(Part 3) Best products from r/StreetFighter

Alright based on your answers and the stuff available on amazon.co.uk my suggestions would be:

1. Venom Official PS4 FightStick
   It is cheap (65£, free delivery), but unlike the HORI Fightstick Mini, or the MadCatz Fightstick Alpha it has the size of a proper fightstick (though it is on the smaller side of things when compared to behemoths like the Razer Panthera, or the QanBa Dragon), actually it being a bit smaller makes it a good travel stick to take to offline events with you. It also is build like a tank. It weights at least 2kg, and is made out of thick plastic and metal, so you don't have to worry if you drop it once or twice by accident, or vent your anger over that stupid DP-mashing Ken in Ranked. Also because it is so sturdy it sits very well on your lap or the table (it practically doesn't move no matter how much you are churning the butter as Zangief). It is also lends itself very well to customization. All you have to do is unscrew the bottom plate and you have access to all the parts inside of it and you also can take off the plexi on top of it really easily as it is only held in place by six magnets (imo, changing the artwork on a Venom is as easy as it can get, unlike some other pricier fightsticks, I'm looking at you Razer Panthera).
   The only negative aspect of this stick are the actual parts used in it. The stick-unit itself is actually halfway decent, a little bit more stiff than a Sanwa JLF unit (the most commonly used for playing FGs), but it is still good, especially for beginners. The buttons on the other hand are quite bad, they are ok for your first couple of weeks or months learning to play on a stick, but afterwards you probably want to replace them with genuine Sanwa, Seimitsu, or HORI parts (which, as explained above, is pretty easy and doesn't take any soldering whatsoever). So in the end you get a brilliant beginner stick, that will last you for ages, is really good for traveling with and customizing. The only downside is, that you will probably have to spend another ~16-40£ on genuine Sanwa parts down the line (making the whole stick cost somewhere between 82£ and 105£ after modding it).
   
   
2. HORI RAP 4 KAI
   Now this is where we get into the realm of sticks aimed at enthusiasts and serious players. At 91.71£ the RAP 4 Kai is probably your cheapest option to get a really good, brand new stick where you will have to do little to nothing to get the best experience out of it. It is build very sturdily, except for the cable-compartment cover, which a lot of people claim to be very flimsy on all HORI sticks. Though, I think most of these people are just morons who don't know how to handle their belongings with proper care, as I haven't managed to break the cover on my HORI RAP 5 that I used while staying in Japan, despite using it pretty much every day and taking it to several offline events with me. It has HORI's own Hayabusa Stick and depending on the model, KURO or Hayabusa buttons. They are very good hardware, though some people still prefer to to mod their stick with Sanwa parts, but I honestly think that is just down to preference as both HORI and Sanwa parts preform exceptionally well (FYI most of the arcade cabinets in Japan's Taito-station chain of arcades use Hayabusa Sticks and Kuro buttons right now, instead of Sanwa JLF sticks and OBSF buttons). If you do want to change the parts of the stick the procedure to do so is pretty much the same as with the Venom, though, you won't be able to customize the artwork on the RAP 4 Kai as easily because it actually does not have a plexi-cover on its top side at all, instead the artwork is a sticker glued onto the actual case. Overall this is you safest bet at getting a complete, top-level fightstick in the UK. The models I mention next are pretty much overpriced versions of the Kai with some quality of life improvements aimed at people who are really into fighting games and are ok with spending a lot of money on their stick.
   
   
3. Razer Panthera/HORI Premium VLX
   Both of these sticks are great. Both of them have genuine arcade parts in them (Panthera has Sanwa parts, VLX has HORI Hayabusa/Kuro parts). Both of them are really great when it comes to customizing/maintenance. Just flip open the top-part of the stick and you get to the insides without even unscrewing things. Both of them are also build like absolute tanks. Sturdy plastic, really heavy. But, both of them are terrible when it comes to customizing your stick with custom artwork and both are insanely overpriced (199.99£ for the Panthera and 259.99£ for the VLX), so if you do not think that you are in for the long haul with fighting games, don't waste your money on things that are just marginally better than the two recommendations mentioned before but cost twice or even four times as much.
   
   With that being said I do want to warn you. Getting a fight-stick after playing for some time with a pad is a commitment to relearning a lot of the things you have learned thus far with little to no benefit when it comes to comfort, in some cases even a decrease in comfort (dashing on a stick is mostly considered to be more strenuous and doing advanced movements like Korean backdashing in 3D fighting games is a nightmare on stick compared to pad). At this point in time fighting games are usually created with pad players in mind so the controls on a pad are usually laid out in a very ergonomic way (and if they still don't fit you, you can remap buttons easily to fit your preference). These days using a stick does not really have any tangible benefits to using a pad, other than it looks cooler and is considered by some to be the "true way of playing fighting games". This can be proven easily by looking at the top SFV players right now, out of the current Top 32 players in CPT eight use a pad to play and two of them are currently ranked 1st and 3rd respectively on the global leader-board (though, Punk does use stick from time to time).

Sure thing, it wasn't terribly difficult.

As far as tools go you won't need much, just a phillips head and flat head screwdrive, and a hex/allen wrench for the front panel (You might even be able to unscrew those by hand, they aren't too snug).

I'd recommend also getting some pairs or nitrile gloves and a spray mask.

Steps:

• Disassemble, keep everything organized. I like to take a picture of every "step" and every wire/cable placement as I take it apart. The inside isn't super complex but having that reference is useful.
  
  
• Removing the USB cable isn't really possible for painting the back cable compartment so I just used masking tape and covered the cable.
  
  
• Using an abrasive pad (I used these Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scour Pads, worked great and you can get them at any grocery store) give every plastic piece you intend to paint a good rubdown. This will rough up the glossy plastic just enough to give your paint something to hold onto without scratching it up too much like sandpaper might.
  
  
• Give every piece a wipe down with a clean cloth and some rubbing alcohol to clear off dust from scouring and any oil from your hands.
  
  
• If possible hang all of the pieces before painting so you can spray all around them without handling them too much.
  
  
• Get yourself a decent spray paint, (I used this Rust-Oleum Universal in Satin White)
  
  
• Spray in a nice fluid motion from about 6"-12", apply a single light coat and let dry for 24 hours.
  
  
• Spray one more coat after 24 hours to even it all out and let dry another 24 - 48 hours before handling it.
  
  I've been using the stick for a solid 7 months since painting going to weekly meetups and tournies and just have a few little chips on the edges, I'd say its held up pretty well.
  
  I've had to clean it pretty regularly as well as the white shows a lot of dust/hand grossness and i've not had any issue with a damp soapy cloth wipe down.
  
  Hope that helps, and I'd love to see what it looks like when you're done!
  
  Good luck

Sure. I find it difficult to "churn the butter" on HB, but very easy to get an on-demand standing 360. You should know that 360s aren't really 360s-- you need to hit the four cardinal directions (forward, backward, down, up), in any order, within the input window.

The main thing I do is that I hit up+punch with my right hand; my right thumb hits the up button and my right index finger hits the punch button (occasionally joined by my middle finger for EX input). I press the up and punch buttons simultaneously sort of by holding my hand open with my thumb resting on (or hovering over) up and my index finger resting on (or hovering over) punch, and pressing the entire hand down so that both fingers press into their buttons at once.

So that move is how I "finish" the SPD. To "start" the SPD, I usually hit Right, Down, Left, in that order, all with my left index finger, which naturally rests on the Right button. I slide my finger to the left, hitting all three in a row, and since I'm only using the one finger I usually don't touch the diagonals (irrelevant for Street Fighter 360s).
I found that this motion kind of hurts my finger though, it's got a lot of bumps between buttons and the friction is a bit rough... and so I tried some basketball finger sleeves, like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Finger-Volleyball-Basketball-Fingers-Protection/dp/B009C6PJ04

I think it works great. I wear just one of them, and only on my left index finger, and only to help when I need to slide it rightward, which I do with the "front" of my finger (protected by the sleeve) and not the "tip" which is exposed so I get the tactile feedback of pressing the button when I need it.

That's my standard general purpose way, but another common thing I'll be doing is dancing in and out of SPD range to read what they do or to play footsies; so that's a lot of Forward, Back, Forward, Back... but hey, from there, all you need to do to complete the SPD is Down and Up! So I can go into SPD from the "spacing dance" just by pressing Down, then Up+Punch with my right hand as I explained earlier. Remember, a 360 isn't a real 360, you just need to touch the 4 cardinals in any-- and I mean any!-- order. "Back, forward, down, up+punch" works, and is pretty easy on hitbox.

This tech is very Zangief specific since he's the only grappler in SF5 that uses 360s, but in SF4 the same principles apply to T. Hawk and Hakan. I haven't played Blazblue in a while but I think Iron Tager's 360s need the diagonals to work, so these tips are only endorsed with confidence as specific to Street Fighter.

Hope this helps.

Recently I've begun looking into ways to increase the speed and accuracy of my left hand. I am right handed and noticed recently that I can do 720 motions with my right hand at least twice as fast and with greater accuracy than with my left despite never using my right hand on a joystick.

The plan: Use guitar hand, wrist, and forearm exercises to increase the strength and accuracy of my weak hand.

The goal: increase the speed and accuracy of my left hand.

Excercises:

1. Take a few rubberbands and put them around the outside of your thumb and fingers. Spread your fingers apart until you feel fatigue. Rest. Switch hands. Repeat 3-5 times.
   
   
2. Use a light dumbbell for this exercise. 3-5 lbs. Hold the dumbbell with your arm at a 90 degree angle at your side with your palm facing up. Turn your hand down and repeat this motion for 8 reps. Do 3 sets with both arms so you don't end up with some freakishly lopsided forearms and people start asking questions.
   
   
3. Grip strength. Get one of these and find your sweet spot. Again you're doing 3 - 5 sets of 8.
   
   I'll be doing these exercises often for the next couple months. My hopes are that by the end of this test I will have as much speed and control in my left hand as I do in my right.
   
   

I've only really had experience with a couple of Hori sticks and the latest Madcatz te, as well as some custom ones I modded. You have a lot more options on PC, but as for quality I'm not really sure. I know there are some Qanba PC sticks for around $80, but I can't vouch for the quality, although the ratings are pretty good on [Amazon] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXPIO1S/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_YWr7wbJ230K0F)

The buttons and stick might not be of the greatest quality, but it's a good start and I assume some of the high ratings come from being [easy to mod] (https://youtu.be/FllbddE4zes) but for that you'd need to buy new buttons and new stick.


If I were in your position, I'd opt for getting something of decent quality now with the intent to mod it later when you really get a feel for using a stick and get your execution down. And if I didn't want to mod, I'd wait a bit longer or mow a couple lawns and opt for a nice [Hori] [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SULMRI4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_y8r7wb9MQ71NQ) or a better quality [Qanba] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SGGLZW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_39r7wb7K0TS7Y)
Either way, there's still a learning curve when switching peripherals so keep that in mind

This is a little bit over your specified budget, but I do know that the gaming monitors used for EVO and Capcom Cup set-ups was the BenQ RL2460HT if that interests you. -- it doesn't have an IPS panel though. The two options you have listed are pretty solid too. Good luck choosing!

https://www.amazon.com/NGS-Maverick-Game-button-PlayStation/dp/B000GFKYFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467625230&sr=8-1&keywords=ngs+maverick

Best DPAD ever, like seriously best DPad i've ever played with, same as the other buttons, maybe except the L2 and R2, but the rest is like the best gamepad. With turbo included.

There were lots of changes to the arcade version of Z2A, though nowadays it would be merely a patched update than a new game entirely. I wrote a FAQ on Z2A many years ago that might help you out. I also wrote a book on the Zero series if you're super curious.

A2 in America had a few extra characters (Evil Ryu, classic Dhalsim and Zangief) and these were added to Z2A alongside classic iterations of the other SFII fighters. Zero/Alpha counters now took 1.5 bars of meter, there were balance changes throughout, some characters got new moves, others got new supers. Sakura got added colors and all the hidden characters were easier to select.

Cammy was not in Z2A. She was added to the home port. This was called A2 Gold in America, Alpha 2' (Dash) in Europe and Zero 2' in Japan. This was a good port and didn't make any significant changes, but it did suffer from console drawbacks like missing frames of animation. The Saturn game has faster load times and there are a few other differences between the PS1 and SS, but the gameplay itself was identical between the two.

Z2A is my favorite SF game ever and I'd be glad to answer any other questions. The update didn't really catch on in tournament circles and it's somewhat of an obscure offshoot nowadays. However, IMO, it was the pinnacle of the Zero series and of the franchise as a whole.

Hope this helps!

I'm looking for a fightpad for the PS4. The Dualshock 4 is great, but I think six face buttons would really improve my game, as I sometimes find using the bumpers and the triggers a bit confusing.

It seems that there are two options:

Hori Fighting Commander

Mad Catz Fightpad Pro

The Hori has gotten great reviews and it looks amazing (my first SF experiences were on the Sega Genesis, so I love the design), but I've heard that the d-pad breaks after a short period of time. I also would have to import it from Japan, which isn't that convenient.

The Mad Catz, on the other hand, has gotten very negative reviews, but the one I'm interested in is the new improved version. The revised fightpad seems to be well received, but there's not much information about it. And many people online seem to say that everything Mad Catz does, besides the sticks, is garbage.

So, any opinions / experiences on either of these?

The Venom posted below is alright if you're not sure, but most people will tell you to upgrade to Sanwa parts anyway, which creates a false economy. Unfortunately, in the UK we're actually pretty limited in terms of fight sticks available for purchase (for reasonable amounts of money).

I bought my RAP4 for about £120 and it's got a decent amount of heft, so it won't shift around like a Mayflash. Adjusting from pad to stick took a bit of getting used to (you'll get worse before you get better!) but it does save a lot of strain on your thumbs and IMO certain actions become way easier to pull off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PS4-Real-Arcade-Pro-Kai-x/dp/B00RZ7T8N6/

As far as the other discussion of Sanwa vs Hori goes, I wouldn't worry about it at this point. I've used both and prefer Hori, but I can't say that my performance would be affected if I had to play on anything else.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HORI-Arcade-Hayabusa-Fight-Stick/dp/B07895D3XF/

This is pretty much the same thing as the RAP4, but I think the layout is *slightly different. Around about the same on Amazon Prime though.

Here

Xbox version works great on PC. Don't know about the PS3 version.

The d-Pad is great, and the triggers don't have an annoying spring or anything. Perfect controller in my opinion.

I'd probably just get a PS2->PS3/4 converter from Brook and a PS2 controller (not sure if PS1 works). The only thing I have against PS3/4 is that the trigger buttons aren't really ideal for fighting games and PS1/PS2 controllers are cheap and good quality (Luffy won Evo with a PS1 controller I believe). It's the cheapest way to get a high quality pad that'll last. I'm not sure if you have to update the firmware on the converter whenever there is a big PS4 update. For Brook's fightboards, if you don't update the firmware, you get stuck with an 8-minute timeout. Brook has been very good at updating their products' firmware within a day of big PS4 updates so far though.

I myself got frustrated with fightpad options, so I built a converter for a Sega Saturn pad (what the Madcatz pads are based off of, but better build quality). I had to buy an FGWidget Converter board but they don't seem to be available for sale anymore. Then I wired the FGWidget to a Brook PS3/PS4 board. It was a lot of work and soldering, but it's flawless, and I can switch out Sega Saturn pads as needed, though I haven't had to in years.

(BTW, I play on gamepad because I have wrist issues so I can't use fightsticks for very long)

If you are playing on PS4 then the upgraded model would be ideal. If you are playing on PC then I swear by this monitor. https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1480219997&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+vg248qe


The game only runs at 60 frames but the 144hz will make animations visually smoother. There is a significant difference between 60hz and 144hz even if the game is only running at 60 frames.


There are better monitors, but they are far more expensive and I've read articles stating that monitors with g-sync, etc can effect input delay timings which would result in needing to time buttons differently once at the tournament. I recommend you play around 10 matches before you start your tournament match to get a feel for the monitor and setup.

I have a Qanba Crystal that works with both PC and PS4. KI doesn't like it because everything has to be an Xbox controller to work in the Xbox store but there are easy work arounds. I play SFV on PC in PS4 mode and MvC3 on PC in PS3 mode and everything works just fine. It was $130 on Amazon when I picked it up. It doesn't have easy access for modding but is still easily moddable if you ever need it. Apparently it's even cheaper now then when I bought it $125

I came here to say this. SFV is not very optimized on PC and many people have issues running it at a consistent 60 FPS with machines that are honestly pretty decent... but not hitting 60 FPS in a game like SFV is suicide for playing it.

A $600 Desktop might cut the mustard but that doesn't factor in any extra peripherals or the tower itself that all add to the cost.

Here is a listing for a pretty old ASUS gaming laptop. I believe the G74's at their lowest specs were still $1,500 when they came out, and now it's "only" $1,000. Not a great value to be frank and I wouldn't buy it, this is just an example. That's still a full $400 above OP's asking price range and... to be honest, I don't think it would even cut it for SFV. An Nvidia 560M is the laptop version of a 5 year old graphics card, I'd love to know if anyone here plays SFV on this card or an equivalent.

Further down there are people recommending Nvidia cards for the laptop but nothing in that 5xx generation, all starting from the 6xx series onward. I only mentioned this machine because I used to have one, had it for 4 years and gave it to my little brother for Christmas this year when I got myself something new and better.

I ended up going with the Netgear CM600 (https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-download-960Mbps-Certified-CM600-1AZNAS/dp/B06XGZBCKP), which is based on the Broadcom BCM3384 chip. I would have gone with the CM700, but they switched to the Puma 6 at that point (it's probably fine, but after dealing with my last modem I don't want to chance it). Looking around, the CM600 seems pretty solid, so hopefully it works out!

Edit: Also, on a non-technical level, it has an on/off switch, which is sooo much more convenient than unplugging it if I need to reboot it :)

I'm assuming you have a TE 1 stick that was released in 2009? (http://www.amazon.com/Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Edition-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6) I used to have this problem until I bought a USB card and attached it to my computer

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008IPXOWU?psc=1 (This card can read USB 1.1 - 3.0)

I think the stick is a USB 1.0, and my computer doesn't read USBs lower than 3.0, and cards like these did the job!

Good luck man!

I have this capture card, this one captures at 720p 60fps, which is all you can do with the bitrate cap for Twitch partners (3500 kbps).
If you want 1080p 60fps this one will do you good, but it's an external capture card.
I highly recommend an internal capture card, the quality is superior to an external equivalent and more importantly, there's no delay compared to an external capture card (external capture cards take much longer to encode, which causes mic audio to be desynced with capture video/audio and syncing them is a pain).

https://www.amazon.com/BenQ-ZOWIE-Gaming-Monitor-Head/dp/B01H5KKRLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1495756976&sr=1-1&keywords=RL2460ht

I might buy this one then, the reviews look good for it.
I don't know if my HP thing is any good or not though, it doesn't have it listed. Probably because it's not a gaming monitor.

This is the original link: https://www.amazon.ca/BenQ-Console-eSports-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B01H5KKRLY

Can anyone confirm that they use the RL2460 at Evo and Canada cup?

You definitely need a capture card.

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Capture-PlayStation-gameplay-1080p/dp/B00MIQ40JQ/

If you have more money to spring for a Magewell, go for it. Otherwise this should be fine.

http://i.imgur.com/m3lFq9z.png

That's the way it ought to be rigged up. If you can't afford a capture card, see me in DMs and we can talk about r/sf local sponsorships.

Mad Catz TE

https://www.amazon.com/Street-Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6

I never had any lag on SFIV btw. That's why I'm positive this is a SFV thing and has nothing to do with the stick itself.