xarcade

[spectre]

i'm buying an xarcade tomorrow...
maybe...
anyone have any reviews not listed on the xarcade site? (reviews listed on the products site are by nature biased)
or anyone here have it and can give pros and cons and allthat?
THANKS:)

[meta87]

I had one for a while.

It worked good and was built very solid.
One of my beefs was the lack of space between the controls. 2 big guys will definetly have some space problems  Also Didn't like the joysticks to much, very loose. (Not to big a deal)

IMHO the X-arcade is much better than a keyboard, but if you have the time and money, you will enjoy a homade unit alot more.

[Magnet_Eye]

are you buying the whole cabinet, or just the stand alone CP?

[spectre]

just the cp
imo anyone who buys an arcade cab from xarcade or hanaho or wherever is stupid... lol

[SNAAAKE]

well are you GOING to be building a cabinet or something?
then the stick would be pretty much useless unless you fine with a weirdo looking setup.
otherwise x-arcade sticks are cool..its kinda small though(24" wide) .

[spectre]

well my cab is an old dynamo made cab... prolly an ikari warriors og... its 231/3  across the control panel... xarcade would be perfect fora  cab of that sort...

[armad1ll0]

I think that they suck. At work (capcom) a bunch of dudes have them and they are sorry that they traded for them. The sticks are too loose. The buttons don't feel as soft as Happ buttons with "Cherry" brand microswitches. Having a custom one built is just so much nicer.

Today I tested a gamecube adaptor with the PSX digital pad and it worked. That was so cool. I've another Xbox adaptor to test w/ the Sony PSX digital pad. With all of these then you can have the effective same thing as the X-arcade.

[zaphod]

I used an X-arcade extensively with my cabinet for 6 months with no problems.  Was very solid and played nicely.  Took a lot of abuse without breaking.  No complaints from any users.  Just no trackball, or spinner, and the 8-ways supplied make playing 4-way games more challenging.  

After building my own controller, I can do direct comparisons and the custom controller plays better (IMO).  The X-arcade buttons have a different feel altogether and the distance between players is tight.

For people that have no thoughts of building their own CP, I feel the X-arcade is an excellent choice.  Economical, well-built, and ready to play out of the box.  If you do buy it and decide to later build your own (as I did), you shouldn't have any problems reselling the X-a to one of your friends or co-workers.  The size of your cab might also limit your choices.

Just my .02

[rampy]

Having a custom one built is just so much nicer.

Don't you just happen to make custom built control panels *wink*

Re: OP:  I always find it daft that people BUY an x-arcade controller to fit on to their cabinet projects because:

1. If you are going to do all the other stuff required to make a MAME cabinet get up and go --> the control panel isn't *that* much harder to do (if at all).  

2. I know the fit and finish of an x-arcade panel might be attractive to some people but if you "plop" it on to an existing cabinet it doesn't match/conform/look right...  Unless you do some fancy woodwork (which if you are capable of that why can't you drill a few holes to build your own cp?!)

3.  The sticks as noted above are too close together for comfort if you are going to have two people play at once (although it is more convenient for robotron duelie stick action)

4.  underpants!

*shrug* to each his own I guess...  If you want an idiot proof, pretty looking out of the box desktop controller... I'd say get a x-arcade, hotrod, or slik stik....  but I just think its a lame-o "shortcut" when you shoe horn that into a cabinet...

Granted if you allready had an x-arcade I can see gutting it and re-using the parts to save money (even if the quality of the parts is less than happs by a smidge... if you're that anal buy some replacement cherry switches)

blah...*shrug*

Rampy

Rampy

[Stormdemon]

X-arcade sticks really suck, as well as Hotrod sticks. These models have very long travel and soft spring, which kills gameplay since you don't have any precision, specially with diagonals. If you want a good stick try the Universal stick (same as Ultimarc's E-stick or Industrias Lorenzo's Universal Stick), or even better the Industrias Lorenzo Mando Muelle 8p-4p, which is the same as Ultimarc's Tstick. This one is another story: short travel, strong spring, very solid stick, very heavy, solid and resistant.

[spectre]

thing is, I have no skill to build my own cp, and i know I'd mess something up... since my cab is 23 1/3 inch across the control panel i shouldn't have too much trouble getting the xarcade to fit..hmmz...i realize it's a shortcut and everything, and i've heard the loose sticks, but that won't bother me too much...I can always build my own later if i feel the need to do so.

[twenty8eight]

Lot's of X-arcade haters I see....
hehe
that's cool, to each his own...

As for me, I enjoy the X-Arcade. I've had mine since they first came out, actually pre-ordered it.
Since then, I have logged many an hour on that cp....it has taken a beating, and never given me any problems.

I do however agree, that the controls are a little too close together, but it's for sure playable....

When I finally got around to completing my own cabinet , I made the decision to run 95% of my stuff off of my Xbox and PS2, AND use a TV as the monitor. You can say what you want, as far as I'm concerned, there is no easier way to accomplish that, than to just use an X-arcade.

Sure, eventually I may take my X-arcade apart, and re-use the hardware in my own custom built CP, but until then, the X-arcade is a quick, easy, inexpensive solution and IMO should not be totally ruled out.

(PS - on the fact that they are 8-way and makes 4-way play difficult, they offer (for free) small 4-way adapters that you plug right in to the joystick, and they work very effectively.)

[spectre]

4 way play doesn't bother me, i don't care what everyone says, i've used 8 ways on a 4 way before, i can hit up down left and right without a problem, lol... I dont get the big deal with that...

and i just ordered the x-arcade 2 player...
my fate is sealed.... lol
When i get it i'll let everyone know how it is...

[IIOIOOIOO]

Don't re-use the hardware on the X-Arcade stick. It's the hardware that makes it so so crummy. Perhaps re-use the encoder board if you want multi-system compatibility. Go to a real arcade and use the controls on a nice fighter machine, or a nice new machine, and you will see/feel/HEAR the difference in both the sticks and the buttons. I have a set of their hardware, and it's got NOTHING on a nice set of sticks + IL buttons. It was a nice upgrade from a keyboard, but that's about it. Also, the corner sensitivity is outrageous... with the corner area being MUCH larger than the side area. This impacts not only 4-way games, but also any game where you need anything resembling precision control over your directions. Imagine my dissapointment the first time I whipped out a Dragon Punch and... my character was still crouching!

[spectre]

i'll judge for myself when I get it...
I get mixed things from everyone, lol

[SirPoonga]

Aren't the parts xarcade uses from happ?

[SNAAAKE]

Aren't the parts xarcade uses from happ?

LOL...
no...
Eever wonder why they sell for $150?
They are "x-arcade" brand sticks and buttons imported from china.Info straight from the manager(shawn).
they are pretty good clones though IMHO.
I mean the stick is like 95% same.
But buttons are shorter then happs.Only fits 3/4" panels.

[spectre]

well i'm not buying it to canibalize it for parts...
lol
I'm buying it as an alternative to making my own...

[SirPoonga]

Aren't the parts xarcade uses from happ?

Eever wonder why they sell for $150?

Implying what?  That happ is expensive.  Yeah, when you don't buy in bulk.  A manufacturer will buy in bulk.  The Hotrod is $150 if you know where to look and it uses Happ parts.

[spectre]

yea but hotrod is bigger, won't fit in a small dynamo cab.. it's only 23 1/2 inch across the cp... (my cab)

[SirPoonga]

When the hotrod says "The Hotrod Joystick cabinet measures 24 inches wide (61 cm), 11 inches (28 cm) deep, and 6 inches (15.25cm) tall and weights approximately 15-16lbs."  They mean the box is that wide or the top is that wide?

[Zakk]

I'm not "for" or "against" the Xarcade.  I did a cabinet up with one just to try it out.  The current owner has had it for a year, and still doesn't complain about it.  For them, it is perfect.  Here's the page for that cabinet:
http://www.mameworld.net/massive/Cabinet/Project_X/project_x.html

Now, that said, I've made quite a few cabinets since then, and I've yet to use another Xarcade, even though Happ parts end up being quite a bit more expensive.  

For the price of it, it's a good unit.  The joysticks are a little bit loose, and the buttons are much more "clickey" then you would get from happs, but in the end, you get what you pay for, and looking at it that way, it's okay.  

[Molloy]

It all depends on how fussy you are. If your going to be playing Simpsons and TMNT scrolling fighters and other light sort of stuff precision won't matter that much. The X-arcade is very cheap and it does the job.

However if you are the sort of person who tends to try and master more hectic shootem ups and fast paced 1vs1 fighters the buttons and stick are ultimately going to hold you back. They're much, much better than a keyboard or joypad but they don't have the sort of wonderful high precision you get from the likes of the J-stick.

At the end of the day I'd settle for nothing less than the J-stick. I don't know much about american paddle sticks but in Europe and Asia everybody uses Sanwa.

I've played alot of arcade Virtua Fighter 4 which requires insanely fast movements. The travel is really tiny but once you get accustomed to using a stick properly it improves your accuracy 500%. Arcade sticks shouldn't be wrestled with. You should barely move them enough to touch the contacts. The more movement the lower the accuracy. This doesn't just apply to fighters; it's equally relevant to shmup or tetris supremacy.

And as for concave pushbuttons.. bleurgh! Convex is just the only way to go in my eyes.

[BobA]

When the hotrod says "The Hotrod Joystick cabinet measures 24 inches wide (61 cm), 11 inches (28 cm) deep, and 6 inches (15.25cm) tall and weights approximately 15-16lbs."  They mean the box is that wide or the top is that wide?

They mean the top is 24 inches wide (actually 23 3/4) by 11 inches.
The box underneath is only 22 9/16 wide and 8 1/2 deep.

BobA

[armad1ll0]

Hannaho Hotrod is good.

They use Happ/iLorenzo parts. It really isn't that hard to "SF uppercut" from a crouch. I do like Ultimates myself but don't find them to play much different from Competition sticks which are also much better than the supers that the Xarcade are clones of. They thing is that the hardware is not all that bad but the Xarcade microswitches are pretty bad.

Ultimately the Sanwa is the best. When you compare them side by side, there is no comparison. I'm working on yet another japanese stick conversion. This stick is technically a Seimitsu but they play the same. I got ahold of a few of them cheap since our arcade division dude pulled them from japanese cabs and had nothing to do with them. I can probably get a hold of a few more if you dudes are in the need of a Japanese stick local to the US.

[aust_txv]

Greetings,

I have an xarcade that I hacked up for the PCB in my CP to connect mame/DC/PS2/PS1  works like a charm.
Used a real SoulBlade cp (metal added extra buttons and a Happ trackball.  If you hack you will HAVE to extend the wire harness.  The wires are short.

I must agree with the above. I used Happ Buttons after using the xarcade buttons for a while.  BUT I had the HAPP buttons from other projects.  The joys and buttons are good to start with and you can always upgrade.  Can't place my finger on why? but the Happ buttons feel better. Again you can always upgrade.
The dimensions of the xarcade joys base are not quite Happ you would have to drill a little.  Also not great for two players, a shade small if you are big. 6'2" 230 "Ding"

Go for it you will like it.  I did. I just always planned to use the PCB.  The quality of the original was a bonus.
I still have the case and plan to make another joy for PS2/PS1.

Tom

[rampy]

Greetings,

I have an xarcade that I hacked up for the PCB in my CP to connect mame/DC/PS2/PS1  works like a charm.
Used a real SoulBlade cp (metal added extra buttons and a Happ trackball.  If you hack you will HAVE to extend the wire harness.  The wires are short.

I must agree with the above. I used Happ Buttons after using the xarcade buttons for a while.  BUT I had the HAPP buttons from other projects.  The joys and buttons are good to start with and you can always upgrade.  Can't place my finger on why? but the Happ buttons feel better. Again you can always upgrade.
The dimensions of the xarcade joys base are not quite Happ you would have to drill a little.  Also not great for two players, a shade small if you are big. 6'2" 230 "Ding"

Go for it you will like it.  I did. I just always planned to use the PCB.  The quality of the original was a bonus.
I still have the case and plan to make another joy for PS2/PS1.

Tom

FWIW if one was intending to hacking up an x-arcade "just" for the PCB because they were doing the PC/console thing...  they do sell the PCB by itself... *shrug*

Heh, someone listens to the Dan Patrick show on ESPN radio =P

re: the feel of the x-arcade buttons and such... mostly due to being thinner/different plastic and the cheapo microswitches (although I should try swapping a cherry in one and see if it is all of a sudden the messiah button or something =P

Rampy

[armad1ll0]

Why get an X-arcade encoder.

there are so many PSX controllers that there's a PSX to whatever adaptor. I now of USB, GameCube, Xbox, and Dreamcast.

What else would you want... they even have ones that work with Sony Digital pads instead of the "tricky to hack" dualshock.

[Tiger-Heli]

Review from KillerClown at MAMEWorld here:

http://www.mameworld.net/xarcade/xarcadereview.html

KillerClown is fairly straight up, but I'm a little suspect when a review is written based on a company saying "here's a sample of our product, see what you think of it, comment if you want, and then you can keep it".

I have heard isolated cases of blocking/dropped inputs with the X-Arcade, but never read anything official on the web about it.  Don't know if these were defective units, or if the person thought the unit was misbehaving when it really wasn't.

I would put more stock in the respondents on this board who have them and apparently seem to like them.

Also, personally, what Rampy said (the first time), except Item 4. Underpants . . . didn't get that.