control panel debate

[dcninj4]

I'm going  to get an xarcade... my question is, should I get the xarcade 2 player for my cab, or should I go with the tankstick... i know he 2 player is a bit  cramped, but still workable... the tankstick would give me space apart... but is a trackball really worth the extra 70 when I really don't play the trackball games?

[garnerb350]

I am going to use the Tankstick for a couple reasons...
1). I like the space ( players wont be cramped)
2.) I am going to use the trackball as a mouse to play the shooter games untill they make lightguns a noob can understand.

The cab plans I have, has it where you can incorporate an x-arcade dual stick and also modify it to fit a tankstick.
With the dual stick, the width of the arcade is 20 inches...( which to me is toooo cramp) with the tankstick the width is stretched to 25"... I have a 21 inch monitor and I know I cant use the 20 inch.

Here are the plans if you are unsure....

www.arcadecab.com

[fjl]

Most people are against the X-Arcade controls. Mainly cause they claim the quality of the parts to be less than par. I haven't tried one myself but that's because I get joy out of building my own.

[wbassett]

I have a TankStick, but I will openly say I bought it knowing I would be building a custom cp.

It allowed me to get up and running right away without losing interest or catching hell from my wife about having a nonfunctional cab just taking up space. 

When I get my swappable panel system done, the TankStick will go to my son.  Retroblast tested the sticks and said they were virtually the same as Happ's.  The buttons work smooth and as far as noise, I honestly don't hear the clicking and I have exceptional hearing.  The trackball could be a bit smoother though.

What I don't like is the layout and all buttons black. It works, and I think works well overall, but a custom cp is something I think most will ultimately want and go with.  That way you can lay things out the way you want and put whatever parts in that you want.  I could swap out the sticks but that's extra work that I could just put in my final cp system... and besides the sticks really aren't that bad.  My wife is happy now that I switch one to a 4-way instead of an 8-way so she can play pac man better!

If you want something to get you up and running right away, then it's not a bad deal.  If you're going to have your custom cp built sometime soon, then unless you plan on giving it to someone like I am, then it's a lot of extra money.

That's just my opinion and take on it. 

[dcninj4]

i had the regular 2 player one before... you  can hear it clicking, but it is built pretty solid, although one of my start buttons had to be pressed on a certain side for it to work sometimes, it was strange, but overal I'd say it's good quality... just debating on the necessity of the trackball and extra space i guess.

[wbassett]

Maybe my speakers drown out the clicks.

One nice thing about XArcade is their lifetime warranty.  They most likely would have had you try some adjustments to that start button, and if that didn't fix it then they would have just sent you a new one.

I like the trackball option and will have a trackball panel in my final design.  It all depends on what games you like.  I like Marble Madness, and Major Havoc is a favorite from when I was younger...  I was in nuclear power school when I first found that game and there was just something about going to school all day on reactor theory and then at night playing a game where the goal was to destroy reactors!  Definitely had a certain appeal!

[dcninj4]

yea i forgot about marble madness, i should probably get the tankstick... if anything the extra space will be great and the trackball is like a bonus!

[Turnarcades]

Personally I'd stay away from X-Arcades for cabinet integration as they often look out of place and I'm not a fan of the quality for the same reasons as others give above. However, if you really must then choose the one that fits more closely with the cabinet size you plan to make. You don't want a massive panel for two people if you are building a cab with a smaller screen. A trackball can come in handy and you may find you play trackball games more if you have one.

[ark_ader]

I disagree, the X Arcade (especially if you find one second hand) is an excellent solution for your cabinet.  I have one of these units, and the clicking sounds are a bit high, but just buy some cherry micro switches and the sounds are much better when playing.

I also have a bunch of old consoles that this controller really supports.  I would buy the dual without the trackball, and add a spinner to the X arcade via one of the right hand side buttons.

For a complete package it is definitely worth the money.

From a disassemble viewpoint, it is a nightmare - but possible when you have crafted your control panel for it to fit into.

You can get the dual on eBay for $50 if you look around.  The solo version is great if you hate Robotron. 

[Ginsu Victim]

The solo version is great if you hate Robotron. 

I can see not being a fan of it, but you can't HATE it. Not around here at least.

Anyone who does hate it should speak up. We'll be coming by to give you your beating soon.

[wbassett]

I think it would be fair to say if the advice is to stay away from XArcade's sticks then people should probably also stay away from the Happ's Super joystick since they are virtually the same stick.  I keep hearing over and over where people recommend steering clear of XArcade but have never heard them say the same about a Happ Super.  Some people (not you Turncades) haven't even used anything made by XArcade and when asked exactly what it is they didn't like about XArcade sticks and products they sheepishly admit they never used one and was just repeating what they heard.

My opinion... it's not the ultimate stick out there but it's also not the worse either.

I also hear bad things about the encoder.  Again it may not be the best out there (I haven't tried any other yet to be fair and honest) but it works fine and I haven't had any of the problems others keep mentioning.

Because XGaming provide multiple adaptors to allow use with a variety of consoles they also use their own keyboard encoder instead of the de rigueur Ultimarc I-PAC. However this doesn't mean that it's in any way inadequate. I've tested with the X-Arcade default CTRL/ALT/Space MAME layout and with my own customised layout for games that don't support those key assignments (ASDZXC if you're interested). No matter how hard myself and my long-suffering wife tried we couldn't get it to either ghost, or stop accepting inputs. We could both perform the insta-kill combo setup in Guilty Gear X2 (both holding down all four attack buttons) or Zangiefs double-lariat without a hitch and even testing using XGamings test utility we ran out of fingers to hold buttons down without the Tankstick so much as blinking.

All I'm saying is XArcade seems to get a lot of heat but it really isn't as bad as I keep hearing people say.  It is virtually indestructable and has a lifetime warranty, so if anything does break, they'll send a replacement part to fix it.  That's a damn good deal right there!  I whole heartedly agree that it doesn't look like an integrated cp and that probably turns most people off.  I will also be replacing my TankStick, but not because of performance reasons, but because of looks and the fact I am going with a swappable panel system.  For now though as I gather my parts and decide which way I want to construct the cp at least I am playing games and cab isn't just sitting there.

Some people like to build everything from scratch themselves, others may not have the skills or time.  Considering other prebuilt cps may indeed have different/better sticks and buttons, they are also double or even triple the price... and again, I haven't had any issues with my unit at all performance wise.

I'm not trying to argue, just present a 'point counter-point' type of input.  I think most people that get an XArcade unit will like it, but eventually they probably will want to make their own cp.  Hell, as far as that goes if they want they could even reuse some of the parts on their new panel and just upgrade the sticks... or switch the XGaming stick to a 4-way and buy a higher end 8-way... Even the encoder can be reused if desired.  Or if someone wants to connect to a PC for MAME and a game console to the same cp all they need is the adapter cable and they're set.   I think for what it is it serves its purpose well.

I say if someone is in the process of building their cp, then no... XGaming's units aren't something they should even consider.  If someone is new like me when I started building my cab, and still sifting through all the information as well as researching and designing their cp and knows it is going to be six months to a year before they get their 'ultimate cp' done... then sure they are worth a look.  I personally would see if I could get one off eBay though at a cheaper price, that's just smart shopping.

My son is going to have a blast when he gets the TankStick when I'm done with it and he's already excited about that.  So to me it wasn't a waste of money because it got me up and playing immediately, and then I can pass it on to someone and get them interested in classic arcade games.  The only restriction I will give my son is when he graduates to building his own custom cp he gives it to my grandson or gives it back to me and I'll put it upstairs on my MAME test PC for a test bed.  Well... that and so I can just roll my chair over and play a game!

[Necro]

I have one (older 2 player version, no trackball).

Here's the basics gist - great for using alone.  NOT good for using in a cab. 

That's it.  You can't access the side buttons, can't access the back properly, the cords will be showing, etc. when you put it into the cab.

[Ginsu Victim]

Some people (not you Turncades) haven't even used anything made by XArcade and when asked exactly what it is they didn't like about XArcade sticks and products they sheepishly admit they never used one and was just repeating what they heard.

I was never sheepish about it.

[u_rebelscum]

I think it would be fair to say if the advice is to stay away from XArcade's sticks then people should probably also stay away from the Happ's Super joystick since they are virtually the same stick.  I keep hearing over and over where people recommend steering clear of XArcade but have never heard them say the same about a Happ Super.

Well, quality of product (or quality of copy) makes a difference.  When happs was just reselling iL's sticks, there was a noticeable difference in stick manufacture quality, with iL's/happs better than x-arcade.  

Happs is feeling the quality difference thing.  Happs just started to make their own copy of the competition joystick, and the quality has dropped to x-arcade's level of the super copy, according to some people here.  Check this thread.  

Once we go into super vs competition arguements, though....  FWIW, I like the super over the competition, but many people here prefer the (iL) competition.  

AFAIK, happs still is reselling iL's Supers though.  So the quality issue still makes a difference.  So (for now), IMO it's legitimate to say "it's better to stay away from x-arcade, go with happs super".  Once happs starts making their own super, your point might make more sense.


Back to OP, I grew up with 24" wide cabs, with 24" CPs.  I find CPs like the tank a little too wide.  However, I do like quite a few TB games, and the tank has one.  Again however, my favorite TB games are two player TB games, and the tank only has one.  So I've made multiple CPs, but tend to stick with one CP and it's games for a while before switching.  And I'll use any of the x-arcade CPs (even though they aren't the best of the best) over any gamepad any day.  So I guess I'm saying it's up to you and your preferences.