| Price | BOOTH |
| Release | February 1, 2023 |
| Compatibility | PS5 / XSX / NS2 / PC |
| Dimensions | 10.2″ x 6.9″ x 2.2″ |
| Weight | ~2.65 lbs |
Introduction
Kuromaki is the final boss of BOOTH shops. BOOTH is a Japanese site that ships worldwide if the seller has the Buyee feature. Lucky for you, Kuromaki can ship worldwide through Buyee!
But what makes Kuromaki the BOOTH final boss? It has an extensive selection of lever and leverless cases—hitsticks included. In fact, the selection is so extensive that you may need eyedrops just to sift through the inventory and gawk at the utter beauty of every case.
Not only that, Kuromaki’s performance is good too, but let’s talk more about that later. For now, we need to decode this fine establishment’s name.
Kuromaki means black pasture, but on X (Twitter), the owner goes by Makisuke, which means pasture helper. As for the owner’s X username, it’s Kuromakisuke, meaning black pasture helper.
By the way, this establishment also goes by Kuromaki Koubou (koubou means workshop), but enough beating around the bush—let’s go ahead and unbox a Kuromaki case!
Unboxing
Here’s an example of what you could receive with your brand new Kuromaki case:
- Acrylic case with holes already cut out for you
- Three 12 mm metallic/plastic function buttons
- Set of Neutrik passthrough mounting screws
- Brook or Pico PCB mounting standoff set
Performance
We’ll be talking about cases similar to the one depicted in the picture displayed at this review’s beginning. Truthfully, lever cases seem more popular than leverless when people shop for Kuromaki cases, so we’ll go with the people’s choice (as we at The Arcade Stick usually do).
There are four layers involved: two of which are 3 mm acrylic and two more of which are 5 mm. Due to the internal height being 30 mm, wiring may be tough, so consider looking up some wiring instructions.
Good news, though: such cases can fit responsive Japanese joysticks like the Sanwa JLF and even high end Korean joysticks. Regarding the buttonholes, they’re the smaller 24 mm size.
You may be glad to know that Kuromaki’s metallic function buttons are harder to press in a way that makes them more difficult to accidentally press. Another way they’re harder to press is by being behind the joystick, not behind the main buttons.
Harder function buttons also prevent you from tournament disqualification. Still want easier function buttons to press? No problem, just request plastic function buttons from Kuromaki.
Hardware
Kuromaki cases may be divided into three main types (please bear with the awkward translation):
- Medium vertical case
- Thin inclined case
- Large tilt case
Starting with the medium vertical case…
The medium vertical case is compact and easy to carry. It’s most recommended for beginners, but it may feel too cramped for large handed players.
You see, the medium vertical case has little space for adding extra buttonholes or changing the layout. On the bright side, you can add handles and opening mechanisms.
Secondly, the thin inclined case…
As its name indicates, the thin inclined case has an incline (or slope). So, it’s less likely for it to “sink” forward when you place it on your lap and lower your knees.
The thin inclined case comes with a bottom panel opening and closing mechanism. However, there’s little space inside compared to a medium sized case. Due to this, it’s recommended for intermediate players and above.
By the time you read this, Kuromaki may have changed the thin inclined case’s thickness to about 5 mm, which is a little bit thicker (and therefore easier to handle).
Also by the time you read this, Kuromaki may or may not have already flattened out the bottom panel, making it retractable—instead of having rubber feet.
Last but not least, the large tilt case!
As the name indicates too, the large tilt case is quite big. You should be able to assemble it with ease, but again, you may need to look up wiring instructions.
Tip: There’s an awesome Japanese blogging site simply called “note”. You can find some Kuromaki wiring information there, but if you don’t speak Japanese, you can use an auto translation tool.
Appearance
When you get a Kuromaki case, you’re getting a work of art. Often with cherry blossom and/or sakura artwork, you can choose the case’s colors—with some of the most creative colors being:
- Fluorescent pink acrylic
- Fluorescent red acrylic
- Ultra red acrylic
- White resin
And here’s a sample lineup you can go for—from top to bottom:
- Transparent top panel
- White mid-top panel
- Transparent sides
- Matte black bottom
(Plus a beautifully golden handle!)
Conclusion
Kuromaki is one of the most recommended choices for incredibly unique cases that can also perform well.
- Many button layouts
- Different size choices
- Lever, leverless, or both
- Japanese or Korean joystick
- Metallic or plastic function buttons
- Can be multiplatform
- Opening mechanisms
- Optional handles
- Fairly easy to DIY
- Color options
- Wiring can be challenging
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐