Are there any new joysticks to check out from the past few years?

[IceAge]

Last I was into making an an arcade machine I was going to order some authentic Happ joysticks (competition probably). Are there any others I should look at?

[amendonz]

Sanwa jlw. That is all.

[Unstupid]

The IL Eurostick is better than the Happ Competition if you are looking at that style of joystick....

[rCadeGaming]

The IL Eurostick is better than the Happ Competition if you are looking at that style of joystick....

+1

Also look at the Sanwa JLF and Seimitsu LS-32 if you're not familiar with them.

What types of games are you going to be focusing on?  Asking what's the best stick is like asking what's the best car.  Where are you going to drive it?  On a racetrack?  On a highway?  Off-road?

[BadMouth]

What arcade game originally had joysticks that you think feel like an arcade joystick should?

[rCadeGaming]

What arcade game originally had joysticks that you think feel like an arcade joystick should?

I don't think you should limit yourself to onlty what you already know now.  It's easily possible that the joystick you'll like the best is not something you've tried yet.  This was certainly true for me when I started looking.

[BadMouth]

What arcade game originally had joysticks that you think feel like an arcade joystick should?

I don't think you should limit yourself to onlty what you already know now.  It's easily possible that the joystick you'll like the best is not something you've tried yet.  This was certainly true for me when I started looking.

It was only a starting point.

I hated JLFs at first.  I described them as "dainty" due to the super soft spring and undersized bat-tops.
After spending a ton of money on various joysticks and mods, I ended up with JLFs with Hand Candy balltops, stiffer springs, circular restrictors and optical sensors.
They resemble nothing I ever used as a kid, but they feel right....except the throw is too long for hardcore shmupping....for now.

I've tried Happ Comps, IL Eurostick, X-Arcade, Sanwa JLW, Sanwa JLF, Seimitsu LS-56 and have Happ analogs on the way.
I'd really like to try out GGG's Leaf Pro for 4-way, but I just have no use for it right now. 

[rCadeGaming]

It was only a starting point.

Sorry to jump the gun.

Anyhow, JLF's are my favorite, hands down.  I like them totally stock, except a little bit stiffer spring, for fighters. 

For shmups, you're right that the throw is too long.  Have you seen my JLF mod for reduced throw and engage?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=120301.0

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=41451

I like this better for shmups, and most other genres other than fighting games.

[IceAge]

The IL Eurostick is better than the Happ Competition if you are looking at that style of joystick....

+1

Also look at the Sanwa JLF and Seimitsu LS-32 if you're not familiar with them.

What types of games are you going to be focusing on?  Asking what's the best stick is like asking what's the best car.  Where are you going to drive it?  On a racetrack?  On a highway?  Off-road?

Well.. not asking what's best, just what else there is out there. Right now I was planning on two competitions and one Pac-Man (Happ) joystick for four way games. That way I can play games like Mortal Kombat (which had modified competitions) as well as some of the other more adventurey type games, and also the more classic Galaga/Donkey Kong style games.

I completely forgot about Sanwa I actually own one because I was going to make a Tekken 5 joystick that I never got around to making. I might still someday if I find it, though I do find it rather loose.

[IceAge]

Wow I just saw that Happ no longer manufactures the original competition joysticks, good thing I saw that about IL Euro sticks. Does anyone have black dust washers though?

[Dr. Willy]

paradise arecade can get dustwashers for the il sticks, they should be the same as the happs..... i think...... shoot them an email, i just did and they are going to get me some white dustwashers for my white il's i bought from them.

[rCadeGaming]

I completely forgot about Sanwa I actually own one because I was going to make a Tekken 5 joystick that I never got around to making. I might still someday if I find it, though I do find it rather loose.

This is partly because the spring tension is pretty low, but also partly because you might be used to Happs.  I mod my JLF's for slightly more tension, but I think the tension on most American sticks is way overkill.

We are talking about this stuff over here as well:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,129155.0.html

The sticks we were used to in American arcades when we were growing up were in those cabinets because they were cheap and available here, not because they were the best for actually playing the games.

This might kind of apply to your Mortal Kombat thing.  They might have modded the competitions to make them a little more suitable, but it could be kind of a band-aid to save the cost of importing a really good stick.

Well, Mortal Kombat isn't that demanding anyway, but something to consider if you want to get into more serious fighters.

[paigeoliver]

I always thought the Super played a bit better as an all around stick than the Competition or the Ultimate.

[brad808]

I always thought the Super played a bit better as an all around stick than the Competition or the Ultimate.

+1. Not a fan of the competitions, feel very choppy and clunky to me. I guess they kind of feel normal on an mk but nothing the supers can't do equally. I've never had any problems with supers and they do what they are supposed to, no real complaints.

[rCadeGaming]

I don't know.  Of course, in my opinion, a JLF is much better than either.

[brad808]

I don't know.  Of course, in my opinion, a JLF is much better than either.

True my stick of choice would also be a jlf and I would prefer it over either the supers or competition. I use an octagonal restrictor on my jlf and for me that's my stick.

Does the jlf warrent a price tag of over 2x that of the happ super? 

[rCadeGaming]

A JLF is only $20-$25 depending where you buy.  If you can't spend a few extra dollars to get the most out of your games... I mean come on.

[brad808]

A JLF is only $20-$25 depending where you buy.  If you can't spend a few extra dollars to get the most out of your games... I mean come on.

My point is that $25 for a jlf on a machine that I play regularly  totally worth it. For a machine that gets throw in my garage that guests jump on, not worth it. Their arcade playing experience will be the exact same regardless of what stick is in there. It's not that you can't spend the extra money, its that it will be completely wasted. So is the the jlf worth 2x as much? Don't know that's up to the buyer.

Just a little side story but sort of related. I had a bad monitor on a game once that was completely unbearable to look at. Scrolling lines throughout, weird interference, fuzzy, you get the idea. I had at least 7-8 people come over at different times and when playing games I'd always explain that I was in the process of fixing that one and I know it looks like garbage right now. Every single person was like  "it looks perfectly fine to me I think your seeing things". They don't know nor do they care. "Arcade games  !"

[ahofle]

I don't know.  Of course, in my opinion, a JLF is much better than either.

True my stick of choice would also be a jlf and I would prefer it over either the supers or competition. I use an octagonal restrictor on my jlf and for me that's my stick.

Does the jlf warrent a price tag of over 2x that of the happ super? 

I have both on different cabinets.  The JLFs have very short shaft and are made for metal control panels.  I also got the octagonal restrictors which I prefer over the stock and stiffer springs.  After all's said and done, I spent more like 3x the amount on those joysticks over the Supers.  They are a very good quality joystick, but I feel like the Super is a better 'all around' joystick and doesn't require as much customization, especially if you are mounting in a wood CP (the shaft is adjustable for both metal and wood).  As rCadeGaming mentioned, there really isn't a 'best' joystick unfortunately.  It really depends on a number of factors.

[paigeoliver]

Yeah, $25 is nothing if you like the stick. My preferred stick costs around $100 each. (Happ Perfect 360 with heavier spring and 4" Wico balltops handles instead of the stock bat). I also agree that guests mostly won't even notice. That is why my main rig has a pair of my $100 sticks for player one and a pair of supers for player 2.

A JLF is only $20-$25 depending where you buy.  If you can't spend a few extra dollars to get the most out of your games... I mean come on.

My point is that $25 for a jlf on a machine that I play regularly  totally worth it. For a machine that gets throw in my garage that guests jump on, not worth it. Their arcade playing experience will be the exact same regardless of what stick is in there. It's not that you can't spend the extra money, its that it will be completely wasted. So is the the jlf worth 2x as much? Don't know that's up to the buyer.

Just a little side story but sort of related. I had a bad monitor on a game once that was completely unbearable to look at. Scrolling lines throughout, weird interference, fuzzy, you get the idea. I had at least 7-8 people come over at different times and when playing games I'd always explain that I was in the process of fixing that one and I know it looks like garbage right now. Every single person was like  "it looks perfectly fine to me I think your seeing things". They don't know nor do they care. "Arcade games  !"

[rCadeGaming]

Yeah, most people wouldn't know the difference because they're not into this stuff like us.  BUT what if someone knowledgeable does come over?  That'd be crappy trying to a play a legitimate and fair match with non-matching controls!

[paigeoliver]

I swap sides when my game buddies come over.

Yeah, most people wouldn't know the difference because they're not into this stuff like us.  BUT what if someone knowledgeable does come over?  That'd be crappy trying to a play a legitimate and fair match with non-matching controls!

[rCadeGaming]

Ok, so you take the hit?  You still can't get an even match.  It doesn't need to be like that.

Using it as a handicap to give them a chance?

[IceAge]

So I think I'll go with IL joysticks (competition style) and a Happ Pac-Man anniversary.

Maybe a fourth stick I could swap in for when I feel like playing games like TMNT and Sunset Riders but this is where I'm not sure what to get?

[paigeoliver]

Ok, so you take the hit?  You still can't get an even match.  It doesn't need to be like that.

Using it as a handicap to give them a chance?

It happens so rarely. I had a party tonight, but I have 17 machines, the mame cabinet never even saw any 2 player action, much less 2 player with me involved. It did stay busy single player most of the night.

[rCadeGaming]

It happens so rarely.

Just saying that it shouldn't happen at all.

I have 17 machines

  You're a lucky bastard.  Even if I could buy that many I wouldn't have anywhere to put them.  For me I need everything to be perfect so I can get the most out of just two.

[paigeoliver]

I can't justify shelling out over $200 for another pair of those sticks. I might just pull them for my Multi-Williams and put in Supers instead and that way the whole machine will match again.

It happens so rarely.

Just saying that it shouldn't happen at all.

I have 17 machines

  You're a lucky bastard.  Even if I could buy that many I wouldn't have anywhere to put them.  For me I need everything to be perfect so I can get the most out of just two.

[CheffoJeffo]

I can't justify shelling out over $200 for another pair of those sticks. I might just pull them for my Multi-Williams and put in Supers instead and that way the whole machine will match again.

Might ?

Must.