Hori Real Arcade Pro EX for Xbox 360

[BlackKnight]

Hori makes some of the best stock arcade stick peripherals around and has two main product lines; the 'Fighting Stick' and the 'Real Arcade Pro'. Up until now, there had only been a Fighting Stick version for the 360, but now they are planning on releasing a HRAP EX next month. It will cost 12,000 yen ($114USD, $123AUD) when it hits, July 10.

 

Here's a look at the thing;

 

Compared to the PlayStation 3 and Wii, the Xbox 360 is the destination for arcade ports. Microsoft’s console is the home of vintage arcade games, the Castle of Shikigami 3, classic Soulcalibur, and Cave shmups. Arcade enthusiasts probably know Hori released a solution last year when Virtua Fighter 5 came out. However, the Virtua Fighter 5 fighting stick will no longer be sold in Japan. Hori is replacing it with the Real Arcade Pro EX.

 

The Real Arcade Pro EX rearranges the button layout with a two column, four button layout. The shoulder/bumper buttons are now placed to the left and right of the colorful face buttons. There is also a tiny Xbox 360 guide button on the top left hand corner. Cute. Hori’s revised arcade stick comes out on July 10, just in time for Soulcalibur IV (July 31 in Japan) and Street Fighter IV. You can pick one up for 12,000 yen ($114) plus the cost to ship over a solid Arylonnitrile Butadiene Styrene base brick.

 

Now SF4 has been confirmed as getting a limited edition 'arcade perfect' stick on release, but really you can't go wrong with a HRAP. Actually, now I'm thinking I'm glad I never picked up one of the VF5 sticks I guess the only question now is, Is it wireless?

 

You can pre-order the item from Play-Asia here.

 

Source: Siliconera

[XtecuterX73]

thanks for the info! that looks friggin sweet!!

[Inky]

I want.......

but I am happy with my 50 dolla ex2. I'll prolly grab the SFIV special edition if it comes out.

[Alpha]

Apparently, the buttons that they are assigned to are bit weird compared to the previous HRAPs.

 

Here's a quote from Shoryuken:

 

While it is cool that Hori is releasing a stick for 360 at all, it would be nice if they did the best job they could.

 

As MarkMan explained, the difference isn't the overall layout of the buttons, its the layout of the ones you use to play.

 

For example:

 

On HRAP2, you'd use these buttons for Street Fighter:

 

On the HRAP EX, you'd use these buttons instead:

 

On HRAP2, you'd use these buttons for Tekken:

 

On the HRAP EX, you'd use these buttons instead:

 

Obviously, the layout of the actual buttons you'd use is different. The HRAP2 layout is standard, but the HRAP EX layout is odd and requires you to place your hand/fingers differently than you're accustomed to, which can cause wrist strain or just general flockups.

 

Yes the games will probably have button config options, but that's a hassle and should be unnecessary. It's especially relevant in tourney circumstances, where people will have different sticks, some custom, and remapping buttons takes up extra time. If sticks are just designed with the optimum configuration to begin with, then people can use a standard layout and this wont' be an issue. But if the stick layout is suboptimal, then people will play with different layouts, leading to this issue. If 32 people enter a standard double elimination tourney, that's 47 matches and potentially 47 times you have to spend a minute to reconfig buttons, making the tourney take almost a full hour longer.

 

So yeah, this actually is a real problem that hopefully will be addressed. The stick will be nice and I will probably buy one either way, but it would be an easy fix for Hori and will save a lot of trouble in the long run.

Source: http://forums.shoryuken.com/showpost.php?p...mp;postcount=47

[Inky]

thats the problem with an 8 button stick. no fighter uses all those buttons unless you cheat and set button combos (PPP / KKK ect.) the only thing wrong with the 6 button ex2 is the button assignment is really weird and you have to configure your buttons in every game but VF5 & DOA4. still, once your games are set up the 6 button layout is very natural and familiar.

[Alpha]

thats the problem with an 8 button stick. no fighter uses all those buttons unless you cheat and set button combos (PPP / KKK ect.) the only thing wrong with the 6 button ex2 is the button assignment is really weird and you have to configure your buttons in every game but VF5 & DOA4. still, once your games are set up the 6 button layout is very natural and familiar.

It doesn't bother me with all the buttons. I'm actually surprised people go through great lengths to remove the 2 buttons to the right and make it a 6 button stick. It's always good to have 2 spare buttons IMO. Especially useful in MAME if you to plug it to your PC (probably not this stick though, maybe the HRAP for the PS3).

[BlackKnight]

Why the PS3 stick over this one for the PC? All XBOX controllers work straight through the USB with just a single driver needed.

[Alpha]

Why the PS3 stick over this one for the PC? All XBOX controllers work straight through the USB with just a single driver needed.

Well, I wasn't sure if this stick was wireless.

[Inky]

you can get a wireless dongle for PC now.

if this stick is wireless that would be one nice thing going for it.

[Alpha]

you can get a wireless dongle for PC now.

if this stick is wireless that would be one nice thing going for it.

Ah, I thought I saw one of those at an electronic store the other day. I wonder how well they work. Then I guess an XBOX 360 HRAP over a PS3 HRAP will be fine either way for the PC.

[BlackKnight]

Those dongles are dirt cheap too. Right now I seem to use my wireless headset more often on the PC than on the 360