How do we feel about X-Arcade sticks?

[RampantOctopus]

My apologies if this has been discussed to the end of the earth already, but the search tool didnt yield immediately useful results... so, Im wondering, beyond what people say on amazon, how does the truly dedicated retro game community feel about X-Arcade sticks. How do they compare to sanwas? Are they clicky? Authentic feeling to the 80s JAMMA experience or something all their own. I wish they were in stores so I could get hands on with one but... well, I guess GameStop isnt going to encourage people to go and compile a retropie system are they?

[akator]

If you like traditional, US Happ 80s style arcade controls, you will like an X-Arcade. If you are a 90s arcade fan and more used to Japanese controls, you will be less satisfied.

 

Are there better controls? Yes. But there are also many worse. Clearly you're going to get a better control panel if you are capable of doing a good job yourself and spending the money on premium controls. But if you want a plug and play option that will works well, my X-Arcade is over a decade old and has thousands of hours of gaming and it still works great.

 

Except for the little plastic feet. All of the little plastic feet on the bottom of my Tankstick have cracked and fallen off. Xgaming got wierd when I asked them to uphold their lifetime warranty and replace the plastic feet, but in the end they did and sent me a replacement set.

 

Here's one discussion. An Atari Age forum search for "X-Arcade" in the title shows 56 results. A Google search for "X-Arcade review" shows 53M, including many here at Atari Age.

[R.Cade]

They're built like a tank, work well, and they will help you with any problems you ever have. Mine is 10 years old and the cable developed a problem. They sent me a whole new cable and USB board (just in case) with no argument or problem at all.

 

I've heard some people have problems with different adapters to go to game systems, but I've always just used mine as USB, so I don't know about that.

[+DrVenkman]

I got a Tankstick (dual sticks + trackball) and I quite like it for retro-gaming through emulation with my Raspberry Pi RetroPie setup. I do wish they would recognize the nostalgia market fully and come up with a single-box USB-to-dual DB9 adapter for at least the sticks to use, even if they chose not to fully emulate the Grey code of an Atari CX-222 Track-Ball. But for what I use it for, it's great.

[Keatah]

I like them and they are an option on my emulation rigs.

[RampantOctopus]

Thank you all for your insight. Its one thing to see randoms in the wild say nice things about these sticks, its entirely different to know that they play like happ controls and are good with RetroPie (I mean, of course theyre compatible but knowing they they seem right...).

 

Ok, Im sold. Thanks all.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Mine's going strong for 16 years and I love it!

[seastalker]

I like mine very much- some of the button lettering is fading but I don't wish to bug them about lifetime warranty for such a petty reason. What I'd love is a trade in so I can get the trackball version.

[+x=usr(1536)]

Funny that a thread about the X-Arcade Tankstick should crop up right now; I just ordered one last week and it'll be here on Tuesday. This is actually the second one that I've bought: the first was passed on to a friend about a decade ago during a cleanout prior to moving; last I heard, he's still using it and has had zero issues with it.

 

Pretty much all of the comments above are spot-on, so just have a couple of things to add. Note that I've had the same MAME cabinet for around 17 years at this point, so am commenting from that perspective.

 

What the Tankstick is really good for is emulation gaming in front of a PC or similar. They shouldn't really be used as an alternative to building an actual control panel for a cabinet, if that's a possible future consideration, but are great for times where you just want to sit down and fire up a quick game or two. I'll have to wait for it to get here to comment on the control quality, but if it's anything like the last one was it'll be really good.

 

The drive behind picking up another one was so that we had the option of gaming at different machines. There are times for us where it's not really practical to play something in the same room as someone else, so this opens up the option of taking the laptop into another room and playing in there.

[ClassicGMR]

I've had a Tankstick since 2011 or so and it still works like it just came out of the box. The trackball has had to be cleaned a couple of times (I have always had cats in our house) but that's about it. This has been used on multiple systems with no issues at all. I use it at least 2-3 times a week plus whatever mileage the kids put on it when I'm sleeping or at work.

 

I still want to do the spinner mod... I just haven't had time.

 

I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

[glazball]

Absolutely love mine! I bought an overlay on this site because the original "X" artwork isn't so great. I'll attach a pic. You'll love yours, enjoy!

[Austin]

Their products are fine and their parts are solid (I installed their sticks and buttons in my JAMMA cab, no issues here). If you want that late '80s and '90s American arcade feel with concave HAPP-style buttons and teardrop joysticks, then these definitely do the trick.

[+x=usr(1536)]

My second one arrived today, and it pretty much feels like I remember it. Seeing it having combined USB and PS/2 connectors brought a warm glow to my heart.

 

Can't check it out before this weekend, but from a quick fiddle with the controls it feels much like I remember it: solid.