X-Arcade VS alternatives? any good?

[chaoticjelly]

Hey Dudes,

I was thinking of purchasing an X-arcade, but I was wondering, exactly how good are they? They look fantastic, but are they really THAT good?

Also,what about alternatives, has anyone made their own X-Arcade style controls, is it possible?

I suppose it would be hard to do, but wouldn't it be cheaper?

Also, does anyone know anywhere in the UK where I could get a 2-player X-Arcade for cheap?

Thanks guys

[Jibbajaba]

I don't own an x-arcade, but ive played with one and it is definitely awsome. It feels exactly like an arcade stick and buttons (probably because it is made out of the same parts.) It would definitely be cheaper to build your own if you have access to the proper tools for cutting the wood. Someone on here somewhere made their own and it looked awsome. If you are really into MAME, then I would say that you should get an arcade stick, and x-arcade is IMHO the best there is, but you definitely pay for it!

Chris

[chadtower]

Eh, you could build your own to your own specs for less. It's not hard to do.

[Balloon Fight]

www.massystems.com

That is the arcade stick of my (and most other hardcore fighting game fans)
If you are using the x-arcade for mame purposes (I.E. not for fighters) then it should work fine, but if you're using it for games that use all of the buttons on the stick over and over, you may want to get a MAS stick.

[Nature Boy]

A buddy of mine bought an X-arcade for his MAME cabinet and it works *very* well IMO. If/when I get around to building my own I'll probably go the same route. ("Making" my own controller just isn't going to happen).

If you just want a good game controller for MAME I'd recommend getting a PS to USB connector. The PS controller works *really* well for pretty much everything (including games like Robotron, where the buttons can be mapped to the four directions of the second stick, and Crazy Climber, where again the buttons can be used as a second controller (assuming you prefer digital control over analog)).