4way vs 8way joystick?

[ScatMan]

Hello!
I'm starting to build my first arcade joy... I brought some components from Happ, including a Super Joystick. They I brought a Trust USB pad with 8 buttons and I'm trying to connect its logical board to my joy and buttons.
I thought to use the joy in 8way mode, but then surfing on the Net I found many users who chose SideWinder hack that suggest using it in 4way... why?
Is there a way to understand if my controller is for 4way or 8way stick?
Thanks!

[Sasquatch!]

Happ Super Joysticks can be 4-way or 8-way depending on which way you flip the actuator at the bottom of it.  Go to http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/50608400_exploded.htm and look at the top picture.  The second piece up in the bottom left that looks kind of like an hourglass is the actuator.  Basically, if the fatter end of it is the end that's facing your joystick, it'll be 8-way.  Doing diagonals with most any joystick isn't doing a "true" diagonal, meaning that there isn't a separate switch for going up and right - you're actually hitting the "up" and "right" switches simultaneously.

In MOST cases, you will want your sticks to be 8-way, simply because having them 4-way will mean that you will not be able to move diagonally in any game.  The time when 8-way is a pain in the ass is when you are playing a true 4-way game.  For example, in Frogger, you only WANT to be able to move up/down/left/right, but hitting a diagonal movement accidentally can happen.  This is why some people choose to put a dedicated 4-way-only stick on their control panel.

I'm not sure about the Trust/Sidewinder hack, but I hope this helps to explain the difference between 4-way and 8-way.  In summary: regardless of if your joystick is 4-way or 8-way, you'll still only have 4 switches (up/down/left/right) wired to it.

[ScatMan]

Hello!
Thanks! You explained it perfectly!
bye

[hyiu]

any joypad hack will be the same....

the one thing about gameport sidewinder is just because on the sidewinder circuit board... there are actually holes ready for you to solder to each connection... which makes the job easier !!... (and the pad is cheap...)

that's all.... basically, you can hack to any pad and it'll work....