Hori Real Arcade Pro V3 SA vs Mad Catz TE vs Qanba Empire Arcadia

[qwerty]

if we're gonna suggest customs, i'll vouch for the voltech VASHG. it's based on the virtua stick high grade, the ever elusive stick that sega made back in 07 for the release of vf5. nice, sturdy case like the actual high grade, except this one is made of steel instead of plastic.

it's a little bit shorter horizontally than the hrap/te and about 2/3rds the vertical depth, but it's super sturdy and heavy. i think you really only appreciate how amazing the stick is once you use it on a halfcab or even on a table/desk, because for lap top use i find it to be a little odd (since it's not as wide as the hrap/te).

[Akita]

sorry to dig this thread up from the grave, but I am particularly asking the same question too (minus Qanba)

I am leaning towards Hori's RAP V3 SA since it seems to look like the arcade layout in Japan (proximity of the button to the stick). Is this just me, or am I blowing smoke (since the time I played at Japan, it felt sorta cramped. Then again, I was also very newbie in that game). I played around with the TE and I like it, but I sorta want to support something Arc is supporting, which I think is Hori.

Another thing I want to ask is, once I buy this Hori stick, am I allowed to customize it, in particular the restrictor gate, since I have heard they are square originally (so i would definitely like to have it something a bit more easier, maybe circular or octagonal -but if anyone want to talk me out of changing this and leaving it a square, please tell me...)

thanks for answering newbie questions

[Adelheid]

Square is far and away the easiest kind of gate to work with. Feeling diagonals is very important, especially for new players. Octagonal is fine if it's what you want to use but you really should not be trying to play on circle gate, it's just mushy and too easy to lose track of where the stick actually is.

[Airk]

To answer the actual question, you are "allowed" to modify the stick, but doing so will generally void your warranty. That said, these are durable devices made of generally interchangable parts, so unless you manage to damage the actual circuitboard somehow, there's not that much you can do that would require you to need a warranty.

I agree with Heidi, however, that you'd be better off getting used to a square gate.

[Pestilence]

I've owned several different sticks and honestly the one I use the most is a Madcatz SE modded with sanwa parts. It's small and compact, and the panel has a slope to rest the palm of your hand on that I really like. You can find them on SRK usually around 80$

As others have said, just get used to the square gate. It works a lot better than you may be thinking. Mostly because you'll ruin your stick if you throttle the stick full force and ride the gate. It's a precision tool, not something your meant to brute force with. Also, ball tops spin naturally, so make round movement is easier than you think.

lol I want a stick with an auto-dash feature. if there is one thing that is 100x easier to do on pad, it's dash.

[StayFree( ' 3')]

Not to be an echo in here, but yeah, stick with the square gate. You'll definitely thank us later. Stick-wise, SE with sanwa/seimitsu parts if you plan to go on the cheap. Custom Egret III Cp if you're rich.

[hyoushii]

sorry to dig this thread up from the grave, but I am particularly asking the same question too (minus Qanba)

I am leaning towards Hori's RAP V3 SA since it seems to look like the arcade layout in Japan (proximity of the button to the stick). Is this just me, or am I blowing smoke (since the time I played at Japan, it felt sorta cramped. Then again, I was also very newbie in that game). I played around with the TE and I like it, but I sorta want to support something Arc is supporting, which I think is Hori.

Another thing I want to ask is, once I buy this Hori stick, am I allowed to customize it, in particular the restrictor gate, since I have heard they are square originally (so i would definitely like to have it something a bit more easier, maybe circular or octagonal -but if anyone want to talk me out of changing this and leaving it a square, please tell me...)

thanks for answering newbie questions

I guess personally, I'm against square gates. They're the first thing to go when i get a new stick. That being said, I come from Street Fighter and playing input characters that rely on the QCF motion. I have friends who play charge chars and they swear by the square gate. That gate makes it very comfortable to constantly charge down&back simultaneously. I've had friends who play on the smooth circle and they were just used to the American cabs for MvC2. So for me, the octagona is perfect because I can feel the click of where my stick is. So it all really depends on what games you're playing. Hope that helps

[Airk]

Yes, it matters what game you're playing in the sense that you probably want a Plus gate or something if you're playing Pacman, but for 2D fighting games, you probably want something with clear diagonals (Preferably square, but you can get away with Octagonal). It's not hard to do QCF motions on a square gate. In fact, from what I understand, it breeds good habits about not "riding the gate". It's also noticably easier to find your diagonals for, say, DP motions.

So unless you're playing MK, it doesn't really matter which 2D fighter you are playing - they all have QCF motions, and it's probably wisest to just learn on square.

[hyoushii]

Hmm. I suppose that's a good way to practice. I've grown up with it that way and now you guy's have got me thinking about my inputs haha. In my head I feel like the octagonal gate is closer to the switches than the square. Wouldn't you be "riding the gate" more if you're going all the way into the corner for DP?

[mr.mortified]

Hmm. I suppose that's a good way to practice. I've grown up with it that way and now you guy's have got me thinking about my inputs haha. In my head I feel like the octagonal gate is closer to the switches than the square. Wouldn't you be "riding the gate" more if you're going all the way into the corner for DP?

not if you're used to it