Best joysticks for specific game genres?

[shponglefan]

Generally, it seems most of the "best joystick for [game genre]" topics seem to revolve around fighting games, shmups, and classics.  But what about other game genres?

I've been wondering because I've been putting the Sanwa JLF and Seimitsu LS-32 sticks through their paces lately with different game types.  What I'm finding is that I pretty much dislike the Sanwa JLF for anythinge except for fighting games.  While the Seimitsu I'm finding is really good for side-scrollers, beat-em-ups, and naturally, shmups.

Anyone else have any recommendations for ideal joysticks for specific genres?

[shponglefan]

Guess I'm the only one interested in this? 

[rCadeGaming]

Agreed, the JLF is unmatched for fighters, but its long throw and engage distance make it mediocre for a lot of other genres.  Check out the JLF mod in my sig to make it awesome for shmups, and a better all-around stick.  My favorite genres are fighters, shmups, and platformers, all of which I think the modded JLF is best for. 

As for other genres, if you're really into 4-way games, a Ms. Pacman Reunion stick is supposed to be best.  Other uniquely different sticks off the top of my head would be 49-ways, rotaries, and analogs.  I don't know enough about them to say what's good.

[mgb]

I like my JLW with a round restrictor for shmups. My regular JLW is fine in 4 way mode for most old school 4 ways but the long throw stinks for some.
I find Frogger to be a bit of a pain with it.

I really like the JLW with round restrictor for Gyruss.
I have a JLF that i haven't used in a whille but I'm thinking of modding it and trying it out. I originally bought it for a 4 way stick which was not a good choice.

Ive never used a seimitsu. they seem to have a lot in coomon with the zippyys (the zippyys being a copy of them). I put a zippyy in a customers cabinet and I did like that stick.

[rCadeGaming]

Gyruss isn't a good example, as its very simple and all you do is move left and right, I'm thinking of typical shmups like Gradius or Dodonpachi.  The most important thing is to be able to change directions as quickly as possible, so you need a stick that doesn't need move much to do this.  A JLW isn't the best because it has a fairly long engage and throw, almost double that of an LS-33 or modded JLF .  It's a little overstiff too.

[mgb]

Well Gyruss is somewhat simple for movement but its not just right & left. Gyruss used an 8-way joystick with a circular motion and I find the motion to be nice and fluid.
I also find the JLW to be good for my casual play of shmups.
I would however like to experiment with some mods to tighten up the throw on the JLW.

[Endprodukt]

Do it! I used 2-3 layers of heat-shrink tubing. Make the JLW MUCH tighter.

[sdweim85]

Guess I'm the only one who prefers a Happ competition for just about everything.  I like ball tops, but I feel the bat top gives more control.  The competitions, quick return to neutral feels so good.

[benarcade]

I can't imagine that an original Pac-Man joystick is not the very best stick for playing Pac-Man. For that matter, I would guess that a solid 4 way leaf would be the best for classic 4 way games.

[Jumpman64]

Zippy 4-way with the cloverleaf restrictor is great for DK & DK Jr.

[emphatic]

I can't imagine that an original Pac-Man joystick is not the very best stick for playing Pac-Man. For that matter, I would guess that a solid 4 way leaf would be the best for classic 4 way games.

Sure, this is what was chosen in the factory, but was there much to choose from at the time? I'm not saying it's a bad choice, but theoretically, there could be something better than factory for every game.

I don't own any dedicated cabinets, just JAMMA PCB's and Japanese cabinets with balltop joysticks. I can play on bat top ones too, but I prefer the control I can only get from gripping a ball top just right. The best overall sticks I've tried (without any modding) are Seimitsu LS-56 with octo-gates. I'm not sure they are a prime choice for four-way games though, but I only have Rolling Thunder that I feel would need that.

[rCadeGaming]

+1.  The choice of controls on original cabinets was often based on availability and cost, especially outside Japan.  Unfortunately, playability was often a third priority at best.  It's not that there couldn't be any exceptions to this, but they'd be the exceptions, not the rule.

[mgb]

Guess I'm the only one who prefers a Happ competition for just about everything.  I like ball tops, but I feel the bat top gives more control.  The competitions, quick return to neutral feels so good.

I know its not popular to say around here but I also like the competition for many eight way games like neo geos.

[CheffoJeffo]

+1.  The choice of controls on original cabinets was often based on availability and cost, especially outside Japan.  Unfortunately, playability was often a third priority at best.  It's not that there couldn't be any exceptions to this, but they'd be the exceptions, not the rule.

I completely disagree, although perhaps it is a generational thing.

In the heyday, competition for the coindrop was fierce, gameplay was paramount and, since there often wasn't a generic throwaway alternative (like, say, the Competition), controls were well made and were designed for superior gameplay.

If what you say was actually the rule, then we wouldn't see things like the restrictor on a Tron stick or Monroe joysticks at all and everybody would be playing PacMan and Robotron with Zippys instead of authentic controls.

[rCadeGaming]

Maybe it is a generational thing.  You seem to be talking about the 70's and early to mid 80's from your examples.  I won't argue about that time period I guess, but as an example of what I'm talking about, take a look at something later like Street Fighter II.  It was designed in Japan, then when it was brought over here they used the controls available here with little regard to the original intentions of the programmers or what controls they had in mind.  I doubt they were using Happ controls during development at Capcom in Japan.

Back in the era you were talking about, maybe they had better oversight of this kind of thing.  Weren't the rubber grommet joysticks for Donkey Kong cabinets and such actually made or specified by Nintendo?  This kind of thing doesn't seem to be case later on.  It seems like they kind of shipped over the PCB and some artwork, and the cab and controls were sourced here based on availability.

[CheffoJeffo]

Maybe it is a generational thing.  You seem to be talking about the 70's and early to mid 80's from your examples.  I won't argue about that time period I guess, but as an example of what I'm talking about, take a look at something later like Street Fighter II.  It was designed in Japan, then when it was brought over here they used the controls available here with little regard to the original intentions of the programmers or what controls they had in mind.  I doubt they were using Happ controls during development at Capcom in Japan.

Agreed.

Back in the era you were talking about, maybe they had better oversight of this kind of thing.  Weren't the rubber grommet joysticks for Donkey Kong cabinets and such actually made or specified by Nintendo?  This kind of thing doesn't seem to be case later on.  It seems like they kind of shipped over the PCB and some artwork, and the cab and controls were sourced here based on availability.

There are no rubber grommets in a Donkey Kong stick (they're made of Strongtanium)   

And, yep, they were designed by Nintendo for Nintendo.

I agree with your point. The "genericifying" of the cabinet and controls that occurred during the first crash actually accelerated in the era that you are talking about and was a BadThing(tm).

[rCadeGaming]

I think the way things were "genericified" in the 90's was pretty cool the way it was implemented with candy cabs, but we got the short end of the stick in other countries.  Come to think of it, all of my favorite dedicated cabs come from way before that era.  I'm mostly interested in late 80's and 90's games, but if I got a true dedicated cab instead of a MAME one, it would have to be a Ms. Pac-Man or Donkey Kong.  Still have to love the classics sometimes.