New MAME Cab * 4-way or 8-way Joysticks?

[mdwg2020]

If I were to build a cab, would you suggest building it with either a 4-way or 8-way joytick? I am not sure what percentage of the games either support or require an 8-way stick.

I am just trying to make an informed decision of what I should purchase.

Thanks!

[Donkbaca]

What games do you most want to play with it?  I think the, " I want to play as many games as I can." mentality wears a little thin, because really the main reason you probably want to build a cab is to play a handful of games, and though you may try out a new game here or there, you are mostly going to play your old favorites.  So, what are your favorite games?  If they are the old 4 way games like donkey kong and pacman, get a 4 way.  If they are the newer games like the street fighters and various beat-em ups and shoot em ups, then get an 8 way.  If you like both, get an ultrastick 360 with a top mount restritctor, or a JLW

[sk8ersublime]

What games do you most want to play with it?  I think the, " I want to play as many games as I can." mentality wears a little thin, because really the main reason you probably want to build a cab is to play a handful of games, and though you may try out a new game here or there, you are mostly going to play your old favorites.  So, what are your favorite games?  If they are the old 4 way games like donkey kong and pacman, get a 4 way.  If they are the newer games like the street fighters and various beat-em ups and shoot em ups, then get an 8 way.  If you like both, get an ultrastick 360 with a top mount restritctor, or a JLW

+1 just got my JLW... Awesome joystick. Get a 4/8 way get the best of both worlds

[robertsig]

Get a J-Stik or UltraStik 360 from Ultimarc.com

[mdwg2020]

I am definitely not an as many as I can  type of guy, but I definitely would like to play some of the fighter games from time to time. It sounds like a combo stick would be the best bet.

Is playing a 4-way designed game with the stick in 8-way mode not wise? Just curious if it is hard to register the directions if you leave it in 8-way mode. I guess I was wondering if you could just buy an 8-way stick and the controls feel playable or if there is definitely a negative impact.

[Donkbaca]

it really bugs some people, others don't care.  The thing is with games like pac man, they only register four directions, so if you move the stick to a corner, then the game doesn't register at all, its a dead zone.  Some people don't mind, others do.

[severdhed]

you guys are overlooking the other solution...build 2 cabinets    i have one 4 player cabinet with only 8way sticks, and another cabinet with just a single 4 way stick and a trackball.

playing 8 way games, such as fighters is impossible with a 4way stick.  playing 4 way games with an 8 way stick is possible, but generally more frustrating than anything...so if you are set on having only 1 cabinet, here are the options i see..

1. if you have room, install an 8 way stick and a dedicated 4 way stick, you wire them up to the same inputs so you can use either one, but that way you get the best experience on both types of games.

2. if you can easily access the bottom of the control panel, get a 4/8way switchable stick. For instance, a great joystick is the Sanwa JLW, with a slight modification (adding some nylon washers to 4 screws) you can manually switch it from 4 to 8 way pretty quickly by rotating the restrictor plate 90 degrees. 

3. If you only want a single joystick, get yourself an Ultrastik360.  this is an analog joystick that acts as just about any type of stick you may want, and can bet set to be programmed automatically when the game is launched.  it performs very well in both 4 and 8 way modes, however there is no physical restriction.  It doesn't really feel the same as a true 4way stick, but it performs very well.


it really comes down to what is most important to you.  i used u360s for a while and really liked them, but i missed the physical restriction of a real 4 way stick.  i ended up getting Sanwa JLWs for all of my sticks.  they are amazing in 4way mode, they have a perfect spring pressure, throw distance and overall feel.  they also are wonderful 8 way sticks.  they have a square gate to them, so they feel a little different than a happ stick, which has a round gate, but i really like how they feel.  and as an added bonus, due to the square restrictor plate, when in 8 way mode, the JLW works great for qbert. the joystick naturally wants to find it's way to the corners, so you just program that game to use two inputs for each direction instead of one.


i personally think that having 2 dedicated sticks is the best way to go, i'd get to JLWs, and set one each way. 

if that is not an option then yo have to decide which is more important, the conveneince of not having to switch anything (u360), or the feel of physical restriction (JLW)

[RandyT]

If I were to build a cab, would you suggest building it with either a 4-way or 8-way joytick? I am not sure what percentage of the games either support or require an 8-way stick.

I am just trying to make an informed decision of what I should purchase.

The real answer to this one is "If you have the space on the panel, both".  Non-physical electronic "restriction" is okay, as it makes up for deficiencies in the application where the conversion from analog or optical to digital is concerned, but they don't feel the same as true physical restriction.  Joysticks which have a spinning restrictor, and which offer 4 and 8-way operation are also ok, but they are a design compromise.  In order to offer proper restriction in 4-way mode, it is necessary to truncate the throw of 8-way operation.  In general, the better the 4-way operation (which usually means the shorter the throw), the worse is the 8-way.  All of this is of course subjective, based on the playing style of the user.

If your panel is small, you are likely to be the only player on your panel, or don't plan to play games which allow 2-player simultaneous action, consider putting a proper 4-way in the P2 spot.  This configuration will remove any limitation on the type of stick you decide to use for either, letting you pick the best 8-way and best 4-way, based on your own gaming style.

RandyT

[Donkbaca]

yeah, but andy has the top mounted restirctor for the U360's so you can physically restrict them... it all depends on how much you care and what feels right to you.

[DaOld Man]

How many games, if any, require two 4 way joysticks?
It looks to me like on the 4 way joystick games that are two players, the players share the same joystick, except cocktail cabs.

Is there any reason to have two switchable 4 to 8 way joysticks on a "regular" cab?