Well. I got my PS3 TE stick, today, shipped by Gamestop. The packaging is so nice. I didn't want to open it. :lol
Right-out-of-the-box, I checked for cosmetic issues. The stick exhibited the same thing that Frustrated touched upon, in that the art panel was raised on the lower-left of the face. It was almost identical to Frustrated's pictures. I wasn't about to open the stick, and void the warranty, so I just shrugged it off. It's wasn't a big deal, to me. However, after a few hours of gaming in HDR, the panel flattened-out, and it now sits flush. I guess it was just warped, out of the factory, but flattened-out with regular use.
First thing I did, was connect it to a PC running Windows XP Pro SP2. Windows identified it as "PC USB Wired Stick 8388", Status "OK". Unfortunately, none of the inputs worked. Apparently, PC compatibility has been hit or miss, going by several forum posts. I haven't tried it with my Vista laptop, yet, but I haven't read anyone having problems with the stick in Vista.
Next up, was the PS3. Plugged-in the stick, fired-up the PS3, and it was working from the get-go. Fired-up HDR, and entered training mode to test out the stick.
This is my first Japanese-style arcade stick, so it took a little getting used to, but I'm pretty comfortable with it, now. It's pretty much consensus, that the square gate is good for charge characters, so I tested out Ryu. Within a few minutes, I was able to j.DP across the screen, throw constant FBs, and with the super meter set to infinite, whip-out several consecutive 2xQCF supers. I was also able to do SPDs with Zangief, surprisingly easier than on Happ arcades. I think it's probably due to the shorter throw.
As for the buttons, I was already aware of their notorious sensitivity, but I still made accidental presses, at first. I also grew accustomed to that, after a while, and it's not an issue. I think it's better to have the buttons be sensitive, than to miss presses, because you didn't press a button all the way down. The Sanwas are also easier to rapid-tap, than the Happ buttons I've used in arcades.
Lastly, I checked-out the turbo functionality. I read the instruction pamphlet, before I even played with the stick, so I knew how to set the turbo settings, or at least, I thought I did... I haven't seen anyone mention this before, so I don't know if it's by design, but the turbo function doesn't work in HDR. The turbo LED indicators blink when I hold down the buttons, but HDR only registers a single input for each press, regardless if the turbo is set to fast, slow, or off. No big deal, since I wouldn't use turbo in a fighter, anyway, but I at least wanted to make sure they actually worked. So, I quit HDR, and fired up Mega Man 9. Turbo works as intended in MM9, so I was relieved. Can anyone else confirm my findings, regarding turbo functionality in HDR, or even SFIV for those lucky bastards who already have it?
Overall, I think it's a wonderful arcade stick, right-out-of-the-box. I know it's impossible to design a stick that would satisfy everyone's preferences, but I'm glad it works out for me. One thing that I would definitely have preferred, is dip switches to set turbo settings for each individual button, like on the HRAP2. Even HORI did-away with them, on the HRAP3. The way it's designed, now, when you disconnect the stick, or turn-off the system, the turbo settings are cleared, and you have to set each button, again, later. The other thing I want to do, is try-out an LS-32-01 with this stick. As for one fantasy addition, it would be cool to have a built-in hidden QWERTY keypad. Hell, the damn thing is large enough for it!
Kinda looks like there is a space missing between history and of in the fourth line. Oh well, it's a small detail, and overall, the design is soooo awesome D:
