« The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide 2014 Edition Part 6: Online Stores »
The Phantomnaut
Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons. Credit: Jasen's CustomsWe are at the end of The Last Minute Arcade Stick Buying Guide for the year. Now you know what sticks you can get before you go to your local tournament, regional major or even Las Vegas for EVO. Let's accessorize!
If you already have your stick, you might want to customize it to your liking. Maybe you are looking for new buttons, a bat top for your lever or something advanced.
The selection of stores featured after the jump have products that will fit your needs. There is something for everyone!
Stationed in Southern California, Arcade Shock is one of the premiere places to shop for parts and arcade sticks online.
AS is one of Qanba's major distributors in the United States, selling special versions of the Q4 and Q2 LED that can't be found anywhere else. AS also imports some of Hori's Japanese-exclusive sticks including the sold out Real Arcade Pro 3 Premium VLX DIA. To those who still play on American arcade sticks, Arcade Shock is an official distributor for MAS Systems.
Along with levers and buttons from Sanwa Denshi, AS also sells exclusive promotional parts such as ball tops and buttons featuring characters from the BlazBlue and Guilty Gear series. At EVO 2014, AS will also have buttons featuring chibi versions of Street Fighter IV characters.
Arcade Shock also sells arcade boards. Neo Geo fans can get their hands on new and used MVS/AES carts and buy customized systems to go with it. Capcom fans can find CPS2 and Sega Naomi kits. Bullet hell officianados can still get full kits from Cave!
The East Coast company has been in the game for a long time and still continues to provide quality service in North America.
If you are looking for a particular lever or button from Sanwa or Seimitsu then you are likely going to find it on FA. If you need a Sanwa JLF without the mounting plate, they have it. If you want the white plunger/black rim Seimitsu PS-14-D buttons, they also have that down. They also supply the HBFS-30 buttons from Taiwan's GamerFinger and CWJ-303 levers from South Korea's Samducksa/Crown.
Special services include the FA Nippon collection, Mix & Match Buttons and special products from the community.
Northern California has their own local supplier with Marvelous Customs.
MC exclusively sells Sanwa parts so if you need the bread and butter JLF and OBSF-30s, they got you covered. For those who need their sticks to be dual-modded or want to add LED support, MC can arrange your order. At this year's NorCal Regionals, the crew at MC modded sticks to work on the Xbox One.
Players can also buy retail arcade sticks equipped to work on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. MC also has the MC-1, a custom arcade stick combining handcrafted details with a streamlined design.
Outside of selling arcade sticks and arcade stick accessories, MC does other services including custom material cutting and screen printing. In addition to their online store, they can be visited at Fairfield, California, for direct service.
From Hawaii, Paradise Arcade Shop is a store that stands out for its more special selection of parts.
In addition to selling Sanwa and Seimitsu's collection, PAS is a supplier for Industrias Lorenzo, or iL for short. iL makes buttons and levers that work on American arcade cabinets and MAS sticks. MAME cabinet owners can also buy trackballs, flight levers and special PCBs.
PAS also has your LED needs so you can illuminate the darkness. Along with third party pieces, PAS sells its proprietary Kaimana LED kit. The Kaimana is a convenient solution where players can customize their own light and color patterns using the Arduino software.
A newcomer to the scene, Navy officer Jasen Hicks manages a store dedicated to SuperGuns, arcade sticks and more.
Jasen's Customs was initially created for making simple SuperGun kits using an all metal body. The shell design would carry over to Neo Geo MVS covers and Hicks' custom arcade stick series the Panzer Fight Stick. Hicks also supplies replacement cabinet control panels, reproduced cabinet artwork and other arcade-centric technology.
If you get a Panzer Fight Stick anytime, you can combine your order with parts from Sanwa and Seimitsu, an AkiShop Customs PS360+, vinyl artwork and more.
While some stores carry Korean levers, Etokki is the original site in specializing in these parts.
Founder Ryan "Laugh" Ahn, living in Korea, wanted to provide players all over the world the capabilities of Korean arcade parts. Not only can you get levers, Etokki also provides buttons. Different from the 30mm Japanese buttons, Korean buttons are slightly smaller and have a distinguishable, yet fast action, press.
If your lever's microswitches give out, Laugh also sells accessories needed to get you back in action. Etokki is known for having PlayStation 2 to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 converters. For PS2 pad players attending EVO, these converters are invaluable.
He also sells some of his own technology. SuperGun users can get their PS1/PS2 sticks to work on various arcade boards with the PSX to Jamma converter. Laugh also has his all metal arcade stick, the Etokki Omni.
To our friends in the Great White North, there is a dedicated store to get your sticks and parts without worrying about shipping fees from the United States.
Canadian Joysticks is an official distributor for Qanba sticks in the nation. Models including the Q4 and Q2 LED are available. The Q3 is also sold in both completed and body only for do-it-yourself projects. CJ also officially sells the Hori Fighting Edge and Real Arcade Pro VX/V3 series.
In addition to providing joysticks, the site supplies replacement parts, plexi glasses, multiplatform boards and wiring harnesses.
Other Stores
Mad Catz, Hori and Eightarc also sells parts in their online stores.
To those who live outside North America, there are other place around the world to check out.
In Europe, Arcade World UK (formerly Gremlin Solutions), Arcade Shop in Germany, RetroGamer in Switzerland and Neo-Legend in France are one of the many available. AkiShop Customs also has a list of stores from other regions. If you guys know any more online stores, mention them in the comments!
