Best Arcade Pad?

OhMyMudkip · 06-05-2007, 04:47 PM

I would like to get an arcade-style hard DDR pad. The only problem is...which? There are two pads I wanna choose from.

1. Cobalt Flux
2. MyMyBox Blue Shark w/ bar

Which is better and why?

Kalek · 06-05-2007, 05:09 PM

(please remember that these are my opinions and my not neccisarily reflect anyone else's)

Cobalt Flux is ok but IS NOT ARCADE LIKE IN ANY WAY. (without the arcade mod) the pad is flat, so you can't feel your way around. panels are thinner than the arcade.it doesn't sound like the arcade when you step (yes, I care that much about arcade accuracy). it feels a lot less stable then the arcade. the sensor setup is two pieces of sheet metal in each arrow; nothing like the arcade at all. you can't step on the edge of an arrow or you'll get pad misses. You have to step in the center.

the blueshark, i have not played on, but the sensor setup is like DDR Solo machines and the panels are a lot thicker. It looks like (if mymybox doesn't screw yours up) it would be the closest thing you could get to the arcade without buying an arcade pad and rewiring or building your own pad.

OhMyMudkip · 06-05-2007, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalek

(please remember that these are my opinions and my not neccisarily reflect anyone else's)

Cobalt Flux is ok but IS NOT ARCADE LIKE IN ANY WAY. (without the arcade mod) the pad is flat, so you can't feel your way around. panels are thinner than the arcade.it doesn't sound like the arcade when you step (yes, I care that much about arcade accuracy). it feels a lot less stable then the arcade. the sensor setup is two pieces of sheet metal in each arrow; nothing like the arcade at all. you can't step on the edge of an arrow or you'll get pad misses. You have to step in the center.

the blueshark, i have not played on, but the sensor setup is like DDR Solo machines and the panels are a lot thicker. It looks like (if mymybox doesn't screw yours up) it would be the closest thing you could get to the arcade without buying an arcade pad and rewiring or building your own pad.

Yeah, that's what I found out when I was searching for info.

I guess I'm getting a BS pad?

Arkaaito · 06-11-2007, 01:56 PM

I can't add anything useful to Kalek's post, but make sure you tell us how it goes - I'm going to be purchasing my own pads in a bit here and would love some reassurance before I plunk down the money for two BlueSharks. Particularly since the cost seems to have gone back up to $400 apiece.

kyj197 · 06-16-2007, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkaaito

I can't add anything useful to Kalek's post, but make sure you tell us how it goes - I'm going to be purchasing my own pads in a bit here and would love some reassurance before I plunk down the money for two BlueSharks. Particularly since the cost seems to have gone back up to $400 apiece.

The reason price went up is due to the improved pad quality

Blueshark metal pad is the best Metal pad ever so far

Arkaaito · 06-16-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyj197

The reason price went up is due to the improved pad quality

Blueshark metal pad is the best Metal pad ever so far

OK. Can you give details of what was improved, preferably drawn from your own experience?

The Chemist · 06-18-2007, 04:47 AM

I've owned a Cobalt Flux for 4 years now. It works perfectly but it isnt arcade accurate by really any means.

The pad is completely flat, and from the beginning this caused me to lose place very easily since back then I was a very avid arcade player. I literally would sometimes fall off the pad while playing, thats how disorienting the flatness is. I don't have the arcade mods, but I did remove the plexiglass and decals from the arrows to give it some depth, and I've had no problem orienting myself since then, even if it does mean the pad looks ugly.

The biggest problem with the pad is the "feel" of it. As a buddy told me, it has a "squishy" feel to it. When you hit an arcade pad, it feels very hard and feels like a hard stomp. When you hit a cobalt flux, it feels like you squish the pad. This presents absolutely no timing issues what so ever, but it definitely doesn't feel like an arcade pad.

These problems set aside, the Cobalt Flux is a beast of a pad. Its lasted 4 years and its still running like it did when I first got that huge box. Just remember what exactly you're buying, a strong and durable dance pad, not an arcade replica.

Konami should really release more of those ASC's they had yeeaarrss ago...those looked gorgeous...

Anyway...as for bluesharks:

YouTube - blueshark pad overview

That same buddy I mentioned has two of those, and judging from this video he made showing off the pads, they seem to be more arcade like than the cobalt flux. I especially love the fact that the inside of the panels actually look like the inside of an arcade panel. I have never actually played on a blueshark but I would make a bet these are better than Cobalt Fluxes. Unfortunately, they cost 100 dollars more than a Cobalt Flux...the bar also looks really flimsy (MySpace Videos: Delirium - A by -{InPhinitY}- MinDphazZeR) =/

Im gonna see how I can get my hand on one of these...the panels look super promising, and since I don't bar rape, the bar sucking really doesn't matter to me.

ZethTheDarkMage · 06-19-2007, 11:14 PM

I've played on CF only once before and I wasn't allowed to wear shoes, it was definitely has that squishy feel to it like the cheap metal pad I have now. Bluesharks seems really good but I've heard a couple stories about Bluesharks prematurely dieing and mymybox not having very good customer service.

I've heard the iON metal pads are pretty good.

Dance Dance Revolution DDR iON Pro Arcade Metal Dance Pad

metal arrows seem like a great idea, and these look to be as thick as the blueshark panels but are metal so that I would assume would have to make them last longer. The blueshark and the iON would definitely not have squishy arrows for people like me who can't really get used to it.

616 · 06-20-2007, 01:31 AM

IONS are horrible. eww i dont even want to think about when i used them. they felt like they were gonna snap in half. not verry good quality.
I was thinking about getting a BS but now i have a job at an arcade well ya.

managor · 06-21-2007, 03:09 PM

I want to get my own Arcade machine,but since I can't,I went with one of the lower higher priced metal pads. they work wonders

Mr_Owen · 06-22-2007, 03:17 AM

My friend has a Blueshark. He likes it, but he has had issues. From the day he got it the X button didn't work and when he used it with Supernova the options menu never worked. He's had to tighten and untighten the steps several times because of issues and it auto triggers mines if he plays ITG. It is a very arcade feel, so much that I didn't like it. It's very, very stiff. Really, if you get a homepad that is okay you don't need a bar because you have some spring to it. The pad itself makes many people turn to the bar. The bar is practically worthless to me. He weighs very very little so it works pretty well for him, but the thing is flimsy and makes me worry, and I refused to lean on it. For me the bar made me more uncomfortable rather than less.

That said, I am considering purchasing a Cobalt Flux, but I have been put off by recent remarks that the quality of the newer Fluxes is very low. Has anyone bought one recently to confirm or denounce this?