Best fighter joystick?

[Solocade2008]

Hi, I am in the process of buying parts for my cabinet and looking for the best type of joystick, particularly for fighting type games which require precise control.

I've have researched several, but confused as which one is best. Price is not an issue.

• Ultrimarc UltraStik 360 Oval Top with USB cable
• Happs ULTIMATE JOYSTICK
• Happs COMPETITION JOYSTICK
• Happs SUPER JOYSTICK
• Happs UNIVERSAL JOYSTICK
• Happs PERFECT 360° ELECTRONIC JOYSTICK

Thanks!

[Xam]

The ultimate is out.

I hear most people who play the fighters like the Happ 360's. Then again...the ultimarcs are relatively new...so that could change.

I personally use and like the comps and supers....but I don't really play the fighters. I just recently got my Happ 360's running, so I cannot say much about them at the present time.

I know I didn't help much, but joystick preference is pretty much a personal thing. One man's trash is anothers treasure. I personally feel that any of the sticks mentioned (with the exception of the ultimate) would suffice.

Xam

[Ahigh]

I've always been partial to the supers, but if you're sure you want 8-way, the competitions are better than I expected.

Just make sure you get competitions and not imperials.  Imperials look a lot like comps but they suck big time.

You can't go wrong with the super (easy 8-way 4-way switchable by flipping the plastic underneath).  I don't know that the comps do that (I don't think they do, do they?).

The Perfect 360 is a little controversial.  There are not notches and the feel is totally circular.  It has 8-way and 4-way switchable like the super, it requires +5v power.  The optics need to be blown clear of dust only about as frequently as you'd replace a cherry switch.  Some people are huge fans of the super, but the value of your dollar is potentially lower compared to a competition.

I recently put two red-ball-top happ competitions (Tornado Terry's) on a perfect robotron that had some older wico leaf joysticks that weren't doing so well, and I've been scoring over 1,000,000 on difficulty levels that I previously couldn't do (still working on difficulty 7, but went well beyond a mil on difficulty 6).  I wasn't able to hit a million on difficulty 5 before, and the competitions make the exact switch times easy to hit with the loud clicking micros .. i'm not sure exactly how or why .. but they work great.

For a 4-way stick, I'd recommend the Happ Super, I think.  For 8-way, the comp.  And if you want the stick to make no noise and the perfect-circle thing doesn't bother you, then go with the perfect 360.  A perfect 360 is sort of bling to me, but not necessarily the best performing.

--
- Ahigh

[kowal]

better to buy JLW (j-stick) + circle restrictors.

Universal - incredibly hard spring
Ultimate - crap
Super - bad proportions of engagement to throw 1:3 some combinations register bad 1:2 is ideal
Competion - long throw, but install him in metal panel, and he should work OK
P360 - disastrous diagonals, it cracks (only wood panels) and has hard spring.
U360 - bad centring to center, but he records combinations superbly QFC, HCB, SRK. you have to buy circle restrictors.

[Solocade2008]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Ultimarc UltraStik 360 Oval Top with USB cable
Ultimarc JLW (j-stick) + circle restrictors
Happs ULTIMATE JOYSTICK
Happs COMPETITION JOYSTICK
Happs SUPER JOYSTICK
Happs UNIVERSAL JOYSTICK
Happs PERFECT 360° ELECTRONIC JOYSTICK

There was another joystick called the Ultimarc Mag-stik plus that has a magnet to recenter the stick instead of springs. Not sure how it performs. http://www.ultimarc.com/controls.html

[kowal]

it is not suitable to fighter (shumps, platform)

[ArcadEd]

I've built a few custom units for super hardcore fighter fans.  All of them like the combination of a Perfect 360 from happ, with SlikStiks custom pear top handles.  The added weight of those handles seem to go really well with the 360s.

Just a thought.

[KonkeyKong]

I just got one of the Rollie sticks from Ponyboy, kinda like a Swana.  Of all the sticks i've used (p360, super, comp, ultimate, omni, wico leaf) I like the rollie the best for fighters.  It has a short throw, and a soft touch.  It seems much quicker and more precise.  It is clicky, but that seems to help me find a rhythm when doing quarter and half circles.

[jWin]

heres my vote

Cheap - competition joystick
Expensive - 360 joysticks

[leapinlew]

I think it's region specific also.

I'm from the midwest and supers feel similar to the Street Fighter games I'm used to playing.

[Crowquill]

If you want to acurately replicate what you would use in an arcade, then the Happ Ultimates are the way to go. Almost all arcade cabinets and kits used these including Neo-Geo cabs and Midway Mortal Kombat cabs. I'm almost positive that ultimates are what came in Capcom kits too. My Atari Primal Rage came with these.

I really liked using the Super I had in my stand-alone control panel box, but the competitions I has feel more natural. There's definitely less tension in the springs which I think makes a good difference. I've never used a P360, but using the Wico leaf sticks on my MAME cabinet, I definitely prefer to be able to "feel" the microswitches.

One thing that has barely been mentioned is that some die-hard fighter fans prefer japanese sticks (usually sanwa or seimitsu). They have much less travel and some people swear that due to this the moves are quicker and more precise. There's a slight learning curve as they have a different feel, but they definitely have a following for fighting games over anything else.

After a quick search here's a quick debate about the japanese sticks @ shoryuken.com:

http://forums.shoryuken.com/archive/index.php/t-89203.html

EDITED FOR IDOCY: brain was thinking "Ultimates", fingers were typing "Competitions"

[xmenxmen]

Most of the original arcade fighting games use Ultimate.  Reason why you don't want to use one is they tend to break easily. 

I am using Competition in my fighting.

[meltman]

I've been very happy with my Happ Supers.

They are VERY durable, especially when the fighting gets "spirited" after a night at the bars.

[Crowquill]

Sorry..I meant to type Ultimate.

After typing that, I double-checked my Primal Rage cabinet and discovered it actually does have Competitions. I'm assuming they're original to the cabinet. They've definitely seen a lot of action.

Previous post has been edited to avoid confusion.

[Loki]

Just a simple question; are all joysticks the same size when it comes to mounting them on a CP?

[tranq]

This is not in the Arcade controls stick FAQ, but most of this is available at HAPP and other manufacturer's sites.

[CheffoJeffo]

Just a simple question; are all joysticks the same size when it comes to mounting them on a CP?

Nope.

[NiteWalker]

Sanwa JLF-TP8Y or Seimitsu LS32 are best for fighters. I like Sanwas. Super precise. If you can get to a tekken 5 DR machine that's what's on them. Most of the time...

[fixedpigs]

is the ultimarc 360 silent like the happs p360...?
that's something to consider if you don't like the clickiness of the others...

[Lilwolf]

The real answer is this.

Whatever joystick they used in the games you used to run at your local arcade...   Especially for the arguments about if you should have round actuators or square (can you feel the corners).

or

If you only have 1 type of joystick... they will all be SO much better then
anything else you have... you will be happy.

My first joystick was an ultimate.  I loved it... until I had another to compare it with...

Supers are my favorate all around joystick.  Great - Good for almost all 8 way games.  (ignore the 4way switch on the bottom... the 4way sucks like 90% of all 8way joysticks). 

P360 I hear are better then supers.  I don't have one so I cant tell you.

[clockwork]

I haven't had any experience with the various joysticks, as I'm just getting into all this stuff, but based on this review: http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/Ultimarc_Ultrastick_0925006-01.html, I'd really like to try out the Ultrimarc UltraStik 360. But then again, I've been looking for the best all-around stick, not solely a fighter stick. Only reason I'm not getting these right now is they lack rotary, and Ikari Warriors is the primary game I want to play.

I have used the Mag-Stiks on a friend's console and, eh, didn't care much for them. I don't think they're good enough for the price.

[destructor]

is the ultimarc 360 silent like the happs p360...?

U360 is more silent than P360 (bumping on base 'walls').

[tranq]

If that's the kind of silence one is talking about, that's true.  If it's about switch noise, then they both qualify.

[Solocade2008]

I haven't had any experience with the various joysticks, as I'm just getting into all this stuff, but based on this review: http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/Ultimarc_Ultrastick_0925006-01.html, I'd really like to try out the Ultrimarc UltraStik 360. But then again, I've been looking for the best all-around stick, not solely a fighter stick. Only reason I'm not getting these right now is they lack rotary, and Ikari Warriors is the primary game I want to play.

I have used the Mag-Stiks on a friend's console and, eh, didn't care much for them. I don't think they're good enough for the price.

Reading that review of the Ultrimarc UltraStik 360, I think I'm sold on it. I like that it does not need an encoder. 

[clockwork]

Reading that review of the Ultrimarc UltraStik 360, I think I'm sold on it. I like that it does not need an encoder. 

Yeah, that's a good selling point. You're making me jealous now. I really wanted a set, but rotary is priority for me, and it'd be very, very expensive buying two of these and adding rotary. Not to mention, probably a pain in the butt for a noob like me.

[Kremlar]

I always preferred the "notches" in the corners.

How do I know which sticks have this??

Thanks!!!

[Bobbler]

Sanwa do octagonal restrictor plates which will give you that 8 way notchy feel.

http://www.gremlinsolutions.co.uk/products/sanwa-gt-y.htm