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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Unmodded Arcade Fight Stick Money Can Buy, October 20, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This is, without a doubt the fight stick you should buy for your PS3. It has all of the same components as the Mad Catz Tournament sticks. Right out of the box, you get all Sanwa buttons and, of course, your Sanwa JLF joystick. In addition, something you get with this baby that you don't get with any of the SFIV sticks (despite what some previews or even the box itself says) is full PS1/PS2 compatibility as long as you have the latest firmware update, and obviously, a backwards compatible PS3. The HRAP 3 SA is also fully wired to work on your PC, which means you can play all those games you have on MAME or any other emulator you use. The fight stick itself is heavy enough where you can rest it on a table and it will stay firmly in place, (yes it has the four rubber stops at the bottom) but light enough where you can play it on your lap without any discomfort. It's also a beauty to look at. It's got a very sleek design and the japanese style button placement is just right for most of your favorite fighting games.
I understand there's been some concerns about the square gate the joystick uses. Let me just say that I have always been used to an octogonal gate when playing my fighting games. While I do admit it felt a bit awkward at first, I got used to it fairly quickly. The type of gate a joystick uses doesn't affect the movement commands at all. Just keep using it and it will feel right in no time. However, if you continue to have trouble with it you can always buy an octogonal restrictor plate. (I highly recommend [see comments] for all you arcade part needs.) The stick is easy enough to mod, and I believe the plate is a snap-in-snap-out kind of deal.
P.S. ALL ARCADE FIGHT STICKS THAT COME WITH A SANWA JOYSTICK INCLUDES THE SAME SQUARE PLATE!
Conclusion: If you're going for the best-of-the-best, I can't recommend a better fight stick than this one. The only thing the Mad Catz Tournament Editon Stick really has over this is that compartment for the cord, which is admittedly cool. But with backwards compatibility and, at the time of this review, a $10 cheaper price tag, your arcade fight stick of choice should definately be the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 SA. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to play more Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For First Time Users, November 4, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
If you have never owned a joystick before, this should be the right review for you. I have never owned one until today, but I have enjoyed the Street Fighter series, Guilty Gear, and now BlazBlue quite a bit. If you played these games then you know how much it hurts to do quarter circle forwards/backwards on the directional pad when you play for more than ten minutes. After downloading Street Fighter 2 HD Remix, I played it quite a bit and woke up the next day with a really sore left thumb. Gone are those days. I wasn't sure about this price tag, but I had a bit of extra money lying around and decided to go for it.
First of all, if you naively expect (as I sort of did) to be good as soon as you start using it, you will be very disappointed. Again, I have never owned a joystick and I could barely pull off a quarter circle forward + punch (hadouken!) on SF2HDR. After playing for about four hours, I can now do them but it is still not natural to me. Point is, don't give up on the joystick, you will have to completely relearn how to play the game which is frustrating when you were already decent on a directional pad (and now you suck again). However, judging how quickly I'm improving and as I expect everyone else will, it's worth it.
Should you buy a fight stick? If you want to play fighting games how they are meant to be played, if you want to play considerably better (with time), if you will play fighting games for a long time, then yes. If you are worried about whether you will be good at using the joystick, you wont, let's make that very clear. You will improve if you put in the time though, and your thumbs won't hurt so that's awesome. Should you buy this particular Hori RAP 3-SA stick? If you have the money, yes. If you don't, consider another cheaper joystick since it's all basically the same if you are a casual player. However, if you plan on using the stick for a long time, then invest in this one because it is made of the best parts and will last you a long time.
The actual stick is very nicely built. It is quite large and feels very good on your lap or table. Take a look at the dimensions so you can understand what I'm talking about. This size is nice because it lets your wrists rest on it. It is not flimsy at all and neither does it look that way, it's made for heavy duty. The parts are all sanwa, which if you are a first time buyer like me, you have no idea what that means. However, pretty much every website says these are the best parts, and this is the main appeal of this stick. The buttons are extremely sensitive, so don't plan on resting your fingers on them. The PS Home button and turbo function work well so you can expect everything to work perfectly. The joystick itself is also very sensitive, but I find it annoying that the ball-top rotates and is not securely in place. Also, the square gate needs getting used to. A square gate means that if you push the joystick as far as it goes and rotate, it makes a square. This makes quarter circle movements difficult, but "z movements" (forward, down, down+forward, like shoryukens) are a bit easier. This is the main obstacle in using a fight stick, but fear not, if you absolutely hate the square gate, you can buy a circle or octagon gate and swap it, as this fight stick is very good for modding (another of it's main selling points).
The stick deserves five stars because it is basically perfect and made for top players. New players will suck using it, I guarantee it, but with time they will improve as I have, and improving on the best stick available is very nice so I definitely recommend it if you can afford it. If you are on the fence, take the dive as it is definitely worth it and the stick will last you far longer than something cheaper.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Hori Pro Arcade SA-3 Review, October 21, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Well, I'll start off saying that I have frequently gone to arcades such as FFA or Denjin to play 3rd strike. (both in San Fernando Valley area) The Hori Pro Arcade SA-3 is the closest thing I have gotten that plays very similar( if not identical) to the arcade machines. The Sanwa buttons are very easy to press but not too soft. It has a little mix of both the hori buttons and the american made buttons. The stick, also sanwa of course, is superb. It has a slick rotation feel to it and executions can be made with ease. The front plate is smooth and polished that doesn't leave handmarks or fingerprints. The wire/cord is very long (long enough for you to sit back and relax on the couch). It is fully compatible with the PC as it is a USB cord. You just plug in and play.
PROS:
-Easy to use
-Very smooth (although sometimes too smooth)
-Fairly Heavy, (like 6 pounds?) and has rubber on the bottom to have a stable game
-Not your average stick, this baby can take punishment (rage gamers like me)
-Long Cord/Wire - USB
-Can take a beating
CONS:
-The Turbo, Home, R3, L3 Buttons are next to each other and its hard to see the labels for them
-Although all the parts are sanwa (which are the best IMO), if you want to swap the parts, It is much harder than say..The Tournament Edition MadCatz stick
-No Compartment for the long wire
-Pretty damn huge to put it on your lap leisurely
Conclusion:
I can honestly say I am very happy that I bought this. The 3-SA is probably one of the best arcade sticks you can buy without having to spend ludicrous amounts of money on. Street Fighter III 3rd Strike runs very well with this stick as well as Street Fighter IV. The white buttons are very nice on the eyes and it looks pretty sexy. I give this product, 5 stars. (^___^)
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