Joystick Reccommendation

[hartdre]

Hi.
I'm am looking to buy a couple of joysticks for my MAME arcade. I played Street Fighter Alpha 3 at an arcade and wanted one's like that. They were fast, moved quickly to their max with minimum pressure and returned quickly to their centre. Ideal for faster games. I have a Wico 8-way leaf-switch joystick, it is hard to move and I really don't like it (damn my weak wrist! ). Also, I would prefer a ball-top.  Can anyone recommend one?

Thanks for your time,

Drew

[boodroe]

I like the ultimate joystick from happcontrols. I have read that Capcom went to happcontrols to design a joystick for Street Fighter 2 and that is what they came out with. I use it in my Street fighter 2 arcade game and my mame machine. I like it alot, its a good 8 way joystick. Good for fighting games and pretty much any other game I play on mame other then games that require a 4 way joystick (pacman, etc). Here is a link to it. Hope this helps. Good luck. http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/ultimate_joy.htm

[pointdablame]

No offenese,but the Ultimates are pretty bad joysticks.

You'd be much better off with a Happ Super or Happ Competition (although Supers seem to be prefered by fighter fans who need a more circular motion for special moves).  Or if you're a big fighter fan, you can get a Happ Perfect 360.  A ton of fighter fans swear by those sticks.

Other than those, you could get a Sanwa stick which i think are what the newer Tekken 5 machines use.  The come in balltops and again, are huge favorites for fighter fans.

Stay away from those Ultimates though.

[ShinAce]

If you liked the ones they use at the arcade, chances are that's a super. Grade A stick.

[Kremmit]

I will happily trade you a Super for the Wico, if you want.  Wicos are great sticks, but fighter players seem to hate them.  I don't play fighters, so it works out.

If you want to buy a new stick instead, I think a lot of the serious fighter players are moving to Sanwa and Semitsu sticks.  www.himuragames.com

[hartdre]

Hi.
Thanks for all the replies. I was looking at the Sanwa's and the interface connection-type thing looks very odd. It is five pins (really different from teh convention microswitches). Is this a problem? I am ordering I-PAC from ultimarc and was wonder if their controls are any good (especially their buttons and their J-Stic joystick).

Thanks for your time,
Drew

P.S. Kremmit - I would trade you but the Wico leaf I have is a bit old (I got it free when I bought my arcade ). As a result, one of the brackets for the two leaves is very loose and it doesn't look fixable.

[pointdablame]

Hi.
Thanks for all the replies. I was looking at the Sanwa's and the interface connection-type thing looks very odd. It is five pins (really different from teh convention microswitches). Is this a problem? I am ordering I-PAC from ultimarc and was wonder if their controls are any good (especially their buttons and their J-Stic joystick).

Thanks for your time,
Drew

P.S. Kremmit - I would trade you but the Wico leaf I have is a bit old (I got it free when I bought my arcade ). As a result, one of the brackets for the two leaves is very loose and it doesn't look fixable.

I'm pretty sure that 5pin cable for the Sanwa is a ground and 4 directions... its not very hard to set up from what I've read.  I have a few joys that use a cable like it but haven't used them yet.

[hartdre]

Thanks for all the replies. This is really helping.
I just wanted to know what is the difference between these two sticks? I would really like a stick the is fast and returns to its "neutral" postition quickly. Also do Sanwa and Seimitsu sticks work well in other games (Space Invaders, Metal Slug etc.). I have also heard that the J-stik from Ultimarc is made by Sanwa. As anyone tried this joystick out?

Thanks for you time,
Drew

[muell67]

I have no experience with the sanwa but Im not a big fan of the seimitsu i have them in my candy cab and they feel cheap, like if I press to hard i will snap them in half. If youve never used one of the japanes style sticks I think they can be a little odd at first. I would go with a p360 they are great for fighters and shooters, and if you want a baltop you can always get a new shaft for them. Oh and the plug on the japanese style sticks can be cut off and it can be hooked up like a normal joystick or I believe pony boy sells the adapter.

[spriggy]

...I have also heard that the J-stik from Ultimarc is made by Sanwa. As anyone tried this joystick out?

Retroblast has a review of the J-Stik (among others) ..... http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/joysticks/ultimarc_jstik.html

I'm running 2 J-Stiks in my bartop.  As an all round basic 4/8 way ball-top, I'm very happy with them.

[hartdre]

Hey.
Do you live in North America? The reason I ask is I wanted to know, when you go to a local arcade do you have trouble adapting to the other joysticks used there. I've heard there is a learning curve to the J-Stik and didn't want to have trouble going back to older sticks when I play at an arcade.

Thanks alot,
Drew

[ptpeter]

what about the joy sticks that are switchable between 4 and 8 way? are you interested in those?

[hartdre]

Yeah, but I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that the J-Stik can switch by simply turning the restrictor.

Thanks,
Drew

[DaveStall]

I tried several sticks in my controller (Supers, P360, and T-Sticks) and ended up using the J-Sticks.  The J-Stick does have a rotating restrictor plate to change from 4-way to 8-way operation.  I think the sticks are fantastic, especially for a stand alone controller, as the spring tension is light enough that you won't be sliding your controller all over your desk like you would with a T-Stick or P360.  The J-Sticks are a bit shorter than the Happ sticks, so keep that in mind when you think about your panel thickness.

Dave

[Havok]

The Happs P360s are great for fighters - very easy to do the special moves. Smooth, optical interface - best of all, no clicking! You can also get balltop replacements, Slikstik sells them...

[subcriminal]

I know the Ultimarc T stick sucks for fighters! Even in 8 way mode it still has a very square feel to it when you do circular movements.

[brophog]

No it doesn't. The J-stick is very square.

[rockmes]

l agree. l got 2 j-sticks that l dont use cos its feels to sqaurish , and for fighters games l didnt like it personally. at the moment l have the happ competition joysticks with groovygamegears stainless steel ball top shafts in them which feel awesome. good in 8way and in 4way ,no problems in all games, and my favorite game is sfa3.    l am currently sourcing for some happ p360's cos everybody recommends these as the ultimate joystick. l am trying to work out if the 10mm diameter shaft of groovygamegear's will fit into the p360. cos if l buy them and then find out my new shaft's wont fit ,l will spew.
But yeh the happ comps are a good stick.

[Lilwolf]

If you really want the ultimate joystick...

you need to think joysticks!

If you want the best all around and moneys no issue I would consider going with the happs 49way and the 49Wiz or whatever its called (KeyWiz).  It does take a bit to break it in if you get a new one.  Great combo especially if you get the rotary kit for it.

Next, I would say p360s (again, money no issue).  Great joystick but you have to deal with power to the control panel.  Might make hot swappable control panels out of the question

Supers are GREAT joysticks.  I use them for most of my control panels.  Smooth circles are great for timepilot and gyruss ect.  Not my favorite for fighters because of the don't know where back and down is for use... but I used squared joysticks when I started playing SF

Then Comps for squares are great.

Then Ultimates where good.. until I got a comp.  If you don't have anything to compare them with, the are fine.

I don't know about most of the other only sold on ebay joysticks.  I'm curious how many of them where ever in a real arcade.... And many try to copy the feel of a happs joystick (so why not go with a happs??)

[hartdre]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the help.
I'll probably go with J-Stiks because I am already ordering from Ultimarc and I really want a ball-top (and don't want to pay the $67 for two joysticsk and replacemetn handles).
One quick last question, are Ultimarc buttosn decent?
Thanks for all the help with this.

-Drew

[teetu]

J Sticks are made by sanwa, but they aren't a "conventional" sanwa (the real name is the Sanwa JLW).  They have a different feel to them and are not used in japanese fighter machines.  Jsticks have a longer shaft and are adjustable (8 and 4 way) so thats why ultimarc carries them.  The biggest difference is the joystick shaft does not hit the microswitches directly- it hits a metal prong attached to the microswitch (i think this is called leaf style?)

If you want a straight up fighter stick, then you will want a Sanwa JLF.  They are meant to be mounted in on a metal cp, so if u would probably need a router if you were to mount them in a wood cp.  The joystick actuator is square just like in the Jstick that ultimarc sells, but its a very different feel since it doesn't have the leaf style switches (I think it feels faster). 

The very discrete diagonals of the sanwas/semitsu are why they are extremely popular for fighting games in japan.  I got a Jstick (JLW) but it was only for my galaga machine, and so I have directly compared it to a JLF and can say I definately prefer the JLF.  I also got an octagonal restrictor plate for one of my sanwa sticks and it's pretty cool.

[spriggy]

Hey.
Do you live in North America? The reason I ask is I wanted to know, when you go to a local arcade do you have trouble adapting to the other joysticks used there. I've heard there is a learning curve to the J-Stik and didn't want to have trouble going back to older sticks when I play at an arcade.

Thanks alot,
Drew

Nope.. I'm an aussie.

[hartdre]

So the J-Stik feels like a leaf style?
Because personally, I hate that feel.

I am slightly confused.

-Drew

[spriggy]

So the J-Stik feels like a leaf style?
Because personally, I hate that feel.

I am slightly confused.

-Drew

Nope.  They feel like a precise microswitch joystick... like I thought I described.    Sorry if it sounds confusing...... does it??

Simple description.....  Microswitch based switchable 4/8 way joystick (via hand rotating restrictor plate).  Precise, squarish feel... good for 4 way games.... not the best for some fighters or dual 8-way games...but still a fine all-rounder.

cheers

[hartdre]

Oh...okay.

Thanks for the help.

-Drew
P.S. It wasn't that you described the sticks confusingly, it was my interpretation.