I'll probably be up in Auckland on the 13th (this sat) during the day, so if anyone wants to meet up briefly in town/Yifan's I can probably organise to be there. Hit me up with a PM if you want my cell # or something.
--flux
You know, I was planning on going into town on Saturday to get some playing in, what a coincidence!
I don't know the names of any places in town (I live in the suburbs), but I do remember a really great arcade there. On Queen street, its underground, really great place with every game you could want to play. There's a row of photo stalls just as you walk in. Is this Yifan's that you're talking about?
Anyway, hope to see you there. Hope you can teach me, oh great sensei :P
EDIT
I went to Yifan's today, it was the place I was thinking of. Don't know if I saw you there, seeing as we wouldn't recognize each other even if we did.
As my first experience playing in an arcade, all I can say is that sticks are difficult when you've been playing on pad all your life. I couldn't even do basic QCF-type moves =/. I fought a Sol player on #Reload, he was good, but I think I could matched him if I was able to play properly. Anyway, I have a stick incoming that I got on TradeMe for $45, so hopefully I'll be able to work on that and put in some much better play next time I'm there.
I cruised past Yifans for a couple of games on Saturday. Had a game of MvC2 but there was no comp. I just wanted a game though as my Dreamcast died a while back and I haven't played for a while. Damn I'm rusty. Really enjoyed KOF XI but will wait for the PS2 release in March before I start playing it properly. My only real practice on KOF XI so far has been one of my friends bringing around the Jap version.
week days would be a better bet for mvc2 comp......altho sundays r sumtyms good...
but theres more kof97-98 and t5:dr comp then anything else these days :-[
Quote from: D0P3FI3ND on January 14, 2007, 04:20:13 PM
week days would be a better bet for mvc2 comp......altho sundays r sumtyms good...
but theres more kof97-98 and t5:dr comp then anything else these days :-[
Weekdays? WTF? that's no good! :D
I went in there briefly (probably half an hour or so), got destroyed at GGXX#R by some Venom player, then moved to MvC2 where one Akuma/Ryu/Ken scrub challenged me (bad move... whipped his ass with MSP, big surprise) I'm really rusty in both games, only thing I actually get to play these days is UMK3. Plus I just can't get used to those jap sticks! *excuses*
Should have checked out KOFXI but my gf wanted to get out of there by then.
geneterror: XI is definitely due for march? Awesome! (ah yeah, I see it's "late feb" on gpstore). Pick this one up, people, it's supposed to be HOT!
coddfish: Good to hear you got some play! Sticks certainly take some getting used to when you're used to pads, but it really is a lot better with sticks. I made a custom stick about 8 years ago and never looked back; As I said though, I still have problems with the ones at yifan's. My only real advice is DON'T GET XARCADE and also have heard that the KOF sticks which are easy to find on trademe at the moment aren't too good... hope this isn't spoiling your purchase!
--flux
Yeah weekdays is when all the students are in there and most don't bus back in just to play on weekends. I know my MvC2 game was at it's best when I was at design school on Queen St, I spent about 2 hours a day playing down there. Alas the real world caught up with me and work means I can't get down there on weekdays now though. Some Friday nights seem quite busy though.
The stick I got is one of the old grey and yellow Namco sticks. I'm hoping to customize it in the near future; Fate seems to have found a supplier of Sanwa parts in Aus, though color range, for sticks at least, is lacking.
It was kind of buggy at first, often giving me "no controller" errors, but it seems to have sorted itself out. Must have just been the years of hibernation. I'm getting the hang of it though, I should be much more capable if I go into town again this weekend.
I also played 3S for the first time ever while I was there, its great. I'm looking at importing SF:AC from the states so I can start to play some proper 3S.
Quote from: Coddfish on January 15, 2007, 04:19:11 PM
I also played 3S for the first time ever while I was there, its great. I'm looking at importing SF:AC from the states so I can start to play some proper 3S.
Yeah, sucks that we got gypped out of that one! I have it for DC, but of course it's based on the revision, and has no unblockables. 3s is one of the biggest 2d fighters around at the moment, I got pretty bored with it a couple of years back, but maybe I should give it another go sometime.
--flux
Quote from: geneterror on January 14, 2007, 01:11:45 AM
Really enjoyed KOF XI but will wait for the PS2 release in March
serious? wouldn't mind picking that up, gives me another means of practice. just not dedicated enough to pour money into it at the arcade, unlike marvel ;D
Quote from: samurai black on January 16, 2007, 04:33:16 PM
serious? wouldn't mind picking that up, gives me another means of practice. just not dedicated enough to pour money into it at the arcade, unlike marvel ;D
Good man. Personally I like to have some practice under the belt before going to the arcade, so it's nice to get a game on console relatively soon after its appearance in the arcade. Of course, I still won't have any comp...
Marvel however just breaks all the rules... game is too good.
Welcome to the forum, btw!
--flux
that would be nice, but the fact is that PAL releases take forever. kof xi has been at yifans for a year now, and we finally get a release date in march? at least we've got it better than the states for once. i dont think theyre actually getting a stateside release for kof xi.
I cant complain. hell, ill probably end up pre ordering this anyway. the wait just makes it all the more satisfying when you get it.
Quote from: samurai black on January 16, 2007, 05:15:51 PM
at least we've got it better than the states for once. i dont think theyre actually getting a stateside release for kof xi.
I heard rumors that for the most part, Sony USA aren't allowing stateside releases of 2D games that aren't part of a compilation - because it creates a "bad image", doesn't show off their systems' abilities or something.
At first I just shrugged it off as a silly rumor, but with the wave of PS2 ports that have come out in NTSC-J and PAL, but not NTSC, makes me think this might actually be true. If it is, good fucking game Sony America =/.
Quote from: samurai black on January 16, 2007, 05:15:51 PM
that would be nice, but the fact is that PAL releases take forever. kof xi has been at yifans for a year now, and we finally get a release date in march? at least we've got it better than the states for once. i dont think theyre actually getting a stateside release for kof xi.
Has it been that long? Well, at least another version of the game hasn't been released since. Unlike Guilty Gear (can't even get slash), Tekken (no 5.1 or DR [PSP does NOT count]), SamSho (5 special hasn't come out, let alone tenka)...
I know the situation in jp is better, but that's not really the issue. XI being the latest KoF and almost being available is quite a coup for PAL.
--flux
KAPKOM power........ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
That arcade mentioned by Coddfish, I went there just yesterday and it was also my first time playing arcade sticks. I can only play T5 and the Gundam Seed game well on ps2 but had trouble using sticks especially on T5 with df motions, or I would jump by accident.
Yep, pretty much everyone goes through it... I used to be a pad warrior. Trust me though, once you get used to sticks you'll never go back.
Personally I'm still not good with the japanese style used in Yifan's, but I'm trying. I recommend you get a stick for your home platform of choice and just practice :D
Welcome to the site, by the way!
--flux
Listen to Flux. Since I've gotten a stick, I haven't looked back. Took like a week to adjust, just toying aound at home.
Now its just IADs and repeated DP motions (Melty blood infinites... kekeke) that sometimes give me trouble.
I also can't imagine playing on a stick with any gate other than a square :P
Quote from: Coddfish on April 01, 2007, 06:38:05 PM
I also can't imagine playing on a stick with any gate other than a square :P
True enough. When I first *purchased* a stick I got a circle because I wanted to do smooth qcfs and 360s. Foolish boy... when I realised my mistake I made a square restrictor out of lexan, it's so much better to be able to feel the corners - especially in something like KoF where plenty of 'special' normals have df stick positions - guess the same goes for Tekken, too. But skip all that MCA/Happs stuff, because eventually you'll want to go Sanwa/Seimitsu anyway, so may as well just start with the Japanese sticks!
--flux
Actually, I'll just add one more thing: stay away from X-Arcade! I can't believe it's even possible to make a stick/buttons that are so difficult to get off simple moves with!
--flux
So what's a good type of stick for T5? I've seen the Namco arcade stick on Trademe a few times. Is that any good? Sorry I know nothing about the quality of these things.
I can vouch for the namco stick. It's not as good as a home made one. But it's cheep and good. Fluxcore tells me I can just swap out the stick for another one, sweet!
Well, I don't think it's quite as trivial as that, might require some drilling and stuff, but it IS possible to put Sanwas in a namco stick - shoryuken.com has some details on the forum (shows up in a google search).
I don't think I ever actually played using your namco stick, but from the initial feel of it it didn't seem too bad - the buttons were a step up from the Agetec I use, anyway!
--flux
Well yeah, I would have to drill for mounting points on it. But to me it feels pretty good. Works fine in ggxx#r and SF3TS.
Might have to make a hack like your dreamcast one so it can be used on other consoles as well.
Myself and Fate can both vouch for the Namco sticks also. In fact, I got two, because the first one wasn't working too well, which is what I'll be using to mod.
As far as modding goes...
http://arcadestickmonk.com/asm-namco-sanwa-mod.html
As far as putting custom art in it goes, there's a metal plate on the top of the stick, which I will replace with some sort of clear perspex or whatever (I'll need to investigate what is best), with art underneath.
Since opening up my broken stick completely though, I've found that the buttons clipped only onto the metal plate, not the plastic underneath like the stick does.
I'm hoping the perspex will be strong enough to support the buttons as well as the metal (and survive a bit of abuse :P), otherwise I will reinforce the back of it, behind the art, with metal. Probably cut from the old plate.
Sanwa clip-in buttons are good for up to 4mm thickness, and the metal plate (so therefore the perspex which will replace it as well) are about 1.5mm thick. So even with the extra backing, the buttons should still fit.
Of course, I won't be doing all this for a while, since I'm going to south africa to visit the old man for three months, leaving on 26th april. But when I get back, I will try get this done ASAP, and let you guys know how it turns out :)
Incidentally, I have already done my art for the stick. No stealing~! Linked rather than [img]'d, because its quite large.
http://www.gatotsu.co.nz/images/misc/washistick.jpg
Nice find - looks a bit nasty cutting up a brand new ~$40 sanwa stick though! :D
As for perspex vs lexan, I personally like lexan since you can cut it like wood & it won't shatter - it's also nice and thin. It would need something behind it though. Also, lexan scratches easier than perspex - but not amazingly easily!
Like the overlay, too - I take it you like Last Blade as well? Must be one of the best looking/sounding fighting games I've ever played. Pity the character balance & some of the gameplay elements make a bit of an uneven game...
--flux
Apart from random people on Trademe, is the Namco stick available here?
Quote from: Birdman on April 02, 2007, 05:00:25 PM
Apart from random people on Trademe, is the Namco stick available here?
If you mean in stores, I haven't seen one new for a very long time - I guess it would be possible to get lucky and find one, but I doubt it. Gino found his at Cash Converters I believe, so there are options, but second hand is definitely most likely.
--flux
There where 2 at cash converters. Wish I had both of them now :(
Quote from: Coddfish on April 02, 2007, 04:42:55 PM
Of course, I won't be doing all this for a while, since I'm going to south africa to visit the old man for three months, leaving on 26th april. But when I get back, I will try get this done ASAP, and let you guys know how it turns out :)
I don't think there's a big chance I'll get up to Auckland to meet you before you leave, so in case I don't, hope you have a great time over in SA!
--flux