Do brands make a difference in game play?

[sleong]

Just trying to get a feel if branded parts like Happ buttons or Sanwa or Zippyy etc. joysticks really make a difference in game play?

[matsadona]

Many people believe so, but there are also many people believing that they can here the difference in sound with different brand speaker wires   

I have about 20 different cabs, with a lot of different controls from different brands - and I normally don't really care what it is when I play. But yes, some joysticks and buttons are really bad and have been or will be replaced. So, the bottom line is that this is a very personal subject.

[monkeybomb]

The first time I played an x-arcade, I was shocked at how bad it was.  And I didn't like playing with it at all.  It definitely mattered to me.  Someone here posted that it was just the microswitches.  So I switched them out for the cherry microswitches that ship with happs buttons and joysticks and then I liked the x-arcade.  So for me the microswitches mean a lot and brand makes a huge difference.  Groovy Game Gear has several microswitch options and there's a reason for that.  The brand of buttons aren't that big of a deal to me. Size and convex vs concave are the big deal there. Of course the icade buttons can't be saved with microswitches.  I tried and it still felt cheap and I didn't enjoy the games as much.

I'm picky with joysticks, but more expensive isn't always better.  I have a pair of happs optical sticks that sit in a drawer because I switched them out for supers.  I didn't care much for the 49 way either.  Major price gap on all of those.  I haven't tried zippy joysticks, but I imagine they feel different from happs one way or another.

So for me, yes.

[Malenko]

Its all going to come down to opinion, so get what you like.  Personally, Ive found that the cheaper sticks (aka knock offs) are pretty crummy, and that the Japanese parts are slightly better for fighting games (better diagonals , smoother motion) .I almost always go with Happ comps for my sticks because they are good all around sticks and cost effective.

[thomas_surles]

some microswitches make a difference. I have one odd unbranded switch on my setup, and it is a lot smoother than the others. I placed it with button 1 on my cab for faster shooting in shmups.

[JDFan]

There are definitely differences and can make a difference in game play and scores -- but that said if you grew up going to arcades then you got used to adapting to the various sticks since the ones in the arcade tended to wear down after a couple months in the arcade and you had to adjust your game play accordingly until they would replace the worn out parts (if they ever did !!) -- so most of them are close enough to use once you get used to them and which you prefer will depend on your game play style.

[BadMouth]

My philosophy is that the original arcade part was built to withstand many hours of abuse by people who could care less if they damage it. 
The knock-offs may not be and may wear out faster.

I mash buttons into the CP, so I'm not as picky about them as joysticks.  Still I pay attention to what switches come with the buttons.
It does drive me nuts when I see people using those generic buttons (usually chrome) with the black collars on them that make them sit a half inch above the control panel. 

I have no qualms about ordering the absolute cheapest buttons from places like groovygamegear because I know Randy tests his stuff and often times tweaks it to make it perform better (example: selling cheap buttons with better switches in them than if you'd ordered similar ones off ebay).

On my last trip to a real arcade, I thought all the controls felt horrible because they were worn out or not original to the game they were installed on. 

[matsadona]

Of course there is also a huge difference between leaf och micro switches. But here the personal preferences and taste also differs, and might differ from game to game. Let's say that some people believes that old classics should be played with leaf switches (buttons and joysticks) and newer shoot em ups should have clicking micro switches and so on...

[Phreakwars]

I happen to believe it is a matter of personal taste and playing style. On one hand, for instance, I can dog on the X-arcade joystick, but on the other hand, I LOVE IT. I'm one of those types who plays much better using a long throw/Happ style stick, while others prefer the Japanese short throw type... Honestly I can play either way depending on the game. Same thing with buttons.. I'm a huge fan of concave Happ, but then, I have had much better results... depending on the game, using another brand/type. I don't think anybody can  really take someone's advice on what would be suitable for them personally.. It's trial and error.. of course this can be a bit costly for some if you have to spend "X" amount buying another brand/type of joystick or button to find ones to suit you.. but, I guess that's how the game plays. I really wish there was a solution available for someone to find that perfect match of joystick, buttons & microswitches, but really there isn't. But to your original question " Do brands make a difference in game play?" YES... Absolutely, they do.

[solar]

Comparing the sanwa joysticks against my recent chinese version. There is a difference and its probably really all down to the microswitches, but when comparing price it's fine (i won it on ebay 0.99p posted !!), it still works as it should just doesn't feel as crisp.

Probably a bit like a car door, no matter the brand they all open close and lock. But the way the more expensive cars do it there's just that little bit extra hidden somewhere inside that makes all the difference.

As others have said though its going to fall to personal preference. 

I'm also usually quite gentle on joysticks so will see how long they last.

[BadMouth]

I tried a pair of sanwa jlf knock-offs and didn't care for them.
The activation distance didn't seem consistent. 
One would trigger the bottom right corner well, but not the bottom left corner.
In fighting games, I could pull off a special move all the time when facing right, but only about 1/3 of the time when facing left.

I ended up using them to change my nephew's cab from one player to two.
He doesn't play the fighting games anyway.

[Mr. Peabody]

Its all going to come down to opinion, so get what you like.  Personally, Ive found that the cheaper sticks (aka knock offs) are pretty crummy, and that the Japanese parts are slightly better for fighting games (better diagonals , smoother motion) .I almost always go with Happ comps for my sticks because they are good all around sticks and cost effective.

It's probably different between those who are ham-fisted and those who aren't. I recall ages ago hearing that once you went leaf you wouldn't go back. I'm on the verge of this right now. I had some Chinese leaf knock-offs laying around that I recently replaced fairly new Competitions with and the difference is as the sun is to a stone. They're 8-ways and I'm pulling off things in 4-way games that blow my mind: moving instantly in Donkey Kong and Ms Pac-Man; doing things in Joust that I didn't know were possible. 8-way games I'm still not sure about, which is ironic, but I'm seriously thinking of getting some NOS ball tops (especially as my sticks have short handles for a wood control panel), or going the Dominux route.

Button-wise I haven't found a smoother, faster response than with Seimitsu flat buttons.