Hoss's Guide to: Picking the right Fightstick

Here, I'll breakdown all kinds of Fightsticks that are or are not worth your hard earned Government-controlled pieces of green paper, in Tiers. I'll show you which ones are simply the best possible Fightsticks to own, which are an absolute must for beginners, and which ones to not even make eye contact with when in the store. So without any further delay, let's get to it.

Please note: A Fightstick is as much of a tool as it is a learning device. You will need to put in the work to get results, buying the best Fightstick isn't going to make you Godlike, so keep that in mind.

Introduction to Fightsticks

A Fightstick is something precious to a fighting game veteran. It is, essentially, an extension of one's body. Once you become familiar with a Fightstick, you will never go back to a controller.

Ever.

Fightsticks provide the most precision and the most feedback one can get when playing a fighting game. But there are so many out there, some cheap and some expensive, it can be hard to know where to start. For starters, you should not dive right into the most expensive Fightstick you can get your hands on. That is a recipe for disaster. If you end up being unable to learn how to use it, or simply do not like it, you are out of upwards to $300, if you are unable to return it. So with this guide I'll break down a bunch of Fightsticks in Tiers that you can look into, and avoid, if you're in the market for a superior form of control in your fighting games.

Every single Fightstick in this guide, I have used. To some extent. I own some of them, or have owned in the past, or I've just had extensive use with them at the house of a friend or otherwise. There are Fightsticks I have used that I will not include in this guide, simply to weed out the good and bad, and reduce filler. So, knowing this, let's get you on that path to becoming a better player. And please remember; this guide is strictly based on my personal opinion on the Fightsticks that lie within, the Tiers are simply my way of showing you which are priority, once you've learned how to use a Fightstick and which ones are simply not worth your time, and everything inbetween.

Here is a video of Maximilian talking about Fightsticks, how they can affect your game, and other aspects of owning one:

And here is a very solid video by Gootecks on the basics of using your Fight Stick:

Possible follow-up guide: Hoss's Guide to: How to use your Fightstick as well as additional Fightsticks to be added later

Note: Prices are in USD and may vary

S-Tier Fightsticks: Pack your bags because you're going to EVO

Buying any of these Fightsticks will turn you into Bruce Hsiang (GamerBee) and take you to EVO.

I guarantee it.

MadCatz Fightstick PRO	$299
Vewlix layout	A+

Notes: Very excellent Fightstick, I've used one a little bit here and there and it outweighs the other MadCatz TE Fightsticks by far. Very solid feeling and the stick itself feels incredibly smooth and has great feedback. My only gripe is all main-controls such as the Turbo switch, lock/unlock, etc. are right above the buttons themselves. Also very easy to mod.

eTokki Omni	$195
Namco layout	A+

Notes: Very solid construction and has an amazing weight to it. The stick sits at a great height and has good feedback with rolls. Buttons have a nice pop and are extremely responsive.

HORI VLX	$270
Vewlix layout	A+

Notes: Excels in construction, feel and weight. Might be a bit too large for some people but provides great comfort with lap-play. Buttons are some of the most responsive you'll find, and the Fightstick as a whole can be modded very easily.

MadCatz TE 'S'

$220

Vewlix layout

A

Flat sides & base

Sanwa buttons & JLF

Improved service bay

Notes: Have had a few of these, and they are solid for modding and general use. Tough design and great insides and all around very good construction. Buttons feel great and have a nice click, stick has good rolls and feedback.

SEGA HSS-0130	$350
Difficult to mod	B+

Notes: Have not had much experience with this, but overall for some great, classic Dreamcast fightans, I'd use nothing else. Great for couch-play, and has some solid feeling sticks to boot.

A-Tier Fightsticks: These get the job done

These Fightsticks are GREAT once you get familiar with how to use a Fightstick properly and provide very good feedback and play if taken care of.

HORI Fighting Edge	$200
Namco layout	A+

Notes: My current Fightstick, I really love it, and the weight is fantastic. Excellent button feel and pop and the base is a stellar size for lap-play. Remappable EVERYTHING is also a very good thing. Also very easy to mod. I highly recommend this Fightstick, once you're comfortable with using one and have moved up in quality and preference.

HORI RAP N3-SA	$135
Namco layout	A

Notes: Has a nice, chunky feel to it. Feels solid and isn't overly thick. Buttons feel great if you're used to Sanwas, so you'll feel right at home. Stick has good rolls and feedback which is always nice. Buttons might be a little too close to the stick itself for some people.

JoyTron EXChanger

$200

Vewlix layout

A-

EZ-Open service bay

Accepts Sanwa buttons & JLF

Crown stick & generic buttons

Notes: Have only used this Fightstick a few times but overall was a great experience. Buttons feel flat, though. But easy access to the insides provides for great mod capabilities.

MadCatz Tournament Edition	$180
Easy to mod	B

Notes: Was my go-to Fightstick for a long time, great insides and buttons feel so nice. You've got a very solid stick that will be hard to top. Very good beginner Fightstick for its size and overall quality. Next to the HORI BlazBlue CT, this could also be a first-purchase.

B-Tier Fightsticks: A little rough around the edges

These are all great Fightsticks for beginners and can easily be first-purchases without too much worry of breaking the bank. Some might be too small for most people, but overall there's a nice variety here for anyone who's looking to step into the Fightstick market.

HORI BlazBlue CT	$120
Remodeled HRAP EX	A

Notes: Chunky feeling, if not a bit cheap feeling. Has generic buttons but can be modded if you take the time. Great beginner Fightstick, in my opinion, and truthfully should be your first Fightstick purchase.

Qanba Q4 RAF	$190
Vewlix layout	A-

Notes: Another stellar beginner Fightstick. Has a very solid stick inside and true Sanwa buttons which is nice to have in a vanilla Fightstick. Only downside is all models have been known to have slight USB failures where it will not register when plugged in.

MadCatz TvC

$90

Vewlix layout

B+

High-grade generics

Can be used on PC via adapter

Notes: Great Fightstick for the Wii. The only Fightstick for the Wii, I think. Not completely sure. Kind of small, but great for people with smaller hands. Moddable, but can be a pain in the ♥♥♥♥ to do so. Can also be used on a PC via USB adapter.

SEGA Virtua Stick High Grade	$150
SEGA layout	B+

Notes: Very solid Fightstick but ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ is it hard to mod, if you're going for that. It's great in a vanilla state, but you might want to swap out the stick itself for a higher grade Sanwa stick.

C-Tier Fightsticks: Great for learning how to mod

These are good but not great. Nice to pick up and learn on, without spending too much money, beofre moving up a Tier to bigger and better things. Not many to list here, sadly.

HORI Tekken Wireless	$100
Generic parts	B-

Notes: It's wireless, so there will be some input delay, but it's great for offline play. If you plan to use this online, prepare for wireless delay AND input lag from latency all around. Soldered insides mean modding is difficult. Good, solid beginner's Fightstick.

Qanba Q2 Standard	$100
Standard layout	B-

Notes: Much like the Q4, very solid Fightstick, but a tiny bit less so, due to quality being dropped in favour of glowing buttons.

Qanba Q1 Table	$100
Standard layout	C

Notes: It's a nice Fightstick for beginners but you might want to look elsewhere if you want quality. The table clamp is nice, but feels gimmicky and overall just gets in the way. Though, most models of this Fightstick include hex and circle gates on top of the included suqare gate, which is a nice addition.

D-Tier Fightsticks: Gootecks uses these for Shot-putting

Don't even touch these. They are garbage, will rob you of your money and time and most likely fall to pieces within the first week of purchase. Make a mental note of what these are so you can avoid them.

HORI EX2	$60
Very difficult to mod	F

X-Arcade	$130
Awful layout	F

Playtech PRO

$60

Garbage insides

F

Wide as hell layout

Loose construction

PDP Mortal Kombat	$90
Only great for MK	F

Notes: Just ignore all of these Fightsticks at all costs.

Don't want a Fightstick, but want to improve? Try a Fightpad!

So here's your situation: You want to improve your game, but don't want to get a Fightstick, or simply can't afford one. That's cool, man. We've all been there. You can still use a controller, and improve. But, not just any controller; a Fightpad. Fightpads harken back to the Genesis era of controllers, in terms of layout and build. They fit nicely in the hands, control very well and much better than your standard dual-stick controller and provide far more control and feedback. They are relatively affordable, most running around $30-$40. Have all kinds of artwork and come in two sizes: Standard and super-deformed (small).

I use one, personally, when I want to get a few matches in but am too lazy, or not in the proper enviroment, for a Fightstick. They aren't a replacement, per se, but they get the job done and are the only kind of ''pad'' I use outside of a Fightstick. I won't grade them, as there are too few to pick from, so I will list the few kinds there are and let you go about your business. They all have a dish-style, concave flaoting D-Pad that provides very good control, large, chunky buttons that feel great under the fingertips and two very solid shoulder buttons, and they also have stick-switches in the back as well as a rubberized backing plate.

I highly recommend you buy Xbox 360 versions of any of these, as they are Xinput and PC-ready.

MadCatz Fightpads

$30

Solid construction

Nice & chunky buittons

Comfortable & responsive floating D-Pad

PDP Fightpads

$15-$60

Nice construction

Flat, chunky buttons

Nub-style D-pad & Offset shape

Modding your Fightstick

If you plan to mod your Fightstick, there is one place you can go for a lot of basics when it comes to materials, custom plates, etc., and that place is Art's Hobbies:

-Art's Hobbies[www.tek-innovations.com]

And you can also shop over at Focus Attack, for various sticks, buttons, ball tops, gates and more:

-Focus Attack[www.focusattack.com]

And a secondary parts shop with great stock and service is Paradise Arcade Shop. They have a great selection of balltops and buttons, sticks and cases and even custom plexi, all at great prices:

-Paradise Arcade Shop[www.paradisearcadeshop.com]

Also be sure to give Canadian Joysticks a look. They have a nice selection of balltops and various parts with decent prices:

-Canadian Joysticks[www.canadianjoysticks.com]

And just to give you an idea on what is involved in modding, here is a tutorial on how to mod a MadCatz Tounament Edition Fightstick, taught by Markman himself. Please keep in mind the process will vary from Fightstick to Fightstick, but this will at least show you what kind of work goes into the modding process, and will help guage if you're comfortable enough doing this yourself.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Closing

Hopefully this can put you on the right track to finding the Fightstick just for you. There are many more out there, so be sure to reasearch on what is inside of them, if they can be modded and if they will work for your console and or PC.

Have fun! And if this guide was of any use to you, I'd appreciate the Thumbs Up and a comment to let me know what I can improve, or if you have any specific questions. :)

Changelog

June 23, 2014:
-Removed a stick that is no longer in production and impossible to find

[Very small + some money]

what a throwback. I think I'd have played more fighting games if that fucking clamp didn't get in my way ngl

[Julien_733]

nice

[DEMIURGE#7770]

i didn't know fightpads existed, now i gotta get one

[Swattii]

@Bender the Offender, it's all personal preference. Just because you win more with a fight stick doesn't mean everyone else is going to be winning more. Some people don't want to carry around this huge box with buttons on it and a joystick. For most people, I'd say just stick with something you're more comfortable with.

[midnightwanderer]

I know it's like years later but I just thought that anybody who comes across this interested in a fight stick, you really win more with fight sticks. Most of them are garbage inside but do not be discouraged because in 2019 it's child's play swapping components for sanwa denchi (sorry for the spelling error) the stick is just a bare 5 pin ready to accept any pcb header. I modded 2 sf4 non TE madcatz back in the day and even printed custom decals at Kinkos (back then) that I whipped up on photo shop. I decided to post here because it was a really good experience for me and it gave me some modding skills'/confidence as a young man. Also because this guide is superbly crafted by Hoss.

Thanks

[Sepums]

Awesome guide and very helpful, thank you.
What do you think about the Razer Panthera, HORI Fighting Stick Mini or the HORI Fighting Commander pad?

[Ocelot]

I don't use a Hitbox

[󠀡󠀡]

No Hitbox?

[Zephyr]

RIP Mad Catz

[LP]

Great guide, helped a lot.