X-Arcade Tankstick + Trackball on sale

[Krakerman]

If your interested in FightSticks just search for the 3 top mfg of them: Hori, Eightarc and Mad Catz. They make many different FightSticks and they can vary in prices from affordable to expensive. The nice thing about alot of them such as the Mad Catz sticks there are sites dedicated to selling parts/customizing them with led/colored buttons, custom paint/graphics as well as bezels and ball tops. Mad Catz even encourages you to do so. The newest one by them the Xbox One is really sick and they sell a board to add custom lighted buttons however this comes at a price. The FS Pro is pretty cheap at only $99 and is rock solid. Like I said before if you want them to work right out of the box with your PC just make sure they say PC or XBOX/XBOX360. The Eightarc's have a switch on them to change them from PS3 and XBOX/PC mode which is cool because you can use that stick on all systems.

There are many other sites that make custom sticks to your specs as well.

[RIP-Felix]

I opted for the X-arcade Tanksticks during one of their holiday sales (something like $40 US off). Love that thing! They give it lifetime replacement guarantee. If anything breaks (which isn't likely, it's built like...well, a tank) they will send you the part . You do the repair. I asked one of the reps if opening it voids the warranty and he said they're designed to be repaired in home, feel free to open it, it doesn't void the warranty. Something to consider. I like the trackball for mouse functions, so the tankstics were a no brainer! Perfect size for my cab, Plug'n play, no drivers. Simple.

Also there is a little switch on the back with 4 positions for custom profiles! The first is default (which I use). But the other 3 are open for you to remap to whatever you need. You just slide the switch and press 1 button to load it into mem. I found this was unnecessary for me, but some emus use certain default key mappings for system functions (ZSNES for example). So, this little extra can give the tankstick flexibility.

[Krakerman]

Yeah you need to open them up if you want to convert them over to 4-way for Pac-Man type games. By default they are all set to 8-way. I prefer the balltop joysticks than the X-Arcade ones

[RIP-Felix]

I'd like to get a full analog joystick (I like the oval top...whatever) so I can play games like NFL blitz with more realism. But I'd like to have the 4-way/8-way adjustability by pulling up and twisting as well. I also like the magnetic centering sticks, springs loosen over time. I'm just not willing to replace them until I find a stick worth the trouble. I don't know of any that do all this.

[Krakerman]

Yeah I want one of those pull top adjustable 4-8 way ones also would be very convenient to have.

[Krakerman]

I picked up a Logitech FlightStick 3D Pro for Zaxxon/Afterburner style games and works very good! Haven't tested yet with Discs of Tron but it's really good stick and cheap got it for only $20.

[tthurman]

What's your plan for the push / pull spinner?

This thread has really prompted some healthy exchange about controllers.

I really looked hard at the X-Gaming products early on, but have no complaints about the controller I got from Arcades R Fun.

[GeorgeT]

I bought an X-Arcade single player YEARS ago for my PS2 and Xbox (adapters) and the thing still runs like a champ. I have since graduated to a SlikStik control panel (no longer in existence) and my trackball now only goes up/down, not left/right...kinda bums me out. I'm thinking of using the single X-Arcade in a bartop setup someday

[tthurman]

Yep, first looked at SlikStik years ago, but struggled with the price.

NorthCoast models look nearly identical. This is really very similar to the model I purchased from Arcades R Fun. 2 Happs 8 ways, 1 4 way, trackball, Asteroids layout, etc. etc., similar in most every way, including price. I finally caved and just got one after I watched SlikStik go away in a sad, almost RAM Controls type of way.

[RIP-Felix]

I bought an X-Arcade single player YEARS ago for my PS2 and Xbox (adapters) and the thing still runs like a champ. I have since graduated to a SlikStik control panel (no longer in existence) and my trackball now only goes up/down, not left/right...kinda bums me out. I'm thinking of using the single X-Arcade in a bartop setup someday

Hey, now that you mention it mine has stoped tracking L/R also . I thought it may have been drivers or the usb port. I just haven't gotten around to taking a closer look yet. I just gave X-Gaming an e-Mail to see If I can leverage that Lifetime Warranty. It says "If your X-Arcade is ever found to be defective or stops working, XGaming will send replacement parts to your location..." It does say that if you're outside the USA then you will be charged for shipping. That's not an issue for me, but you'll might like to know. I'll report back on their service here. This sick warranty was one of the reasons I bought the Tankstick, so I hope they put their money where their mouth is, I sure did ($159,99).

EDIT 9/23/14:

Looks like they are going to send me a replacment "L/R board". I assume it is a PCB internal to the trackball unit. I'll figure it out when it comes...

EDIT 10/4/14:

The "L/R board" is a small PCB internal to the Trackball assembly that has a few jumpers hooked to it.Basicly there are three steel bars that the trackball rests on, replacable ball bearings for smooth rotation, and two of the bars have a wheel attached with spaced holes that line up with photogates on these PCB's to gauge the speed of the trackball without ever making physical contact with the elictronic component. A photogate shines a constant beam of light from an emittor to a reciever. The wheel sits in between the reciever and emmitor. When it spins the holes let light through and block it as it spins. The photo gate reads the frequency to gauge the speed of the wheel. Pretty solid analog design, easy to clean and repair. This did indeed fix the issue.

XGaming confrimed my order number and adress, then promptly sent the replacment part no questions asked (beyond tracking down the issue). I am very satisfied with their service and the way they honered my warranty. I highly reccomend the X-Arcade Tanksticks. They're a solid choice, literally!