Best Joystick for fighters?

[Iori]

Alright I am getting ready to buy my buttons and Joy sticks and almost actually made a purchase on eBay of a set of them, that is until I read the review here for the Happ "Ultimate" 8-way joystick.  It seems that all of the deals I was looking at use this stick and it has not had too favorable reviews...  I like all sorts of games but when it comes to control fighting games will be what is most important to me when it comes to accuracy... So what do you all suggest for me (those of you who are also big fighter fans)?  Thanks!

[Iori]

Hate  to reply to myself here, but I found a good link...

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/joycompare/joyreview1.shtml

Sounds like either the super or the competition is what I want.  Really strange that Happ calls the "Ultimate" the ultimate when it seems that every other joy they make gets better reviews.  

Anyhow if anyone else has any suggestions of other joys that they like for fighters and why they like them that would be awesome.  I guess there aren't as many fighter fans here as I would have though or if so maybe I am asking and old question...  did a search and didn't find a thread that directly related to the best fighter joystick, but if I missed one please post the link!  

[TalkingOctopus]

I own some Happ Supers and P360s.  Although they are more expensive, I like the P360s better than the Supers.  I think that they are a bit more fluid.  However, I do not own a competition and these have a reputation for being the "best" fighter joystick

Here is a similar thread from earlier this month:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=13833;start=msg109059#msg109059

[paigeoliver]

Old style Wico balltop. The microswitch model with the square actuator, not the leaf switch model.

[usedelectronics]

I really like the above mentioned wico balltop microswitch joys. The overall combination of the grommet return "feel" along with the balltop handle, not to mention the microswitch precision make for a really nice stick.

Oscars reviews are a excellent comparison of the Happ alternatives. In my opinion, the supers in my Tekken 3 are much nicer to play with than any of happs other offerings (the p360's included for a reason.)
I seem to be very used to some sort of microswitch "clickiness". The P360's are a awesome joystick, allowing rolling moves and good overall smoothness. But the lack of mechanical "clicks" seems to effect my ability to pull off various moves.

Just my 2 cents....

Check my site for a full joystick roundup/comparo very soon. (Just waiting for the last couple "contestants" to arrive via ups/fedex)  

[Iori]

Thanks for the good replies...  helping me alot.  

The one problem that I am seeing that could be with the Super and the Competition that is related to diagonals are moves like fireballs, dragon punches, etc.  How does the clicky feel of both and the more pronounced diagonals effect performing moves like these?  Does it hinder it at all?  Been a while since I have played Street Fighter or the like in the arcade, but being able to perform these moves is certainly a must.  

In the meantime I need to check out this Wico Ball top... Thanks!

[Jakobud]

I have Competitions in my cabinet and I think they feel excellent for fighters.  I wouldn't worry too much about the sound of the microswitches hindering your fireball moves you perform.  When you are playing the game you don't even really pay attention to the sounds the joystick makes.  They certainly aren't so loud that it makes you mess up your move's you do.

[Iori]

I have Competitions in my cabinet and I think they feel excellent for fighters.  I wouldn't worry too much about the sound of the microswitches hindering your fireball moves you perform.  When you are playing the game you don't even really pay attention to the sounds the joystick makes.  They certainly aren't so loud that it makes you mess up your move's you do.

Good to hear that it will be fine... I was looking at the Perfect 360 till I saw that they are $40 a pop!  Ouch!  Looks like the Competition is the one for me, and they have it in different colors which is a plus.  

I haven't been able to find anything on the Wico really... is it still in production?  Any links to sites that sell their product?

[atog]

I have the supers in my cabinet, probably because I read all the same reviews as you did, that the Ultimates are not as good as the Supers.

I heard recently that the Ultimates are what was used in the original MKII machines.  That was my all time favorite fighting game back in 92-93, (approx) and I loved the feel of those sticks at the time.  If I had known that 2 years ago when I built my cab I would have gone with the Ultimates.

The supers just feel too "soft" too me.  They are also quite short.  I routed out the bottom of my control panel to allow more to extend through, but even so, they are on the short side.

Trying to compare a 12 year old memory with something I was using last night isn't going to be too accurate though, and the Supers have treated me well ever since I have had them, so I shouldn't complain too much.

[Iori]

Trying to compare a 12 year old memory with something I was using last night isn't going to be too accurate though, and the Supers have treated me well ever since I have had them, so I shouldn't complain too much.

I hear you there... By memory I remember the action of the stick feeling smooth in SF2/Neo Geo fighters back in the day.  When it is said that it is easy to find a diagonal on a joy like the Competition it makes me wonder a bit, but maybe I just need to find a Street Fighter game to play to make me remember... It has been quite a while now.  

[DeathMonk]

I heard recently that the Ultimates are what was used in the original MKII machines.  That was my all time favorite fighting game back in 92-93, (approx) and I loved the feel of those sticks at the time.  If I had known that 2 years ago when I built my cab I would have gone with the Ultimates.

MKII was my fav. also..  I started out with the Ultimates after hearing they were the replacement part for that machine..  To my suprise they felt nothing like the originals (looser spring?)..  I could barely pull off easy moves like scorpions spear.

[slicer_d]

I have comps and they are pretty smooth its not like it gets stuck in the corners or anything its just that its easier to hit the corners which is important in fighters.  One of the big reasons I started in this forum was to have a joystick to play Guilty Gear XX and there are tons of half and quater circle moves in the game and there was a definite improvement from the PS2 controllers to the happs comp joystick.  As for other conrollers I cant say but it seems hard to go wrong with the comp.

Thats my 2cents anyway.

[Apollo]

I play MK1 all the time and the comps are great, I haven't used other sticks but the comps are really nice to use.

[Iori]

I have comps and they are pretty smooth its not like it gets stuck in the corners or anything its just that its easier to hit the corners which is important in fighters.  One of the big reasons I started in this forum was to have a joystick to play Guilty Gear XX and there are tons of half and quater circle moves in the game and there was a definite improvement from the PS2 controllers to the happs comp joystick.  As for other conrollers I cant say but it seems hard to go wrong with the comp.

Thats my 2cents anyway.

That is exactly what I was hoping to hear about it...  when hearing that it was easy to hit the diagonal with the competition I kept imagining that it had some sort of slot that would guide it in there and was thinking it would be hard to pull off any fireballs with that...

Thanks!  

[paigeoliver]

The old style Wico joysticks (both microswitch and leaf switch), are both out of production.

But they were both VERY common, and they hold up very well. I have a 20+ year old one installed in my Kangaroo, and it is STILL in great shape.

Look for them on ebay. To spot the microswitch one, look for the telltale red balltop, along with the off centered rectangle on the bottom, and microswitches.

The leaf one is a great all around joystick, while the microswitch one is probably the best "precision" joystick around, very firm, smooth, short throw, very exact, nice and clicky, and they neither favor the directionals nor the angles.

The leaf one is not as good as a fighter stick because of the imprecise nature of leaf switches themselves. Basically, leaf switches move and bend over time, and thus you can't always count on the corners, etc being exactly where you expect them to be, and being exactly the right size.

The above ONLY matters for fighting games, and it really doesn't even matter that much for them. I only mention it because every leaf joy is going to be ever so slightly different when it comes to the exact spots the leafs activate.

I myself STILL use Wico leafs for fighter sticks anyway. They are still the best joystick ever. Plus I always use Chun-Li and her moves are easy (at least the two I know are).

[draco]

Rather fond of the Ultimarc ball-top j-stik myself.  

[AlanS17]

My personal favorites for fighting games are the competition joysticks. They allow the joystick to slightly sit in the corners for proper crouching and, jumping, and any moves requiring circular motions in the corners. Perfect 360s may have a smoother feel, but they would probably seem a buit wishy washy. I found that supers really suck for playing anything except fighting games. Circles with the competition joystick are really a help more than a hinderance for fighting games and this whole "sticking" thing is almost a non-issue.

Long story made short:
Go with Competitions for fighting games

[eightbit]

The supers just feel too "soft" too me.  They are also quite short.  I routed out the bottom of my control panel to allow more to extend through, but even so, they are on the short side.

When you mounted them did you use the longer spacer for wood panels? Unless you have an unussually thick control panel they shouldn't be short.