  Then a few years ago, i saw a review for the x-arcade 2player stick on ign.  I ordered one right away with all of the console adaptors.  when i got it, i used it alot to play soul calibur 2, as well as many other fighting games.  but i found that the button layout and spacing left alot to be desired when  a second person was using it....  time went by and it got used less and less, eventually packed away in the attic with the turbografx, jaguar and other gaming stuff i never use anymore.  then one day i saw an add for it again and i got to thinking, i have the room now, and i have an extra pc sitting around...i could build an arcade machine.  i set the monitor on top of the bar in the basement, pc on the floor, and used an old a/v rack to set the x-arcade on.  it was awesome for a while, but i just wanted more.  eventually, i bought a junk cabinet for $20, an lcd monitor and a few misc parts, and after quite a few revisions, ended up with a functional arcade cabinet.  i gutted the x-arcade and made my own control panel, which got rid of the spacing and layout issues and now i couldnt be happier with it.  the best part is the fact that you can have 4 different layouts that you can easily switch between by flipping that switch..... that or the fact that it easily connects to consoles so i had no problem integrating a dreamcast in my cabinet as well.

my point is, while the x-arcade may not be desirable for verteran arcade builders, the product they make works well, isnt too expensive, and is easy for people to use.  It bridges the gap.  It opens a new door for people who would have never considered owning their own arcade machine before.  Sure, if i ever build another cabinet, i'll probably not use an x-arcade, but it really helped me get my first cabinet started.

http://www.severdhed.com

only a few pics right now...just major turning points...i'll soon be making a proper web page with many more pics of the process....i've been looking for a reason to learn how to use dreamweaver...now i have one.

[jubeininja69]

don't like x-arcade

[johnperkins21]

don't like x-arcade

Thank you for that informative, well-versed review. Really clears up most of the questions I had about the quality of build and service provided by x-arcade. I really enjoyed the amount of detail provided in exactly how you used the product, and the particular nuances that formed your opinion.

I certainly hope to read more reviews from you in the near future. 

[tranq]

And people say I'm stuffy.  At least that person didn't go on an on about it, they just expressed their opinion, briefly.

Adding my own experience, here:

I felt the unit was fine for what it was supposed to do.  The controllers worked fine, though the throw was long (far too long for me).  Like expressed in the Retroblast review, I thought the buttons were the same noise level as HAPP, just higher-pitched.  (...and perhaps a slight larger diametre, it seemed... Anyways, I actually liked the actuation of these better than HAPP buttons, cos though they had similar travel, they actuated at the bottom of the stroke.)  The overal design was definitely not arcade level quality, but very sturdy, and I REALLY liked the finish (powder coat, perhaps).  The bolts through the panel marred this, though.

Technically, the only problem is not having a true 4-way (or 4-way assumable) stick.  (Or 4-way assumable - like the P360, as it has no switch feedback.  Supplemental: however, in this latter case, since diagonals feel the same as standard directions, it's really an issue of MAME that you can't properly set the controls so that you can use the same stick for 4 and 8-way use.)

[CheffoJeffo]

And people say I'm stuffy.

That's not what they're saying ...

[tranq]

Oh, maybe it's that I'm full of stuffing.  Ssssssss.............

[NickG]

Yum!  stuffing! 

[FrizzleFried]

...oh you're full of something alright!

 

[Fluffy the Bear]

Just got my second X-Arcade controller - Tankstick this time vs the Dual last time
After paying for the buttons and joysticks $45 on E-bay for Happ, an encoder for 2 players $40-$50 plus shipping unless you'd like to attempt a limited keyboard hack, wire connectors and slicing and dicing wires all night, not to mention the actual controller case to build and attempt to make it not look half-assed at minimal cost. $130 doesn't sound too bad for a plug and play unit add $70 for the trackball vs all the expensive trackball options on this site and it's not a bad deal.
I've got no Fry's around here so I have no idea what this cabinet looks like, but let's not ---smurfette--- about the controls unless we've compared them, which I've done with flawless results.
Now, someone say's they can get a Slikstik cab for the same price? check again please.

[btp2k2]

x-arcade is not top of the line, but it is a nice gateway product, something that can pull people in. 

Yeah, I'll agree with that....that's how I started....I bought an X-Arcade two player unit and played the hell out of Joust on my desk....I ended up buying the Dreamcast adapter also...gotta get my SF3 Third Strike fix!

After about 6 months, I took it apart, canablized the parts for a midget size cab for my kids. Works great for my 6 year olds Pac Man Fever....and served my needs well, until I found that great mecca called Happs and Ultimarc.

Fluffy, Slikstik is showing a price of $1,609.95 (http://www.slikstik.com/detail.aspx?ID=134)

while X-Arcade is listing a price of $2,995
(http://www.x-arcade.com/htm/cabinet.shtml)

Now, forgive me if I am wrong....isn't the Slikstik cheaper?

[bamarquez226]

x-arcade is not top of the line, but it is a nice gateway product, something that can pull people in. 

Yeah, I'll agree with that....that's how I started....I bought an X-Arcade two player unit and played the hell out of Joust on my desk....I ended up buying the Dreamcast adapter also...gotta get my SF3 Third Strike fix!

After about 6 months, I took it apart, canablized the parts for a midget size cab for my kids. Works great for my 6 year olds Pac Man Fever....and served my needs well, until I found that great mecca called Happs and Ultimarc.

Fluffy, Slikstik is showing a price of $1,609.95 (http://www.slikstik.com/detail.aspx?ID=134)

while X-Arcade is listing a price of $2,995
(http://www.x-arcade.com/htm/cabinet.shtml)

Now, forgive me if I am wrong....isn't the Slikstik cheaper?

And to boot, Slikstick uses HAPP components, and IPAC as the interface. 

[pcdoctor]

3K for an xarcade standup, I don't think so.

[fuadramsey]

I've seen something like this at Costco. It was an upright cab. I think it was going for around 1,500. It did not have that many games on it though.

[ARTIFACT]

I've seen something like this at Costco. It was an upright cab. I think it was going for around 1,500. It did not have that many games on it though.

That one is called ARCADE LEGENDS 2 and it had ~40 games when I saw it at Costco... includes Final Fight, Street Fighter 2, etc... I liked the menu though! ... scrolling marquees, all nice and clean looking (no stretching). Not that bad of a price considering some people sell similar arcades for ~3K or more.

[ARTIFACT]

adding link + image to the ARCADE LEGENDS 2 cabinet (costco carries it sometimes)

http://www.chicago-gaming.com/alegends.php





When I saw it, the price was $1,499... Sure it's a lot more money than f you cut your own wood (Etc) but it seemed like a great product to me, for folks who don't want to build one themselves. A lot cheaper than many

[gbeef]

I bought an Xarcade control panel it didnt even work outta of the box. I contact X-arcade to get a replacement... (they were pretty good about sending an new cable excellent customer service)... In the end i sold my X-arcade because i wanted the real deal.

[jpenguin]

It's funny, I was talking to one of the salesmen there about how I built my own full upright cab for about what one of those X-Arcade units costs, and that I could probably build a 2-player controller for $50 and it floored him.  It didn't seem strange to him that the one player panel costs almost as much as the two player, with only half the hardware...  

How?  My 2player CP is going to cost round $175 USD.  I choose high quality control (iPac, Happ buttons, JStick, MagStick Plus, Ultralux...)

[retrometro]

When I saw it, the price was $1,499... Sure it's a lot more money than f you cut your own wood (Etc) but it seemed like a great product to me, for folks who don't want to build one themselves. A lot cheaper than many

These things look alright but the problem is that they're really short and the display is tiny.  you're much better off buying a used cab someone built or even a used x-arcade, quasicade, slik stik, etc. 

[dreamakuma]

I like the X-arcade. Being new to arcade controls it had the features I wanted and very user friendly. At the price the warranty is great. My player 1 joystick broke and was replaced for free and that is just what I like to have. Worrie-free. The product isn't as good as happs(or so I've heard) but the warranty made up for it. Great for newbies like me.