Review: Razer Atrox Arcade Stick

Commonly known for their PC-central peripherals geared towards players of various eSports games, Razer now wants to lobby for fighting game support with their own arcade stick. For the company to create a stick at this time, while Mad Catz and Hori have been providing many different models to players since the 2009 fighting game explosion, can be considered being late into the party. The Razer Atrox, however, provides interesting features that a serious competitor or a technician will love, at the expense of a luxury price.

At first glance, the Atrox seems relatively normal sized, close to that of Mad Catz's Tournament Edition S Arcade FightStick models. Its height is slightly bigger than what can be found in most arcade sticks. The height of the Atrox originally felt discomforting when playing from the lap but it progressively felt less displeasing and more natural after some time used. The ample weight can be somewhat intimidating especially with no handle to grasp onto aside from fully using one arm to grab a majority of the Atrox.

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House Of M: A Look Into Super Smash Bros. Community Mod Project M

Gamers have a certain affinity for titles of years past. In the fighting game realm, it's noticeable with such games as Super Street Fighter II Turbo, The King of Fighters '98, Darkstalkers 3/Vampire Savior and a couple of others. Next to the fighting game community, the competitive Super Smash Bros. scene have their own with Super Smash Bros. Melee, the second entry in the popular Nintendo crossover series.

"To put it simply, Melee got a lot of things right," a consensus response by the Project M team in our e-mail interview.

This team's fondness for Melee led to development of recreating the feeling and experience through the third entry, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Brawl might have looked better and had a bigger cast, the members of Project M were resentful of its gameplay that differed from that of Melee.

Through advancements in the Nintendo Wii's homebrew efforts, the team's efforts are able to be realized with this special mod.

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Review: Tekken Revolution

It's rather interesting that fighting game developers are adopting a free-to-play model commonly found in many other competitive game genres. While games like League of Legends have found a huge audience, it still remains to be seen if free-to-play fighting games can tap into that market. One such effort is Namco Bandai's special version of Tekken utilizing this model, Tekken Revolution. Tekken Revolution doesn't necessarily live up to its name verbatim, but the game does provide a fascinating experience even if the game itself conflicts with the free-to-play system.

From the start, Tekken Revolution decreases the massive roster of 59 characters found in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to a starting cast of 8, consisting of fan favorites such as Kazuya, Asuka, Marshall Law, Paul and Lars. Four more characters-Alisa, Bryan Fury, Leo and Steve-can be unlocked by playing matches instead of going for a pay-to-play approach. While many fan favorites have undoubtedly been left out, Revolution gives new players a chance to avoid being intimidated by the massive character count and allows them to focus on specific matchups.

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Final Showdown: New Age of Consoles, Pre-E3 2013 Edition

Another year is another Electronic Entertainment Expo, the North American holy ground for presenting video games of the future. This year also featured Sony and Microsoft's major reveals of next generation hardware, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One respectively. While the early conference reveals gave us gamers alike a peek, E3 will be the first wave of where they will shine light and determine if either of them are worth it.

For fighting games and the communities supporting them, it's going to be a weird road but eventually there will be solidified footing on either the XB1, PS4 or even Nintendo's Wii U. At this point, there is certain vagueness to the situation but lets take a look at some points before the big show.

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Under The Cap: Fanime Looking In

I was on a street corner in downtown San Jose, flanked by a French maid and a bipedal wolf when I saw a man that summed up my experience at FanimeCon. He was on a bicycle, and he was carrying a goldfish in a cup. An odd sight surely, but the look of confusion and surprise on his face mirrored what I was feeling. I was a strange man in an even stranger place.

I have never been to an anime con or ever really watched an anime in my life, but I am not oblivious to the culture. Even with my meager knowledge I cosplayed as someone who literally knew nothing about anime, asking questions every chance I got. My goal was to experience the event from an outsider's perspective in order to see if anyone can come to these events and have a good time. The short answer is yes.

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Cognitive Dissonance: An Open Letter to the Street Fighter IV Generation

To the members of today's fighting game community,

We screwed up. We were all given the ball by the forefathers of this community, and instead of running with it we dropped it, kicked it into a gutter and left it there. And there it sat until people like Alex Valle, Mike Watson, Henry Cen and others begrudgingly came back, picked up our disheveled community and took control of it again. To them you owe everything; to us, a swift kick in the ass has been due for too many years.

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The New Challenger: Fighting Game Development With Iron Galaxy Studios' Dave Lang

Dave Lang. Source: Windows Phone Central

Japanese developer and publisher Capcom commissioned projects to be developed outside their main production studios. Chicago-based group Iron Galaxy Studios became part of the plan and would later serve something more: they were going to work on Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition.

"Street Fighter is actually a Capcom U.S. owned franchise I believe, so when they decided to do that game the U.S. team got to pick who would be working on it," said Iron Galaxy CEO Dave Lang. "[Iron Galaxy] had a great relationship with Capcom, and they were confident our technical proficiency would be most valuable on that project."

This effort by Lang and Iron Galaxy would establish their ground as one of the prominent developers within the worldwide fighting game industry and community.

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Review: Various Sanwa Denshi JLF Custom Parts By Paradise Arcade Shop

Various parts including custom Sanwa JLF gates, springs, microswitches, and actuators.Many arcade stick folks uses the stock JLF lever from Sanwa Denshi. If the JLF breaks down after many sessions of doing lightning loops, Sako-based Ibuki combos, or 100% HD combos, people can replace them with the same goods. What would happen if someone wanted some change, some variety in their JLF? Variety is the spice of life.

I was given a smorgasbord of parts courtesy of Paradise Arcade Shop over at Hawaii that I can replace on my regular JLF including microswitches, tension springs, and actuators. This roundup of parts will see if they are worth installing and using.

Before proceeding, some of the parts reviewed require careful disassembly of the JLF unit. For those new into disassembly, I recommend watching these instructional videos (1, 2)

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Review: Qanba Defender Arcade Stick Bag

I originally carried some arcade sticks in a regular school backpack and would later find out  it's not safe after noticing some minor yet noticeable dents. If I were to continue using it, the sticks would worsen. Then I just carried them in my arms even if they were annoying to handle, at least I was confident in carrying them.

There are bags now that are made for providing a convenient way to carry a stick. Mad Catz and Hori have their own bags for a while but now Qanba are providing their own take called the Defender. It certainly looks different than what is sold nowadays but does it pay off?

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Review: Sanwa Denshi Silent JLF Joystick Lever

A default Sanwa JLF lever with OMRON D2RV-G microswitches and .5MM colored actuator.For the past couple of years, Sanwa Denshi has been the king of arcade stick parts due to their success with their JLF lever as well as their OBSF buttons. Their recent efforts now were to lower their volume output as part of their "Silent" series.

In my review of the OBSFS-30 buttons, I was disappointed on how they turned out. While they served the purpose of having noise reduction, the performance turned out underwhelming due to the uneasy feel when pressed. Now it's the JLF's turn and fortunately, it's not a victim when in practice. It's efficient.

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Review: Qanba Q1 "Cut" Joystick

Small arcade sticks were once a very common choice for fighting game players during the early years of the new era. With new technology and price lowering down, players can spend on getting bigger sized models to conveniently fit on their laps. The lower price in smaller arcade sticks are sometimes to believed to provide lesser quality parts.

Chinese arcade stick company Qanba and international representative Eightarc have been on a roll for their arcade sticks including the Q4/Fusion series which gives a player an affordable multi-console stick. Qanba though have been looking back at their older models with new updated builds.

Their Q1 series was known for having a mini form factor while still providing well made arcade stick parts and also having the ability to attach to desks with separate clamps. Now, Qanba resurrected the series with a new model featuring its known characteristics and then some all at a low price.

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Review: Darkstalkers Resurrection

Capcom’s Darkstalkers (Vampire, in Japan) series might not have been the company’s flagship fighter, it’s certainly one of the more interesting ones. Instead of a more down to Earth approach, Darkstalkers explores the supernatural and fantasy in its own exaggerated form featuring beings such as a self-gratifying succubus, a martial arts werewolf, and a volatile take of Little Red Riding Hood. Add that with a very characteristic art style, short jabs of humor, and fast and balanced gameplay, you get a pretty cool fighting game series.

The recent interest in Darkstalkers have sparked conceptual material for a fourth entry in the series. It also helped bring about a downloadable package, developed by Iron Galaxy Studios, featuring two of the more popular past entries: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge (Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers’ Revenge) and Darkstalkers 3 (Vampire Savior). Packaged with the best fighting game netcode around and other neat, albeit unrefined, features, Darkstalkers Resurrection is a well needed collection.

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Review: Sanwa Denshi OBSFS-30 30mm Silent Pushbuttons

Sanwa OBSFS-30 Pushbutton: Plunger (left), Rim with foam disc pad (top right), Foam disc pad (bottom)Most if not all of us who used an arcade stick know the sound of the pushbuttons by Sanwa Denshi. It's a very characteristic clack that you can hear from miles on end. Hyperbole aside, the acoustics of the clack when tapped is pretty loud. For those who play fighting games at night, the effect can be considered distracting for those around who might be sleeping. The tournament setting can be another considered situation when some need sound cues from their opponents to fully utilize their strategy.

Sanwa Denshi has been experimenting with technology to minimize volume when used for both their joystick lever and pushbuttons. Now after a couple of months into the market, did the efforts pay off?

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Review: GamerFinger HBFS-30 30mm Pushbuttons

Sanwa Denshi is considered the most dominant force in the world for high quality pushbuttons. It's found on most arcade sticks on the market and preferred by many fighting game players. A couple of months, a Taiwan community player, Pei "Milkshark" Kao, initiated a fundraising drive to manufacture an alternative pushbutton to compete with Sanwa and a couple of other competitors.

With the drive successful, Kao and his company GamerFinger initiated production on the HBFS-30 (Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger/Silent). It aims for being unique in design while still maintaining a consistent high quality feel and response like their competition. Fortunately, they were able to pull off most of what they aimed for.

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Cognitive Dissonance: The Little Engine That...

Photo courtesy of AvoidingThePuddle.comWhen I locked the doors at 1106 East Broadway in Columbia, Missouri, on May 13, 2007, Gunther's Games ceased to exist. It was simply another casualty in what had become a long line of arcade closures in much of Missouri, but it was home to the several fighting game players of that college town. I had learned to play Guilty Gear there, and improved at Super Street Fighter II Turbo. We had a small, dedicated community, but it was not enough to make up for the lack of customers that had once filled the shotgun-style arcade. The only reassurance left after the demise of Gunther's was that there was nothing left for us to lose anymore.

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Review: Cronus Device Part 1 - Xbox 360 To PlayStation 3

A common issue found in most arcade sticks is general compatibility. Going to tournaments or local practice sessions might have a console different from what you use with your stick, rendering it useless for that event. There are things that solve the problem including modding your existing stick with parts to making it compatible on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 or getting a new stick compatible with the consoles right out of the box.

In E3 2012, there was a device that caught my eye. Titled the Cronus Device, it's a USB solution that's meant to allow easy plug-and-play compatibility with an Xbox 360 controller on a PlayStation 3 and vice versa with no extensive modding and no apparent input lag. Aside from the compatibility, the ease of use being just a USB device looked impressive. Now the device is available but is it a good alternative for those who don't want to worry about wiring their stick's insides or buying a multi-console stick?

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Review: Qanba Q2 Pro Standard Arcade Stick

Though uncommon, there are some fighting game players who play on arcade sticks that have a special preference to how they use the joystick lever and buttons. Eventually you might see the player who crosses their arms in which they have their right hand on the lever and their left hand on the buttons or someone with a custom stick using a reverse layout. Qanba took the chance to make a new stick allowing to cater to those preferences while not compromising players who play on stick normally.

QANBA Q2 PRO STANDARD ARCADE STICK SCREENSHOTS

The Qanba Q2 Pro Standard is the company's latest stick in the market after their successful multi-console Q4 series (as well as the Fusion models by distributor Eightarc). Even if the Q2 Pro is only compatible on PlayStation 3, it shows that Qanba has the ability to provide interesting ideas and upgrades really fast while still being generally solid sticks for everyone.

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Aqui Viene Un Nuevo Retador! ("Here Comes a New Challenger!")

Being good at fighting games means marrying several key skills in order to create an informed playstyle. It’s a combination of things such as combo execution, technical skill and matchup knowledge that give you an edge during a competition. Most skills can be practiced in training mode and ingrained into your muscle memory; however, there is an element that can’t be honed through practice alone. There is a skill that gives you a significant advantage in any matchup, but which can only be forged in the heat of battle. This skill will allow you to predict your opponent’s moves and even fool them into attacking you and falling into your trap. People who have been victimized by it have described their opponents as "psychics" or "mind readers" and have even claimed what they saw as "magic."

Enter Señor Footsies: A game as simple in its design as much as it is focused. Created by local Bay Area player Luke "A-Rival" Esquivel, this game puts a magnifying glass on the "magic" that can’t be attained in any other way except through battle-hardened psychology: footsies. In Señor Footsies the bothersome shackles of combo execution and fighting-game mechanics have been cast aside and the only thing left is the mental warfare between two players. Players will share one controller, adding to the tension of this competition, as they try to outwit their opponent and land instantly fatal blows.

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Review: Hori Dead Or Alive 5 Arcade Stick

Hori earlier in the year introduced a new arcade stick model into the family. While not specifically named, this model was released in conjunction with Soulcalibur V. It features some interesting characteristics not included in any other standard arcade stick models from Hori. The model returned in limited quantities for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Dead or Alive 5. While the TTT2 sticks sold out the week it was released in part with the game, I got the chance to examine the DOA5 version to elaborate not only that edition's specific characteristics but also the overall build that spreads between game-specific versions.

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Review: Hori Fighting Stick Mini 3

While it's common to see fighting game players play on arcade sticks featuring authentic parts and a appropriately sized body, there are still folks who might be on a small budget and cannot afford the pricier models. Arcade stick manufacturers also make an affordable series of models where players can get an idea of how to play on stick while not worry too much about price. Hori's latest creation for the cheap fighting gamer is on the miniature side.

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