[VFDC CHOICE] Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

There have been direct Saturn-to-PS adapters made, and since PS2 is backwards compatible with all peripherals, those would work for it too. However, I don't know of any place that still has them in stock, unfortunately. I've been looking, too. ()

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Saw Saturn sticks in stock on Staten Island. GameChamp on Rossville.... they would be happy to sell 'em///( this was four days ago when i went there to play Tekken 4 arcade machine...) I'm excited about VF4 for US PS2 in English coming out in less than a month! Official Sticks are what we are getting here in NY or so I'm told. BTW- We still have a good working VF1 here at our local arcade on SI.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

I should be getting my ascii ft2 stick tonight. Too bad I only have TTT to test it on.
I'll let u guys know how i feel about it tomorrow. I have a feeling it's just going to feel like the agetec from the dc.. which isn't my most favorite joystick, but it will do.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Well I got my ascii ft2 stick last night and the stick is exactly as I thought it would be... just like the agetec for the dreamcast. Ofcourse I did not give it a run on vf4 (because I don't have it yet), but from what I did in tekken, I can forsee some of the same problems I felt I had with the agetec stick for the dc.

1. The stick is not "stiff" or "springy" enough for me. I like the stick to return to neutral position as fast as possible so I can do double/triple tap motions faster. i.e. df,df

2. The range of motion is pretty big. What I mean by "range of motion" is the "allowable stick movement" that myke was refering to on the earlier replies. I feel it's way too big. I disagree with Myke on this one (maybe we just have different quality build in sticks and then again I haven't played 8 hrs on this thing yet). I love it that switches are close to each other. I feel that on this stick, the switches can even be closer, much closer. Why? I can wobble the stick alittle in it neutral position but not activate any of the switches for up, down, left, right. I want it so I don't feel any wobble movement when the stick is in neutral. Sturdy and precise is how I like it. Plus after the switch is activated, there's still a long (relatively) range of motion that stick can go before it physically hit the borders. Too long for me. Too long for BC, DLC.

I will have to make modifications to this stick like I did for my agetec so the "range of motion" will be reduced. But even these mods, I cannot fix the "wobbling" and the "not-stiff-enough" problem.

I will try the hori tekken4 stick next. From what I heard from Chanchai, it seems to have the attributes I'm looking for in a stick.... maybe. I need to test it out myself to be sure.

The button placement is ok. I think I will have reassign G to L2, P to L1 and K to triangle? everytime. That can be a burden. I'll report more when I get vf4. But the button feel ok. Not too springy and too early to know if they "stick".

Oh yeah the overall stick is smaller than the agetec. Like the base is not as big so smaller area for hand/palm placement and the buttons are spread out as wide apart. But it is still ok, I'm just comparing to the agetec so there's a reference.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Frank, bring your FT2 stick when we meet up to play PS2 VF4, and you can make a first hand comparison between the FT2 and the VF4 Hori Stick that way...

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

If you really do want a stick that has VERY LITTLE RANGE OF MOVEMENT and a tiny neutral area, the stick that comes to mind for me is the Hori Fighting Stick PS.

I have one of these, and I personally prefer the Agetec and newer Hori sticks over it (the Fighting Stick PS is really old and out of make), but it has a small area of movement and the stick really snaps back to neutral fast. The cool part for me is that the stick doesn't bounce past neutral like US sticks typically do, usually just to neutral. My main complaint with the stick is that I'm not very comfy with the buttons.

-Chanchai

 

Well, a stick is as much a part of the game as any. And this isn't necessarily Chanchai trying to express his authority over the VF playing public and telling you what stick to use with the PS2.

This is just a thread for impressions on sticks for the PS2, and what I think of what I have used with, as well as what might be optional. I can really only comment on the Hori sticks, as those are what I have used for PS2.

Hori VF4 Stick
I can't comment too much on this, except that going by the word that the stick is the same exact one as the Hori Tekken Tag Tournament stick, but the buttons are different (and are more like arcade buttons), I would highly recommend it if these comments were completely true. For the VF4 fanatic anyways, or those that plan on having a stick exclusively for VF4. It has all the buttons, but you can really only play with three of them (the rest are alligned on the top of the stick). Again, if what I hear is true....

Rating: If statement above is true, and buttons feel as good as they look... A+ (now I'm sounding like an Ebay poster). I'll update my impressions of this stick later on.

Hori Tekken Tag Stick for PS2
This is one of the sticks I used for PS2 VF4 over the weekend, and I have to say that it played like a dream, stick-wise. The buttons aren't the best, but they were actually quite comfortable and had a sort of neat feel to them. I would only deduct on them because they're not the same as the arcade, but I could say I enjoyed playing with this stick and the buttons as well, they sort of have a comfort to them that seems like they'll never refuse to register if you hit them at an off angle. I'm wondering if that's what was intended. I think this stick is hard to find, but I highly recommend it if you play Tekken and VF4 on your PS2, and not really anything else for fighting games (aside from maybe Soul Edge/Blade or Bloody Roar).
One major downfall to this stick, for those who are sloppy with their stick technique... Start button is on upper left and it was common for some players (namely those that have sloppy stick handling) to pause the game mid-round.
CONTROLS FELT LIKE A DREAM ON PS2 VF4!!! Can't stress how easy it was to do nearly everything with this stick, modified moves are easier in VF4 than in previous VF games, but on this stick, I was performing them faster than ever and with superb accuracy.

Rating: A (A+ for those who will like the buttons on it, I can't say they are worse, they are just different).

Hori PS2 Tekken 4 Stick
Haven't used this yet, but I want people to look at it as the alternative that is coming up, and it looks like it is designed to be versatile. Sure, it has Tekken 4 on the cover of the joystick, but as far as I can tell, it's the VF4 stick with only 6 buttons (no top row of buttons) + Start + Select. It looks like it's versatile to handle all of your fighting game needs on the PS2 with maybe the exception of Tobal (I just love five buttons lined up for Tobal). The concern for me is how close the buttons are to the stick. That and also that the start button is placed like it is on the Tekken Tag stick.

I can't rate it, haven't played it, but I can give you a link to a pic of it:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.jp.playstation.com/jacket/l/hp223.jpg>Picture of PS2 Tekken 4 Stick</a>

Hori Fighting Stick PS
This is an old stick for the PSX. This is the one I brought to the gathering, and after playing on the Tekken Tag stick, I have to say this stick is the most versatile fighitng stick I've used for the 8 buttons on panel, but the stick and buttons aren't as good as the other sticks mentioned above. Buttons are so-so, and they can provide problems for some people, but I don't have much problems with them. The stick is really tight with a small area of movement, which for me allows me to be precise, but it's too close for comfort for some. I still stand by that this stick is a good alternative if you can find it for less than 40 bucks. I enjoy using it as a backup stick for just about any PSX and PS2 fighting game, and yep, I like how I can have a five button allignment for Tobal with this stick.
When I used this with VF4, it worked well for me, but many people had issues. Whereas very few people really had issues with the TTT stick for VF4. I can say my execution on this wasn't as superb as when I used the TTT stick, I would quickly know that I couldn't do everything without some practice, but I was still rolling out the standard DLC and what not with Akira. Even the knee, though it wasn't the most comfortable thing to do on this stick. What I couldn't do on this stick nearly to the degree that I did on the TTT stick were the modified double palms and attacks that I had wanted to do. On this stick, I was sort of slowed down when doing them, whereas on the TTT stick, they rolled off without a thought on the first try and kept consistent with that.

Rating: B (above par, works great, but the latest Hori offerings and the CvS2 stick will probably win over most players)

Other Notes
That's all I can review for VF4 usage at the moment. Everyone can tell I loved the TTT stick, and that in trusting the comment made to me that the stick was REALLY the same as the stick for the VF4 Stick, that I highly believe in the VF4 PS2 stick. I'm looking at the Tekken 4 stick, not as a Tekken stick, but as a general stick that suits the needs that the Agetec seemed to have suited on the DC (except it looks like it will suit the needs better). My aged Hori Fighting Stick PS is good, but it's just not as high as the standards realized in console gaming these days. Nothing has reached the quality of the VS City sticks I used on my trip to Vancouver, but seriously, it's getting awfully close.
Other sticks for consideration: Ascii CvS2 Stick. Ascii FT2 Stick.

-Chanchai

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

I got my ASCII FT2 stick yesterday. But so far I do NOT have a VF4, and I do NOT even have a PS2 yet!

Can't say too much about this stick yet because I haven't really played it. However I did check out the feeling of the stick. About the stiffness of the stick, it is certainly stiffer than the Agetec DC stick (at least in my case). When I quickly tap the stick to "down" direction and release, the DC stick obviously wobbles (as I'm already familiar with), but the FT2 stick just quickly returns to neutral without wobbling. And the spring feels stiffer than the DC stick too.

That's my feeling so far, I will have to see after I really plug this thing in a PS2 and play.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Am I the only one out there that doesn't mind using the d-pad on the normal playstation controller?

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

nope.

 

Just to corroborate with my personal experiences...

I don't particularly like the FT2 stick. Buttons don't depress very well, you don't get a satisfying "click". The T4 Hori stick is decent... has a nice shape, etc... but the joystick seems a little too clicky and the buttons are flat rather than concave, so it's not exactly like the configuration in JP arcade cabinets.

So, my personal opinion is that VF4 Hori Stick > T4 Hori Stick > Ascii FT2 Stick >>> Shadowblade.

 

Just to put a response to this topics. I have two joysticks, one is the Hori Fighting Stick and the other one is Hori VF4 joystick. Personally, the VF4 joystick is better.

SG-Lion

 

Hey guys, guess what!!

I bought a Shadowblade the other day, and you know what, it sucks ass!! Just thought I'd bring you this ground-breaking story, in case you didn't already know.
Well, I returned that P.O.S. after 30 minutes of playtime.

Can anybody recommend a GOOD stick that's fairly well distributed here in the states?? (Best Buy, etc...)
I'm trying to bypass the drama of searching the countryside for a Hori and/or paying $400 for shipping.

Eat Soy.

 

www.therage.com - has overall the best prices and most stuff should be in stock today or tomarrow.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

i'm using the d-pad...the problem is...when u realise you are so good with the d-pad that you get a little retarded with the joystick in arcades...
it helps sometimes..to be able to have one finger for standby on P+K+G and K+G ,one on P+K and P+G...right thumb for the individual 3 commands... but major problem is that you do not get enough training on your directions commands(joystick).
Using Akira effectively...is almost impossible with the d-pad..
however,i have no problems with using Lion and Kage with the d-pad =)

 

Im Using The Blaze "Twin Shock Arcade Stick". Blaze is a
European company. It was made for the PSX, but it also
works great with the PS2, it has 2 arcade sticks attached
to each other, 4 buttons on top & 4 buttons on bottom, 2
start & select buttons, turbo & (lol) "slow". it feels
comfortable, the stick is nice & smooth, & the buttons are
sensitive to the lightest touch.
i got it from Electronics Boutique for only $17.99, id
suggest this one, as it is a great deal for what
it offers, i.e. 2 joypads, smooth stick, and comfortable
buttons. well, thats MY $0.02 on this topic, lol. ^_^

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

"The button placement is ok. I think I will have reassign G to L2, P to L1 and K to triangle? everytime. That can be a burden."

I have the ASCII FT2. You can save your button preferences. You'll only have to assign once.

Speaking of ASCII FT2. My wife and I like them very much for VF4.
We haven't tried any of the Hori products so I can't make a comparision.

Small complaint:
I use Akira almost exclusively, the only move I have difficulty with (besides K+G release G knee) is the D/B, F+PG throw. B, D/F+PG is not a problem, nor is SPoD (facing either direction). My hand must move incorrectly, that's all I can guess.

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

Thank you, thank you, thank you for pointing out the MAS sticks to me. I finally got mine from UPS, and it's AWESOME!

It paid for itself on the first day, with one simple thing. After all these years, I did an SPoD. I've never been able to do it, and now I have. Praise the MAS Stick!

 

Re: Choosing a stick for VF4 PS2

And, like the great whopping idiot I am, somehow I managed to reply to the wrong topic. I love being stupid.

Is it just me, or is the reply button only available in the threaded view, as much as I really, really hate the threaded view?

 

Blaze Arcade Stick

I think that this hasn't been covered yet, so I'll point it out.

I was looking for an arcade stick for my PS2 so I could play VF4 more like I was in an arcade. I took the advice of most in that the Shadow-Blade is a major waste of money (about $70 CDN, which is somewhat excessive for such a crappy thing). Another thing I was trying to take into consideration was that I have many friends with whom I enjoy playing PS2 games, so getting just ONE stick was also kinda out of the question for me. Then it came to me, the answer to my problems; the "Blaze: Home-Arcade Twin Shock" (a mouthful, isn't it?) Anyways, it was $60 (Canadian, again), but the cool thing about it, was that it IS two sticks, so I could hardly pass it up. I got it and went straight to a friends place, where we hooked it up and started to throw in VF4. Here is what I can say about it:

The stick(s) themselves work great, I have but two things to say against them. Firstly, the make a funny click noise everytime you hit a new direction (so a HCB clicks 5 times). Secondy, the distance you have to move the stick for the command to actually register seems a little large, but then, it's the same as all other sticks in arcades in that regard (as near as I can tell) so it must just be a matter of preference.

As for the buttons themselves, there are 8 for each player, plus start and select (and some extras, I'll cover those later). The buttons all work fine and register when hit. Again, two complaints: The buttons are just slightly convex, as opposed to concave, just a matter of preference for me /versus/images/icons/laugh.gif. Another thing, is I've experienced problems where if you 'graze' the edge of the button, instead of pressing it full on, it sometimes does not register (5% of the time, maybe).

The extras: This particular stick has 3 "extra" buttons for each player.
1.) Set turbo: Press and hold this, and then press another button, to set it on turbo. Not very useful in VF, but a cool feature.
2.) CLR: Hold down this button anp press another to cancel a turbo (simple /versus/images/icons/smile.gif)
3.) Slow: This is, essentially, a turbo for the start button, something of an annoyance if you ask me. The problem with this is, the controller has rumble support. Sometimes though, when the stick rumbles, it will accidentally trigger the Slow. My solution? Turn off rumble. Who needs that on a stick anyways /versus/images/icons/wink.gif?

Oh, and one more thing. Because this stick is TWO sticks, it's nice and heavy, and won't slide around on you (like so many other sticks do). Bonus!

To wrap things up, I'm quite happy with my purchase, and would recomend it to anyone (almost). If you're going to be playing primarily by yourself, then this might not be the thing for you, but I personally found it fits both my single and multi-player endeavours. I hope you can find this post useful in your quest for the right stick for you. That's all folks!

(Oh, no it isn't /versus/images/icons/smile.gif. The sticks themselves are the Japanese ball style, not the crappy American teardrop ones! Ok, NOW that's all)