You didn't talk about the one lackluster thing in the octagonal-gate: it's really easy to miss the down/back. I liked it at first for the same reasons you said, but I constantly got caught with down-attacks even though I thought I was blocking. That 6% area doesn't give too much room for error. Also my shoryukens were often registered as hadokens as it's so easy to push forward as well (again because the room for down/forward is so small). Switched back to the square and both of those problems were gone.
+Vsankari Yes, there and downsides and upsides to both gates or all gates at that. Like I always mention it's personal preference, play what works for you!
Square gates suck ass for characters like Chun Li who requires a pull down instant action for a air stomp combo with tight timing, Only way to really do this is with a Hit Box or using Octo Gate which allows you to lock the down move into grove. If you do it on a square gate you will likely accidentally slide on the gate when you pull down and you will drop the combo. Overall the benefits outweigh the cons so I will gladly stick with octo gate. I also have no issues charging on Octo as I never slide on the gate I just do back forward for Kikoken
You are doing dragon punch wrong. Just really fast press foreword followed by a hadouken and that should give you the dragon punch input no matter what gate you use
Has anyone given thought to a wide-octagonal gate? That is: instead of a regular octagon, pull out the diagonals about half-way towards being a square. It (conceptually) maintains the benefit of giving the cardinal directions corners to stop at, while giving the diagonals additional space to work in. It does, admittedly, make circular motions on the edge more difficult than with an octagon or circle, but it's theoretically easier than riding on the edges/corners of a square and you're far less likely to overshoot and jump instead.
KrAceZ - REAL players play within the square gate while amateur children players go for circle or octagonal resistor gate. I already got used to square resistor gates and they are WAY more forgiving than the other 2.
What's also important about the octagon gate is that all directions are the same max distance away from the center. Going all the way left is not the same as going all the way left and up in a square gate. The circle also does this but it's a circle so you can't tell if you're hitting anything.
The square sanwa gate distances to right, left, up & down are shorter than on octagonal sanwa gates. Using a square gate makes faster movements possible. The way you use a square is to use the walls of up, down, right left and learn the exact positions of the microswitches by muscle memory.. After learning to use the square gate it is a plus side that you can't feel the stick locking into one of the 8 corners of the octagonal gate. I can see why many opt for the octagonal because it seems logical but i personally like square gates much more.
the KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator, makes the oct/rnd gate feel about as quick as the square! for a couple of £/$'s you cant really go wrong, if you stick inputs aren't super precise/clean its a good option..:)
square gate with KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator gets less throw distance than octogonal gate with KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator thus square gate will win always finally...You just must practice a lot on square gate ^^
the throw distance doesn't affect the actuation points. the actuation all stays the same, but the throw distances will screw you over, since there's a shorter throw distance for diagonals. depending on how you do your qcfs and qcbs or even 360s, the smaller points will throw you off.
But the optimal is to play without any feedback, i.e. not touching the gate at all. It's very hard to not touch the diagonals of a octagonal gate. That's why squares are default for most fighting sticks.
@@gamblerfls Haha, man this comment is old. I switched to a square gate like 2 years ago. Feedback for standard up, down, left right was no longer needed. Only having feedback on the corner inputs feels more focused. You're probably right that no feedback at all is optimal, but I am quite happy with a square gate. But there is a learning curve to it.
@@ocoro174 because some players like to have the feedback. But if you check comparisons between the gate styles, the square is the most even of them all, having the same 11% at all directions. Both octagonal and circular gates have only 6% activation on each diagonal.
Late to the party, but I thought of something. One thing almost everyone can agree on is while learning to not rely on/ride the gate "it's not there to baby you" so wouldn't using anything other than a square gate kind of teach you a bad habit? Just got my first stick two weeks ago and in my experience, although playing in the gate is a little tougher, it makes inputs so much faster. I'm assuming this is because the only thing you're coming into contact with is the switches hence much less friction=faster everything
there's 2 reasons why the square gate works better (IN PRO), not only because riding the corners takes longer than using the minimal amount, but because it follows the switch position, meaning, you have as much response for each zone to activate a direction. its kinda like using a circular one with very little deadzone. in that regard, it is closer to a circular gate(also known as gateless) in that you are playing inside the zone, BUT, without the confirmation that you went "too deep",
@@marcosdheleno n response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
n response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
@@rebranded1248 You gonna be fucked your lever breaks at a tourney, much better to just take the time to learn to control a stock Sanwa considering it's the most widely used lever
@@Ayyem93 My issue with the stock Sanwa JLF lever is not the control aspect of it in general terms. I don't ride or grind the gate or anything if that's what you are referencing. Doing Fireballs and Dp motions basic/intermediate combos isn't my dilemma. What I am talking about is when it comes to doing high execution combos that have multiple 1-frame links, require nearly instant dashes/running and also need extremely fast neutral/throw/centering its just feels impossible. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and also a octo plate with a 1mm oversized actuator for the JLF coming as well. I am forced to switch the stock square restrictor gate that comes with the JLF for the octo gate because the oversized actuator does not work properly with the default square gate. My issue basically with stock JLF is the input quickness is far too slow to be able to do the Hardest of Hard combos their are (talking about older games from the harder execution era). Like Evil Ryu 1 frame link combos in SF4 for example. Can do them on D-pad Dual Shock by the way. SFV and modern fighting games are easy in general (does not matter the control device really) and pretty much require juggle timing mostly not lighting fast inputs with extremely small link combo windows if that makes sense.
There are facts to be mentioned. There are larger dead zones (neutral space where your stick does nothing) in the circle and octagon gates. Secondly, when attempting to do a 6,2,3 motion (DP/ Forward, Down, Down-towards) the octagonal gate has minimal space to trigger the corner, making input errors more apparent because your simply missing the 6% real estate or "zone" needed in order to trigger the effect on screen. Lastly fighting games are a game of REACTIONARY tendencies as they are Offensive or intiating actions. So when incorporating the idea of being caught off guard, and needing for example to DP on "reaction" it might not be as clean as if you were to intentionally DP within in a planned combo... maybe your were walking back, your opponent did something that you quickly now want to now DP to punish... your hand placement was ideal for walking back, but now you must rapidly and PRECISELY perform the correct motion to counter your opponent. This is why there is OBJECTIVELY a better gate. Which is indeed the square, "riding the gate" is a good point. but it is the most minimal aspect to this topic. The only thing SUBJECTIVE here is the feel* one person likes vs another. Another words, in the situation I just described, one person may love the circle or octagonal feel etc. but there simply isn't any disagreeing that the time it takes to get to the trigger zone, and the accuracy needed is much greater on the circle and the octagon. Other than that, play with what you feel you like, but these are some solid facts to help you decide.
It doesn't work that way, the gate doesn't change the base deadzone of the stick, it just *seems* that way because it reduces the total space and therefore the percentage of the edges. When you get good you won't use all that extra space on the squares, specially the corner ones. Don't get me wrong, play on what you're comfortable with, I just want to point out that many people don't really have that problem you're describing.
gameraxis I know I’m a year late but thank you. That was insightful and well replied sir or madam. I’m just starting fighting games for the first time and I’m loving the square gate, though I thought I would hate it at first.
gameraxis Personally, I grew up in european arcades (I'm 40) where there were EXCLUSIVELY circular gates and I tend to do a lot of errors with square gates while I'm actually more precise with octagonal or circular ones, believe it or not. I cannot be precise unless i ride the gate and riding a square gate always gives me some mistakes and LESS reactions because of the longer movements.
Stick in the original arcade games, such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, were only 4 directions, so a square made sense. When arcades went to 8 directions, they kept the square gate for cost reasons.
It just improves the diagonal situation because you need to hit 2 switches to go diagonal. This is very important for things like footsies and micro walks when you need to be able to crouch block in an instant. I find for circular and octagonal, you almost need to do two inputs, press down first and then roll back to guarantee a block.
@@eddiek6390 Mortal Kombat 1 & 2 used circle. I'm playing King of Fighters 13 Steam edition right now on a Qanba Fusion with a square gate & Sanwa joystick & buttons and it's taking me a while to adapt, because I'm used to a circle gate for fighting. The fight stick was for playing shoot 'em ups on MAME emulator.
Superb video. Been playing since sf2 in the arcade but only on console since alpha 2 (also grew up with snes/ps etc.). Got my first fightstick and trying to learn. This has been really helpful :)
You may want to add that these gate selections are usually referring to Japanese style sticks. Happ/IL American/ Euro sticks also have a different execution feel even if they can be called "square" and "circular". How the actuator is shaped and if it uses bare or paddled switches change the execution feel greatly.
I find square gate is better for fundamentals. Going in between footsies, micro walks and low block is extremely important at high level play. You have to hit two switches for the corners which is very difficult on circular or octagonal gate unless your style is to constantly roll the joystick along the edges to guarantee input. I will often switch to circular gate when I'm playing KOF though. Much easier to execute complex combos.
If you grew up in North America and you played in arcades (e.g. on Happ bat-tops), you effectively played on a circular gate, not an octo gate. Happ sticks use a square restrictor with a square actuator, which results in a smooth circular motion. (Perfect 360 sticks have circular restrictors with a circular "actuator.")
I also believe an Octo gate is better for SHMUPS because it is a lot easier to make accurate diagonal movements especially wjen there are hundreds of bullets on screen.
I think it also depends on the quality of the stick. Some sticks won't even pick input if you don't move all the way to the gate. Using a good quality stick like Sanwa and the square gate seems to be the way to go, as the optimal thing to do is not using the restrictor to get combos faster. Pros probably use square gates for this reason.
When I bought my first fightstick I thought the same. I chose a Bat top and switched to an octagonal gate. After a couple of months I found it way too restrictive. At the time I purchased a pandora box which came with square gates and regular ball tops. And I found that I liked that setup a lot better, for some reason stuff felt easier to perform and just felt better in general. I don't like the feeling of rolling the stick against the gate. It kinda feels like I'm going to mess it up a lot quicker. Ever since then I started using only square gates combined with a ball top. And I feel like my inputs are a lot more precise. I don't know, I just got a better feel for everything. But like you said, to each their own.
THE PICTURE IS FLAWED! It shows all 9 zones of the squaregate being the same size. This is not correct, because as you mentioned the stick inside the gate is round. This means that when you press the bottom microswitch the distace from the top of the rounded stick towards the left and right microswitch increases! The thick straight white lines indicating the 8 input-directions must be curved into the corners, making the diagonal-inputs smaller and the deadzone in the middle bigger. I liked the explanation with rolling of the gate though.
I just installed a OCT gate on my Viper arcade stick (replaced all parts with sanwa) I find the oct gate very strange. I'm used to a square gates, played arcades since i was 8, I'm 36 now and have only every played on square gate arcades. I'm gonna give the oct gate a go but this is my problem with it so far.... I'm used to hitting the walls of the gate when playing games (mainly fighters) and it's a very short and quick movement for square gates.. The oct gate has a far longer stroke to it and it's very off putting. There is a down / up, Left / Right on square gates, there's just not resting points. Once u hit the edge you simply stop. I find fireballs easy on either gate, dragon style attacks are harder for me on the oct game, and charge movements (mainly up / down when blocking, corner to corner attacks etc) are hard on the oct gate. I'll keep using it for a few weeks and see if i get used to it. I'll report back if anyone gives a shit. ;)
hated it, removed it and haven't used in since. If you're used to square gates keep using them. Oct gates just give to much stroke. I have seen a kit that shortens it so i might give it a go.
Square gates for me. Got rid of the Oct gates pretty quickly. It's really down to what you're used to. In australia our arcades mainly use square gates.
These mods are cheap enough on Sanwa JLF’s that you can try everything find what works for you. The octogate was the first mod I tried, but it lengthens the throw on the main directional inputs and I hated it. I tried a KOWAL 1mm oversized actuator and liked that it shortens the throw in all directions. I learned not to ride the gate in the corners, but for some moves, like back dashes or sprints, I will “bounce” the stick off the gate. I also tried different springs. The stock JLF spring always felt loose and sloppy to me. I tried a 4lbs spring and even though I have a strong grip, it’s just too much when I need fast accurate inputs. The 2lbs spring feels perfect. It’s all about making the game experience best for yourself.
In response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
Oh. My. God. It's *GateGate!!!!!* I don't use sticks but heard Woolie talk about it on the Super Best Friendcast and was curious. Thank you for the informative video!
I've been playing on circle for awhile and just recently ordered a octagon, to compare the difference. Man.. I can't do my moves like I do it on a circle gate, I feel like the octagon is holding me back. I guess cause I can actually feel the corners, I prefer the smoothness of the circle gate.
I think before choosing a gate, you should also consider where you want to play at. If you are just mainly playing at home or locally, whatever works for you is fine. If you plan to goto Japan for a trip, and randomly shows up in the arcade, getting used to the square gate would probably be the better choice.
Guess it also comes down to what you want to play. If you roll a lot octagonal might be easier, if you need/want maximum in the corners, square might be easier.
Great video. Been struggling to pull of moves with my 8bitduo arcade stick and thought maybe it was the joystick issue but I now realize it has a square gate and being that I like to roll off the gate, I see what my issue is now. Thank you for the video!
I like square gates that can rotate for 4-way mode, good for older games like Pacman and Donkey Kong, while 8-way mode is good for fighters once you get used to using it without riding the gate.
Being a North American player I grew up on octagonal. My madcatz te stick was my first experience with square. I couldn’t get used to it or have the patience so I bought an octagon gate soon after. I was using the square like you said where I would hit those hard edges trying to roll. Feels a bit like your floating in a square gate. Especially in blocking I like to be against an edge and then roll off to my next move which feels more natural in octagonal gate.
Yeah man same I grew up in Canada and tried to get used to the square gate cause people said its better but too many dropped inputs because I just don't have the muscle memory for it. Just hitting a double QCF in SF felt like hitting the lottery to me. Guess I'm a caveman but riding the gate just feels better to me
I just recently purchases my hori real arcade pro N. And seriously had a hard time adjusting to the square gate. And as what every other guy does, I immediately surfed the internet for some answers. Buying an octagonal gate and circular gate maybe by the coming monts. I’ll try moding this thing as soon as its out of warranty.. Thanks for posting this man. It was a great help. Thinking of posting a vid come time i’d be moding the stick.. Thanks again..
Came across your video while deciding if maybe changing my gate will help with execution issues I have been having with tougher combos (THANKS CHUN LI FOR BEING SO EXECUTION HEAVY FOR MAX DAMAGE). I just ordered an octagonal gate, maybe that will help. Subbed and liked. Great job!
Doing charge specials on square gates blew my fucking mind, i have never been able to do fg specials so consistently, and its really helpful for stuff like elphelt's shotgun reload.
Thank you so very much for the video man! I hope to get the Chun Li stick like you have. I really hope Amazon will still have them in stock a week from now when I have enough to order it. I will be getting the octagon gate as well, thanks to your info. I've been a huge fighting game fan since SF2 and am finally going to break down and buy a stick. I hope the mad cats was a good decision for me, I was also looking at the Hori sticks too. Once again thank you very much from your neighbor in Detroit. Subscribed!
+Shawn Girard No problem bud! Your going to love the Mad Catz TE2 for sure.. I mean, it uses official quality arcade Sanwa parts in it so you will feel right a home once you get your hands on it for sure. I'm actually planning to put out a full detailed review of the Mad Catz TE2 stick as I had a good 8hrs of play time with it on Beta 4. Thanks for the sub as well, really appreciate it!
+Hasteo How did the foam washers work for you? I'm probably going to have to do the same thing because I don't want to disturb anyone with the button sounds. Do you recommend?
+Shawn Girard They are awesome at dampening the sounds for sure.. like in my video it's a solid 70% noise reduction. Only downside is you don't get that satisfying "tap/click" sound any more.. kind like using a mechanical keyboard for a bit them typing on a membrane keyboard.. kind of feel a bit "mushy".. but really when you playing your not thinking about the "loudness or mushiness". So if your really looking at making sure your button presses are quiet not to disturb people then I highly recommend it!
+Shawn Girard A little disclaimer: I put those foam washers in my Hit Box Sanwa buttons, and very quickly removed them. I also did not want to disturb people with my "tickity-tack-tack" sounds, but the pressure I needed to apply to actuate the buttons increased dramatically. If you're okay with that, then, awesome!
Nice vid on the gates. The information is vital for people playing and who might be struggling. I use the square that comes with the TE2 I purchased and I have found it beneficial. It does help with charge characters, but also found it helps with Ryu/Ken crouching Dragon Punch since the diagonal lock in the corner provides a good guide. But the down side is that I struggle to get Ryu Critical Art to follow through after a fireball. I'm practicing to trying to get that working, proving tough.
Fight games only list 8 possible directions for input therefore octa gate is most logical. Has a corner for every input when you need to be precise yet is also round enough to make circular inputs possible. Square input staying in the gate is just an extra stumbling block to overcome.
Thanks so much for posting this. This confirms some issues I have been having playing tekken on a square gate where my down and up inputs often gets misinputed for down back and down forward or up forward and up backward. I will try an octagonal gate to see if it makes my my life easier :)
i'm new to this gate all i got suquare plate on mayflash f300 playing tekken 6,7 all time but my stick broken now not functioning well some inputs like F,D diagonals all downs, so which is better is it octagon or square plate for tekken doing all wavedashings and electrics inputs ?
Before changing the gate, I would look at the way you are gripping the stick: Wine glass, modified Wine glass, Eagle, Monkey, Grip of Doom, The Douchebag etc.
man.... I have a razer atrox... your brilliant explanation at 3:30 made me realize instantly that I am using a square gate... I found this wondering why so many people argues about Oct vs Square Gates Nice vid!
I will say that those who are saying "stick with it, it is superior" they're committing the biggest fallacy and that is to think that because you can get used to something unnatural, it is somehow superior. Learn which gates work for you, don't learn to play the gate. I think I'm going to try an octagonal gate to see how it feels.
there are advantages to the square gate, those % arent there for show(well except that circular one which can go 101% somehow), the square gate has a smaller deadzone, because it follow the mechanical design of the microswitch position. that means you have equal access to all directions. octogonal gates, however, have smaller zones to pick corners, for a normal player its not only a non issue but its more responsive because you can feel the corner and that translates to an easier attack. problem is, on the pro scene, the time it takes between the minimal response and the border IS SIGNIFICANT, meaning, you lose time on your combos, defenses and counters. so it is superior, in the sense that it is more responsive SO LONG you dont touch the border.
@@marcosdheleno Now see that requires that I learn a new a new playstyle. I use square all the time cuz well it's what just about every stick comes with, but all I'm really saying is try what comes natural before you go conforming your playstyle to any piece of equipment.
@@MetaSynForYourSoul dont get me wrong, i agree with you, im just saying, people saying the square gate is superior aint wrong. for fighting games, it is. however, just as i said to someone else in a diferent comment, superior doesnt mean "the best". it means its the prefered one for a group of people because mechanically, it does give the best feedback for what they want(smallest response time on control input). for people who want to use a general arcade stick, and just "wanna have fun". the octogonal is the best because it gives them the most versatility for the smallest time investment.
@@marcosdheleno I get you. I think we're saying the same thing in different ways. I think folks get too wrapped up in what's best, like on paper, as opposed to what feels best and works best for them and their playstyle. Like what's best from a technical standpoint isn't always best for you because we're all built and wired a lil different, ya know. The square gate might work best if you are the typical human and you fit into that mold but if you're a little bit different then maybe not you know.
@@MetaSynForYourSoul exactly.just a few comments below yours there was a dude who literally said "if you cant adapt to a square gate, maybe you shouldnt use a fightstick". the sad thing is, many think just like him. and that ends up hurting the entire community.
this is a fantastic video! no other info on the net is more detailed or understanding! awesome! this actually told me what it is that i like (rolling off the gate lol)
Im an old school arcade player and when I purchased an arcade stick for my pc it came with a square gate, once I realised I could change it to a circular gate everything changed. My game became so much better. Its what you've grown up with and whats familiar to you.
well i think it's selecting between korean stick or japanese stick. Korean stick has circular gate and japanese stick use square and octagonal. Korean stick is better in tekken because of quick response to neutral and japanese stick is better in street fighter because they can input more accurate. That's what i heard but the difference is very little And the sanwa button is way better than everything else
It has nothing to do with the gate at all. Korean sticks return to neutral faster because they use a rubber or silicone grommet in their sticks which are stiffer than the spring found it Sanwa or Seimitsu sticks. However there are aftermarket springs that come in 2lb or 4lb tensions which will help Japanese sticks return to neutral as fast as the Korean sticks.
@Yamato Kurokawa - 黒川山仁 Its really funny you mention this actually, because on another video about a mayflash stick, You said "why bother? mayflash=kid's toy. just buy an arcade with japanese parts such as sanwa, seimitsu, hayabusa etc." but if the sticks don't give people magic powers than why promote not buying a budget stick when you don't have money for an expensive or consumer one? Yeah maybe the parts are better but if they are trying to learn then why say this. It kind of seems like you are just angry at korea for some reason honestly. "Korean parts don't matter" "Buy Japanese parts"
I played a lot, a really lot as a kid and a teen in the arcades, in México its more common the circular one, as an adult I bought an arcade and it was square and I can't even make specials fluidly... My stick is like brand new in its box since about 11 years
"roll within the gate" That's probably why I switched back to square gate lol I used to go by the edge of the gate so I got an octagonal for my Mayflash F300, but when I got a Neo Geo, I started doing that to compensate for the square gate and it felt so much better that way. Games were way more responsive that way. Ordered a Sanwa stick since the stock mayflash stopped working properly so I won't bother getting an octa gate.
This video made so much sense to me. I recently bought my first arcade stick and I was massively disappointed to feel the corners... It feels like shit and I would not recommend the square to any 30+ players that remember the original arcades. Thank you Brian, I needed this.
Right, well let me forewarn you that after a while, you will be disappointed if you go for octagonal or circle resistor gates, especially if you are going to get proficient with charge characters. Also, the best thing about square resistor gates is if you get real good with that kind of resistor gate, the other two will be novice devices.
This is completely accurate to Japanese sticks, but as for Euro/American sticks, it doesn't really apply. As someone who basically exclusively plays with an IL Eurostick, I can tell you the "gate" is actually sort of like a rounded square, although it's not the same as a Japanese stick with either a square or octagonal gate. This is because the Eurostick doesn't have a restrictor gate, and instead, it's the actuator that acts as a reverse-restrictor. The actuator is a large square piece, instead of the tiny actuator Japanese sticks use. Compared to the Sanwa JLF with a square gate, the diagonals are a bit smaller, but still pretty generous. The Sanwa with an octagonal gate has diagonals that are a lot smaller than the IL.
When I bought my fight stick, I tried octogonal and circular and really used circular for a while as well as octogonal then went back to square and now I just use square, but to some people it really matters what gate they use.
Dear friends, I am thinking of buying an arcade fight stick to play the classic Street Fighter 2 games (World Warrior, Champion edition, Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix) on my Xbox Series X console. Which gate is better for Street Fighter 2 games? Square or octagonal? Thanks a lot.
Jo brian iam a bit late here. Any info about lever height. No one talks about while is one of the most important aspect for your grip. I noticed when my balltop was a little bit loose from my lever i had easier input . There is so much stuff different options to choose for you stick that makes me confused how i wanna play
I'm using a square gate and when I'm in back to block and I want to transition to back down kick it sometimes stays in back block unless I reset the stick back to neutral then go into back down kick.... its costs me alot of input error because neutral feels like another move before going into back down kick.... would you know if an octagonal gate would change this
Honestly, it's all personal preference, some may just now stick with square since it's the stock gate so maybe they might like other gates but never tried, but I personally prefer octo gates
Haven’t used Square in a while, but for me I prefer Circle over Octagonal. While it is easier to feel out the sides with Octagonal, Circle just has so much more freedom of movement making it easier on my hands in the long run.
Circular are the best for fighting games that require complicated moves like king of fighter..i bought a sanwa clone..all i did was i drilled a circle with a step drill bit..and works perfectly
I'm confused, I just got back to play KOF 98 after like 10 years. I have a Sanwa joystick with square gate... should I get the octagonal or the circular? like you said
Thank you so much for this video. I come from a Smash Bros background and I just got into SFV. I bought an arcade stick and something didnt feel right. I couldnt get fireballs out consistently and I didnt find it reliable for me. I believe the octagonal gate is the choice for me cause Gamecube controllers have that and that feels much more comfortable to me. I will buy one and hopefully report back with success. I was so close from buying a Korean lever too, but I think this is the better choice. Plus, its cheaper too.
@@Nick_Whiskey Yo its me from a year later. Gold in SFV now! I actually ditched the arcade stick all together and went with the hitbox style controller and having lots of fun with it. Yes it was a little bit of being new to fighting games and it was a little bit of the controller. Once I played more and mess with more controllers I found whats comfy and stuck with it and got better!
Octo-gate for getting used to fighting games on stick and getting the muscle memory for special moves. Square for when you get used to it and just continue with that.
it depends on the character you play, for example mine is Marshall Law and all my moves depend on corners, unlike Jin or others. so keep this also in mind. so i use Square Gate
I might be a bit late to the party, but I think your representation of the octogon gate is a little bit inaccurate. Actually, the corners on my Sanwa square line up perfectly with the diahonal corners on my octo gate. That would actually mean that the percentage of space neutral takes is actually a lot smaller than what you calculated because that area is determined by the switches, in turn making the directonal areas larger. The gate itself allows more movement than the square. I can't really say about the circle, since I haven't had one, but octogons have more directional movement space than squares.
Your math is wrong. The % number needs to represent absolute numbers, not relational. For instance, the middle area should always have the same value for all 3 gate types (e.g. 11 for all 3 gates).
I've played fighting games back in the 90s and always wondered why some sticks felt different. The square made me feel like my movements hung up or stopped too abruptly. They made me brain fart and forget what I was trying to do....lol. But I'm not sure what one I'd prefer.
What games did you play with octogonal gates? American/European style sticks didnt use gates they used an actuator.... which is more similar to Korean type stick
Octagonal gate is a corner-feel version of the circular gate. Rather than having players (who ever played on HAPP/IE sticks that convert to smaller joysticks) guess where the corners are, the octagonal gate gave that corner a sense in order to do DPs with a bit of ease.
I feel like the square gate made it easier for me to learn the Dragon Punch input because of the extra emphasis on the corners. However, a problem I ran into was blocking. Too many times I would be crouch blocking, then trying to shift up to a standing block along that flat wall and end up accidentally jumping because I overshoot it. Switched to an octagonal gate and it feels so much smoother transitioning blocking positions. Had to readjust to how it felt to DP using Octo Gate, but once I learned it everything fell into place.
02:31 We love to hit the Square Gate! For the Feedback. Tekken: Korean Backdash. EWGF, we need that cornor feedback! SFV: Charge.. we need the cornor. Fireball, its perfect.. I mean not as perfect like the circular.. but I that game is programmed for the square :D
I play Tekken, and i want to buy a stick for PC when T7 comes out, I'm also a Mishima player, an octo gate would feel better to perform EWGF's and wavedashes easily? What you guys recomend for starting with stick and being a wavedash player?
Myoungshin Fanta. In my opinion, this stick allows for diagonals input much easier. Makes Heihachis OTGF or Hwoarangs JFSR so much easier. It took a bit for me to adjust from an octo-gate to no gate at all. My wave dashes with the fanta had accidental u/f notations when I first started on it, but now I can light dash at ease. Can't wait til Tekken 7 comes out!!
The man is right. The Myounshin Fanta is the best stick for playing Mishimas in Tekken. However, one thing to know about it is that is is not easy to use as your first stick. The throw is really small. It takes a good amount of adjustment. Still though, I highly recommend it too. If you prefer a J stick trying modding one with a heavier spring.
i got my stick 3 months ago, Hori arcade pro.V. the stick is great, but its a square gate. It will take lots of time to get use to it. i can do PEWGF like 75%-70% of the time now. For wavedash i just have to get use to moving my hands quick to perform it, but it is very do able. I recommend this stick if you can't or not confident in modding, and willing to throw some money at a stick(its $200 CAD) that will last a long time. there are 2 versions 1 for PlayStation and the other one is xbox both work with pc.
I totally get you man, I never know there are other gates until I bought the Hori mini, and I thought my stick is faulty! Because I've never used a square gate. Any recommendation on any arcade stick in the market is with octagon or circular gate? I can't find any. =(
Some of the classics like "Robotron 2084", and "Time Pilot" require a round gate in order to avoid being stuck in the corners. Ultimarc sells a joystick restrictor that allows you to switch from 4-way (diamond) to 8-way (square) to round from the top of the panel.
What about center dead zone? I would love a square gate if the "dead zone" is larger. My main issue is accidentally actuating unintended diagonals. I had problems with a Genesis thumbpad playing Golden Axe having a "vertical drift" while alternating left and right for a surrounded death combo..
Thank you so much for this video. I just got a fightstick (TE2) And having a hard time getting the execution down and as soon as you said it's harder to roll off the gate with a square I knew octo is for me. I'm ordering one Monday and feel very confident it will improve my game by a mile.
to me trying to hit up down left right on a square gate is like a balancing act. The stick just wants to go to the corners and I find it really annoying. I suppose it's just dependant on the way you hold the joystick and the way you like to input things but for me the square gate is very awkward. I would like to try a square rotated at 90 degrees though. So that it's the normal directions that have the corners of the square and not the diagonal directions. I haven't been able to find one like that though.
If you rotate the gate like that to give the cardinal directions the corners, you no longer have an 8-way stick. You’ve made it into a 4-way stick and won’t be able to hit diagonals. Anyway, I know what you’re saying. You don’t have to hit the corners in a square gate to activate the diagonals. So aggressive play can lead to input errors. I will hit the side of the gate and the lever will slide a bit and trigger a diagonal. So I’ll jump when I don’t want to or something like that. It’s very annoying. I grew up with the arcades so an octagonal gate or circle gate/no gate is much preferable.
it depends more on the game actually than preference, by that I mean that in japan and korea tekken is much more popular than in the US (don't know about games other than sf and tekken, like guilty gear or some of the weird anime games they have in asia), in tekken a square gate is very useful for mishimas, the general high skill characters of the game(excluding stuff like nina). For mishimas, the best move in the entire game is the ewgf which is f, n, d, df2 (just frame df2) which means you want to feel a full stop at the down forward, making the square gate a bit better than an octagonal. There are plenty of qcf motions in tekken, which I'd say the octagonal is just much more natural at, but in street fighter, you don't really run into any motions like the ewgfs motion, I think that might be where the stance on square gates for Asians is coming from. I just cant imagine them wanting to use a square gate in sf, but if that's all they've used most of the time of course they'll say its superior. Overall in most fighting games id say the octagon is superior due to the nice forward and back input locks compared to a square.
i love Square gate, when need use move hit 3 button like D>DR>R just think D turn around to R, so only have hit wall 2 time felling (wall D turn to wall R) :)
Sheev thank you. You were the last of my doubt over the square gate. I have seen votes and square gate was highest by 33%. I was doubting but now thanks to you
I removed my gate and put in an entire fence. I'm unbeatable now.
What is an entire fence? Interesting 🤔
I put up a border wall, so far it is working well for me
Lmao 🤣
I know that this is old but can you explain?
@@lexis1344 Just a play on words. A fence is much, much, much, larger than it's gate.
You didn't talk about the one lackluster thing in the octagonal-gate: it's really easy to miss the down/back. I liked it at first for the same reasons you said, but I constantly got caught with down-attacks even though I thought I was blocking. That 6% area doesn't give too much room for error. Also my shoryukens were often registered as hadokens as it's so easy to push forward as well (again because the room for down/forward is so small).
Switched back to the square and both of those problems were gone.
+Vsankari Yes, there and downsides and upsides to both gates or all gates at that. Like I always mention it's personal preference, play what works for you!
Vsankari gotta check your microswitches or adjust them (distance) so the stick can register them easier
I laughed when I read "Also my shoryukens were often registered as hadokens" Don't know why
Square gates suck ass for characters like Chun Li who requires a pull down instant action for a air stomp combo with tight timing, Only way to really do this is with a Hit Box or using Octo Gate which allows you to lock the down move into grove. If you do it on a square gate you will likely accidentally slide on the gate when you pull down and you will drop the combo. Overall the benefits outweigh the cons so I will gladly stick with octo gate. I also have no issues charging on Octo as I never slide on the gate I just do back forward for Kikoken
You are doing dragon punch wrong. Just really fast press foreword followed by a hadouken and that should give you the dragon punch input no matter what gate you use
Has anyone given thought to a wide-octagonal gate? That is: instead of a regular octagon, pull out the diagonals about half-way towards being a square. It (conceptually) maintains the benefit of giving the cardinal directions corners to stop at, while giving the diagonals additional space to work in. It does, admittedly, make circular motions on the edge more difficult than with an octagon or circle, but it's theoretically easier than riding on the edges/corners of a square and you're far less likely to overshoot and jump instead.
One time I decided to go gateless & it was amazing.
@Kid_Muscle_ bruh moment
Feels just like the circle gate tbh
Lmaooo
gigiddy
Get tested brah
"play within the gate" *shudders* I don't even wanna think about doing that. Rolling the stick is half the fun lol.
When i do motions on my square gate, i roll off the gate
Yeah that seems so weird
Im practicing avoiding the gate once I get my higher tension spring, bcs I think it's much better for kbd in tekken
KrAceZ - REAL players play within the square gate while amateur children players go for circle or octagonal resistor gate. I already got used to square resistor gates and they are WAY more forgiving than the other 2.
@@jomerbongalos2065 hows the higher tension spring goes? Planning to put either 2lb/3lb on my Sanwa
What's also important about the octagon gate is that all directions are the same max distance away from the center. Going all the way left is not the same as going all the way left and up in a square gate. The circle also does this but it's a circle so you can't tell if you're hitting anything.
The square sanwa gate distances to right, left, up & down are shorter than on octagonal sanwa gates.
Using a square gate makes faster movements possible.
The way you use a square is to use the walls of up, down, right left and learn the exact positions of the microswitches by muscle memory..
After learning to use the square gate it is a plus side that you can't feel the stick locking into one of the 8 corners of the octagonal gate.
I can see why many opt for the octagonal because it seems logical but i personally like square gates much more.
the KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator, makes the oct/rnd gate feel about as quick as the square! for a couple of £/$'s you cant really go wrong, if you stick inputs aren't super precise/clean its a good option..:)
square gate with KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator gets less throw distance than octogonal gate with KOWEL 1mm oversize actuator thus square gate will win always finally...You just must practice a lot on square gate ^^
the throw distance doesn't affect the actuation points. the actuation all stays the same, but the throw distances will screw you over, since there's a shorter throw distance for diagonals. depending on how you do your qcfs and qcbs or even 360s, the smaller points will throw you off.
Got the chance to compare some. I really do prefer the octagonal gate. I like that it gives the most feedback to my action.
But the optimal is to play without any feedback, i.e. not touching the gate at all. It's very hard to not touch the diagonals of a octagonal gate. That's why squares are default for most fighting sticks.
@@gamblerfls Haha, man this comment is old. I switched to a square gate like 2 years ago. Feedback for standard up, down, left right was no longer needed.
Only having feedback on the corner inputs feels more focused.
You're probably right that no feedback at all is optimal, but I am quite happy with a square gate. But there is a learning curve to it.
@@KaiSchSp - welcome to the square gate tribe!
@@gamblerfls what is the purpose of the gate if not for touching?
@@ocoro174 because some players like to have the feedback. But if you check comparisons between the gate styles, the square is the most even of them all, having the same 11% at all directions. Both octagonal and circular gates have only 6% activation on each diagonal.
Thank you for explaining it man. Square gate is just so hard to get used to. Seimitsu with a circle gate is amazing.
When throwing a fireball on square gates, i hit the bottom and then the side, never the corner and it makes it way easier.
+Jesus Christ Nice tip!
*****
Probably not unless you're really going crazy with it. I'm pretty sure one of the uses of the gate is to help stop wear on the micro switches.
This! Thank you so much! I wish I've seen this sooner! Helped so much!
@En Sabah Nur square gates are the best for charge characters ie. Guile
riding gates is too slow for double QCF/B motions in a combo.
good video I always wondered by some arcade sticks felt different than what I remember as a kid in the arcade
Oh man you guys are lost i play with the TRIANGULAR GATE and i almost never lose. Its so gatetastic😀😀😀
My gate is a line. Beat that you filthy casual!
yeah ok...watch when I sweep EVO this year with my Pong paddle.
nah Haha i would like to see that one
JOhn Doe Lmao no way im beating that
JOhn Doe: My gate has 0 gate! There's no jump, duck, move right or left, or any diagonals!
Late to the party, but I thought of something.
One thing almost everyone can agree on is while learning to not rely on/ride the gate "it's not there to baby you" so wouldn't using anything other than a square gate kind of teach you a bad habit? Just got my first stick two weeks ago and in my experience, although playing in the gate is a little tougher, it makes inputs so much faster. I'm assuming this is because the only thing you're coming into contact with is the switches hence much less friction=faster everything
there's 2 reasons why the square gate works better (IN PRO), not only because riding the corners takes longer than using the minimal amount, but because it follows the switch position, meaning, you have as much response for each zone to activate a direction. its kinda like using a circular one with very little deadzone.
in that regard, it is closer to a circular gate(also known as gateless) in that you are playing inside the zone, BUT, without the confirmation that you went "too deep",
@@marcosdheleno n response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
n response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
@@rebranded1248 You gonna be fucked your lever breaks at a tourney, much better to just take the time to learn to control a stock Sanwa considering it's the most widely used lever
@@Ayyem93 My issue with the stock Sanwa JLF lever is not the control aspect of it in general terms. I don't ride or grind the gate or anything if that's what you are referencing. Doing Fireballs and Dp motions basic/intermediate combos isn't my dilemma. What I am talking about is when it comes to doing high execution combos that have multiple 1-frame links, require nearly instant dashes/running and also need extremely fast neutral/throw/centering its just feels impossible. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and also a octo plate with a 1mm oversized actuator for the JLF coming as well. I am forced to switch the stock square restrictor gate that comes with the JLF for the octo gate because the oversized actuator does not work properly with the default square gate. My issue basically with stock JLF is the input quickness is far too slow to be able to do the Hardest of Hard combos their are (talking about older games from the harder execution era). Like Evil Ryu 1 frame link combos in SF4 for example. Can do them on D-pad Dual Shock by the way. SFV and modern fighting games are easy in general (does not matter the control device really) and pretty much require juggle timing mostly not lighting fast inputs with extremely small link combo windows if that makes sense.
There are facts to be mentioned. There are larger dead zones (neutral space where your stick does nothing) in the circle and octagon gates. Secondly, when attempting to do a 6,2,3 motion (DP/ Forward, Down, Down-towards) the octagonal gate has minimal space to trigger the corner, making input errors more apparent because your simply missing the 6% real estate or "zone" needed in order to trigger the effect on screen. Lastly fighting games are a game of REACTIONARY tendencies as they are Offensive or intiating actions. So when incorporating the idea of being caught off guard, and needing for example to DP on "reaction" it might not be as clean as if you were to intentionally DP within in a planned combo... maybe your were walking back, your opponent did something that you quickly now want to now DP to punish... your hand placement was ideal for walking back, but now you must rapidly and PRECISELY perform the correct motion to counter your opponent. This is why there is OBJECTIVELY a better gate. Which is indeed the square, "riding the gate" is a good point. but it is the most minimal aspect to this topic. The only thing SUBJECTIVE here is the feel* one person likes vs another. Another words, in the situation I just described, one person may love the circle or octagonal feel etc. but there simply isn't any disagreeing that the time it takes to get to the trigger zone, and the accuracy needed is much greater on the circle and the octagon. Other than that, play with what you feel you like, but these are some solid facts to help you decide.
So playing with the octagon gate is like playing with the analogs on the controllers?
It doesn't work that way, the gate doesn't change the base deadzone of the stick, it just *seems* that way because it reduces the total space and therefore the percentage of the edges. When you get good you won't use all that extra space on the squares, specially the corner ones.
Don't get me wrong, play on what you're comfortable with, I just want to point out that many people don't really have that problem you're describing.
gameraxis I know I’m a year late but thank you. That was insightful and well replied sir or madam. I’m just starting fighting games for the first time and I’m loving the square gate, though I thought I would hate it at first.
gameraxis Personally, I grew up in european arcades (I'm 40) where there were EXCLUSIVELY circular gates and I tend to do a lot of errors with square gates while I'm actually more precise with octagonal or circular ones, believe it or not. I cannot be precise unless i ride the gate and riding a square gate always gives me some mistakes and LESS reactions because of the longer movements.
Very, very informative!!!!! Thanks for this breakdown!!!!
I love the theory you use explain why the square gates are even used. I just always wondered why the heck these fight sticks were defaulted to square.
Stick in the original arcade games, such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, were only 4 directions, so a square made sense. When arcades went to 8 directions, they kept the square gate for cost reasons.
It just improves the diagonal situation because you need to hit 2 switches to go diagonal. This is very important for things like footsies and micro walks when you need to be able to crouch block in an instant. I find for circular and octagonal, you almost need to do two inputs, press down first and then roll back to guarantee a block.
@@eddiek6390 Mortal Kombat 1 & 2 used circle. I'm playing King of Fighters 13 Steam edition right now on a Qanba Fusion with a square gate & Sanwa joystick & buttons and it's taking me a while to adapt, because I'm used to a circle gate for fighting. The fight stick was for playing shoot 'em ups on MAME emulator.
@@eddiek6390those games used a diamond gate for 4 way movement. diagonal isn’t an option on them which is why they’re not here
Superb video. Been playing since sf2 in the arcade but only on console since alpha 2 (also grew up with snes/ps etc.). Got my first fightstick and trying to learn. This has been really helpful :)
+WRFM PaRaDoX Awesome, glad you liked the video. Thanks comment and checking it out!
You may want to add that these gate selections are usually referring to Japanese style sticks. Happ/IL American/ Euro sticks also have a different execution feel even if they can be called "square" and "circular". How the actuator is shaped and if it uses bare or paddled switches change the execution feel greatly.
Wow, I had no idea all this stuff about gate existed >_> Really great information!
+Damien Vryce Thanks man, glad you liked it!
I find square gate is better for fundamentals. Going in between footsies, micro walks and low block is extremely important at high level play. You have to hit two switches for the corners which is very difficult on circular or octagonal gate unless your style is to constantly roll the joystick along the edges to guarantee input. I will often switch to circular gate when I'm playing KOF though. Much easier to execute complex combos.
If you grew up in North America and you played in arcades (e.g. on Happ bat-tops), you effectively played on a circular gate, not an octo gate. Happ sticks use a square restrictor with a square actuator, which results in a smooth circular motion. (Perfect 360 sticks have circular restrictors with a circular "actuator.")
Thank you so much for helping me understand why I haven't been able to perform basic specials like fire balls and uppercuts with Ken 😆👍
Which gate to use for each game:
SF: square gate
KOF: square gate
Tekken: octagonal
Never go with a circle gate. It never works.
Crimson-fox Twitch how about marvel vs Capcom?
Yeah square gates are usually for 2d fighters while octagonal or circular are for 3d fighters,
Crimson-fox Twitch I'm KOF player i rather use circular it's better.
I play tekken with a square gate and gotten used to it. Thanks for the suggestion
Square for Tekken imo
I also believe an Octo gate is better for SHMUPS because it is a lot easier to make accurate diagonal movements especially wjen there are hundreds of bullets on screen.
I think it also depends on the quality of the stick. Some sticks won't even pick input if you don't move all the way to the gate. Using a good quality stick like Sanwa and the square gate seems to be the way to go, as the optimal thing to do is not using the restrictor to get combos faster. Pros probably use square gates for this reason.
When I bought my first fightstick I thought the same. I chose a Bat top and switched to an octagonal gate. After a couple of months I found it way too restrictive. At the time I purchased a pandora box which came with square gates and regular ball tops. And I found that I liked that setup a lot better, for some reason stuff felt easier to perform and just felt better in general. I don't like the feeling of rolling the stick against the gate. It kinda feels like I'm going to mess it up a lot quicker. Ever since then I started using only square gates combined with a ball top. And I feel like my inputs are a lot more precise. I don't know, I just got a better feel for everything. But like you said, to each their own.
THE PICTURE IS FLAWED! It shows all 9 zones of the squaregate being the same size. This is not correct, because as you mentioned the stick inside the gate is round. This means that when you press the bottom microswitch the distace from the top of the rounded stick towards the left and right microswitch increases! The thick straight white lines indicating the 8 input-directions must be curved into the corners, making the diagonal-inputs smaller and the deadzone in the middle bigger.
I liked the explanation with rolling of the gate though.
I just installed a OCT gate on my Viper arcade stick (replaced all parts with sanwa) I find the oct gate very strange.
I'm used to a square gates, played arcades since i was 8, I'm 36 now and have only every played on square gate arcades. I'm gonna give the oct gate a go but this is my problem with it so far....
I'm used to hitting the walls of the gate when playing games (mainly fighters) and it's a very short and quick movement for square gates.. The oct gate has a far longer stroke to it and it's very off putting.
There is a down / up, Left / Right on square gates, there's just not resting points. Once u hit the edge you simply stop. I find fireballs easy on either gate, dragon style attacks are harder for me on the oct game, and charge movements (mainly up / down when blocking, corner to corner attacks etc) are hard on the oct gate.
I'll keep using it for a few weeks and see if i get used to it. I'll report back if anyone gives a shit. ;)
What was your experience with the oct gate
hated it, removed it and haven't used in since. If you're used to square gates keep using them. Oct gates just give to much stroke. I have seen a kit that shortens it so i might give it a go.
@@SoulGrind81 4 years later lol but I hate trying to do corners on oct gate
Which gate is better for CONSISTENT HALF-CIRCLES ?
for games like King of fighters ?
Square gates for me. Got rid of the Oct gates pretty quickly. It's really down to what you're used to. In australia our arcades mainly use square gates.
These mods are cheap enough on Sanwa JLF’s that you can try everything find what works for you. The octogate was the first mod I tried, but it lengthens the throw on the main directional inputs and I hated it. I tried a KOWAL 1mm oversized actuator and liked that it shortens the throw in all directions. I learned not to ride the gate in the corners, but for some moves, like back dashes or sprints, I will “bounce” the stick off the gate. I also tried different springs. The stock JLF spring always felt loose and sloppy to me. I tried a 4lbs spring and even though I have a strong grip, it’s just too much when I need fast accurate inputs. The 2lbs spring feels perfect. It’s all about making the game experience best for yourself.
In response to your comment, I got the Razer Pantera Evo with a Stock Sanwa JLF lever and .9lb and Square gate. From the moment I took it out of the box I have felt it has been a complete waste of money. The stick is so loose, massive throw range, horrible. I played American arcades with what? the HAPP Eurosticks with Octo gates? were those the ones in the 90's arcades right? Anyways in the arcades DP's and Fireball were easy when I was like 12. Here I am getting my first Sanwa with Square gate thinking its going to be wonderful. Nothing but disappointment. Execution went from very high overall (on pad) to dirt low beginner level or worse. So the 2lb spring helped a little bit but not enough. I have a Seimitsu LS-40 on the way and I am excited to say the least. Also have a oversized actuator and a Octo restrictor gate on the way as well for the JLF. Between the mods for the JLF and the new shiny Seimitsu LS-40 I think I will be much much happier. I will never again play with a stock Sanwa lever and square gate combo. Its unplayable in my opinion. I have read from others too that they absolutely HATE the stock Sanwa with square gate. They find it awful as well. They said the Seimitsu comes stock with a sort of Square-roundish gate that is much better, so I am even more excited when I think about it LOL I highly doubt any pro uses a STOCK Sanwa JLF lever with a Stock Square gate. Everyone I read about their info or ask, also say in their equipment used or there preference pretty much all use CUSTOM Sanwa Lever's .Custom, not stock (LMAO) Custom is the key word Custom. I will never ever touch stock Sanwa's for the rest of my life, I swear it.
Oh. My. God. It's *GateGate!!!!!*
I don't use sticks but heard Woolie talk about it on the Super Best Friendcast and was curious. Thank you for the informative video!
I've been playing on circle for awhile and just recently ordered a octagon, to compare the difference.
Man.. I can't do my moves like I do it on a circle gate, I feel like the octagon is holding me back. I guess cause I can actually feel the corners, I prefer the smoothness of the circle gate.
circle is much more harder to play lol
I think before choosing a gate, you should also consider where you want to play at.
If you are just mainly playing at home or locally, whatever works for you is fine. If you plan to goto Japan for a trip, and randomly shows up in the arcade, getting used to the square gate would probably be the better choice.
Guess it also comes down to what you want to play. If you roll a lot octagonal might be easier, if you need/want maximum in the corners, square might be easier.
Great video. Been struggling to pull of moves with my 8bitduo arcade stick and thought maybe it was the joystick issue but I now realize it has a square gate and being that I like to roll off the gate, I see what my issue is now. Thank you for the video!
Your videos deserve more views!
+theNecksLevel Thanks man, appreciate the positive vibes! :)
+theNecksLevel definitely !
I like square gates that can rotate for 4-way mode, good for older games like Pacman and Donkey Kong, while 8-way mode is good for fighters once you get used to using it without riding the gate.
Being a North American player I grew up on octagonal. My madcatz te stick was my first experience with square. I couldn’t get used to it or have the patience so I bought an octagon gate soon after. I was using the square like you said where I would hit those hard edges trying to roll. Feels a bit like your floating in a square gate. Especially in blocking I like to be against an edge and then roll off to my next move which feels more natural in octagonal gate.
Yeah man same I grew up in Canada and tried to get used to the square gate cause people said its better but too many dropped inputs because I just don't have the muscle memory for it. Just hitting a double QCF in SF felt like hitting the lottery to me. Guess I'm a caveman but riding the gate just feels better to me
i never even thought of doing inputs without hitting the edge of the gate before watching this video 🤯
I just recently purchases my hori real arcade pro N. And seriously had a hard time adjusting to the square gate. And as what every other guy does, I immediately surfed the internet for some answers. Buying an octagonal gate and circular gate maybe by the coming monts. I’ll try moding this thing as soon as its out of warranty..
Thanks for posting this man. It was a great help. Thinking of posting a vid come time i’d be moding the stick.. Thanks again..
Thanx for the video, the octo-gate works great for me.
Came across your video while deciding if maybe changing my gate will help with execution issues I have been having with tougher combos (THANKS CHUN LI FOR BEING SO EXECUTION HEAVY FOR MAX DAMAGE). I just ordered an octagonal gate, maybe that will help. Subbed and liked. Great job!
Thanks bud! I really it works out for you :)
Doing charge specials on square gates blew my fucking mind, i have never been able to do fg specials so consistently, and its really helpful for stuff like elphelt's shotgun reload.
Thank you so very much for the video man! I hope to get the Chun Li stick like you have. I really hope Amazon will still have them in stock a week from now when I have enough to order it. I will be getting the octagon gate as well, thanks to your info. I've been a huge fighting game fan since SF2 and am finally going to break down and buy a stick. I hope the mad cats was a good decision for me, I was also looking at the Hori sticks too. Once again thank you very much from your neighbor in Detroit. Subscribed!
+Shawn Girard No problem bud! Your going to love the Mad Catz TE2 for sure.. I mean, it uses official quality arcade Sanwa parts in it so you will feel right a home once you get your hands on it for sure. I'm actually planning to put out a full detailed review of the Mad Catz TE2 stick as I had a good 8hrs of play time with it on Beta 4. Thanks for the sub as well, really appreciate it!
+Hasteo How did the foam washers work for you? I'm probably going to have to do the same thing because I don't want to disturb anyone with the button sounds. Do you recommend?
+Shawn Girard They are awesome at dampening the sounds for sure.. like in my video it's a solid 70% noise reduction. Only downside is you don't get that satisfying "tap/click" sound any more.. kind like using a mechanical keyboard for a bit them typing on a membrane keyboard.. kind of feel a bit "mushy".. but really when you playing your not thinking about the "loudness or mushiness". So if your really looking at making sure your button presses are quiet not to disturb people then I highly recommend it!
+Shawn Girard A little disclaimer: I put those foam washers in my Hit Box Sanwa buttons, and very quickly removed them. I also did not want to disturb people with my "tickity-tack-tack" sounds, but the pressure I needed to apply to actuate the buttons increased dramatically. If you're okay with that, then, awesome!
Nice vid on the gates. The information is vital for people playing and who might be struggling. I use the square that comes with the TE2 I purchased and I have found it beneficial. It does help with charge characters, but also found it helps with Ryu/Ken crouching Dragon Punch since the diagonal lock in the corner provides a good guide. But the down side is that I struggle to get Ryu Critical Art to follow through after a fireball. I'm practicing to trying to get that working, proving tough.
Fight games only list 8 possible directions for input therefore octa gate is most logical. Has a corner for every input when you need to be precise yet is also round enough to make circular inputs possible. Square input staying in the gate is just an extra stumbling block to overcome.
Thanks so much for posting this. This confirms some issues I have been having playing tekken on a square gate where my down and up inputs often gets misinputed for down back and down forward or up forward and up backward. I will try an octagonal gate to see if it makes my my life easier :)
i'm new to this gate all i got suquare plate on mayflash f300 playing tekken 6,7 all time but my stick broken now not functioning well some inputs like F,D diagonals all downs, so which is better is it octagon or square plate for tekken doing all wavedashings and electrics inputs ?
Before changing the gate, I would look at the way you are gripping the stick: Wine glass, modified Wine glass, Eagle, Monkey, Grip of Doom, The Douchebag etc.
@@MrAgmoore preciate the advice bro but i switched to a korean stick a long, long time ago and havent looked back lol
It's funny cause you can go "gateless" and that will actually break the joystick eventually... talk about Rock Lee references here
man.... I have a razer atrox... your brilliant explanation at 3:30 made me realize instantly that I am using a square gate...
I found this wondering why so many people argues about Oct vs Square Gates
Nice vid!
Thanks bud! :)
I will say that those who are saying "stick with it, it is superior" they're committing the biggest fallacy and that is to think that because you can get used to something unnatural, it is somehow superior. Learn which gates work for you, don't learn to play the gate. I think I'm going to try an octagonal gate to see how it feels.
there are advantages to the square gate, those % arent there for show(well except that circular one which can go 101% somehow), the square gate has a smaller deadzone, because it follow the mechanical design of the microswitch position. that means you have equal access to all directions.
octogonal gates, however, have smaller zones to pick corners, for a normal player its not only a non issue but its more responsive because you can feel the corner and that translates to an easier attack.
problem is, on the pro scene, the time it takes between the minimal response and the border IS SIGNIFICANT, meaning, you lose time on your combos, defenses and counters. so it is superior, in the sense that it is more responsive SO LONG you dont touch the border.
@@marcosdheleno Now see that requires that I learn a new a new playstyle. I use square all the time cuz well it's what just about every stick comes with, but all I'm really saying is try what comes natural before you go conforming your playstyle to any piece of equipment.
@@MetaSynForYourSoul dont get me wrong, i agree with you, im just saying, people saying the square gate is superior aint wrong. for fighting games, it is. however, just as i said to someone else in a diferent comment, superior doesnt mean "the best". it means its the prefered one for a group of people because mechanically, it does give the best feedback for what they want(smallest response time on control input).
for people who want to use a general arcade stick, and just "wanna have fun". the octogonal is the best because it gives them the most versatility for the smallest time investment.
@@marcosdheleno I get you. I think we're saying the same thing in different ways. I think folks get too wrapped up in what's best, like on paper, as opposed to what feels best and works best for them and their playstyle. Like what's best from a technical standpoint isn't always best for you because we're all built and wired a lil different, ya know. The square gate might work best if you are the typical human and you fit into that mold but if you're a little bit different then maybe not you know.
@@MetaSynForYourSoul exactly.just a few comments below yours there was a dude who literally said "if you cant adapt to a square gate, maybe you shouldnt use a fightstick".
the sad thing is, many think just like him. and that ends up hurting the entire community.
this is a fantastic video! no other info on the net is more detailed or understanding! awesome!
this actually told me what it is that i like (rolling off the gate lol)
Im an old school arcade player and when I purchased an arcade stick for my pc it came with a square gate, once I realised I could change it to a circular gate everything changed. My game became so much better. Its what you've grown up with and whats familiar to you.
I like to think that Ryu actually "rubbed the gate" when he threw fireballs.
well i think it's selecting between korean stick or japanese stick.
Korean stick has circular gate and japanese stick use square and octagonal.
Korean stick is better in tekken because of quick response to neutral and
japanese stick is better in street fighter because they can input more accurate.
That's what i heard but the difference is very little
And the sanwa button is way better than everything else
@Yamato Kurokawa - 黒川山仁 that's not the reasoning. returning to neutral faster is insanely important.
It has nothing to do with the gate at all. Korean sticks return to neutral faster because they use a rubber or silicone grommet in their sticks which are stiffer than the spring found it Sanwa or Seimitsu sticks. However there are aftermarket springs that come in 2lb or 4lb tensions which will help Japanese sticks return to neutral as fast as the Korean sticks.
@Yamato Kurokawa - 黒川山仁 Its really funny you mention this actually, because on another video about a mayflash stick, You said "why bother? mayflash=kid's toy. just buy an arcade with japanese parts such as sanwa, seimitsu, hayabusa etc." but if the sticks don't give people magic powers than why promote not buying a budget stick when you don't have money for an expensive or consumer one? Yeah maybe the parts are better but if they are trying to learn then why say this. It kind of seems like you are just angry at korea for some reason honestly. "Korean parts don't matter" "Buy Japanese parts"
Sanwa buttons are overrated, crown 202 and gamer fingers are the best buttons in the market at current times
Orlando Vieira what do you think about seimitsu buttons
I played a lot, a really lot as a kid and a teen in the arcades, in México its more common the circular one, as an adult I bought an arcade and it was square and I can't even make specials fluidly... My stick is like brand new in its box since about 11 years
"roll within the gate" That's probably why I switched back to square gate lol I used to go by the edge of the gate so I got an octagonal for my Mayflash F300, but when I got a Neo Geo, I started doing that to compensate for the square gate and it felt so much better that way. Games were way more responsive that way. Ordered a Sanwa stick since the stock mayflash stopped working properly so I won't bother getting an octa gate.
This video made so much sense to me.
I recently bought my first arcade stick and I was massively disappointed to feel the corners...
It feels like shit and I would not recommend the square to any 30+ players that remember the original arcades.
Thank you Brian, I needed this.
Omg I finally changed my gate and I know what you mean now. I thought my stick was terrible but now it feels great!
Right, well let me forewarn you that after a while, you will be disappointed if you go for octagonal or circle resistor gates, especially if you are going to get proficient with charge characters. Also, the best thing about square resistor gates is if you get real good with that kind of resistor gate, the other two will be novice devices.
What type is used for shmups (by players or what was in the arcade cabinets)?
This is completely accurate to Japanese sticks, but as for Euro/American sticks, it doesn't really apply. As someone who basically exclusively plays with an IL Eurostick, I can tell you the "gate" is actually sort of like a rounded square, although it's not the same as a Japanese stick with either a square or octagonal gate. This is because the Eurostick doesn't have a restrictor gate, and instead, it's the actuator that acts as a reverse-restrictor. The actuator is a large square piece, instead of the tiny actuator Japanese sticks use. Compared to the Sanwa JLF with a square gate, the diagonals are a bit smaller, but still pretty generous. The Sanwa with an octagonal gate has diagonals that are a lot smaller than the IL.
I love the octagonal gate and what you're saying is true. I like to ride the gate for my input.
When I bought my fight stick, I tried octogonal and circular and really used circular for a while as well as octogonal then went back to square and now I just use square, but to some people it really matters what gate they use.
Dear friends, I am thinking of buying an arcade fight stick to play the classic Street Fighter 2 games (World Warrior, Champion edition, Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix) on my Xbox Series X console.
Which gate is better for Street Fighter 2 games? Square or octagonal? Thanks a lot.
Square.
Having issues consistently hitting supers on square gate. SRK keeps coming out.
Any tips?
round gate
Jo brian iam a bit late here. Any info about lever height. No one talks about while is one of the most important aspect for your grip. I noticed when my balltop was a little bit loose from my lever i had easier input . There is so much stuff different options to choose for you stick that makes me confused how i wanna play
I'm using a square gate and when I'm in back to block and I want to transition to back down kick it sometimes stays in back block unless I reset the stick back to neutral then go into back down kick.... its costs me alot of input error because neutral feels like another move before going into back down kick.... would you know if an octagonal gate would change this
Honestly, it's all personal preference, some may just now stick with square since it's the stock gate so maybe they might like other gates but never tried, but I personally prefer octo gates
Haven’t used Square in a while, but for me I prefer Circle over Octagonal. While it is easier to feel out the sides with Octagonal, Circle just has so much more freedom of movement making it easier on my hands in the long run.
Circular are the best for fighting games that require complicated moves like king of fighter..i bought a sanwa clone..all i did was i drilled a circle with a step drill bit..and works perfectly
I'm confused, I just got back to play KOF 98 after like 10 years. I have a Sanwa joystick with square gate... should I get the octagonal or the circular? like you said
In Steam. Is the cross the middle one?
Wonder if you could just notch a square gate to get a tactile feel of the middle area
Superior video. Thank you for your time and knowledge
Thank you so much for this video. I come from a Smash Bros background and I just got into SFV. I bought an arcade stick and something didnt feel right. I couldnt get fireballs out consistently and I didnt find it reliable for me. I believe the octagonal gate is the choice for me cause Gamecube controllers have that and that feels much more comfortable to me. I will buy one and hopefully report back with success. I was so close from buying a Korean lever too, but I think this is the better choice. Plus, its cheaper too.
Let's be real, you couldn't do fireballs properly because you hadn't played a real fighting game up until now.
@@Nick_Whiskey Yo its me from a year later. Gold in SFV now! I actually ditched the arcade stick all together and went with the hitbox style controller and having lots of fun with it. Yes it was a little bit of being new to fighting games and it was a little bit of the controller. Once I played more and mess with more controllers I found whats comfy and stuck with it and got better!
@@outthefryinpan glad you kept to it, fighting games are rewarding!
Octo-gate for getting used to fighting games on stick and getting the muscle memory for special moves. Square for when you get used to it and just continue with that.
Never knew one could throw furrballs in fighting games.
it depends on the character you play, for example mine is Marshall Law and all my moves depend on corners, unlike Jin or others. so keep this also in mind. so i use Square Gate
36 year old gamer here. I play SF, Fatal Fury, KOF, Samurai Showdown, etc. Love the octagonal.
I might be a bit late to the party, but I think your representation of the octogon gate is a little bit inaccurate. Actually, the corners on my Sanwa square line up perfectly with the diahonal corners on my octo gate. That would actually mean that the percentage of space neutral takes is actually a lot smaller than what you calculated because that area is determined by the switches, in turn making the directonal areas larger. The gate itself allows more movement than the square. I can't really say about the circle, since I haven't had one, but octogons have more directional movement space than squares.
Yeh I am switching to octagonal gate I am not used to the square gate I keep hitting the walls lol
This is really informative and you saved me from
Making a grave mistake
Thanks for the info. Keep up the good work!
+Abel Perez Thanks bud! Appreciate the feedback!
Your math is wrong. The % number needs to represent absolute numbers, not relational. For instance, the middle area should always have the same value for all 3 gate types (e.g. 11 for all 3 gates).
I prefer the duo-decagon gates. They're the best! But not really cheap. Really improves your scores though.
I've played fighting games back in the 90s and always wondered why some sticks felt different. The square made me feel like my movements hung up or stopped too abruptly. They made me brain fart and forget what I was trying to do....lol. But I'm not sure what one I'd prefer.
Circle gates feel more natural for North America / Europe.
@@MrAgmoore I like the korean sticks, I think they're octagonal.
i got a razer panthera and i prefer circular i want to try SANWA GT-C its fits in the panthera? {sorry bad ingles xD}
Thanks for explaining. I actually like the Japanese ones since I am used to the Japanese stick. I just canceled the hex gate order on Amazon.
i know this comment is old, but hex gate? is that a real thing, or did you mean octo gate?
@@TheShredFaster he meant the Octagon Gate
What games did you play with octogonal gates? American/European style sticks didnt use gates they used an actuator.... which is more similar to Korean type stick
Octagonal gate is a corner-feel version of the circular gate. Rather than having players (who ever played on HAPP/IE sticks that convert to smaller joysticks) guess where the corners are, the octagonal gate gave that corner a sense in order to do DPs with a bit of ease.
Have you tried replacing the gates?... I’m planning on replacing my square one with an octagon or circle..
I feel like the square gate made it easier for me to learn the Dragon Punch input because of the extra emphasis on the corners.
However, a problem I ran into was blocking. Too many times I would be crouch blocking, then trying to shift up to a standing block along that flat wall and end up accidentally jumping because I overshoot it.
Switched to an octagonal gate and it feels so much smoother transitioning blocking positions. Had to readjust to how it felt to DP using Octo Gate, but once I learned it everything fell into place.
02:31 We love to hit the Square Gate! For the Feedback. Tekken: Korean Backdash. EWGF, we need that cornor feedback!
SFV: Charge.. we need the cornor. Fireball, its perfect.. I mean not as perfect like the circular.. but I that game is programmed for the square :D
I play Tekken, and i want to buy a stick for PC when T7 comes out, I'm also a Mishima player, an octo gate would feel better to perform EWGF's and wavedashes easily? What you guys recomend for starting with stick and being a wavedash player?
Myoungshin Fanta. In my opinion, this stick allows for diagonals input much easier. Makes Heihachis OTGF or Hwoarangs JFSR so much easier. It took a bit for me to adjust from an octo-gate to no gate at all. My wave dashes with the fanta had accidental u/f notations when I first started on it, but now I can light dash at ease. Can't wait til Tekken 7 comes out!!
The man is right. The Myounshin Fanta is the best stick for playing Mishimas in Tekken. However, one thing to know about it is that is is not easy to use as your first stick. The throw is really small. It takes a good amount of adjustment. Still though, I highly recommend it too. If you prefer a J stick trying modding one with a heavier spring.
i got my stick 3 months ago, Hori arcade pro.V. the stick is great, but its a square gate. It will take lots of time to get use to it. i can do PEWGF like 75%-70% of the time now. For wavedash i just have to get use to moving my hands quick to perform it, but it is very do able. I recommend this stick if you can't or not confident in modding, and willing to throw some money at a stick(its $200 CAD) that will last a long time. there are 2 versions 1 for PlayStation and the other one is xbox both work with pc.
Yeah, ive been looking rapV also, I think for a first stick its pretty good price/quality, thanks for the insight ;)
Roman Zadorozhnyy Crown 309mj
I totally get you man, I never know there are other gates until I bought the Hori mini, and I thought my stick is faulty! Because I've never used a square gate.
Any recommendation on any arcade stick in the market is with octagon or circular gate? I can't find any. =(
Some of the classics like "Robotron 2084", and "Time Pilot" require a round gate in order to avoid being stuck in the corners. Ultimarc sells a joystick restrictor that allows you to switch from 4-way (diamond) to 8-way (square) to round from the top of the panel.
This was more interesting than Watergate!
What about center dead zone? I would love a square gate if the "dead zone" is larger. My main issue is accidentally actuating unintended diagonals. I had problems with a Genesis thumbpad playing Golden Axe having a "vertical drift" while alternating left and right for a surrounded death combo..
Why not have an octagonal gate on the bottom half and a square gate on the top half?
Thank you so much for this video. I just got a fightstick (TE2) And having a hard time getting the execution down and as soon as you said it's harder to roll off the gate with a square I knew octo is for me.
I'm ordering one Monday and feel very confident it will improve my game by a mile.
to me trying to hit up down left right on a square gate is like a balancing act. The stick just wants to go to the corners and I find it really annoying. I suppose it's just dependant on the way you hold the joystick and the way you like to input things but for me the square gate is very awkward. I would like to try a square rotated at 90 degrees though. So that it's the normal directions that have the corners of the square and not the diagonal directions. I haven't been able to find one like that though.
If you rotate the gate like that to give the cardinal directions the corners, you no longer have an 8-way stick. You’ve made it into a 4-way stick and won’t be able to hit diagonals.
Anyway, I know what you’re saying. You don’t have to hit the corners in a square gate to activate the diagonals. So aggressive play can lead to input errors. I will hit the side of the gate and the lever will slide a bit and trigger a diagonal. So I’ll jump when I don’t want to or something like that. It’s very annoying. I grew up with the arcades so an octagonal gate or circle gate/no gate is much preferable.
it depends more on the game actually than preference, by that I mean that in japan and korea tekken is much more popular than in the US (don't know about games other than sf and tekken, like guilty gear or some of the weird anime games they have in asia), in tekken a square gate is very useful for mishimas, the general high skill characters of the game(excluding stuff like nina). For mishimas, the best move in the entire game is the ewgf which is f, n, d, df2 (just frame df2) which means you want to feel a full stop at the down forward, making the square gate a bit better than an octagonal. There are plenty of qcf motions in tekken, which I'd say the octagonal is just much more natural at, but in street fighter, you don't really run into any motions like the ewgfs motion, I think that might be where the stance on square gates for Asians is coming from. I just cant imagine them wanting to use a square gate in sf, but if that's all they've used most of the time of course they'll say its superior. Overall in most fighting games id say the octagon is superior due to the nice forward and back input locks compared to a square.
Which gate is better for kof. I just used to play on circular gate. Just bought qanba crystal but unable to find circular gate for it.
With how precise your inputs need to be in KOF I'd recommend picking up a sanwa jlf stick and just going octa or square
i love Square gate, when need use move hit 3 button like D>DR>R just think D
turn around to R, so only have hit wall 2 time felling (wall D turn to wall R) :)
Circular is my jam
wow so this must be the reason why i can't pull of a power moves in some of them fighting games most of time time well I'm ordering one right now
+The Fat Boy Gamer Channel Yeah, try it out as mentioned in my video it really worked for my friend.. good luck man hope it works out for ya!
out of order
After two years now. How was it? Did you improve? Im looking forward to rank up this year from yellow rank “warrior” on tekken.
Jance I am not the OP but square gates are considered best once you get used to it
Sheev thank you. You were the last of my doubt over the square gate. I have seen votes and square gate was highest by 33%. I was doubting but now thanks to you
The correct hand placement on the square gate is key.