Best arcade joystick/pusbuttons for fighting games?

[drowned_in_milk]

     OK, now I've found alot of general answers to this question, but I want a specific one.  I'm building arcade controls for my consoles and am wondering which joystick to use.  My main focus is fighting games (specifically SFA3, Marvel Vs. Capcom, old 16-bit fighers, lots of Capcom!).  I want the best fighter-specific joystick that I can get.  I'm debating between the 4 HAPPs (Super, Competition, Ultimate, Universal) and am also wondering how the Ultimarc ones fare.  I heard that the Ultimates are terrible, but since Capcom uses them, I'm wondering if they're all that bad.  As I said, I'm mainly interested in fighting, so accurate/easy-to-trigger diagonals are a MUST; I can't tell you how frustrating it is trying to play SFA3 with a PS1 analog controller!
     I'm also curious about the different types of pushbuttons.  Living in the US, I'm accustomed to the concave ones, but the convex ones caught my eye... does any particular one work better with fighters, or is it all a matter of personal preference?
Thanks a bunch!

Steve

[Sylentwulf]

Well, I have the ultimates. And the diagnols are great. TOO great.
it just doesn't feel tight enough, a little too loose.

From what I've heard, the competition ones seem to be good, someone else had mentioned surface mounting them on metal plates (not sure what's involved with that)

[GroovyTuesdaY]

well, i  can vouch whole heartedly for the happ competition joysticks!!!!   I originally had bought a couple of happ supers to use in my panel and had been using them for almost a year now.  Over the last year it always seemed a little more difficult then i had remembered it being to pull off some of the moves  in street fighter 2 in the arcades. For example, pulling down and back to block didn't always seem like i could pull it off on dime like i remembered being able to do.  The last week i received my HAPP COMPETITION joystick which i bought from THEREALBOBROBERTS.COM for 9.95 (i think. it was that or 8.95 or close in that range lol) and after playing street fighter for a couple of minutes, i was totally back in the groove again!!!   So, for me, the competitions are better for fighters.  Now don't get me wrong, the supers have served me faithfully over the last year, but sometimes i couldn't react quite the way i wanted to in some games that have you using fast diagnal movements. So there's my quick make of it for ya

Oh and i thought the happ ultimate stick was totally crap. If they were made for a specific game, i am glad i never got to play it lol

groovy~

[Yander]

One word about competitions. Everyone mentions how they slightly stick at the diagnols so it is harder to do circular moves. I found this to be untrue, they let you do all the moves it just seems easier to find the diagnols.

[bigmoe]

Anyone use leafs for fighters?

[GroovyTuesdaY]

One word about competitions. Everyone mentiosns how they slightly stick at the diagnols so it is harder to do circular moves. I found this to be untrue. They let you do all the moves it just seems easier to find the diagnols.

I second that motion. I have found not one single bit of stickiness in when at the diagnal points.  Maybe they have plastic burrs or something that makes them stick?

groovY~

[Iori]

I asked the same question about a month ago...  I went with the Competition joysticks too and they work great for me, don't know about the Supers, but I also have a 4-way Ultimate and there is a HUGE difference in the feel of Ultimate vs. Competition.  The Competition is heavier and feels alot sturdier than the Ultimate.  I had the same worries about diagonals sticking the way that some people talked about the Competition too, I don't think that it is the case that it sticks there but that it it is easy to hit a diagonal with it compared to other joys...

Link to another thread on this topic:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=14544;start=msg113412

I have never messed with a leaf joy, might be something worth trying though as there are alot of people that like it...

[drowned_in_milk]

Well what about pushbuttons?  For fighters, would you guys recommend the normal concave or the Competition convex buttons?  Is either better, or is it just a matter of preference?

[Gideon]

Well what about pushbuttons?  For fighters, would you guys recommend the normal concave or the Competition convex buttons?  Is either better, or is it just a matter of preference?

I'm told that the convex buttons are better for quick presses.

(source)

[tep0583]

I'll put another vote in for the Happs comps. They work great for me.

I use Happs microswitch buttons and they seem to work just fine for Marvel vs Capcom.

[GroovyTuesdaY]

As for the buttons, I think its a matter of choice concerning what you've grown up with.  I was used to playing the ones the cave inward.  Even the old street fighrer 2 i played had these type of  buttons. Many of the newer fighters have the convex or more rounded buttons.   I can't see how it would "be faster" really, it all depends on how you push it.  In the end it still contacts a microswitch, so the end result is the same.  

groovY~

[Sylentwulf]

Personally, as long as they're microswitch....  buttons are buttons. they press down. They're not analog, you don't have to swivel them. They're just there to be pressed. hard or soft. push down.