Street Fighter Iv

[Solid Ronin]

[quote="The Liar XIII (post: 1290822)"]If Akuma is in it.. I'll pick it up. ]

Akuma is in it but you'll have to do some work before you can unlock him.

[The Liar XIII]

Akuma is in it but you'll have to do some work before you can unlock him.

Well, that's the fun way.

[Omega Amen]

Yo, check it. I got this on the PS3, and I play for real with arcade sticks made with authentic Sanwa parts.

Feel free to have a match with me over PSN.

[Solid Ronin]

Yo, check it. I got this on the PS3, and I play for real with arcade sticks made with authentic Sanwa parts.

Feel free to have a match with me over PSN.

There is nothing about that statement that did not terrify/excite me.

ID: SolidusRonin

[Evran]

Yo, check it. I got this on the PS3, and I play for real with arcade sticks made with authentic Sanwa parts.

Feel free to have a match with me over PSN.

I would love to have a match, though being in Aus prevents that due to latency :/.

Just curious by the way, what is your honest opinion on using a pad vs a stick (and in particular, your Sanwa stick)?

One last thing, I've been looking into making a stick myself the past few days, all Sanwa parts as well (the JLF stick with OBSF-30 buttons). Which gate would you recommend using? I'm pretty set on the square gate at the moment, though I've heard good things about the octo gate.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I'm not terribly certain being in Aus would prevent you. I've had Halo matches with people all over the world and had no issues at all. Same with Shadowrun.

[Omega Amen]

Alright, Ronin. Which is it?

On your first post, you said your ID is SolidRonin. On your last post, you say SolidusRonin. Which one is it really?

EDIT: Nevermind. I saw your friend request.

I would love to have a match, though being in Aus prevents that due to latency :/.

It really does depend on the latency between Aus and Florida in the USA. You are practically on the other side of the planet from me.

However, what is more likely to be an issue is the time difference. When I am sleeping, you are awake and vice versa.

Just curious by the way, what is your honest opinion on using a pad vs a stick (and in particular, your Sanwa stick)?

It is no contest when it comes to fighting games considering this genre was originally designed for arcade stick controls. You want a stick. You will be faster, more accurate in your movements, and pulling off combos and special moves will be dramatically easier. And your thumbs and hands will thank you since a stick is not as grueling on your hands as a pad would be.

The only reason to prefer a pad over a stick is if you are not seriously interested in playing games in the fighting genre. So if you are the type to just rent Street Fighter IV, the cost of a stick is not justifiable.

Of course, this all means that the stick has to be decent quality.

Sanwa, for those who don't know, is the largest arcade parts manufacturer in Japan, and most fighting arcade machines in Japan have their parts and considered high-quality. Seimitsu is the second largest arcade parts manufacturer in Japan, and their parts are considered high-quality as well.

One last thing, I've been looking into making a stick myself the past few days, all Sanwa parts as well (the JLF stick with OBSF-30 buttons). Which gate would you recommend using? I'm pretty set on the square gate at the moment, though I've heard good things about the octo gate.

I see someone is doing their research, and it warms my heart.

First, on the parts, I am actually using the JLF stick and OBSF-30 and OBSF-24 buttons on my sticks. Good durable stuff. They are very sensitive, but I consider that a good thing since that means you will have minimum input delay in your movements. As for the square vs. octo gate debate, it really is a matter of personal preference. I prefer octo since I grew up on sticks with octo gates, and I find it easier/faster to do circular movements. But square gates are what you find on Japan's arcade machines, hence, why it is prevalent on sticks from Japanese manufacturers.

Here is the deal. The square/octo gate easily snaps on/off the JLF stick. It is painless to change back. An octo gate costs about $5. Considering that the JLF comes with a square gate, and a whole stick is at least starting $100, I say just go ahead and buy the octo gate. It will be easy to try out and change back if you do not like it. Plus, it doesn't cost much.

Making a whole stick by yourself is a serious project that takes quite a bit of time, money, various materials (other than arcade stick parts), and tools. If I had the free time and a workplace to do such a project, I would have tried.

If I didn't have my Sanwa sticks, I would just get in line for MadCatz Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition sticks. You get all the Sanwa parts, and chassis is solid, looks great, PC compatible, and is a tremendous value at its price. And I know that sounds strange when it comes to talking about a MadCatz product, but this time they are for real. And good for them in stepping up for this game.

For those who want to know what I did last year, I bought the HORI Real Arcade Pro Stick 3 from Play-Asia for several reasons. First, the chassis is solid with nice height and plenty of space for hands and good button placing. Second, it is compatible with the PC, so I could use it for MAME or the fighting games on GameTap. Third, and most importantly, it is trivial to swap out the Hori stick and buttons for Sanwa parts. So I ordered my Sanwa parts from Lizard Lick Amusements, and with a couple of screwdrivers and 15 minutes, I got my Sanwa sticks.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

[quote="The Liar XIII (post: 1290822)"]If Akuma is in it.. I'll pick it up. ]
http://kotaku.com/5159626/how-to-unlock-akuma-and-gouken

[Kkun]

I'm digging this thing up. I got this game after the last school semester ended and I haven't had time to really get into it until now. It's amazing, though. I love it so much.

PS3 ID: thekkun

I want to see friend requests in my box, pronto.

Also, I'm stoked because I've just beaten the game for the third time on Hardest. I need to get an arcade stick, though. My left thumb is hurting like a word I shouldn't say on here.

[Omega Amen]

I'm digging this thing up. I got this game after the last school semester ended and I haven't had time to really get into it until now. It's amazing, though. I love it so much.

PS3 ID: thekkun

I want to see friend requests in my box, pronto.

Also, I'm stoked because I've just beaten the game for the third time on Hardest. I need to get an arcade stick, though. My left thumb is hurting like a word I shouldn't say on here.

Although I love fighting games, I am not that great a player. But, I will add you on my friends list. I am rotating between all sorts of games, but I am renewing my interest in SFIV. In fact, I just bought the PC version off Steam.

This is the stick you want, Kkun. Before you wince at the price, remember this is actually a bargain. Real deal Sanwa arcade parts. And the Street Fighter IV Pro circuit uses these sticks. Also, remember you can use it for all the fighting games you have and coming out. Your thumbs will thank me.

Also, on a related note, there will be a video documentary released (for free) called I Got Next that chronicles the Street Fighter IV pro circuit in the USA. Here is the trailer.

Search for those player names on youtube, and you will eventually get some cool match videos and tips on getting better at your game. "Gootecks" is one competitor who likes to share expert knowledge and awareness of the pro circuit.

[Kkun]

Although I love fighting games, I am not that great a player. But, I will add you on my friends list. I am rotating between all sorts of games, but I am renewing my interest in SFIV. In fact, I just bought the PC version off Steam.

This is the stick you want, Kkun. Before you wince at the price, remember this is actually a bargain. Real deal Sanwa arcade parts. And the Street Fighter IV Pro circuit uses these sticks. Also, remember you can use it for all the fighting games you have and coming out. Your thumbs will thank me.

Also, on a related note, there will be a video documentary released (for free) called I Got Next that chronicles the Street Fighter IV pro circuit in the USA. Here is the trailer.

Search for those player names on youtube, and you will eventually get some cool match videos and tips on getting better at your game. "Gootecks" is one competitor who likes to share expert knowledge and awareness of the pro circuit.

Ah, thanks so much for all of that, Omega. I was looking at that controller, actually, but I wasn't sure if it was $149.95 because of the quality or because it had the Street Fighter IV logo emblazoned on it (not that it doesn't look attractive). I'd love to get one of those. I might try to save up the cash. I was also looking at the cheaper Hori Fighting Stick 3 that's been getting good reviews on several sites, but I might just save the extra money and go with the one you linked. The Sanwa parts are alluring...

[Nightshade X]

Anyone interested in buying Street Fighter IV for their console would probably want to sweep in to Gamestop, like, NOW!!

http://kotaku.com/5324562/gamestop-has-street-fighter-iv-ridiculously-cheap

IT'S 20 BUCKS NEW!!!

....okay, forgive my "fangirling". I'd get it myself, but... eh... cash flow's been scarce.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

If we can just get the same going for BlazBlue and KoFXII I know my fighter collection will double.

[Nightshade X]

Actually, that would make me feel very sadly... I already have BlazBlue. KOF, though. YEAH!!

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Considering my skill at SFIV I've learned my lesson about paying full price. If I'm gonna suck this hard, I'll wait until the game is cheaper.

[Kkun]

Anyone interested in buying Street Fighter IV for their console would probably want to sweep in to Gamestop, like, NOW!!

http://kotaku.com/5324562/gamestop-has-street-fighter-iv-ridiculously-cheap

IT'S 20 BUCKS NEW!!!

....okay, forgive my "fangirling". I'd get it myself, but... eh... cash flow's been scarce.

You need to get it so we can get our SF4 on. I see you sign on a lot since you're on my friend list.

[Nightshade X]

You need to get it so we can get our SF4 on. I see you sign on a lot since you're on my friend list.

Yeah... that often happens because I use my ps3 to watch movies a lot.

...besides, I'm broke, man. I'm not working... but I so want to change that!!

[Riggidig]

Just curious, but does anyone here actually own a PC version of this game. If so, what does it play like? I've only played the console version myself.

[Zyborg22]

For some reason, I want to mention that you can beat most of the normal survival challenges by spamming Zangief's triple kick move at appropriate times. I also want to mention who the second secret boss is, but I'm not sure if I should.

Aaactually, though it's rendered in 3D, it's honestly 2d. Gameplaywise it fights right at home with all the old classics.

Technically, you could also say that the Street Fighter EX series is also 2D. I actually liked EX3, but a lot of people don't seem to for some reason.

[Kkun]

After Omega Amen's post in here, I've been obsessively researching arcade sticks. My desire for an arcade stick has consumed nearly my every waking moment (kidding), and every single time I've gone to play Street Fighter IV, the unfortunate lament lingering in the back of my mind has been "This would be way better with a stick..." Consequently, I decided about a month or so ago, then, that I would start saving up for a stick. I wanted to get a high quality stick without having to do a lot of work on modding and upgrading, and I decided that, for my purposes, the official MadCatz Tournament Edition Street Fighter IV Fight Stick would be my best bet for the money. I could see no real downside to this stick: real Sanwa Denshi parts, a nice chassis, MadCatz basically apologizing for putting out crap for the last ten or fifteen years, etc. The only issue: they cost $150. That isn't that big of a deal--I had a nice pay day a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't want to blow all of my money on it, so I decided to wait for the sake of my poor, sputtering bank account. I sat on it longer, decided to be patient, and tore my thumbs up some more playing fighting games with the PS3 controller.

I figured I would have to order one of these sticks from Ebay or some website because I've hunted around town quite a bit for them in my usual gaming haunts (of which there are four or five), but to no avail. Well, today, I was in a part of town I don't usually visit and I got the wild idea to check out a locally owned gaming shop to see if they had the stick in question (or any stick, for that matter). I headed over there after lunch and lo and behold...

nothing. Not a darn thing. Not really all that surprised, I decided to check out the GameStop down the road solely on a feeling in my gut that they might have something. I never shop at this GameStop because it's pretty far from my house. I didn't check it before because I figured if the other two GameStops didn't have it, this one certainly wouldn't? Thankfully...I was wrong. I walked into the GameStop and kinda looked around. I didn't see anything. Just as my brother and I were about to leave, I had the wild thought to ask the clerk for help. I asked him if he had any arcade fighting sticks. He asked what system. I told him PlayStation 3. He pointed up toward the ceiling behind the register. "We have the Street Fighter IV one."

I'm sure my eyes nearly fell out of my head and onto the floor.

"Wait....seriously? Is that the normal one?"

"Nope," he said. "That's the Tournament Edition."

It was all I could do to keep from squealing like a little girl.

"Holy cow," I said. "That's the one I've been looking for! I figured I'd have to get it online. I'll take it."

So yeah. I dropped 150 bucks plus tax on a fight stick without a second thought. I regret nothing. Granted, I'd saved the money for it and was just biding my time until I could get it online, but retail price + tax for instant gratification? I'll take it. So, here are some pictures with some notes. This one is going to be a little long.

MadCatz did a fantastic job packing this bad boy. Everything about it looks top notch and solid. The box cover is full of nice, glossy, stylized images of the SF4 cast. It's a big piece of hardware. Just to give you an idea of the size of the box, here it is next to (most of) my feet.


Now, for the box itself. Here's a closer shot of the box front itself.


Here's the back. Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I was taking them with my camera phone.


Here's the right side, with a darkened image of Crimson Viper.


Here's the bottom, emblazoned with everyone's favorite despot, M.Bison/Japanese Vega/Dictator. Psycho Crusher and all that.


The top of the box, with Ryu looking pretty cool.


And my personal favorite. The left side of the box features a nifty shot of Chun Li.


Now, let's crack this bad boy open. Like I said, the packaging on this thing is solid. It really reminded of me when I opened my first iPod. The box itself is aesthetically pleasing, and the item is packed carefully to avoid damage to the internal hardware. What I really like about the box is that the black and white halves on the top of the box are two flaps that open to reveal the unit through an in-folding piece of clear plastic, like so.



On the left inside flap is a guarantee from MadCatz and Capcom that, basically, this stick is worth all the sweet scrilla I just dropped on it. You can't see it all that well because of the quality of the picture, but I thought I'd include it anyway.


Once you get past those two layers, the stick itself is encased within two very dense pieces of styrofoam. Here's the stick out of the box with the styrofoam still on it with the manual next to it.



[I ran out of space...continued in the next post.]

[Kkun]

Now, for the stick itself. What I was most shocked by was how big the stick was. I figured it was packed inside of that huge box with foam just to keep it safe, but the size of the box is also to accommodate what is a rather large piece of equipment. Here is the stick out of the box and placed next to my PlayStation 3. As anyone who owns a PS3 knows, it's a behemoth. It's sexy and fits most modern decor, but it is Beta Max huge. Well, when I placed the PS3 next to the stick for reference, the stick is actually wider than the PS3! The stick is also quite solid and heavy. Here are the two next to each other for reference.


I also like the size of the stick for play. There's plenty of room to rest your hands. It's extremely comfortable to play with......like playing in the arcade. Golly. I guess that was what they were going for.


Now that we've established that this thing is a monster, let's take a look at the stick itself. You've seen the stick from a distance...now for some close-up shots.

The box isn't the only thing about this stick that's high quality. The real Sanwa Denshi parts feel INCREDIBLE. Here's a shot of the ball joystick and the Home/Turbo/Lock unit.


Here's the Home/Turbo/Lock unit seen a bit closer.


Sorry for the blurriness, but this gives you a good idea of what it looks like. The left button is a Turbo button where you can program turbo commands, I guess, like for faster throws and Focus Attacks and things like that...but that's cheating and lame, so I won't be messing with that. To the right of that is a selector switch which changes the functionality of the joystick from working like the L stick, the R stick, or the D-Pad. Beneath that is a Lock switch which allows you to lock the Home/Turbo unit so you don't accidentally hit anything while you're playing. Then, on the far right, is the Home Button, which just brings up the XMB so you can access other functions of the PS3, send messages, etc.

Now for the really important stuff: the Sanwa Denshi parts. I love the way these parts feel. I had an old Pelican arcade stick about five years ago when I was really into Guilty Gear XX, and it...well, sucked. This is leaps and bounds above that. Everything about this stick's parts feels solid. The joystick is within a square gate with a ball meaning you can feel corners, which I actually prefer to a circular gate with a bat. The eight face buttons also feel fantastic. I almost wish they'd left it with six, but since the PS3 controller has eight (Circle, Square, X, Triangle, R1, L1, R2, and L2), they kept with that scheme. Each button is labeled concurrently and arranged with the Street Fighter 4 default settings (Square, Triangle, R1 and L1 representing Light, Medium, Heavy and All 3 Punch buttons in order, and the same for the kicks). It feels really good to play with. Here's a close-up shot of the face buttons. They buttons themselves are convex and react really well.



Continuing on with the stick's solid feel, the bottom is perfect for setting on a table top. It has built-in rubber feet on all four corners that keep it from sliding all over the place. I play with the stick in my lap, however, and it feels fine either way.


Next is the back of the stick. I love the back of this stick. The Start and Select buttons are placed on the right side (if I were holding it in my lap) and on the back to avoid pushing anything during play. What's really handy about this thing is the cord storage unit. I've become so spoiled by cordless controllers, but this makes storing the stick itself a breeze. The cord folds up into a compartment at the back left of the stick for easy portability and the door of the compartment has a groove that fits the cord so the wires don't get pinched while the door is closed.





Sorry for the long-windedness of these posts. I'm just extremely excited and happy with my purchase. I thought it'd be kind of fun to share this with some of you. I haven't tried it with other games yet, though I have a feeling it'll work pretty well. I can't wait to get better with it so I can take it online. Thanks to Omega Amen for putting the thought in my head that I should get one of these. It really is a high quality, excellent product.

[Omega Amen]

Glad to see you were happy with your purchase. Like I mentioned before, Sanwa parts are the exact same parts you touch in an arcade cabinet in Japan, and the high quality is easily felt.

I really like the cord compartment there. That is a nice touch, and ideal for packing your stick if you are going to a friend's house. Very thoughtful of Capcom and MadCatz. In my opinion, that puts it above the Hori HRAP3 stick chassis, which I have. Plus, the artwork is just so stylish.

I know it is pricey, but as you can tell, a high quality stick is really a worthy investment. My Gamecast partner Link Antilles got a Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition stick himself, and he cannot stop giving this stick praises.

And this is really the time to get a high quality stick. Consider what has been (or will be) released within a year: Soul Calibur IV, Super Street Fighter II Turbo Remix, Street Fighter IV, BlazBlue, King of Fighters XII, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and Tekken 6.

If you love fighting games, I will say again, getting a high quality stick makes a huge difference in enjoying and playing these games.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Is there really a performance difference between the arcade stick and regular controller, or is made in mind for those who played many fighting games on arcade machines in the past? Mainly because I'm looking forward to Tekken 6 and such.

[Kkun]

Is there really a performance difference between the arcade stick and regular controller, or is made in mind for those who played many fighting games on arcade machines in the past? Mainly because I'm looking forward to Tekken 6 and such.

There absolutely is. You can get by on a controller, but fighting games are made to be played using an arcade stick. Just in the last three days, I've been able to do combos and things like that that were nigh impossible with a controller due to inaccuracy in the D-pad, and I'm still getting used to using the stick again (I used to play a lot of arcade fighters in high school, but that was like five years ago e.e)! I'm pretty sure if you took two players who were equally skilled and one was comfortable with an arcade stick and the other was comfortable with a controller, the one with the arcade stick is probably going to wax the guy with the controller. You have a larger range of motion with your whole hand as opposed to your thumb, as well as access to the buttons using all five fingers as opposed to just your thumb and index finger. It really just depends on your level of interest, though, as well. If you're only going to play casually, then by all means, stick with a controller. I'm personally looking to get into local tournaments and there's a pretty good sized fighting game crowd at my college, so buying a stick was a worthwhile investment for me. It's all contingent on how much time you want to spend playing it, honestly. If you plan to spend a lot, then I think a stick would be worth looking into.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ah. Would make sense. You'd be able to hit buttons a lot faster and execute faster combos mainly because you have more fingers available.

Guess it's similar to why I go "FPS is optimal for PCs only".

[sdzero]

I will like to add my little comment about "joystick vs gamepad" for fighting games. It doesn't really matter which one you use, it's more about what you're use to. I've been playing fighting games ever since the snes days on a gamepad and it's really grown on me. So I don't think having a stick to play fighting games is nessessary, but more about preferance and what you're confident with fighting with.

I have more confidence fighting with a gamepad than a joystick. I have a difficult time using a joystick, unless it's bolted down to a arcade machine. My response time isn't accustom to using a joystick and I have tough time using special attacks. So I believe it's what ever you accustom to using to play the game.