Mayflash PS2 PS3 PC USB Universal Arcade Fighting Stick

I don't have to say much more but I do have to type at least 20 words.This stick isn't a high quality build. It's not meant to take into a tournament. If you're a casual player and enjoyed playing fighters in the arcade and are getting back into it with the consoles this does support, you can go unmodded.But not for long. The ability to throw in a Sanwa Stick with an 8 or 4 way gate is just too tempting. The Sanwa Stick costs just about as much as this entire Fighting Stick. The same for a set of 8 buttons. That brings you to potentially still less than a c-note for a custom stick that's supported by several consoles (including Windows PCs).The price of this stick begs you to crack it open and modify it with a screwdriver, dremel or epoxy. Maybe all three. Break it, buy another one, rebuild it however you like. Add graphics and a layer of acrylic. At this price you should most definitely have fun with it.The stock stick has a really squirrely stick. The gates are unresponsive and don't give you a satisfying click as you move to a corner. This leaves you with feedback that's just wrong. The buttons are rather soft but don't give you the same feedback as micro-switch buttons do. This is a personal preference thing but the joystick itself is a matter of function.You need precision and a swift, forceful return to center. You need to feel the gates as you engage every quarter-circle or even just a simple down-forward or down-back. One can live with the stock buttons, but it's hard to even break the stick out without a more responsive joystick.Update 09/04/14Finally got around to modding it with a Sanwa JLF Stick and OBSF-30 buttons. Also threw in an 8 way gate. Man, what a difference.Modding wasn't too difficult. 6 screws and the removal of the rubber feet separate you from the innards of the case. Basically everything went except for the Mayflash mainboard. The removal of old components is easy enough. On this model, the buttons will need a daisy chain common ground. The majority of sticks you can buy are common ground and need to be converted to separate grounds.The hardest part of the mod was soldering the button connections onto the mainboard. The clearances are really tight, so go light on the solder and try to keep the connections as clean as possible.The weight of the stick with the new components is just right. The response from the buttons, from the click to the force needed, is perfect. The action of the stick and the 8 way gate, the meaty click of the microswitches, all completely awesome.

Works fine on PC, PS2, PS3, Gamecube, Wii, and Xbox 360. The Gamecube, Wii, and Xbox 360 require adapters.Gamecube - Wii/GameCube Converter PS/PS2 to Wii/GameCube w/ Dance Pad SupportNote: Works on the Wii Gamecube ports (GC games on Wii and any Wii game that supports the GC controller).This will limit you on games that do not support the GC controller. Also, be aware that buttons 5, 8, and 9 on the joystick register as the same input on the GC controller for the Wii. This will limit you on button placement if you are picky about which specific button you want a specific action performed on. I cannot speak for other adapters. I also do not know if it has this limitation on an actual Gamecube (I assume so).Wii - PS2 Controller Adapter for Wii RemoteNote: Just think of it as substituting a PS2 controller in place of the Wii classic controller.Xbox 360 - [...]Note: Ps2 controller adapter to Xbox 360 (remember the joystick has PS2 AND PS3 extensionsI have yet to find a quality adapter converting PS3 USB to Xbox 360 USBComments:The device could be a little wider for armresting, but oh well. The black is nice because you can mod whatever cover or art designs you want all over this thing. You will have to get your own adapters, but most are pretty cheap. This is a pretty good deal for those starting out in fighting games and want to invest their time in new/old games. It's a bit loud when using so keep that in mind if you live with other people in close proximity.The reason people are saying some PS2 fighting games don't work with the joystick portion is because the joystick defaults as the analog and not the directional pad. Its not the joystick, its the game (one example: Tekken 5) that does not support the analog directional input (even with a regular PS2 controller, Tekken 5 will not allow you to use the analog stick). For some games (one example: Guilty Gear XX Accent Core+) the game allows you to designate whether to toggle analog input on/off. It would have to be toggled to "on" to be able to use the directional stick. Again, this is not necessarily the "stick's" fault, just that particular games don't support the ps2 controller analog feature. It would have been nice to have a toggle feature on the stick. All the buttons work though for these games.

Let's say you want to make your own joystick like this using a zero delay usb converter board for 10 bucks. First you'll get your joystick and buttons. You can save money and get a set for about 19 bucks that isn't terrible. Now you need to get a case and you are already at 30 bucks. You literally can't find a quality metal enclosure for making your own joystick for under 60 bucks. Just the case for this is worth the price. So the fact that the included buttons and joystick aren't that bad is just gravy. The buttons are actually excellent. You can just rest a finger on them without setting them off. Perfect for shmups.Quick Update: Ordered a second one as a backup. That should tell you something.The reason: You can tell they went out of their way to try to please everyone, even if they didn't use top of the line parts. The buttons may not be sanwa 30mm, but they feel like it. even if they are bottoming out on a capacitive array rather than a contact point. The joystick is not sanwa, but has some things going for it.1) they added an oversized actuator so the tilt of the stick is only about 15 degrees rather than the 30 on a stock sanwa jlf. This is great for all games.2) The spring effort is also almost identical.3) While the plat on the bottom isn't octogonal, because the actuator is oversized, it's a little easier to nail diagonals.If I could figure out how to get a shorter shaft then add a 45mm balltop, I might keep the joystick stock.