Thoughts on Xarcade control panel

kjeffery

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I was thinking on buying a Xarcade control panel. I will not be installing this into a cabinet so do get the wrong idea. I will be just using this for mame and my laptop will be hooked up to to a tv by s-video, which looks pretty damn close to original arcade monitor if its on a tube tv. I am wanting one because I travel allot for work and get pretty bored in hotels and I think it would be a great toy to have, to play some late night street fighter 2 and such. I know I could probably build one for cheap but I have already faced the fact I suck at constructing anything out of wood. Anyone else have a xarcade they use just for a tv or something? Any thoughts?
 
I used to have the two stick version (it's actually what got me into arcade collecting) but I gave it to my nephew. It wasn't bad, but they're fairly bulky so I don't know how "portable" they would be. If you're fine with hauling an extra piece of luggage, I'd say go for it.
 
My only experience with Xarcade was when I ordered the the 2 joystick, 20 button kit. The buttons worked fine, but both sticks sucked. Good return to center, but neither one hit the corners very well.


...and yes they were installed right. ;)
 
I still have the x-arcade "carcass", the dual joystick model. If you're interested in just the wood and want to install a superior encoder like the ipac and your own buttons/joysticks let me know. The ipac is suprerior in every way to the x-arcade, I have owned 3 ipacs and 2 x-arcades and a GPWiz. All encoders are NOT the same!
A guy on BYOAC nailed the x-arcade, it's a "gateway drug", hopefully you will move on to better emu equipment as you learn more about running emulators.
 
A guy on BYOAC nailed the x-arcade, it's a "gateway drug", hopefully you will move on to better emu equipment as you learn more about running emulators.

Like i said this is for only when im bored in my hotel room and nothing more, it will not be going into my mame project or any other cab so i dont care baout the greatest equipment just something better than a gamepad or keyboard with a somewhat of a arcade feel
 
The X-Arcade is good for most games. If you play any "classics" I would swap the 8-way with a switchable 4/8-way. If you travel I'd stick with the 1P version unless you want extra cargo as mentioned already.
 
I have a Dual unit and have been reasonably happy with it though I don't use it a hell of a lot. If you're just looking to alleviate hotel boredom it's not the worst way in the world to go, though as has been said, go with the solo version as the dual is huge and heavy as hell.
 
The X-Arcade is good for most games. If you play any "classics" I would swap the 8-way with a switchable 4/8-way. If you travel I'd stick with the 1P version unless you want extra cargo as mentioned already.
They are already "switchable". All you have to do is take the joystick(s) apart and flip the actuator and viola! you have a 4 way joystick!
 
you can get a decent deal on a single player one. i picked mine up used for $40, and for what it is, its fine.
 
i've had my tankstick for a year and it's been great. the company has great customer service too.
 
My bro-in-law gave me one with just 2 joys and a crapload of buttons (why do I need 8 buttons per joy?). I stripped out the inside, hooked it all up to a JAMMA harness, figured out how to power the LED with my bench switcher, and use it as a test-bench control panel. Fairly easy to use, but as most of the stuff I test is 4-way and the joys are 8-way, I don't use it to PLAY often...
 
You really want to try to travel with that aircraft carrier of a stick?? I've got a HotRod and that would be ridiculous to travel with.

Just buy an xbox 360 compatible stick, I use a Hori EX2:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox360-Fighting-Stick-EX-Xbox-360/dp/B000V02P6Q

It's been a while, but it used to be you just have to do a little bit of text editing to make it work with XP. I recently plugged it into my Windows 7 machine and it came right up, plug n' play.

Throw a Sanwa octagonal restrictor on there for 4- or 8-way play with no switching.
 
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