Fight Pad/Stick?

Catphish

Catphish

Member
With SFV having been on sale these last couple of weeks, I gifted it to a couple friends, and we about to get down on it.

Gone apparently are the days when fight pads and fight sticks could be found in pretty much every video game store. So If I want one, it looks like I'll have to buy one online.

I'm partial to sticks, but pads are ok, too, if they're quality.

Any recommendations?
 
Build one yourself.

I'm serious. It's actually really easy and way cheaper. I once made one out of a shell of PS3 fat.
 
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www.ebay.com

Street Fighter IV 4 Arcade Fight Stick Tournament Edition Xbox 360 playstation | eBay

Street Fighter IV 4 Arcade Fight Stick Tournament Edition Xbox 360 playstation Includes everything you see in the pictures + 2 playstation games for free Untested. Selling in as is used condition.
www.ebay.com


this thing.. i bought it on release.. and got one on ebay many years later.. i fucking love it all sanwa parts

don't get this one i just randomly searched on ebay.. but the controller feels premium as fuck and..

DEDODPMVN5HLJMUQ2CNHIBV7IA.jpg


love it
 
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If you go for a stick I wouldn't cheap out and buy one of those small $60 ones with shitty parts.
Supple said:
I highly recommend the Qanba Pearl or Obsidian. Avoid anything Madcatz.
Click to expand...
I liked my mad catz TE1 but I agree it's best to avoid them now. Their sticks got worse with each iteration and now they're under a new company that bought the name so I wouldn't trust any of their current products.

Always heard good things about Qanba and Hori.
 
If you canget used to using buttons for directionals, hitbox ($$$$)

www.hitboxarcade.com

HIT BOX

The flagship controller of Hit Box Arcade and original all-button controller. Reinventing the classic joystick and evolving it for the modern player—for optimal execution for fighting games.
www.hitboxarcade.com www.hitboxarcade.com

ultra premium but worth
 
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I have both a fight stick and a mixbox from a brand called PXN. Both have been rock solid for me.

Chinese brand, made in China (obviously, but what isn't these days?) but the buttons and internals are of high enough quality and that's what matters. The direction keys on the mixbox are mechanical as well.

Edit: I should say I these on PC exclusively.
 
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What system? If PC you can get the previous Hori Fighting Commander, either the PS4 or Xbox One version works. I have the former and it's ace for fighting games and emulators of old arcades, Saturn, etc. If next gen console maybe wait for the next model Hori announces if the previous aren't fully compatible (I believe they are but double check). The 8bitdo M30 might be an alternative, I looked at that too but settled on the Commander in 2019, Saturn nostalgia is cool and all but I went for the full size top row buttons (though I did get a Retro-bit official Saturn USB pad before considering others also and its 8 way d-pad and everything else felt quite faithful to the originals while it lasted, the d-pad broke soon after, the issue was very widespread and some say it's fixed in later batches but they never made any official statement and they went from ignoring me to eventually saying they'll send me some replacement parts to fix it myself to going back to ignoring me for good, fuck them, Hori it is until I have an issue with them). Cheap and superb. There are pricier versions that also have an analog stick and touchpad or whatever but you don't need that stuff for this purpose. Maybe if you get one of those it will also be ideal for Dreamcast emulation and 3D movement fighters like Soulcalibur but whatever, standard pads work for that stuff fine too (they don't need the 6 face buttons) and like me you probably have one like a DualShock 4 or whatever for them anyway.
20191022102340_hori_fighting_commander.jpeg
 
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Alexios said:
What system? If PC you can get the previous Hori Fighting Commander, either the PS4 or Xbox One version works. I have the former and it's ace for fighting games and emulators of old arcades, Saturn, etc. If next gen console maybe wait for the next model Hori announces if the previous aren't fully compatible (I believe they are but double check). The 8bitdo M30 might be an alternative, I looked at that too but settled on the Commander in 2019, Saturn nostalgia is cool and all but I went for the full size top row buttons (though I did get a Retro-bit Saturn pad before considering others also and its d-pad and everything felt so right while it lasted, it broke soon after, fuck them, Hori rocks). Cheap and superb. There are pricier versions that also have an analog stick and touchpad or whatever but you don't need that stuff for this purpose. I guess if you get one of those it will also be ideal for Dreamcast emulation and 3D movement fighters like Soulcalibur but whatever, standard pads work for that stuff fine too (they don't need for 6 face buttons) and like me you probably have one like a DualShock 4 or whatever for them already.
20191022102340_hori_fighting_commander.jpeg
Click to expand...

I got a warn off this pad. Someone tried to warn me that they come apart. I am very easy on controllers so I thought it would be fine.

So right out the box, this feels like a perfectly broken in d-pad. But then when it actually breaks in it just collapsed in one corner and got feeling all uneven and mushy.
 
Crayon said:
I got a warn off this pad. Someone tried to warn me that they come apart. I am very easy on controllers so I thought it would be fine.

So right out the box, this feels like a perfectly broken in d-pad. But then when it actually breaks in it just collapsed in one corner and got feeling all uneven and mushy.
Click to expand...
Mine's been fine since 2019 and I've dropped it a few times, I keep it rested on the PC tower since it's wired and occasionally drop it when moving stuff around. First time I hear about this. HFC d-pads have been praised more often than not hence why I considered it and M30 after the retro-bit crap.
 
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Alexios said:
Mine's been fine since 2019 and I've dropped it a few times, I keep it rested on the PC tower since it's wired and occasionally drop it when moving stuff around. First time I hear about this.
Click to expand...

Might be a curse. I have never busted a stock controller in all my years, but I've had 3 horis (all the cheaper stuff tho) break with realatively light use.
 
As far as sticks go, try to get one with Sanwa parts. As mentioned, building your own can be cost effective and fun at the same time. It's an easy process, especially for PC, since nothing will require soldering.

With SF6 coming, I've also been looking at new sticks and the market seems weird these days. MadCatz used to pretty much be the go-to, now it seems like most sticks are either really cheap or expensive. Some brands I remember that are still around include Qanba, Eightarc, and Hori, who use their own parts but I heard they're decent.

The below shops are all reputable. If you go DIY, you can also check sites like etsy or do a general search for custom enclosures.

arcadeshock.com

Arcade Shock

arcadeshock.com arcadeshock.com

Focus Attack

E-commerce shop and community platform for Fighting Game fans around the world.
focusattack.com focusattack.com

Paradise Arcade Shop

Here at Paradise Arcade Shop, our goal is to provide excellent customer service in addition to looking for unique items to compliment the growing stock of standard arcade supplies we offer. We stand behind our products and will do what we can to make sure every order is a pleasant experience.
paradisearcadeshop.com paradisearcadeshop.com

Fightsticks and Arcade Parts From Tokyo, Japan - Akishop.jp

Akishop.jp supplies Fightsticks, Sanwa and Seimitsu Pushbuttons, Joysticks, Arcade Control Panels, Wiring Cable, Hex Bolts, Countersunk Screws and Stickers.
akishop.jp akishop.jp

EDIT: These enclosures look pretty nice:

Eternal Rival

www.eternalrival.com www.eternalrival.com
 
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hori-fighting-commander-pro.png


If only you could have gotten your hands on this in terms of fight pad. This is peak fight pad. They(Hori) don't sell them anymore unfortunately replace
by the inferior octa. If you do find it, it's probably going to be pushing $200+ used lol.
 
Qanba Q4 or similar will be fine on PC. You can find them dirt cheap. The stick and buttons are good enough to see if you enjoy using an arcade controller. Upgrade it with a UFB down the line if you want to play on modern consoles.
 
I used to be a pad only player until PS4 when I bought a stick. It's a bit of a task to set up and put away so I got this little baby fighting stick that works well for me (Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4). It's super light which might not be for everyone but I like it a lot

Also off topic but I'm doing a rate for Street Fighter characters, posting the results in 2 days if anyone cares to participate :messenger_fistbump::
https://www.neogaf.com/threads/neogafs-street-fighter-character-ranking.1654350/
 
For pad, Sega Saturn pc usb pad (retro arch) with brook or may flash converter.

Or learn Hitbox if you are patient. Hitbox is OP on SFV due to shortcuts. More OP if you're a charge character
 
Alexios said:
What system? If PC you can get the previous Hori Fighting Commander, either the PS4 or Xbox One version works. I have the former and it's ace for fighting games and emulators of old arcades, Saturn, etc. If next gen console maybe wait for the next model Hori announces if the previous aren't fully compatible (I believe they are but double check). The 8bitdo M30 might be an alternative, I looked at that too but settled on the Commander in 2019, Saturn nostalgia is cool and all but I went for the full size top row buttons (though I did get a Retro-bit Saturn pad before considering others also and its d-pad and everything felt so right while it lasted, it broke soon after, fuck them, Hori rocks). Cheap and superb. There are pricier versions that also have an analog stick and touchpad or whatever but you don't need that stuff for this purpose. I guess if you get one of those it will also be ideal for Dreamcast emulation and 3D movement fighters like Soulcalibur but whatever, standard pads work for that stuff fine too (they don't need for 6 face buttons) and like me you probably have one like a DualShock 4 or whatever for them already.
20191022102340_hori_fighting_commander.jpeg
Click to expand...
Wish I could've gotten my hands on the Xbone version. It was the perfect controller for me. But when I discovered it, it was already of stock and replaced by the Octa 😢
 
[Sigma] said:
hori-fighting-commander-pro.png


If only you could have gotten your hands on this in terms of fight pad. This is peak fight pad. They(Hori) don't sell them anymore unfortunately replace
by the inferior octa. If you do find it, it's probably going to be pushing $200+ used lol.
Click to expand...
I have one of these. Don't even own a PS4/5, just got it during a time I played fightan games at a friends house who had them all on PS. Can't stand the PS segmented d-pad for fighting games, so I got this. It's ok but I think the newer Hori ones are better.
 
DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy said:
I have one of these. Don't even own a PS4/5, just got it during a time I played fightan games at a friends house who had them all on PS. Can't stand the PS segmented d-pad for fighting games, so I got this. It's ok but I think the newer Hori ones are better.
Click to expand...
The new ones straight trash in comparison.
 
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If you get something try to get it so you can upgrade it in future. Also think about art, you can make your own and get it printed at staples for cheap. Some sticks will have top covers to insert your own art, or can be modded.

You can definitely build your own, just a bit more work. I got a hori rap4 for $150ish and changed our the stick to 8 way gate and some different buttons (the stock buttons are a bit sensitive).

Also it seems hitboxes are all the rage these days, you can do sone research. They simplify the movement and things like dash inputs. Personally I find them less fun. I think for pros they might make sense to squeeze out any extra advantages.
 
I bought this a few years ago for Tekken 7 and MvC Infinite and its been great on PS5 as well so far:

Official Sony PlayStation Licensed 8-Button Arcade Stick (PS4) : Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games

Buy Official Sony PlayStation Licensed 8-Button Arcade Stick (PS4) from Amazon.co.uk. Everyday low prices on a huge range of video game accessories.
www.amazon.co.uk

I have considered upgrading but I don't play Fighting games enough these days, that may change with SF6 and Tekken 8 out this year
 
[Sigma] said:
The new ones straight trash in comparison.
Click to expand...
I thinks it's kinda up to personal preference. The older one has a much softer d-pad "click" to it. I prefer the feel of the newer one. Though nowadays I mostly play on the Series X default pad because of the disc-Dpad; which I prefer for any non-charge characters.

Back when I played SSF4AE online I had a cheap stick I swapped sanwa buttons into, and one of these. The shoulder buttons were garbage and broke easily, but the Dpad was great for any circle motions.
fHlybWH.jpg



I'd use the stick for Charge characters, and the Pad for Motion ones. I'm sure some people hate these old madcatz pads, but it was a godsend to me as the 360's Dpad was straight garbage.
 
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Retrobit makes saturn controllers that are great. The 2.4 wireless ones aren't available from thr official site anymore but you can find them online. I have 2 of these





www.ebay.com

Retro-Bit RBSGA047 Arcade Pad - Black for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Retro-Bit RBSGA047 Arcade Pad - Black at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com www.ebay.com
 
On PC you can even use genuine Saturn pads with a converter (lag free).

It's the reason I'm going to play SF6 on PC with my old GTX1060 instead of the PS5.

Also had Hori pads in the past - none could hold a candle to the (japanese) Saturn pad.
 
Catphish said:
Can you suggest/recommend any resources?
Click to expand...
For buttons I recommend Sanwa, 6x30mm primary buttons + 24mm start and select buttons. They even go around in bundles with a joystick for cheap (example) and they already have all the extra bullshit that you need like the joystick restrictor plate, etc., although do check in the auction if internal cords are included too because those you might have to buy separately. But what's interesting is that you can actually build an arcade stick with additional 4 buttons on the left that will function as a joystick. I played one of those made by my friend and it's surprisingly accurate for fighting games. Still, if you want a joystick then look for Hayabusa, Sanwa, or Saimitsu. These generally come highly recommended.

You also need a controller board + button and joystick cables and a USB cable. I can't recall any specific manufacturers so I guess it doesn't matter as long as it supports the platform that you want to play on. Although here's a neat little kit that you can use, I vaguely remember using a similar board.

The trickiest part is the shell for the stick. Building one yourself is the hardest option, but it's also the cheapest and you can make it out of anything you want and make it as ergonomic for your hands as possible. Or idk, just make it look cool. I already mentioned repurposing PS3 fat's case and you can get that by grabbing a bricked PS3 for dirt cheap and just gutting the insides and drilling holes for buttons and cables. With the right tools it's really easy. If you don't want to bother with any of that, though, there's like a bunch of cheap arcade stick shells that you can buy on Amazon or Ebay, whatever design floats your boat, as long as it matches your stick/button setup.

Anyway, obviously this will require more effort than just buying a manufactured stick, but it's a fun little project and it's really satisfying to make something like that yourself that's truly one of a kind. Good luck!
 
Spukc said:
www.ebay.com

Street Fighter IV 4 Arcade Fight Stick Tournament Edition Xbox 360 playstation | eBay

Street Fighter IV 4 Arcade Fight Stick Tournament Edition Xbox 360 playstation Includes everything you see in the pictures + 2 playstation games for free Untested. Selling in as is used condition.
www.ebay.com


this thing.. i bought it on release.. and got one on ebay many years later.. i fucking love it all sanwa parts

don't get this one i just randomly searched on ebay.. but the controller feels premium as fuck and..

DEDODPMVN5HLJMUQ2CNHIBV7IA.jpg


love it
Click to expand...
Is that as modified viewlix cab?

....i hate you if you own that. So goddamn slick
 
Catphish said:
With SFV having been on sale these last couple of weeks, I gifted it to a couple friends, and we about to get down on it.

Gone apparently are the days when fight pads and fight sticks could be found in pretty much every video game store. So If I want one, it looks like I'll have to buy one online.

I'm partial to sticks, but pads are ok, too, if they're quality.

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
If you don't mind paying for customizability and quality then:
https://goldenlever.shop/ <- Haven't used one self but constantly thinking of at least getting a lever or a whole stick from them, they are extremely customizable
https://www.etokki.com/ <- I've played on these and they are a very good buy. Customizable levers, ball and balltops.

Leverless (keyboard inspired) sticks are becoming all the rage now day, and for good reasons, especially for 2D game.
Hitbox <- very famous and reliable brand.
Snack Box Micro https://junkfoodarcades.com/ <- I own this one, it's compact and portable
Mixbox https://www.mixboxarcade.com/ <- keyboard directional layout

Other well known brands:
Hori
Quanba
Victrix
Mad Catz
 
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