Hello and welcome to a less involved version of Combo Theory. I had originally planned on writing up some strategies for using Mira in Killer Instinct, but my capture equipment decided otherwise. This week’s article is a bit different and we’re going to take a look at some of the best products for getting started with fighting games. All the opinions here are subjective and none of the fightsticks below were supplied to The Game Haus. I have personally purchased and used each item below sans the Qanba Drone.
Q: What will a fight stick do for me?
A: Absolutely nothing. Fight sticks are simply one method of controlling your game. They do not make you a better player and they will not do away with your weaknesses. Play fighting games with what you feel comfortable with and what you can do the best with. Outside of Killer Instinct, I cannot play with a controller due to hand cramps which is why I use a fight stick. Just remember that Red Bull’s Oliver “Luffy” Hay won Evo 2014 with a modded Playstation 1 pad.
Q: What fight stick should I buy?
A: As far as recommendations go, do not buy a cheap fight stick. A fight stick is a luxury item and you should set aside at least 150 US dollars for one. Fight sticks take a lot of abuse and cheap sticks will buckle under pressure. Most quality sticks ship with Sanwa Denshi buttons and a Sanwa JLF Joystick. There are different versions of these parts depending on if you want an American, Korean or Japanese style stick. Most fight sticks do offer an easy way to change parts and stick art, but we’ll tackle that in a different article because most newer players should just stick with buying quality sticks with quality parts. I’m going to list a few sticks below at different price ranges and why you should consider them.
The best entry level stick on the market right now is the Qanba Drone
The next stick on the list comes from Japanese manufacturer Hori with the HRAP 4. Prior to Madcatz entering the market, Hori was the default manufacturer of Playstation 4 sticks and even no
The last two sticks we’re going to talk about come from MadCatz and they are easily the best sticks o
Q: What monitor should I use?
A: The Evolution Championship series uses the BenQ RL2460HT and so should you!
That concludes this week’s Combo Theory. God willing, my new capture equipment doesn’t burst at the might of my PC and I can get back to teaching you Killer Instinct poorly.
Seth Hall has been playing fighting games for the last four years and writing for the last two. He can be found on twitter @themanseries and will be competing at The Fall Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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