I've always thought one would be kind of cool, but never really got around to really looking.
I was looking around these forums a little bit and someone mentioned
I also noticed that gamequest has a saturn arcade stick in stock, and was thinking this could be used in conjunction with a saturn->usb adapter. http://gamequestdirect.com/093992058401.html
I unfortunately don't have too much money to spend on this, but I'm just looking for input from people who obviously know more about this stuff than me
Exactly what are you planning to use it for? You mention USB connectivity, so will it be used only for your computer, or do you have also have a console you want to connect to?
Also, do you want to play shooters, beat-em-ups, fighters, or something else?
Unfortunately, just like everything else, you get what you pay for. Some people might be happy those with cheaper sticks, but they won't make you any better and you won't have a home arcade experience. A nice d-pad is way better than a cheap arcade stick.
I'm assuming you are not willing to make or mod one yourself (which is generally a cheaper method, but I don't know anything else about it).
So, taking this all into consideration, your best bet is to buy a new Hori stick for the PS3 or Xbox 360. There are a couple of different Hori sticks for the PlayStation, and they range in price from medium to high. The Hori Xbox 360 stick is under 60 bucks. Really, this is a great deal. The parts are of excellent quality and give a good impression of cloning the Japanese arcade feel. It is perfect for shooters and 6-button fighters. Even if you don't have a 360, it is an awesome USB stick.
This is what one of the versions looks like:
"Your vessel, your beginning. All that you knew...is gone." - The Guardian of Forever
The problem on both is if you order from play-asia, the shipping isn't super cheap. It's not terrible. It just can add another $30.
If you get either, or actually most larger sticks, you can mod them slowly over time as well. First play with it. If you're happy with it, then that's all that matters. After a while if you decide you don't like the joystick, then replace the joystick with a nice Sanwa/Seimitsu/Happs joystick.
It's also more cost effective, you it doesn't seem as expensive because you're stretching it out over long periods of time.
Doctor Fugue wrote:Exactly what are you planning to use it for? You mention USB connectivity, so will it be used only for your computer, or do you have also have a console you want to connect to?
Also, do you want to play shooters, beat-em-ups, fighters, or something else?
Unfortunately, just like everything else, you get what you pay for. Some people might be happy those with cheaper sticks, but they won't make you any better and you won't have a home arcade experience. A nice d-pad is way better than a cheap arcade stick.
I'm assuming you are not willing to make or mod one yourself (which is generally a cheaper method, but I don't know anything else about it).
So, taking this all into consideration, your best bet is to buy a new Hori stick for the PS3 or Xbox 360. There are a couple of different Hori sticks for the PlayStation, and they range in price from medium to high. The Hori Xbox 360 stick is under 60 bucks. Really, this is a great deal. The parts are of excellent quality and give a good impression of cloning the Japanese arcade feel. It is perfect for shooters and 6-button fighters. Even if you don't have a 360, it is an awesome USB stick.
This is what one of the versions looks like:
I apologize for not explaining further. THis would primarily be used for MAME. Can both the ps3 and 360 sticks be recognized by a pc?
I use PS2 Hori Tekken 5 sticks with usb adapters for Mame on my PC. They work great for me. The Tekken sticks are not top of the line, but they're decent. I got my Tekken sticks new on clearance for $30 apiece and each came with a new copy of Tekken 5. (I kept one copy and returned the other for $45 in store credit) You might still be able to find these on ebay for reasonable prices.
If the 360 stick already mentioned is anything like my Tekken sticks you will probably be happy.
If you really get into it you may want to invest in something better or upgrade the parts of a cheaper stick. I've heard that some of the best are the Hori Real Arcade Pro and MAS - but you'll be paying for them.
Best of luck on the stick; I have a few, but I've yet to buy a quality one. Once you really get going on arcade stick research, you find out why some people save up for the good ones. If you don't use it too often, or care about being competitive, the lower quality sticks work just fine. Play too much, though, and you will wish you saved up.
At least you have a huge array of USB arcade sticks to choose from...
