[leeperry]

I thought I didn't care about the colors of the buttons, but the sluggish stock JLF and those ugly colors really don't make my day(that's the link the guy I traded this stick for some audio gear sent me): http://imageshack.us/g/812/p1000229s.jpg/ 
 

 
It's available in many color schemes, but he bought this one coz it was the only one in stock at the the time(I can see why ^^): http://chenlefr.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/arcade-stick-ultra-ulia/
 
Ends up, I'm gonna go w/ this scheme:
 
 
 
Together w/ a dark gray smoke seimitsu ball:
 
 
 
I will also have a see-through "bubble" seimitsu ball, that might look nice as well so we'll see.
 
The maker of the stick is completely unable to give me a template for the artwork: "it's printed in China, you're SOL".
 
Anyway, this stick is very nice but the 6 top screws don't have a flat head and they really get annoying...I've unscrewed two of them as my hands kept bumping into them.
 
I still think that the Agetec official DC stick was perfect from A to Z: flat head top screws, perfect size, perfect weight, perfect non-sweaty top panel....too bad about the ugly colors and the time it takes to install SANWA parts 

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

I will also have a see-through "bubble" seimitsu ball, that might look nice as well so we'll see.
 
The maker of the stick is completely unable to give me a template for the artwork: "it's printed in China, you're SOL".
 
Anyway, this stick is very nice but the 6 top screws don't have a flat head and they really get annoying...I've unscrewed two of them as my hands kept bumping into them.
 
I still think that the Agetec official DC stick was perfect from A to Z: flat head top screws, perfect size, perfect weight, perfect non-sweaty top panel....too bad about the ugly colors and the time it takes to install SANWA parts 

I have the smoke Seimitsu bubble. It's beautiful. I also have a Sanwa black balltop, which is nice but not fantastic.
 
Sorry to hear you don't have a template, that sucks.
 
Are the screws countersunk into the panel, or raised? If they're countersunk you should be able to find some replacements that'll fit the holes better. If they aren't... you can always have the panel countersunk. It's not actually that hard to do.
 
 
 
In other news, I just tried a few shmups via PSN. Raiden III, for example. It's fun, but feels really sluggish coming from CAVE and Treasure titles. That and the difficulties only correspond to the speed of the bullets, not the number or the pattern-- so at very hard, you have bullets that cross the entire screen in just a few frames. It's not challenging hard, like CAVE, Touhou, or Treasure games; it's stupid hard. So that was kind of a let down. Otherwise quite fun though, and has vertical monitor modes, which I'm always a fan of.
 

 

[ZenErik]

Got some new sticks at PAX East/Anime Boston!
 

 
And thus, my old ones have got to go. I have too many, haha.
 
AWAY WITH THESE!
 

 

 

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

Got some new sticks at PAX East/Anime Boston!
 

 
And thus, my old ones have got to go. I have too many, haha.

Nice! I actually wanted the Q4RAF, but it was out of stock everywhere when I was finally able to place my order. Not that I'm complaining-- I love my Onyx. But the dual mod functionality will have to come later, unfortunately.
 
Is there any particular reason why you have one of those dental floss extender things in the above picture?
 

 

[ZenErik]

Quote:

Nice! I actually wanted the Q4RAF, but it was out of stock everywhere when I was finally able to place my order. Not that I'm complaining-- I love my Onyx. But the dual mod functionality will have to come later, unfortunately.
 
Is there any particular reason why you have one of those dental floss extender things in the above picture?
 

I didn't even notice it was there.
 
BTW, if you do ever get a Q4 RAF, I recommend just getting the regular black model. A common problem with the translucent Limited Editions is squeaky buttons. An issue with Sanwa's manufacturing of the translucent buttons. It is not that bad at all, but it is there. Not worth spending an extra $30 or so to have these issues. I did not notice until I took it home and used it.
 
Qanba seems to have great customer service so I am sure they will be willing to help if it really does bother me. And Videogames New York, whom I bought it from, will also help me out.

 

[leeperry]

 
Quote:

Are the screws countersunk into the panel, or raised? If they're countersunk you should be able to find some replacements that'll fit the holes better. If they aren't... you can always have the panel countersunk. It's not actually that hard to do.

Indeed, I guess I could dremelize the plexiglass top panel, and I actually got a spare one in case things didn't go as expected...I'll think about it as a final mod thing to do I guess. I will also solder the connectors that fit into the buttons because everything is poorly cramped atm, the electrical contacts seem poor...some good ole eutectic cardas solder will seal it all for good 

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

I didn't even notice it was there.
 
BTW, if you do ever get a Q4 RAF, I recommend just getting the regular black model. A common problem with the translucent Limited Editions is squeaky buttons. An issue with Sanwa's manufacturing of the translucent buttons. It is not that bad at all, but it is there. Not worth spending an extra $30 or so to have these issues. I did not notice until I took it home and used it.
 
Qanba seems to have great customer service so I am sure they will be willing to help if it really does bother me. And Videogames New York, whom I bought it from, will also help me out.

Lol, I just thought it was out of place and mentioned it.
 
I was most interested in the black one. That and the Seimitsu-only limited edition black one. I don't tend to like translucent stuff-- just not my style. Thanks for the heads up though; I agree that's rather unfortunate.
 
I don't think I will end up getting one, but we'll see. I'm playing both shmups and fighters from one stick right now, which is a bit of a problem sometimes. I really like the build quality and finish on the Onyx, though, and it's got plenty of room for future modifications. So at the moment I'm not so inclined to get another stick. I plan to do a dual mod myself over the summer, along with some other projects.
 
My stick is technically not Qanba, but it's made by Eightarc, which is basically Qanba's US sub-division. And I agree that the service is excellent: I received a shipping notification within literally seven hours of placing my order. Of course it took a while to arrive (UPS ground and overweight packages, etc.), but well worth it.
 
 
Quote:

 

Indeed, I guess I could dremelize the plexiglass top panel, and I actually got a spare one in case things didn't go as expected...I'll think about it as a final mod thing to do I guess. I will also solder the connectors that fit into the buttons because everything is poorly cramped atm, the electrical contacts seem poor...some good ole eutectic cardas solder will seal it all for good 

You have Cardas solder... O.o
 
When you refer to the connectors, do you mean the quick disconnects or the actual terminals on the base of the buttons?
 
 
 
And now for something completely different:
 
The recent update to the iOS port of Mushihime-sama adds arcade-style slowdown, which is really nice as it both gives a more arcade-esque experience and makes some sections of Ultra/Hell slightly more possible. Also, the iOS CAVE games are all on sale right now, so if any of you have the interest and the means I suggest you pick them up, because they're awesome.
 
EDIT:
 
I just finished setting up my joystick for Touhou and other doujin pc shmups, and am super excited. It's soooooooooo much more intuitive and fun to play on a stick than on keyboard.
 

 

[ZenErik]

Quote:

Lol, I just thought it was out of place and mentioned it.
 
I was most interested in the black one. That and the Seimitsu-only limited edition black one. I don't tend to like translucent stuff-- just not my style. Thanks for the heads up though; I agree that's rather unfortunate.
 
I don't think I will end up getting one, but we'll see. I'm playing both shmups and fighters from one stick right now, which is a bit of a problem sometimes. I really like the build quality and finish on the Onyx, though, and it's got plenty of room for future modifications. So at the moment I'm not so inclined to get another stick. I plan to do a dual mod myself over the summer, along with some other projects.
 
My stick is technically not Qanba, but it's made by Eightarc, which is basically Qanba's US sub-division. And I agree that the service is excellent: I received a shipping notification within literally seven hours of placing my order. Of course it took a while to arrive (UPS ground and overweight packages, etc.), but well worth it.
 
I just finished setting up my joystick for Touhou and other doujin pc shmups, and am super excited. It's soooooooooo much more intuitive and fun to play on a stick than on keyboard.
 

Thanks for the info. I did not know about Eightarc. Looks like the Eightarc Fusion is a good option for those that complain about the QanBa Q4's start button placement. Apparently, accidentally pressing start in a fighting game tournament will get you disqualified. I can see why. But why would a player skilled enough to participate in a tournament not have enough control over their hand to keep it over the 8 buttons? Most fighters only use 4 to 6 of those. Something tells me a player of that caliber would never make it very far anyway.
 
The only downsides to the Eightarc Fusion sticks are the "mode" button is replaced by "start", lack of a handle, and higher price. I do not think the missing "mode" button would be much of an issue, but perhaps on certain games it may be. "mode" allows you to switch from digital to analog controls on the stick. The stick remains 8 way, but it resolves potential compatibility issues with some doujin games. The handle is a nice touch but not a deal breaker for me. And the price difference does not matter to me but may to some. 
 
So far I've only really used one of the sticks to plow through BlazBlue's arcade mode with Platinum the Trinity. No issues to report. Well, except that I DID hit the "start button" a few times. It was just a natural reflex because "start" is usually the "taunt" button in arcades. But now I have taunt mapped to the bottom right button and have adjusted so all is good.
 
What other doujin shmups do you play outside of Touhou? I agree on playing with a stick. There are a few PC shooters I play with a controller but it's mainly stick for me. The notable exception in my mind is Diadra Empty. Definitely works better with a controller + analog.

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

Thanks for the info. I did not know about Eightarc. Looks like the Eightarc Fusion is a good option for those that complain about the QanBa Q4's start button placement. Apparently, accidentally pressing start in a fighting game tournament will get you disqualified. I can see why. But why would a player skilled enough to participate in a tournament not have enough control over their hand to keep it over the 8 buttons? Most fighters only use 4 to 6 of those. Something tells me a player of that caliber would never make it very far anyway.
 
The only downsides to the Eightarc Fusion sticks are the "mode" button is replaced by "start", lack of a handle, and higher price. I do not think the missing "mode" button would be much of an issue, but perhaps on certain games it may be. "mode" allows you to switch from digital to analog controls on the stick. The stick remains 8 way, but it resolves potential compatibility issues with some doujin games. The handle is a nice touch but not a deal breaker for me. And the price difference does not matter to me but may to some. 
 
So far I've only really used one of the sticks to plow through BlazBlue's arcade mode with Platinum the Trinity. No issues to report. Well, except that I DID hit the "start button" a few times. It was just a natural reflex because "start" is usually the "taunt" button in arcades. But now I have taunt mapped to the bottom right button and have adjusted so all is good.
 
What other doujin shmups do you play outside of Touhou? I agree on playing with a stick. There are a few PC shooters I play with a controller but it's mainly stick for me. The notable exception in my mind is Diadra Empty. Definitely works better with a controller + analog.

Yeah, I was wondering about that myself. I guess some people have weird hand placement??
 
I looked at the Fusion, but it too was sold out. They Onyx, however, is an awesome stick. TONS of room inside, MDF construction, felt bottom... It feels stupidly solid, and the piano finish is beautiful (and surprisingly enough does not attract fingerprints). The only downside is the lack of preexisting dual mod functionality.
 
Wait, you mean that button actually has a function? O.o
That's interesting, but as you said, not terribly functional for most applications.
 
I've been playing BlazBlue a lot recently, actually. I loved it on pad, but it is infinitely better on stick. I'm not very good, considering it's literally the only fighting game I've ever played (though that will change tomorrow, once Skullgirls comes out on PSN). But it's insanely fun.
 
Right now I play Touhou, Alltynex Second, YGS2000, and a few others. I wouldn't say YGS2000 is a 'real' shmup, but it does have some great patterns taken from CAVE titles and can be helpful for practice. I also emulate Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, and R-Type Final.

 

[ZenErik]

Quote:

Yeah, I was wondering about that myself. I guess some people have weird hand placement??
 
I looked at the Fusion, but it too was sold out. They Onyx, however, is an awesome stick. TONS of room inside, MDF construction, felt bottom... It feels stupidly solid, and the piano finish is beautiful (and surprisingly enough does not attract fingerprints). The only downside is the lack of preexisting dual mod functionality.
 
Wait, you mean that button actually has a function? O.o
That's interesting, but as you said, not terribly functional for most applications.
 
I've been playing BlazBlue a lot recently, actually. I loved it on pad, but it is infinitely better on stick. I'm not very good, considering it's literally the only fighting game I've ever played (though that will change tomorrow, once Skullgirls comes out on PSN). But it's insanely fun.
 
Right now I play Touhou, Alltynex Second, YGS2000, and a few others. I wouldn't say YGS2000 is a 'real' shmup, but it does have some great patterns taken from CAVE titles and can be helpful for practice. I also emulate Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, and R-Type Final.

Sounds like the Onyx is very similar to the QanBa sticks. It's probably also a QanBa rebrand. I love the felt bottom. The stick doesn't slip at all on my lap. As much as I liked my HRAP sticks, the QanBa feels more solid.
 
BlazBlue is great. The story mode is extremely deep for a fighter. Plays much like a visual novel. Which system are you playing on? I would also recommend trying out Arcana Heart 3 or King of Fighters XIII sometime. And Phantom Breaker is a fun but more simple fighter. Definitely not as good, IMO, but it is very noob friendly. Dead or Alive 4 is a solid 3D fighter if you have a 360, but personally, I would say wait for Dead or Alive 5 this fall.
 
Alltynex Second is awesome!!! Siter Skain makes some of the best shmups even if we're including Cave, Psikyo, Raizing, etc. For MAME or other forms of emulation I would definitely recommend Battle Garegga and Mars Matrix. Triggerheart Exelica is another favorite. Not sure if that works with NAOMI/DC emulation or not.
 

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

Sounds like the Onyx is very similar to the QanBa sticks. It's probably also a QanBa rebrand. I love the felt bottom. The stick doesn't slip at all on my lap. As much as I liked my HRAP sticks, the QanBa feels more solid.
 
BlazBlue is great. The story mode is extremely deep for a fighter. Plays much like a visual novel. Which system are you playing on? I would also recommend trying out Arcana Heart 3 or King of Fighters XIII sometime. And Phantom Breaker is a fun but more simple fighter. Definitely not as good, IMO, but it is very noob friendly. Dead or Alive 4 is a solid 3D fighter if you have a 360, but personally, I would say wait for Dead or Alive 5 this fall.
 
Alltynex Second is awesome!!! Siter Skain makes some of the best shmups even if we're including Cave, Psikyo, Raizing, etc. For MAME or other forms of emulation I would definitely recommend Battle Garegga and Mars Matrix. Triggerheart Exelica is another favorite. Not sure if that works with NAOMI/DC emulation or not.
 

Yeah, the story in BlazBlue is amazing, and it has an incredible sense of humor. Easily one of the funniest and most enjoyable games I've played in years. I play on PS3. I *would* play on Xbox, but for a number of reasons I couldn't bring it with me to college.
 
I'm currently trying to finish the campaigns. Not going too well since I also have physics and computer science homework... SIGH... I just want to be done with the story by tomorrow.
 
And yes, Alltynex Second IS awesome. It really does compete with actual developers, although the first level is IMO a little slow to warm up. It also has a stupidly catchy and classic space shooter soundtrack.
 
I emulate Ikaruga on GC, because of the extra features not present in the DC version. I own the GC and Xbox Live versions of the game, and love both, but the GC is more true to the arcade. It has virtually no significant differences from the arcade and DC versions except the audio processing, which is indeed a loss.
 
I will have to look into Battle Garegga and the others you mentioned; I haven't heard of them.
 

 

[leeperry]

 
Quote:

You have Cardas solder... O.o
 
When you refer to the connectors, do you mean the quick disconnects or the actual terminals on the base of the buttons?

The Cardas quad eutectic solder is pretty cheap and its nice added value is that its melting point is very low and it makes perfect joints.
 
I was referring to the quick disconnect connectors but having more thoughts about it, when I'll be all set I'll simply solder the wires that come off the PCB directly onto the buttons. I hate poor electrical connections due to sloppy middle men

 
Anyway, my order has been shipped...it'll be a matter of 10 days or so for my friend to receive it and ship it back to Europe.

 

[Softdrink 117]

Quote:

 

The Cardas quad eutectic solder is pretty cheap and its nice added value is that its melting point is very low and it makes perfect joints.
 
I was referring to the quick disconnect connectors but having more thoughts about it, when I'll be all set I'll simply solder the wires that come off the PCB directly onto the buttons. I hate poor electrical connections due to sloppy middle men

 
Anyway, my order has been shipped...it'll be a matter of 10 days or so for my friend to receive it and ship it back to Europe.

I'm at the stage where Cardas anything seems crazy. Some of the products are pretty reasonable, though, and it does seem like good solder.
 
SHRUG.
 
I'm a fan of the quick disconnects. It takes enough time to open up the case-- switching out buttons should be uncomplicated.
 
On another note:
----
I recently managed to obtain a copy of the DoDonPachi DaiOuJou ISO. Having played the official console release of the game now, and being able to compare it directly to the iOS port, I have a few comments:
First, my initial impression was whoa, the iOS port is totally broken. This is because in the iOS version, you're given analog control over the movement of the fighters. Further, your speed is limited only by the speed at which you can move your finger across the screen. And there is no speed penalty for using the laser as opposed to the standard shot. This might seem like a 'well duh' kind of comment, but having actually played both versions it makes a huge difference in some places.
By comparison, in the official console port, and in the arcade release, the speed and handling of your ship changes depending on which shot type your using and even which of the two starter ships and three element dolls you choose. This is a massive gameplay difference that makes some techniques impossible to exchange between the two versions. I did, however, notice that the comboing timer on the iOS release goes down slightly quicker, which actually does a lot to balance out this issue.
 
However, there isn't really any practical way of fixing this without making the game unplayable. So IMO it's a necessary evil.
 
Second, the iOS port looks and sounds better. Vastly better, in some cases. But in my opinion, it also loses out on a little bit of the charm that the arcade graphics have, although I prefer the arranged iOS soundtrack to that on console.
 
Third, there are a very few item and enemy placements that are different, and a few patterns that are changed. They aren't really that important.
----
In conclusion, I stand by my statement that the iOS port is very, very good, but must admit that there are several fundamental differences between the two versions of the title that make the iOS somewhat less pure of a port than ideal. I do, however, think it's as good as you can get in terms of porting a shmup game to a touch interface, and honestly have no complaints (except about the new 'custom edit' feature, but that's a whole different story.)
 
\endrant

 

[ZenErik]

Is it an ISO of the PS2 version or Xbox 360 version? DOJ is also available on MAME. I have played all 3 of those versions. And the iOS version too! It's my favorite DDP easily.

 

[leeperry]

There's also been a rom hack of the original DDP, didn't try it yet: http://daifukkat.su/2012/02/dodonpachi-arrange/