is the hotrod a good joystick box to use?

[william1983]

i might be getting one since the price dropped on them

now i wanna hear some input on the box before i buy it..

i know what it looks like but can i change the button layout for it in MAME32??

does a hotrod controller feel good in an arcade cab?? i might be getting another cabinet just for mame or i can build my own since i got the measurements for the one next to me!!!

[paigeoliver]

No premade controller looks good in a cabinet. They don't fit. It looks about as good as if you took the hood off your car, and then went and got the hood to some other (totally different) car and rigged it on there.

Other than that, standard Happs parts, and the box is supposed to be solid.

Overall I don't really like the Happs/iL joysticks very much, but plenty of people here do (although a lot of them have never used anything else).

[Jakobud]

Take a look at the recent Retroblast review

www.retroblast.com

They review/compare/contrast the SlikStick, X-Arcade, and Hotrod....

[Nailz]

I was happy with my Hot Rod.....  until I found this site and realized I could build my own and have it be twice as good for less.

Overall it was decent, but if you're going to build a cab, take that one last step and build your own CP as well, you won't be sorry.

[eightbit]

Mame can also be configured for different inputs if thats all your playing. I don't remember the details on how configurable the hot rod is.

The hotrod can look really good on a cab if the cab is designed to fit it.

My opinion is that it depends if you want to build your cab to fit it or if your working with a existing cab. Its really easy to build your own cp, you can build it for less with better parts. Depends on what you want and what your skill level, time constraints, and budget is. Also if you build your own you can totally customize it which is a blessing for some and  curse for others. At least with the hotrod you have a standard layout that works.
 

[jerryjanis]

I love my HotRod, but the thought of putting it in my cab never even crossed my mind because from pictures I've seen it doesn't look very good.  I dunno, I think the Hanaho ArcadePC looks like a GIGANTIC HotRod, and not anything like an arcade cabinet.

Anyway, I paid $189.00, and I still consider it a bargain for the amount of joy that it has brought me.  It was also the perfect reference to use when I started building my own stuff.

As a portable standalone controller for Mame, the HotRod is absolutely wonderful.  It's solid.  It's made with quality parts.

One flaw with it is that it's not programmable.  You can't purchase 2 of them and use them side by side because they're not programmable like a homemade controller or the XArcade.

The other great thing about the XArcade (aka the bad thing about the Hot Rod) is that it can be adapted to consoles.

However, the XArcade uses lower quality joysticks and costs more (these days).

The bottom line for me is that the HotRod has all the features I wanted - no more, no less, so it was perfect.  Depends on what your needs are.

[william1983]

thanks jerry for the input.

but if anyone has checked how much it cost to build your own controls.

its the same if not MORE to build your own controls.

but how does the hotrod feel when 2 players are playing side by side???

i know on this street fighter cabinet the controls are space WAY to far apart.

i mean when player one presses fierce punch i hits my second joysticks??

will it be the same if i buy a hotrod??

[Minwah]

thanks jerry for the input.

but if anyone has checked how much it cost to build your own controls.

its the same if not MORE to build your own controls.

but how does the hotrod feel when 2 players are playing side by side???

i know on this street fighter cabinet the controls are space WAY to far apart.

i mean when player one presses fierce punch i hits my second joysticks??

will it be the same if i buy a hotrod??

Surely your controls are too close together then?

I have a HotRod too, and I think it's great.  Yes the downside is that you can't remap the keys, but it's for MAME so who cares.  I agree with people who don't like the Super sticks for 4-way games, the diagonals are too easily hit.  But that's an issue with the sticks themselves, and if you're that into 4-way games you wouldn't get a HotRod anyway.

I installed an Oscar spinner in mine, and also added some extra buttons (check out how I did it at http://mamewah.mameworld.net/controls.html).

I don't play many two player games with it, but IMO the spacing is fine.  As long as you have somewhere big enough to put the HotRod and sit/stand comfortably and can stop it sliding around (some rubber feet would have helped).

I think it is now $99, for that price it's a steal, but if you are building a cab I can't help recommend build your own.  I'm sure it's easier to build the cab with your own controller in mind rather than be constrained to whatever factors to make the HotRod fit...

[u_rebelscum]

I know some people think the hotrod has the players too close to each other, but it's about the same as the SF2 that I played with as a teen.  That is perfect for me.

But like I said, others think the players should be 2 feet apart; they must have ground up on showcase cabs.  (Check out the slikstik fighter model to see a CP made for those people.)

[william1983]

i think i will build my own controls now considering i can get 2 joysticks and 20 buttons from x arcade for 27 dollars shipped!!!!!!

i checked happs i see the the joystick+buttons alone cost 45 plus dollars!!

for now i will add up the cost of my plans and then think it over

[eightbit]

i think i will build my own controls now considering i can get 2 joysticks and 20 buttons from x arcade for 27 dollars shipped!!!!!!

i checked happs i see the the joystick+buttons alone cost 45 plus dollars!!

for now i will add up the cost of my plans and then think it over

Be aware that the x-arcade buttons and sticks are lower quality. Theres a reason why the happs parts cost more.