Griffith
With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
So, over the pandemic, with Mortal Kombat 11 reigniting my love of the fighting game genre and taking it to new heights, I picked up quite a peculiar hobby/obsession in the form of arcade controllers. But I realize people had many different ways of coping, or NOT, with lockdowns and the pandemic in general, so share those hobbies here because I think we'll see some interesting and unexpected pastimes (also, this otherwise will be a very short thread with one big post about my dumb video game controllers, which honestly probably isn't very interesting =).
Speaking of which... my pandemic hobby, which is basically the latest iteration of a lifetime obsession with collecting: cards, comics, guitars, thankfully not Berserk statues because I'd be homeless, and now arcade controllers of all things (keep in mind the buying and selling are part of the fun)! Here's basically all the one's I've owned in my life, most of them in the last two years, and many of those already long gone, with pictures (some too big, some too small depending on if I shot them or had to retrieve them from eBay etc, also if I don't have one I tried to use an obvious product photo):
NES Advantage - Technically my first arcade controller, and I still have it! I obviously wasn't thinking about them like this as a kid when I probably just wanted to spam turbo.
Mayflash F101 - Got this one for "authentic" arcade gameplay and got hooked. Good top of the desk stick for PC gaming, though it's small, not much room for the hands, light weight so it will move. The generic components aren't bad, and I enjoyed playing some Third Strike and Streets of Rage 4 on this. Shortly after a friend got me Injustice 2 for PS4 though and I had to switch to the other entry level stick I considered...
Mayflash F300 - Bigger than the F101 and compatible with almost everything system by plugging in a native controller through a bypass. This one is just advanced enough to make you want something better though.
Hori RAP N SCVI PS4 - Picked this up dirt cheap on Amazon, and probably should have just stopped here (after this is when the "collectable" aspect kicked in =). This stick is huge, arcade authentic, has a ton of extra features like turbo, NOIR layout, headphone jack, a cool start button switch cover like it's connected to a bomb or something. Oh, and it's natively PS5 compatible (which obviously bacame very important)! Only drawbacks are the Hori Hayabusa parts, though those were easily switched, lack of padding on the bottom for lap play (it has feet), and fatally, the flat edge of the play top hurts the wrists/forearms... It's funny, but the shape of the box and comfort kind of become the deciding factors when all the parts and components are pretty much standard (any stick that aches or leaves a crease/mark on your skin is abad design for you). Oh well, it was almost perfect. I still consider making this my main stick with custom art, etc, but it'd be a lot of work for a middle-of-the-road commercial stick.
Mad Katz Fightstick SFIV - The one that started the modern Fightstick boom along with the mad Katz TE. I wanted one of these as a good cheap PC stick, and got one with Sanwas instead of the shitty default generics. I subsequently switched those Sanwas into the Hori above as you can see and put the flat black Hori buttons from the RAP4 below in here (that's not even the most convoluted parts switching I performed =), which feel great. With this and the one above, the F101 and 300 we're obsolete, so I returned them.
Mad Katz Fightstick Pro - Not a bad stick, you can get these cheap, it has a good arcade build shape and Sanwa parts, much better than the vanilla SFIV stick and has a lot of desirable features for less... but it's not great either, and really only good for PC with the Xbox version at this point. Eventually sold with a Hayabusa lever switched in.
Hori RAP4 Kai - My absolute favorite Fightstick design, not so much for the look, which I do like, but the feel: the front edge contour is perfect for the wrists, I never notice or have any discomfort or execution issues, and it has a front facing arcade style 24mm start button, which I just like for that authentic feel (Start is an important arcade button =). The only drawback to this model is the stock Hori parts and lack of a headphone jack on models before the V (which is a bit pricey at $200+ since you can easily snag one of these for $60-$70 and just stick Sanwas in it, which I did). If I had to start over and just buy one stick, it would be one of these with Sanwas or an Obsidian.
Mad Katz TES+ - One of the most advanced Mad Katz tournament sticks, same control panel as a TE2+ in the classic TE package, unfortunately this panel was also famous for malfunctioning boards, which this was afflicted with and returned because of. Bummer, but it's a little cheapie feeling anyway despite the pedigree.
PDP Mortal Kombat TE - It's a Mortal Kombat style arcade setup with a lift open top. Got it cheap, build quality is heavy duty like a US arcade machine, but the components likewise suck. Not sure I'll ever sell it due to the heaviness and relative lack of value. Every once in a while I like to use it with MK11 or something before being reminded that, unlike Street Fighter, modern MK games were clearly made for handheld controllers!
Razer Panthera SFV - Another cool model and edition. This one has a top that opens up with a little hydraulic arm and comes with a detachable cable and instantly switchable ball and bat tops. Sold because the top was bendable and squeaky (the downfall of most open top "lunchbox" style fightsticks), it doesn't have a headphone jack, and it became quite valuable on eBay for a time so I struck while the iron was hot and doubled my money.
Victrix FS Pro SF Ken - Arguably the most high end fightstick on the market, complete with customizable color changing LEDs, and a special Ken edition to boot (I had 218 out of 250, which is a number with special significance to me). Sold anyway because for all the fanciness I didn't actually like the cold, hard feel of the body (aviation grade aluminum =), particularly how it felt on the wrists or the way the dust cover would bunch up on the stick due to the surface not being flat (I fixed this by modding another cover, but should one have to on a high end product like this?). Plus, this thing is just too expensive and worth too much when it works no better than any Sanwa parts stick. So I cashed out relatively quick.
Hori Fighting Stick Wii - Just grabbed this for arcade games like SF Alpha 2 on Wii U (which I achieved a max possible score on using save states, even though that also meant dying 99 times =). Feels decent but it's a pain in the butt to get working with the nunchuck, regular Wii mode, etc. Got it cheap so I'll hopefully get a good return on it.
Hitbox - The original Hitbox controller was revolutionary and the latest edition is extremely sharp looking. Unfortunately, so are the edges on your arms and there's no room for your hands, plus it's missing some key buttons. Beside the play buttons it only has four, and you really need six: home, options, share, L3, R3, and touchpad press. Sold for this, lack of headphones and PS5 compatibility, and for a decent sum.
A quick aside about an important aspect of hitboxes: SOCD cleaning. SOCD = simultaneous opposite cardinal directions, and the "cleaning" is basically how the controller handles them because, unlike a stick, on a keyboard or hitbox it's possible to hold forward and back simultaneously, which, before games had their own SOCD solutions, could result in fun stuff like blocking even as you moved forward! Traditionally accepted SOCD is that forward + back = neutral, up + down = up. The biggest alternative to this and default with keyboards or when no SOCD is present usually is last input wins, which means if you're holding back and then press forward, forward will override back rather than reading neutral, which benefits blocking and charge characters, but not necessarily shotos, because it obviously changes some possible input shortcuts. I used to prefer last input wins because I practiced hitbox style on a keyboard and got used to it before buying (I wouldn't want to make an unnecessary impulse purchase =).
RAC-J800 Hitbox - A knockoff hitbox I used to experiment with last input wins SOCD cleaning on a proper hitbox rather than a keyboard. This was a pain in the ass to solder because the pins were so small and close together it was hard to connect the two I needed for the SOCD without getting the pin between them too (I'm also not good at soldering =). It was fun to experiment with modding and a different play mode, I called it "The Black Box," but sold it because it obviously wasn't the best quality and I got some better models with switchable SOCD anyway.
Hitbox Cross|Up - An experimental Fightstick/Hitbox hybrid some consider like cheating for the multiple possible simutaneous inputs and shortcuts. Sold for lack of interest/use. It's a cool idea, but I'm a simple man. If anything, I'd want one of these that also had a hitbox style directional control layout to the left of the stick (I actually learned to play only the buttons on this hitbox style, left hand over right, but it wasn't the most comfortable way to play).
Sega Virtua Stick Pro - The "holy grail," this is basically a replica of a Sega Astro City control panel, and can even interchangeably fit an authentic arcade Astro City faceplate (and artwork!). Very cool, but I got it cheap because it's not in the best working order, and I still haven't decided if I want too keep this as stock as possible or mod the hell out of it. In any case, not very practical, and I should probably just fix it as little as possible and sell it for the potential bucks.
Hori RAP 4 Kai Hitbox - I love this thing, again, it's my favorite stick, the RAP 4, but with a Hitbox conversation. I wasn't able to get SOCD switching working as I pleased though, it's somehow different on each side (I've heard this has to do with PS4 USB protocol not being natively setup to handle simutaneous opposing directions, with variable results such as this), and it has the same drawbacks as any RAP 4, specifically the lack of headphones. Still, a one of my happier acquisitions, even if I end up selling it for redundancy.
AllFightSticks Hitstick - A very unique combination fightstick and hitbox from a big custom fightstick company, with the the complete hitbox layout on the right and a stick on the left. This is really cool, and I added a phreakmods detachable stick so you can pull the stick out at will to make it a pure hitbox. It has all 24mm buttons, so traditional double tapping needs a little more precision than a regular stick, but you can cover more ground generally. The drawbacks are are no headphones and it doesn't have native PS5 support, but it's Brook board is compatible with the PS5 upgrade. I don't know if I'd go to the trouble of adding those things though because the biggest problem is weight... it's a BIG 18" steel case, which is cool, heavy duty as can be, like a tank, but it feels like it in your lap and weighs a fucking ton. It's the only fightstick I can say doesn't hurt my wrists but hurts my thighs.
Jasen's Customs Panzer III Hitbox - Another iconic name in the fightstick community. This custom steel case hitbox has firmer Seimitsu buttons, a tourney switch and universal fight board. It's also heavy duty as hell. I've had some SOCD issues with this as well though (the weird different SOCD on each side thing, even on PC, and after I switched it back to f+b=neutral... WTF?), it's not native PS5 but, again, upgradeable. As cool as the boutique custom models are, specifically for the build quality, modified commercial sticks have great designs, features and are just easier a lot of the time.
Hori Fighting Edge Hitbox - This converted Fighting Edge hitbox might have the most, best combination of features. Aluminum top, Crown buttons, an arcade start button but moved safely away from the rest, all manner of turbo and tourney switches, last input wins SOCD actually works if desired, great comfort, size and weight, etc etc. For those reasons I have no intention of ever getting rid of this because I don't have anything that can do it all better. If anything, I might switch the buttons for traditional Sanwas.
Qanba Dragon - This was purely opportunistic, like I literally just made a low-ball offer that was accepted, so it's a top of the line stick and a pretty good replacement for the Victrix at a bargain price (and I like the design better). It's only real drawback is it's HUGE, like it won't even fit between the arms of my recliner. Oh, it has the coolest open top design I've seen, extremely firm and basically feels like the hood of a car. That's how big this thing is. It also has some cool arcade style lights and basically feels like a mini arcade machine in your lap.
Qanba Obsidian Hitbox - This has been my "white whale" for a while now (but as you can see, there's always a bigger fish =). A Qanba Obsidian with professional hitbox conversion from Arcade Shock. These are no longer widely available and I don't think they sell the DIY conversation kit anymore, so you basically have to get one made, or get a kit from overseas, and of course YMMV on the quality of installation going that way. Anyway, it looks and feels great, has all the bells and whistles you want and is future proof for hopefully the next half decade with PS5 (unless they deactivate ALL the PS4 sticks when SF6 comes out or something; wouldn't put it past them =).
Speaking of which... my pandemic hobby, which is basically the latest iteration of a lifetime obsession with collecting: cards, comics, guitars, thankfully not Berserk statues because I'd be homeless, and now arcade controllers of all things (keep in mind the buying and selling are part of the fun)! Here's basically all the one's I've owned in my life, most of them in the last two years, and many of those already long gone, with pictures (some too big, some too small depending on if I shot them or had to retrieve them from eBay etc, also if I don't have one I tried to use an obvious product photo):
NES Advantage - Technically my first arcade controller, and I still have it! I obviously wasn't thinking about them like this as a kid when I probably just wanted to spam turbo.
Mayflash F101 - Got this one for "authentic" arcade gameplay and got hooked. Good top of the desk stick for PC gaming, though it's small, not much room for the hands, light weight so it will move. The generic components aren't bad, and I enjoyed playing some Third Strike and Streets of Rage 4 on this. Shortly after a friend got me Injustice 2 for PS4 though and I had to switch to the other entry level stick I considered...
Mayflash F300 - Bigger than the F101 and compatible with almost everything system by plugging in a native controller through a bypass. This one is just advanced enough to make you want something better though.
Hori RAP N SCVI PS4 - Picked this up dirt cheap on Amazon, and probably should have just stopped here (after this is when the "collectable" aspect kicked in =). This stick is huge, arcade authentic, has a ton of extra features like turbo, NOIR layout, headphone jack, a cool start button switch cover like it's connected to a bomb or something. Oh, and it's natively PS5 compatible (which obviously bacame very important)! Only drawbacks are the Hori Hayabusa parts, though those were easily switched, lack of padding on the bottom for lap play (it has feet), and fatally, the flat edge of the play top hurts the wrists/forearms... It's funny, but the shape of the box and comfort kind of become the deciding factors when all the parts and components are pretty much standard (any stick that aches or leaves a crease/mark on your skin is abad design for you). Oh well, it was almost perfect. I still consider making this my main stick with custom art, etc, but it'd be a lot of work for a middle-of-the-road commercial stick.
Mad Katz Fightstick SFIV - The one that started the modern Fightstick boom along with the mad Katz TE. I wanted one of these as a good cheap PC stick, and got one with Sanwas instead of the shitty default generics. I subsequently switched those Sanwas into the Hori above as you can see and put the flat black Hori buttons from the RAP4 below in here (that's not even the most convoluted parts switching I performed =), which feel great. With this and the one above, the F101 and 300 we're obsolete, so I returned them.
Mad Katz Fightstick Pro - Not a bad stick, you can get these cheap, it has a good arcade build shape and Sanwa parts, much better than the vanilla SFIV stick and has a lot of desirable features for less... but it's not great either, and really only good for PC with the Xbox version at this point. Eventually sold with a Hayabusa lever switched in.
Hori RAP4 Kai - My absolute favorite Fightstick design, not so much for the look, which I do like, but the feel: the front edge contour is perfect for the wrists, I never notice or have any discomfort or execution issues, and it has a front facing arcade style 24mm start button, which I just like for that authentic feel (Start is an important arcade button =). The only drawback to this model is the stock Hori parts and lack of a headphone jack on models before the V (which is a bit pricey at $200+ since you can easily snag one of these for $60-$70 and just stick Sanwas in it, which I did). If I had to start over and just buy one stick, it would be one of these with Sanwas or an Obsidian.
Mad Katz TES+ - One of the most advanced Mad Katz tournament sticks, same control panel as a TE2+ in the classic TE package, unfortunately this panel was also famous for malfunctioning boards, which this was afflicted with and returned because of. Bummer, but it's a little cheapie feeling anyway despite the pedigree.
PDP Mortal Kombat TE - It's a Mortal Kombat style arcade setup with a lift open top. Got it cheap, build quality is heavy duty like a US arcade machine, but the components likewise suck. Not sure I'll ever sell it due to the heaviness and relative lack of value. Every once in a while I like to use it with MK11 or something before being reminded that, unlike Street Fighter, modern MK games were clearly made for handheld controllers!
Razer Panthera SFV - Another cool model and edition. This one has a top that opens up with a little hydraulic arm and comes with a detachable cable and instantly switchable ball and bat tops. Sold because the top was bendable and squeaky (the downfall of most open top "lunchbox" style fightsticks), it doesn't have a headphone jack, and it became quite valuable on eBay for a time so I struck while the iron was hot and doubled my money.
Victrix FS Pro SF Ken - Arguably the most high end fightstick on the market, complete with customizable color changing LEDs, and a special Ken edition to boot (I had 218 out of 250, which is a number with special significance to me). Sold anyway because for all the fanciness I didn't actually like the cold, hard feel of the body (aviation grade aluminum =), particularly how it felt on the wrists or the way the dust cover would bunch up on the stick due to the surface not being flat (I fixed this by modding another cover, but should one have to on a high end product like this?). Plus, this thing is just too expensive and worth too much when it works no better than any Sanwa parts stick. So I cashed out relatively quick.
Hori Fighting Stick Wii - Just grabbed this for arcade games like SF Alpha 2 on Wii U (which I achieved a max possible score on using save states, even though that also meant dying 99 times =). Feels decent but it's a pain in the butt to get working with the nunchuck, regular Wii mode, etc. Got it cheap so I'll hopefully get a good return on it.
Hitbox - The original Hitbox controller was revolutionary and the latest edition is extremely sharp looking. Unfortunately, so are the edges on your arms and there's no room for your hands, plus it's missing some key buttons. Beside the play buttons it only has four, and you really need six: home, options, share, L3, R3, and touchpad press. Sold for this, lack of headphones and PS5 compatibility, and for a decent sum.
A quick aside about an important aspect of hitboxes: SOCD cleaning. SOCD = simultaneous opposite cardinal directions, and the "cleaning" is basically how the controller handles them because, unlike a stick, on a keyboard or hitbox it's possible to hold forward and back simultaneously, which, before games had their own SOCD solutions, could result in fun stuff like blocking even as you moved forward! Traditionally accepted SOCD is that forward + back = neutral, up + down = up. The biggest alternative to this and default with keyboards or when no SOCD is present usually is last input wins, which means if you're holding back and then press forward, forward will override back rather than reading neutral, which benefits blocking and charge characters, but not necessarily shotos, because it obviously changes some possible input shortcuts. I used to prefer last input wins because I practiced hitbox style on a keyboard and got used to it before buying (I wouldn't want to make an unnecessary impulse purchase =).
RAC-J800 Hitbox - A knockoff hitbox I used to experiment with last input wins SOCD cleaning on a proper hitbox rather than a keyboard. This was a pain in the ass to solder because the pins were so small and close together it was hard to connect the two I needed for the SOCD without getting the pin between them too (I'm also not good at soldering =). It was fun to experiment with modding and a different play mode, I called it "The Black Box," but sold it because it obviously wasn't the best quality and I got some better models with switchable SOCD anyway.
Hitbox Cross|Up - An experimental Fightstick/Hitbox hybrid some consider like cheating for the multiple possible simutaneous inputs and shortcuts. Sold for lack of interest/use. It's a cool idea, but I'm a simple man. If anything, I'd want one of these that also had a hitbox style directional control layout to the left of the stick (I actually learned to play only the buttons on this hitbox style, left hand over right, but it wasn't the most comfortable way to play).
Sega Virtua Stick Pro - The "holy grail," this is basically a replica of a Sega Astro City control panel, and can even interchangeably fit an authentic arcade Astro City faceplate (and artwork!). Very cool, but I got it cheap because it's not in the best working order, and I still haven't decided if I want too keep this as stock as possible or mod the hell out of it. In any case, not very practical, and I should probably just fix it as little as possible and sell it for the potential bucks.
Hori RAP 4 Kai Hitbox - I love this thing, again, it's my favorite stick, the RAP 4, but with a Hitbox conversation. I wasn't able to get SOCD switching working as I pleased though, it's somehow different on each side (I've heard this has to do with PS4 USB protocol not being natively setup to handle simutaneous opposing directions, with variable results such as this), and it has the same drawbacks as any RAP 4, specifically the lack of headphones. Still, a one of my happier acquisitions, even if I end up selling it for redundancy.
AllFightSticks Hitstick - A very unique combination fightstick and hitbox from a big custom fightstick company, with the the complete hitbox layout on the right and a stick on the left. This is really cool, and I added a phreakmods detachable stick so you can pull the stick out at will to make it a pure hitbox. It has all 24mm buttons, so traditional double tapping needs a little more precision than a regular stick, but you can cover more ground generally. The drawbacks are are no headphones and it doesn't have native PS5 support, but it's Brook board is compatible with the PS5 upgrade. I don't know if I'd go to the trouble of adding those things though because the biggest problem is weight... it's a BIG 18" steel case, which is cool, heavy duty as can be, like a tank, but it feels like it in your lap and weighs a fucking ton. It's the only fightstick I can say doesn't hurt my wrists but hurts my thighs.
Jasen's Customs Panzer III Hitbox - Another iconic name in the fightstick community. This custom steel case hitbox has firmer Seimitsu buttons, a tourney switch and universal fight board. It's also heavy duty as hell. I've had some SOCD issues with this as well though (the weird different SOCD on each side thing, even on PC, and after I switched it back to f+b=neutral... WTF?), it's not native PS5 but, again, upgradeable. As cool as the boutique custom models are, specifically for the build quality, modified commercial sticks have great designs, features and are just easier a lot of the time.
Hori Fighting Edge Hitbox - This converted Fighting Edge hitbox might have the most, best combination of features. Aluminum top, Crown buttons, an arcade start button but moved safely away from the rest, all manner of turbo and tourney switches, last input wins SOCD actually works if desired, great comfort, size and weight, etc etc. For those reasons I have no intention of ever getting rid of this because I don't have anything that can do it all better. If anything, I might switch the buttons for traditional Sanwas.
Qanba Dragon - This was purely opportunistic, like I literally just made a low-ball offer that was accepted, so it's a top of the line stick and a pretty good replacement for the Victrix at a bargain price (and I like the design better). It's only real drawback is it's HUGE, like it won't even fit between the arms of my recliner. Oh, it has the coolest open top design I've seen, extremely firm and basically feels like the hood of a car. That's how big this thing is. It also has some cool arcade style lights and basically feels like a mini arcade machine in your lap.
Qanba Obsidian Hitbox - This has been my "white whale" for a while now (but as you can see, there's always a bigger fish =). A Qanba Obsidian with professional hitbox conversion from Arcade Shock. These are no longer widely available and I don't think they sell the DIY conversation kit anymore, so you basically have to get one made, or get a kit from overseas, and of course YMMV on the quality of installation going that way. Anyway, it looks and feels great, has all the bells and whistles you want and is future proof for hopefully the next half decade with PS5 (unless they deactivate ALL the PS4 sticks when SF6 comes out or something; wouldn't put it past them =).
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I know of others who were in other states. I feel lucky in comparison.
