r/gaming • u/[deleted] • Sep 26 '18
This is the controller for Steel Battalion on Xbox. Over 40 buttons with a working function.
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u/PopeliusJones Sep 26 '18
Isn't that the game where if you didn't eject before your mech was completely destroyed it erased your save file? Like a no-choice hardcore mode?
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u/FartKilometre Sep 26 '18
Not only that but when your VT was destroyed you had to spend your credits to buy a replacement. If you couldn't afford one: game over, your character is resigned to desk duty. Start over.
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u/kharnikhal Sep 26 '18
Elite Dangerous has the same mechanic. If you cant afford the insurance fees when you lose your last ship, youre shit out of luck.
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u/voodoo_curse Sep 26 '18
No it doesn't, you can always take the loaner Sidewinder at your origin station and run data missions until you build yourself back up. Your rank, rep, progress, stored ships, and whatever money you still have ate all still there for you.
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u/kharnikhal Sep 26 '18
I dont know how much has changed (I quit 2 years ago), but back in that day there were a few posts of people who had fully decked out Anacondas (and some with less expensive ships), died, and couldnt afford the insurance. Most people arent interested in grinding another 350 mil for a new Conda.
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u/voodoo_curse Sep 26 '18
Never fly without a rebuy.
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u/kharnikhal Sep 26 '18
That was my original point. Basically same mechanic. Permanently losing 200-300 hrs of mind numbing grind. I still have my Conda parked somewhere.
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 27 '18
They were also unwilling to sell their composite armor. That alone would have been enough to cover the cost of insurance.
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u/kharnikhal Sep 27 '18
I dont think back then you could sell anything once your last ship blew up. It was either pay the insurance fee, or lose your Conda and get a Sidewinder.
And now that I checked, oh yeah just the armor was 350 mil. So fully decked Conda was like 500 mil? Cant remember anymore
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 28 '18
You couldn't sell. But you could give up options in the buyback. Most people were really reluctant to do so. I did eat that cost once. Lose all the bells and whistles for a base conda.
A Fully decked out Conda is about 900m. Give or take a few mil. The sad thing is that it's all about the extras. The ship itself is only 150m.
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u/et3rnalife Sep 26 '18
My friends and I bought this game but found it too difficult with kbm or controller I always wanted to play elite dangerous but found it overwhelming do you know where a good place to start would be.
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u/voodoo_curse Sep 26 '18
I played with a controller for a few months but having a HOTAS (joystick and throttle) makes it so much nicer. Elite is a mile wide and an inch deep, it's absolutely not for everyone, but I love it. There are some starter guides on /r/EliteDangerous if you want to give it another shot.
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u/Grimmner Sep 27 '18
A lot of people swear by the KBM setup, but I like getting a HOTAS for the immersion factor. Thrustmaster has a pretty good setup for not a lot of money, if you are willing to spend it.
There are pre-game tutorials in the menu that really help come to grasp with the basics; highly recommend playing through them, as the game doesn't offer a lot of help itself.
If you need extra control buttons and have a microphone handy, I use VoiceAttack to 'automate' a few ship functions that my HOTAS doesn't have buttons in easy reach for.
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u/et3rnalife Oct 05 '18
Yeah i feel like most of my issues come from not having the granular controls when using a keyboard, I don't mind spending a little on a good setup.
I don't know if i want Thrustmaster in my google search history.
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u/Mistersinister1 Sep 26 '18
I tried to get into that game but it was just too much, it took me like 20 minutes to try and figure out how to dock and land the fucking thing. Lost interest after about an hour. It's too bad because I love that type of shit was so excited when I heard it was coming to PS4
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u/Grimmner Sep 27 '18
Depending on how long ago it was, try the pre-game tutorials accessible from the start menu? Pretty much the only time they go through ship functions and controls, but it might help.
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u/Watchung Sep 27 '18
Also - no tutorial. It starts by faking you out with what looks like a training mission, then "Crud, we're being invaded! Hope you read the manual kid!"
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u/cosmoboy Sep 26 '18
I imagine this thing and a VR headset would give you a crazy sense of immersion.
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u/GarbageTheClown Sep 26 '18
Thrustmaster Warthog and some pedals in elite dangerous are the highest levels of immersion that I've gotten.
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Sep 26 '18
[deleted]
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u/Cetun Sep 26 '18
I shocked they still make that game, I thought it died over 10 years ago.
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u/KatakiY Sep 26 '18
I think he means the newer one. Battle of Stalingrad. But maybe I'm wrong. Seriously makes me want the full set up just to fly. Too broke for that shit though. IF I ever win a few thousand dollars from all the contests I'm not entering Im getting everything.
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Sep 27 '18
The complete opposite actually! They've got three new expansions coming. Flying Circus which is a total redo of Rise of Flight, Tank Crew which officially adds WW2 tank ground combat, and Battle of Bodenplate which is more Eastern Front air combat goodness.
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u/Controller_one1 Sep 26 '18
I had a shot at getting this controller and the game for $50 a few years back. Sorely disappointed I missed out.
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u/et3rnalife Sep 26 '18
I saw this game when I first got my Xbox but couldn't afford the controller recently I was trying to remember the name of the game. I really wish I got it back in the day.
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Sep 26 '18
Lawl.. the follow up game on xbox360 was motion controlled via the kinect camera. What a wreck that was.
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u/KevinCelantro Sep 26 '18
I almost got a Kinect for that game.
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Sep 26 '18
I saw how bad tracking was so I didnt bother (despite the awesome look of the game)
I had to ask myself though, if a game is going to get me frustrated enough to throw a controller, but don't have a controller to throw, what do I do with myself.
In all reality though, I was shocked they didnt have a controller be at the very least optional, the sad sacrifices made with games to sell a gimmick. (Ps vita, and that dumb ps3 kinetic controlls)
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u/wanderingfloatilla Sep 26 '18
I always did want that game, but IIRC it was more than 200 bucks
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u/HPIguy Sep 26 '18
So did I. If memory serves, it was closer to $300 at launch but I could be wrong. That's been a while ago.
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u/wanderingfloatilla Sep 26 '18
Could very well be, like you said it was a while ago. But I remembered it was somewhere over the $200 range
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u/HPIguy Sep 26 '18
Yeah, true. It was super cool for that era though. And if memory serves was pretty much a first, and a big failure sales wise.
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u/corgblam PC Sep 26 '18
I managed to get it used for 140$. Worked at Six Flags and spent my entire paycheck on it one week.
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Sep 26 '18
I owned this beast.
Fun game, super hard.
Biggest issue though? Where the hell to store it all when you weren't playing it.
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u/FartKilometre Sep 26 '18
40 buttons, 3 pedals, gear select, comms dial, and 2 (technically 3) sticks to control your movement direction, aiming direction, and viewing direction.
This thing was a beast to play with but gives and experience you can't get with a controller (OR A KINECT)
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u/meatballer Sep 26 '18
Loved this game. I held onto the controller for a looong time, kept hoping someday it would get a new release with modern hardware. The original was laggy, and the graphics left something to be desired sometimes, but I don’t know if I could come up with any other complaints. What a great time I had with it.
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u/juancsego Sep 26 '18
A friend of mine had this for a while. So fun to wait until he's distracted and hit that eject button on the far right
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Sep 26 '18
I usually went full offensive so the mech would be critically damaged sooner just so I could eject in a badass, near-death fashion.
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u/Ronkmaster Sep 26 '18
I need a setup like this for Elite Dangerous. I’m way too broke though. And kinda wanna get VR before a full joystick setup.
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u/mourning_lemon Sep 26 '18
VR for Elite is way cooler in my opinion than a HOTAS setup if you can only afford one. But if you end up wanting to get into this kind of controller setup for Elite, your best bet would be the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flight Pack with a second stick (roughly 210.00 plus tax in the US for all of it). That gets you the throttle, twin sticks, and pedals. Very close to the Steel Battalion controller.
As far as headsets for VR go, I've heard very good things about the Lenovo Explorer for Elite since Elite is a cockpit game, so you don't actually need one of the more expensive sets (Vive / Rift).
Again, If I could choose only one option (both are around 200 bucks) I would chose VR. I have about 800 hours in Elite, 700 of which are VR and about 100 using the above HOTAS/Dual stick setup for reference. I can tell you this though, having both VR and Hotas is pretty mind blowingly immersive. Cheers!
Edit: I'd like to also mention, after playing Elite with various HOTAS equipment, I've settled on the TM 16000m throttle and peddles, but my main stick is the X56 Rhino stick.
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u/Ronkmaster Sep 26 '18
Thanks for the advice! I’m very new to Elite Dangerous (maybe 80 hours in) but I love it! Started with just mouse/keyboard which was fine until I really tried any sort of combat. So I got a cheap Logitech Extreme 3D Pro to see if it was worth getting joysticks and I’m definitely convinced. I would need throttle levers and all though.
I do plan to get both VR and full stick setup, but it’ll need to be in stages. I’m thinking VR first (probably the Vive) as there are lots of games both my girlfriend and I would like to play with VR. Then I’d move into a full setup.
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u/KevinCelantro Sep 26 '18
I read about this in EGM back in the day and wanted it so bad.
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u/NecDW4 Sep 26 '18
It was really cool at first, then you realize just how cumbersome it was to set up to play. You had to have a chair and table of some sort both just the right height to not be awkward, and large enough to fit the thing.
It was a great game, and fun as hell to play.... just not particularly fun to set up.
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u/NuGundam7 Sep 26 '18
Its a shame that current gen consoles wont release a controller with more real inputs than the regular controllers. The HOTAS setup for each console has tp have the same number of buttons as the DS4/Bone controllers, and sometimes, less.
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u/weepninnybong Sep 26 '18
A few years ago, I was at a con (I forget which one. SDCC or PAX I think) and game across a game room that had a bunch of these set up for play. First time I’ve seen it in any capacity in years. Probably the first game because Line of Contact was MP only.
Fun fact, I was working at Capcom when the game came out and got to go to the old CNET studios on TechTV to help promote it.
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u/panther4801 Sep 27 '18
The past couple of years they have had a room at PAX East where they have these setup and they have people there to teach you how to use them.
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u/zmann64 Sep 26 '18
And then the Kinect sequel had no buttons at all.
I wonder why it flopped. /s
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u/MrKittySavesTheWorld Sep 26 '18
It would’ve been awesome if it fucking worked.
Hopefully someday we get there.
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u/LordRael013 Sep 26 '18
For whatever reason they made the second generation one with blue instead of green buttons. It doesn't look nearly as good. I've got my first-gen green button one sitting behind me as a shelf while I don't have an Xbox to hook it up to.
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u/Pepe_Deluxe Sep 26 '18
I remember an interview with the developers in EDGE magazine when this came out, they were talking about ideas they had for the controller that had to scrapped for either practical, logistical or cost reasons.... They included, working smoke generators that would cause the controller to emit smoke when the mech was badly damaged, and an eject button under a SMASHABLE cover, much like a fire alarm panel, but they figured it would be a logistical pain to supply the replacement covers!
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u/SolidHayabusa Sep 26 '18
I still have my two copies of Steel Battalion. One to play and the other...still factory sealed. Haven’t used my opened copy much but I don’t have the box for it. Still in great shape!
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Sep 26 '18
I miss mine, it got stolen when my apt was robbed :(
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u/M4nangerment Sep 27 '18
based on it's size I assume it's the only thing they got away with?
(also sorry you got robbed)
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Sep 27 '18
Unfortunately, no, I was deployed and they got away with my entire apartment, after the investigation, it was determined that my total loss was $23k, and that my insurance would not cover it.
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u/bobthesurgeon Sep 26 '18
Still owned. Mission 3 was hell and I ran out if money. Always managed to flip my tankmech as well.
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u/NecDW4 Sep 26 '18
God, yeah, it was tough as balls in general. I also managed to fucking die in the hangar in the first mission, because i didn't see the "tutorial" mission going the way it did, and hadn't properly familiarized myself with the manual yet. LOL
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u/MavericK96 Sep 26 '18
My friend had one. It was kinda cool, but ultimately $200 for the controller and one game (I guess two if anyone actually played the sequel) was less than ideal.
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u/Montravont Sep 26 '18
I loved this game! Had it for so long... I don't even actually remember what happened to my controller set and the game.
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Sep 26 '18
I got mine out about a month ago! Playing it on my big screen TV is way more fun than when I tried to play it on my parents 26" TV back in my youth... Plus I have a kid to press extra buttons for me, cause this game is hard!
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u/Seanconw1 Sep 26 '18
This is awesome. I'd love to see team vs team mech combat on a big stage with set-ups like this.
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u/badjujubean Sep 26 '18
My friend always got a kick out pressing the eject button while I was in a battle.
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u/OniKyanAE86 Sep 26 '18
Ah, the first edition version with the green buttons (second version or re-release had blue buttons). They are a good collector's item as they were both only produced in limited quantities. I still have mine in the original box along with the first two Steel Battalion games it supported, got it all for $40 from a local used bool, music, video game store over 12 years ago.
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u/MrArneV Sep 26 '18
Whoa, can you use it on PC for other games too? Imagine playing the X-Wing series with that thing!
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u/Eder_Cheddar Sep 26 '18
I remember when the developers were like: "You cannot play this game without this controller. It takes away from the experience"
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 27 '18
That's the second edition. The original has blue buttons.
Mine is sitting next to my computer. I use it for elite dangerous and did use it for mech warrior online.
It's not as good as it sounds though. The right stick doesn't return to the centre and the left stick can't move up and down. This makes combat difficult. It's great for space mining and space trucking though.
The channel selector (the knob) doesn't function properly. And E:D only supports 32 buttons per device. I think this thing has 63.
The pedals have some hefty springs behind them. Wear shoes. You're not going to skip leg day with these pedals.
And finally, the throttle. It's a ribbon. There's a lot of force and friction when using that thing. So you're just rubbing the shit out that ribbon worse than a lamp on your fourth wish. Mine only recognises reverse and 5th now.
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Sep 27 '18
Thanks for the info! I’ll have to look into it and maybe just put together some parts to mimic this but I love the dual joust is plus throttle and the many buttons. I play a lot of /r/elitedangerous so it would be an amazing to have a setup like that
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 28 '18
I use this thing in ED. It's fun to use. It's a lot of work though.
That right stick doesn't spring back to centre. The left stick doesn't move up and down. And the pedals need a lot of force.
Then there's E:D's game design. You can only map 32 buttons per device. This thing is 64ish buttons.
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Sep 27 '18
I used to have one of these and am seriously considering getting a dedicated Steel Battalion setup again after playing it at PAX West again. I just need to save up the absurd amount of money replacing all that will cost ;_;
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u/crashddr Oct 17 '18
u/Drix1942 you might not be aware but there is a small online community still playing Steel Battalion: Line of Contact through a program called Xlink Kai. We have scheduled game times every other Saturday but there is usually at least a few of us on a couple times a week.
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Oct 18 '18
That sounds awesome but I do not have Steel Battalion and even if I did the internet speed where I live is not enough for a decent ping. :(
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u/MrKittySavesTheWorld Sep 26 '18
It’s always frustrating when really awesome games need specialized controllers.
They give you such a unique experience, but you have to shell out the cash for the controller.
A lot of rhythm games have that problem.
You’re effectively buying a whole console for one game (in this case it is literally a whole fucking command console.)
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u/Concobar2002 PC Sep 26 '18
Imagine a modern version of this. Maybe in VR
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u/HooliganNamedStyx Sep 26 '18
They made a Steel battalion 2 for the Kinect. But from what I’ve heard, it’s not very good and very very very very very hard to get the Kinect to do what you want it to do so it flopped. VR is the only hope really
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u/PerfectChaosOne Sep 26 '18
I find it interesting some versions have blue buttons not green cannot see why they made the change
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u/douche-baggins Sep 26 '18
I had a friend in our Rainbow Six 3 group (out of like 15 of us) that owned Steel Battalion. He was the only one of us that had an internet connection fast enough to host a 6v6 room for multiplayer.
At least once or twice a week, he would play Steel Battalion and it would irritate us all to no end. We never saw the need to pay $200 for one game with a fancy controller in 2003, and he only played it out of some obligation to play due to the high cost. When the online version came out in 2004, he begged us to pick it up to play with him.
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Sep 26 '18
Is this compatible with PC? It’s like the exact setup that I want and looks awesome.
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u/Jockelson Sep 26 '18
Xbox OG had proprietary controller ports, but iirc it was technically just USB. So I’m sure that with some kind of adapter (or soldering), it could be connected to PC. But you won’t have a driver for it. Didn’t those buttons have game-controlled lights in them? I doubt you would get those to work.
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 27 '18
The original drivers support windows 7.
Edit clarification.
They're supported on Windows 7.
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u/Rock3tPunch Sep 26 '18
I bought an Xbox just for this game at launch. I still have everything including the giant box printed to look like an ammo case.
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u/Mr_Engineering Sep 26 '18
I still have mine, it's in a box in my spare bedroom. Unfortunately my Xbox kicked the bucket years ago and I have yet to buy a replacement
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u/MisterJWalk Sep 27 '18
There's drivers out there so you can use it on the PC. I wouldn't recommend it for a serious Sim buff. But it's a decent replacement to not wanting to spend cash on a device.
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u/hudsoncm Sep 26 '18
Blue button version is a bit harder to find
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u/tuckervb Sep 27 '18
What makes the blue one so special?
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u/hudsoncm Sep 27 '18
Just it’s perceived rarity...not sure anyone knows actual numbers, but the blue button version routinely sells for more on eBay.
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u/Mistersinister1 Sep 26 '18
I don't know why the psvr hasn't put out a good mech game. I've seen some out there but didn't look all that good. I hear the new Ace Combat supports VR. Pretty stoked about that
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u/homer_3 Sep 27 '18
I bought this and the game a few years ago and I remember a lot of the buttons not really having function or just being used once to start up the mech. You still feel like a badass using it though. The pedals are really nice quality, the console not so much.
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u/Vulkanon Sep 27 '18 edited Sep 27 '18
I fucking love this game, I wish I had the space to set it up proper again! https://i.imgur.com/sEMI09N.jpg
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u/Luck-X-Vaati Sep 27 '18
I still want to somehow get this for the guy who plays Dark Souls with random assortment of items.
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u/NightStriider Sep 27 '18
Still have mine in perfect working condition! :) This is to date the best Mecha/simulator game!
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u/ScarJack Sep 26 '18
Owned this jewel! Still have it around somewhere - the game was difficult as f*%$ Because if you died you lost your progress and had to restart with the first mission. Mission 3 or 4 at the docks was really difficult, so I never got further into the game.
The greatest thing was starting up your mech and the sounds it did. Also loved the fire extinguisher and the Exit button.