For the longest time, I have always played fighting games on a pad. Sure I was fortunate enough to be near an arcade growing up, but having no money other than what my parents gave me, I would be stupid and split the difference between playing in the arcades and on console games, never actually buying a stick. Even if I had wanted to buy a stick back then, the only choices I had was to import a Hori one, or get a piece of shit Madcatz one, which was the sole reason so many people had modded and made their own.
Fast forward to the late 2000’s and the only arcades around, I have to drive an hour to, yet I actually have some money now. When SF4, came out I bought a HRAP3. Even though the TE stick was out and in stock when I choose to buy a HRAP3, I felt it was worth it, since at the time, the TE stick was 150 and the HRAP3 was only 100. Based on all the reviews and such, the HRAP3 was pretty solid, with the only exception of the buttons not being sanwa. A quick look at lizardlick, showed that it would take about only 40 bucks (including tax and shipping), to replace all my buttons and getting a matching ball top to boot. I totally felt justified in my purchase and should I get the urge to upgrade my stick to the TE quality stuff I would still save ten bucks in the long run.
Time trot to like maybe a month ago when just about every stream would offer some discount of TE sticks (or sticks in general), and once again, I would be intrigued. After all, my first stick, which I loved had supposedly crappy buttons. Once again, I compared the discounted madcatz sticks to something Hori was offering at the time. Even with a 20% discount on a $150 stick, the result would be $120; the same price as a HRAP3 SA.
Now at this point, there was literally no difference as both the TE and HRAP3 SA was all sanwa parts. The only difference was buying the brand name of Hori, or the official SF4 stick of madcatz. I personally hate all the puke art that came with the SF4 sticks, and seeing as how Hori never failed me before, it was a no brainer.
So, was it worth it?
Yes. Not only do I have two sticks now, I could directly compare the two type of buttons to put to bed once and for all, is spending the extra money on more expensive parts worth it, or just elitism.
First, I should say that the 20 extra bucks of HRAP3 SA over the HRAP3 wasn’t just for better buttons but also way more mod friendly (although why the fuck would one ever want to mod it since the stock parts are all top notch already?).
In the HRAP3, I had to use regular screws to unlock the bottom panel. (not a problem)
Then I had to get a 7mm nut driver that can reach the crevices of the nuts holding the top panel on place.
This was a problem since I didn’t have a 7mm nut driver that can do that, so add like 5 more bucks I would have to use to buy a tool for that reason.
Now lets look at the HRAP3 SA. The top screws, could be loosened using a simple hex wrench, the same kind you use on your bike, the same kind you use to put Ikea furniture together. Even though I have no plan to mod this stick, it just good to know that Hori was thinking about the user’s need to perhaps replace the sanwa parts with semitus, have some custom art, fireworks to come out as a taunt button to use in real life tournaments, the sky is the limit.
Was it really worth it?
Totally yes. Just like every real musician that has experience with lots of different gear will say that a 2000 guitar is better than a 200 dollar one, it is very much the same analogy with these sticks.
Generally, the cheaper sticks that are around 50 bucks or cheaper will break down (from rumors no matter what company you buy them from), which is why even as my own personal entry level stick, I had bought the HRAP3 for 100, which had inferior buttons, but after one full year of pounding away on it, still works like a charm.
The differences in the buttons are noticeable, but this is coming from a guy that has spent at least 500 hours using the stick. Even then, its not like my combos came out easier or harder because I had different buttons since the speed of my fingers pressing down on the buttons negates any differences in spring tension and such between the different buttons.
What is noticeable is just the better quality of plastic used, and only if you press each button very softly the softer springs used in a sanwa button.
Is the barrier of entry for fighting games = getting a 100+ dollar stick?
NO!!!!!
Get this in your head. Just like every guitarist would prefer to play a 2000 dollar guitar over an entry level 200 dollar one, I’m sure most of them started out using a 200 dollar one, or even worse (like a guitar they found in the trash with 2 strings only).
The same thing could be said about sticks in fighting games. If you’ve been playing for so long, you would want to get the better parts. But if you are a new generation of this genre, you don’t even know if you are going to actually like or be good at the game enough to want to spend money on it. There are plenty of pad warriors out there that could probably make me sing freebird online and off even though I’m using a stick.
Why I’m biased against madcatz and love Hori.
Even though I haven’t bought a madcatz stick before, I did buy their controllers and other accessories like memory card for past consoles, to which they broke after a month. While I hear the TE stuff is much better their level entry shit, I still flinch a bit before thinking of buying it just because its from madcatz.
Yet, even back then, there was nothing but praise for Hori. The only real problem was that their sticks were really expensive and you had to import them, since they didn’t do business in back then. Both of those problems are nonexistent now since paying 100-120 for a new Hori stick (or any quality stick) is totally reasonable. While I cannot speak for the 50 buck sticks that are around for either companies, I didn’t choose them just because those sticks (no matter who made them), are way too small to comfortably play on your lap.
Call it what you want, I know I'm biased against madcatz, but until either one of my Hori sticks starts acting funny, I'd say its totally justified.
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