Joystick question

[sdrob04]

Can anyone verify whether the SlikStik optical joystick is the same piece of goods as the Happ Perfect 360 photo electronic joystick?  I just wanted to be sure of what I was seeing on each website as I'm in the planning stages for my first cabinet.  This stick (especially with the machined knob!) sure seems like the way to go...

[Goz]

They are Happ Perfect 360's and although very pricey they look very pimp on a cab.

-Goz

[sdrob04]

My emphasis is going to be on early games up through about 1985.  Were most sticks ball or pearshaped during this time frame?

[Apollo]

Ball

[Bursk]

Aren't the ball tops wider (in a gripping sense) than the pear tops?  Maybe someone with small-ish hands would be better off using the pear tops.  This is just what I read somewhere, so I might be wrong.

[RayB]

IMHO, the difference between ball and pear is for the WAY you grip it. In most games where you're concerned with directing your character in a particular direction, like up, down, left right, Ball is ideal, and you would grip it fully on top.

Whereas, the pear shaped I think made its appearance with Street Fighter 2, and is better suited for making "rotation" movements etc (for the special moves), and you would grip it almost like a trigger stick.

only my opinion though...

[Bursk]

Thanks for the response, RayB.  What you've said makes sense (to me, anyway), although I would be interested to hear other people's opinions.