Cheaper alternative than XARCADE?

[yuppicide]

I want to hook a USB arcade control to my PC. I'm still not ready to make a dedicated MAME machine.

Is there a cheaper alternative with two sticks, buttons, and maybe trackball?

Obviously, I don't want a piece of crap, but right now I can't afford $130 or their $199 tankstick.

[Jack Burton]

You're not going to find something with a trackball for sale for less than $130.  You might get super luck and find something used if you ask around enough forums.

Trackballs are pretty expensive you know.  The X-arcade one is $60, and it's probably the cheapest one around.

If you want a tankstick for under $150 you're going to have to build it yourself.  Even then it will probably be very difficult to come in at budget.

[severdhed]

there was just another thread on this subject like 3 days ago...

arcade controls are not cheap...x-arcade is towards the bottom of the price range.  sticks and buttons aren't that expensive, but trackballs are.  you could always get a few sticks and buttons and do a gamepad hack if you are good at soldering and save some money that way, but if you want a trackball, you will need to spend the money

[yuppicide]

Trackball would be nice, but not required.

Anyone know if these are any good?

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/elecom-arcade-stick.html

[garnerb350]

Trackball would be nice, but not required.

Hot Rod controllers are simular to x-arcade....99 bucks...
http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/reviews/controller2.html

[Ginsu Victim]

I kept meaning to post the Hotrod, but the Hanaho site has been down lately, so I didn't have a link to post.

[yuppicide]

Thanks. I totally forgot about their site. Closed for redesign.

I might just wait a month and get the XARCADE so I can play with my Girlfriend here.

[garnerb350]

get the xarcade....lifetime warrenty...just incase you break something while playing with the girlfriend...

[King Nerd]

get the xarcade....lifetime warrenty...just incase you break something while playing with the girlfriend...

Playing with my girlfriend has never required an XArcade. 

[Gavica]

The Hanaho was better than Xarcade, and cheaper, $100, but its not USB its PS2 but works quite well and is already configured in MAME.

But there website has been down recently

[Turnarcades]

there was just another thread on this subject like 3 days ago...

arcade controls are not cheap...x-arcade is towards the bottom of the price range.  sticks and buttons aren't that expensive, but trackballs are.  you could always get a few sticks and buttons and do a gamepad hack if you are good at soldering and save some money that way, but if you want a trackball, you will need to spend the money

Never liked the X-Arcade and these points are true my friend.

In the UK you're looking at £30-£50 for the interface, £10-£40 for a joystick and £2 per button (all good quality of course.) It's amazing how many time-wasters aproach us and say "I've got £300 to spend on a new arcade machine" or "What joystick can you do me for £50?" and they have to be told the way of the world.

[Falkentyne]

If you get a hotrod, you're going to have to mod it, unless you only want to use it in MAME.

First, the hotrod is ps/2 only.  Not all motherboards come with PS/2 ports now (a lot still do though).
This is going to be an issue as time goes on.

Second, Hotrod uses Happ "Super" style joysticks with the leaf (lever?) switches instead of microswitches (I think xarcade uses those by default too tho u can request a change); you will definitely want to get rid of those Supers and get some IL Euro comp joysticks in there (the exact same thing Happ sold years ago as Competitions, before fubaring them by making their own).
(correction: you can just buy these: http://www.amusementdistributors.com/parts/CAT_Switch.html ) to swap the lever switches for cherries.  This still isn't as good as a real Euro IL stick, though).

Third: I don't think the hotrod is programmable, so you will need an encoder if the alt/shift/control/space keys give you problems in a non MAME game.  But a USB "game controller" aware encoder is expensive because you will need two of them--one for each stick, so something like a Chutulu (or however you spell it) will cost like $70.

But if it's MAME only, swap out the joysticks, and make sure you're happy with PS/2 and you're fine.
I'm just not a heavy fan of the default key configuration.

[u_rebelscum]

Second, Hotrod uses Happ "Super" style joysticks with the leaf (lever?) switches instead of microswitches

Err, the super uses levered microswitches.  It's still a microswitch.

...But if it's MAME only, swap out the joysticks, and make sure you're happy with PS/2 and you're fine.

Note to OP, joystick preferences vary for person to people.  I prefer supers over competitions, so wouldn't want to swap 'em out.  So don't think everyone should change the joysticks.  From what I hear, people who play fighters usually lean toward the competitions, while us shmup people lean supers (when comparing just the two).

I'm just not a heavy fan of the default key configuration.

Agree, just as you said, if it's only mame, works fine.