Can you suggest what joystick I need if...

[atarilovesyou]

Hi!  First post, and I've scanned the many posts to the best of my ability.  I'd like some tips on upgrading my X-Arcade sticks.  This is what I'm looking for.

I'd like an joystick which best resembles the late 80's video arcade stick: ball top, leaf switch.  Think of those sticks you used to see in the arcades on most games like Double Dragon, Contra and Black Tiger.  Something that will accurately feel like those sticks, not the bigger bat sticks that you started seeing when Street Fighter 2 came out.  I'm not a fan of microswitches at all, and I think I should be able to keep the concave buttons on my X-Arcade for now.

I've looked at the 4 to 8 way switchable sticks from Ultimarc, but after reading some reviews here, I'm not sure if they'll be close in feel to what I'm looking for.  I definitely would like the best of both worlds, because a lot of my game faves are the early 80's games with 4 way controls (or less, like my fave Galaga).

Thanks a lot, in advance.

[paigeoliver]

The sticks you remember are Wico brand. Just buy those. They don't make them anymore, but they are pretty easy to find used. 2 way games like Galaga play perfectly well with 8-way sticks (although 4 way sticks do not).

I have personally found sticking a Namco reunion stick (4-way) right next to a Wico 8-way is way more functional than any of the switching sticks are.

I suggest the reunion stick because decent original 4-way leaf joysticks are pretty hard to come by. It might be clicky, but it still controls Pac-man with all the precision you remember.

[paigeoliver]

Also, perfect 360 joysticks take the old style Wico handles as well, and are in most senses better than what you remember playing with. That is what I am running, but it isn't cheap, runs about $100 a stick.

[atarilovesyou]

Thanks for the tips.  Do you have any direct links to these sticks?  I don't mind the click if it's not too noticeable, but I really do miss those old leaf switch ones.  Is it true that the replacement switches out there are of low quality?  I'd assume so, considering all the hassles I've had with aftermarket replacement parts (cheap stuff on ebay).

So the switchable ones such as the Mag-Stik, in your opinion, won't get me close to that old school feelin'?  The price seemed right, and I thought perhaps it would be the one.  I've heard about the short throws, but that might be a good thing as I can't say I've ran into those old Wico style sticks in many years.

[paigeoliver]

Here is an NOS wico 4 way on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Wico-15-9453-01-4-Way-Joystick-Red-Ball-/140650212643?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item20bf67ed23

The newer leaf stuff is lower quality, but the old stuff is still out there and easy to find. You will likely never have to replace any leaf switches anyway (I have owned close to 200 machines and replaced maybe 3 leaf switches between all of them).

Here is a couple of cocktail control panels with wico leaf sticks and buttons on them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STERN-Cocktail-Video-Arcade-Game-Joystick-Set-/250998832395?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a70b23d0b

There are a couple of them on here too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Williams-Arcade-Game-Control-Panel-Moon-Patrol-Joust-Robotron-/270894095583?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f128bdcdf

They really aren't that hard to find and those are the sticks you remember playing on. Like I said before the only new stick I have used that comes close is when you stick a Wico handle on a perfect 360.