Joysticks vs Price

[dithrin]

I'm very new to this and am only looking at a good starting joystick. I figure at some point in the future I would upgrade, if needed.  I have found 2 that I'm looking at mainly due to price at this point.

The 2 sticks that I am considering are:
From X-Arcade
http://www.xgaming.com/store/arcade-parts-and-accessories/product/indestructible-arcade-joysticks-parts-new-design/
since they are selling a 2 pack for only $20.00 i figure its a good spot to start and if i need to replace I'm only out $20, but I have not seen any real reviews on these sticks

The other stick is from Paradise Arcade
http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/58-il-eurostick-joystick
The IL sticks they are saying are like the Happ-Competition sticks.  I have seen several reviews on the happ competition sticks, but not the IL stick directly.

Right now I am leaning toward the IL sticks but mostly due to the lack of information on the X-Arcade sticks. 
If there are other sticks out there for about $10-$15 id love to hear the reviews on those as well.

Is 1 more stiff than the other, is it easier to get diagonals on 1 over the other.


I know this is all personal, but not having anything around to test, these reviews are the best way to gather information.  and please limit the discussion to the price point,  i know there are other sticks out there that are probably better, but my price is limited.


-Dith

[HaRuMaN]

The x-arcade sticks are horrible... stay away...  hard to even perform a fireball in SF with those things...   

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

On the one hand, yeah, 20 dorars isn't much and it's enough to get a taste of the real thang. On the other hand, why spend money on a ---smurfy--- product like the X-arcade in the first place? If you're planning on building a cab or even a joystick, you'll soon find that you have to spend much more money on other expensive stuff, so just invest a little bit more and get quality gear.

[Donkbaca]

I think the x-arcade sticks are just fine.  Joysticks are a personal preference, what some people like others hate.  The x-arcade sticks are good for fighters because they have good corners that are big and easy to find, that same trait makes it horrible to play 4 ways with.

I started out with the x-arcades, and am now using the paradise arcade lit top joys.  They are generic chinese/taiwanese sticks, but I actually like them a lot.  I was playing some MK9 on my cab the other day and I really, really like that stick in terms of feel.

Anyhow, I think there is a lot of joystick elitism that goes on around here.  A lot of what will help you make the right decision for you is this:

1 - What did you grow up playing?  Bat tops or ball tops?  I grew up playing bats, and switched to balls because the xbox joystick I was using to play SFIV had a ball top.  At first I hated it, now I actually prefer ball tops.  Anyhow, bats and balls is the first decision.  Chances are, if you grew up in the 80's you prefer balls, if you played arcade games in the 90's you will prefer bats as that is what most games used then.

2 - Joysticks are really simple devices, its a lever that activates a switch, that's it.  The difference between joysticks has to do with the shape of the actuator, the restrictor shape, throw and stiffness.  While there are some combinations that are optimal for some games, they all take some getting used to.  Most "hard core" SF players say you need to have a JLF to play, but that joystick is really loose, and light, most people that are used to the sturdier feeling haps sticks hate it at first. 

3 - More expensive joys aren't necessarily better.  They may offer more options.  The U360, for example is expensive, but it comes with its own encoder attached, and it automatically switches 4 way and 8 way mode, so you get a lot of functionality out of it, but in terms of performance, its solid, but not head and shoulders above everything else.  The mag sticks are expensive, and a lot of people don't really care for them much.  The Happs P360's are expensive, some fight fans swear by them, they don't have any microswitches, and are very smooth feeling.

If you are going to play casually, you won't notice the difference between a IL and a Happ comp.  Whatever difference there is, will be small, and furthermore, you would probably barely notice them if you played them back to back.  Whatever stick you get, you will get used to and it will be just fine. 

I say get a cheap stick, it will probably do you just fine, and if you hate it you can e-bay them and only be out a minimal amount of money.


How often do you plan on playing it? 

[dithrin]

Thanks for the actual thought out review/advice Donkbaca.

To answer your question.  I plan on only playing casually.  I am going to attempt to make an all in one CP with foldable/removable legs that will be hooked up mainly to my basement TV, and can be stored if needed, but then I would also be able to take with me to parties and plug into any T.V.  So I am not going for the total arcade feel since it will hooked into a TV monitor, but I also do not want the thing to look / feel cheap. 

After doing some more research myself I think I will end up going with the IL sticks,  and you make a good point in what ever I choose I will get used to them.

Thanks

[mgb]

For casual 8-way play, I say go for either Happ Competitions or the IL equivalent. The comps are a decently solid stick and they are pretty quite in the click department too and are also very cheaply priced.

[LeedsFan]

Bit of an old thread but thought I should reply in case anyone else reads.

I see no mention of Japanese sticks such as Sanwa or Seimitsu. Since I discovered those sticks some years back I simply will not use anything from Happ or IL. They are absolute garbage in comparison to the Japanese sticks. That's my opinion of course... joysticks and buttons are all personal preference. But I find the US sticks are built as if they expect 30 stone gorillas to be hanging from them. The Japanese sticks are so much more nice to use.

JLW seems to be the stick of choice for fight game fans but I prefer the Seimitsu LS32. Just about to try out an LS40 in a classics joystick in 4-way mode only.

[jimmy2x2x]

Shouldn't that be JLF for fight game fans?

[amendonz]

jlf for sure, but jlw is nice

[LeedsFan]

Shouldn't that be JLF for fight game fans?

Correst... I meant JLF... but older style JLW is good for classic games.

[PIZZ]

I second the crappy X-Arcade stick. Buttons are fine but the joysticks use leaf type switches that crap out after a while. Playing SF on it just plain sucks!

I ordered IL Eurosticks from lizardlick so ill see how I like them. The japanese sticks are ok. Very responsive but I just couldnt get use to them growing up in the US I got used to playing fighting games with bat tops. Much smoother imo.

[iserian]

Donknaca,

How are the Paradise lit tops holding up?  I'm considering these for a three way cocktail build.




[QOUTE=Donkbaca link=topic=112897.msg1200153#msg1200153 date=1310484975]
I think the x-arcade sticks are just fine.  Joysticks are a personal preference, what some people like others hate.  The x-arcade sticks are good for fighters because they have good corners that are big and easy to find, that same trait makes it horrible to play 4 ways with.

I started out with the x-arcades, and am now using the paradise arcade lit top joys.  They are generic chinese/taiwanese sticks, but I actually like them a lot.  I was playing some MK9 on my cab the other day and I really, really like that stick in terms of feel.

Anyhow, I think there is a lot of joystick elitism that goes on around here.  A lot of what will help you make the right decision for you is this:

1 - What did you grow up playing?  Bat tops or ball tops?  I grew up playing bats, and switched to balls because the xbox joystick I was using to play SFIV had a ball top.  At first I hated it, now I actually prefer ball tops.  Anyhow, bats and balls is the first decision.  Chances are, if you grew up in the 80's you prefer balls, if you played arcade games in the 90's you will prefer bats as that is what most games used then.

2 - Joysticks are really simple devices, its a lever that activates a switch, that's it.  The difference between joysticks has to do with the shape of the actuator, the restrictor shape, throw and stiffness.  While there are some combinations that are optimal for some games, they all take some getting used to.  Most "hard core" SF players say you need to have a JLF to play, but that joystick is really loose, and light, most people that are used to the sturdier feeling haps sticks hate it at first. 

3 - More expensive joys aren't necessarily better.  They may offer more options.  The U360, for example is expensive, but it comes with its own encoder attached, and it automatically switches 4 way and 8 way mode, so you get a lot of functionality out of it, but in terms of performance, its solid, but not head and shoulders above everything else.  The mag sticks are expensive, and a lot of people don't really care for them much.  The Happs P360's are expensive, some fight fans swear by them, they don't have any microswitches, and are very smooth feeling.

If you are going to play casually, you won't notice the difference between a IL and a Happ comp.  Whatever difference there is, will be small, and furthermore, you would probably barely notice them if you played them back to back.  Whatever stick you get, you will get used to and it will be just fine. 

I say get a cheap stick, it will probably do you just fine, and if you hate it you can e-bay them and only be out a minimal amount of money.


How often do you plan on playing it?
[/quote]