Black Joysticks?

[Vash]

Alright, I feel like a dunce now, but I just discovered that Happs doesn't offer the Ultimate Joystick 8-way in Black.  Being that having a red, yellow, blue, or green joystick would like a purple stripe on a Bengal Tiger, I was wondering if there were any other 8 way's that were the same size (vertically) as the Happ's ultimate that come in black.  Any larger and I'll have to resize the depth of my control panel box, which is going to create some interesting problems with the rest of the cabinet.  Thanks for your help.

[CheffoJeffo]

FWIW, you are better off without Ultimates ... they're soft and sloppy ... and were the first sticks I ever bought.

[Vash]

FWIW, you are better off without Ultimates ... they're soft and sloppy ... and were the first sticks I ever bought.

What would you recommend?

[CheffoJeffo]

FWIW, you are better off without Ultimates ... they're soft and sloppy ... and were the first sticks I ever bought.

What would you recommend?

What do you want to play (and then wait for the deluge of opinions) ?

Of the Happ sticks, I don't mind the Supers as an all-around 8-way stick. The fighter folks seems to prefer the Comps (when they aren't talking about Sanwas or Seimeitsus). IIRC, both the Supers and Competitions mount on the same footprint as the Ultimates.

Just yesterday, I was going through my box of sticks and found that I seem to favour Wico sticks in their various flavours (4-way, 8-way, leaf, microswitch, rotary) as they outnumber the other sticks I have "in stock" (e.g. in a box) about 5-to-1.

FWIW, I never got around to replacing the Ultimates in that first cabinet -- it lives at the cottage and, most of the time it is my kids who play it continually and they don't care about the sticks.

[Vash]

FWIW, you are better off without Ultimates ... they're soft and sloppy ... and were the first sticks I ever bought.

What would you recommend?

What do you want to play (and then wait for the deluge of opinions) ?

Of the Happ sticks, I don't mind the Supers as an all-around 8-way stick. The fighter folks seems to prefer the Comps (when they aren't talking about Sanwas or Seimeitsus). IIRC, both the Supers and Competitions mount on the same footprint as the Ultimates.

Just yesterday, I was going through my box of sticks and found that I seem to favour Wico sticks in their various flavours (4-way, 8-way, leaf, microswitch, rotary) as they outnumber the other sticks I have "in stock" (e.g. in a box) about 5-to-1.

FWIW, I never got around to replacing the Ultimates in that first cabinet -- it lives at the cottage and, most of the time it is my kids who play it continually and they don't care about the sticks.

I play a large variety of games.  Shmups, fighters, and brawlers will be getting considerable playtime. 

[Ginsu Victim]

If you got the money, the Ultrastik 360 from www.ultimarc.com is worth the investment.

[Vash]

If you got the money, the Ultrastik 360 from www.ultimarc.com is worth the investment.

Yikes.  At $60, I'll have to pass.  Maybe someday, but I have a 4 player panel, so dropping $240 on the joys alone is a bit out of the question for me.

[divemaster127]

Happ sells the competition in black, I offer these in my buy/sell thread for $8.25 each
dm

[Organic Jerk]

I play a large variety of games.  Shmups, fighters, and brawlers will be getting considerable playtime. 

I got the Competition joysticks and I've never looked back. They're great for the fighters and brawlers especially...


The only think I wish I could do is get rid of the "click" sound of the microswitches underneath the stick, but that's just a personal thing..

[Vash]

I play a large variety of games.  Shmups, fighters, and brawlers will be getting considerable playtime. 

I got the Competition joysticks and I've never looked back. They're great for the fighters and brawlers especially...


The only think I wish I could do is get rid of the "click" sound of the microswitches underneath the stick, but that's just a personal thing..

That's a bit of a turn off.  How loud is it?  What kind of "click"?  And is it continuous no matter how far or fast you move it?  And how sensitive is it?  I know it's a microswitch stick, so does that mean that a direction is either off or on?  No gradual or slow movement?

[divemaster127]

I have the comps on my mame cab & my cocktail

[protokatie]

I am lazy and pathetic, so my first sticks are Esticks that I got off of ultimarc. Cheap as hell, but seem more than worth it. Nothing like a stick you can install in a standard hole for a button... (I plan on upgrading sometime in the future, with a 4 player panel, and will use the Esticks as P3 and P4 with better sticks for P1 and P2)..

Something odd I noticed: Esticks are advertised as having medium resistance and travel, but it seems like they have hard resistance to me...(medium travel tho, so good for the range of games I intend on playing)

[protokatie]

I know it's a microswitch stick, so does that mean that a direction is either off or on?  No gradual or slow movement?

Yep, switch based joys are digital (ala NES controller or the hat button on a moedern controller). If you are looking for an analogue stick, switch based ones arent your thing. Then again, what games are you playing? Very few arcade games used analogue sticks, almost all were digital...

[Vash]

I know it's a microswitch stick, so does that mean that a direction is either off or on?  No gradual or slow movement?

Yep, switch based joys are digital (ala NES controller or the hat button on a moedern controller). If you are looking for an analogue stick, switch based ones arent your thing. Then again, what games are you playing? Very few arcade games used analogue sticks, almost all were digital...

Well, I knew most weren't digital, I just don't remember (what I now picture as) rabid clicking when I was playing them.  Is it just something specific to the comps. or is it prevalent in other MS joysticks?

[protokatie]

Well, I knew most weren't digital, I just don't remember (what I now picture as) rabid clicking when I was playing them.  Is it just something specific to the comps. or is it prevalent in other MS joysticks?

I presume you mean that you knew most arcade joys WERE digital...(IE with switches)

Regardless, the switches are on the otherside of the wood used to make the CP, and on top of that, how many arcades have you ever been to that were quiet enough to hear yourself think?

There are other switches out there that are quiet, there is a poster here who has in his tag line something about them. I never considered the clicking to be a problem. (Dont think I notice it with the audio from the game blasting away)

[Vash]

Well, I knew most weren't digital, I just don't remember (what I now picture as) rabid clicking when I was playing them.  Is it just something specific to the comps. or is it prevalent in other MS joysticks?

I presume you mean that you knew most arcade joys WERE digital...(IE with switches)

Some people have problems with reading comprehension.  I have problems with writing comprehension   It seemed fine at the time.

Regardless, the switches are on the otherside of the wood used to make the CP, and on top of that, how many arcades have you ever been to that were quiet enough to hear yourself think?

Actually, just one, and fairly often.  The most experience I've had with arcade machines was at a restaurant my family used to take me to on Sundays.  They had 4 games in the back, one of them was AvP, and I played it all the time, but I just can't picture that clicking.  If it's not really obtrusive though, I'll go with it anyway.  It's the only affordable, well reviewed item I've come across. 

[protokatie]

Actually, just one, and fairly often.  The most experience I've had with arcade machines was at a restaurant my family used to take me to on Sundays.  They had 4 games in the back, one of them was AvP, and I played it all the time, but I just can't picture that clicking.  If it's not really obtrusive though, I'll go with it anyway.  It's the only affordable, well reviewed item I've come across.

With the sounds of other video games on top of the one you were playing, plus the background noise of the eatery, I doubt you could have noticed. The switches used in the joys that others recomended are the exact same ones used in the buttons; did you notice a click sound when you hit the buttons while playing? More than likely you were more focused on playing the game than some nearly inaudible clicking sounds. I think that for people here, the clicking is only noticed because we handle the actual parts and have become intimate with the working under the "hood" so to speak.

its a perception issue.

[phishpac]

I have competitions and I think they're great.  They're incredibly cheap too.  Very easy to wire.

[Organic Jerk]

Well the clicking sounds are standard and come with the territory, so if you've ever played fighters and such in the arcades then its usually drowned out by the sound of even the single one's speakers.

It's just a personal pet peeve of mine because I set my sound rather low when playing casually (which is only an advantage you have as a home player), so I can actually hear them.

I like and recommend the competitions because of the distinct feel of each direction, which definitely helps with fighters and brawlers...

In my perfect world I could keep the way the Competitions feel, but get rid of the microswitch clicking.. but again that's just a personal thing of mine which is OUT of the ordinary

[Vash]

So I guess I'm pretty naive about the pros and cons of specific joysticks, and I could only assume I'm equally as naive about the push buttons.  My original intent was to go with Happ's Ultimate Push button, mostly due to the (I think) more familiar concave surface, but would that be a bad choice?  Are there performance issues?  Is the competition/convex surface actually more familiar and I'm just a tad on the senile side?

[Spacejack]

X-arcade's sticks are black by default (bat top).  The switches are not great and quite pingy, but that's the stick's only real drawback if you want a round-field 8-way.

[phishpac]

vash,

yeah, get the concave from happs.  divemaster sells them for a great price and he's a fast shipper.  you should be able to get nearly everything you need from the sellers here on BYOAC.

[mrserv0n]

Happ Super 8s have a 15 degree diagnol on them and i always liked them for all my CPs, good stick all around, I did not like the competitions, and never tried a 360

[ablizno]

I love my Mag-stiks from ultimarc.com, and about the clicking, i was at an arcade today playing Capcom vs SNK 2 and i realized that they made the clicking noise, but with the speakers on it is hardly noticeable. Also the kick from the switches provide a nice feel.

[Bluedeath]

I also suggest Supers they are IMHO the best multi purpose sticks around.

[Franco B]

If you want to reduce the noise of a switched based joystick you could use GGGs Microleaf microswitches. I have bought a bunch for my cab and I haven't installed them yet but they are much more inaudible than a standard switch. You can barely hear them click at all when held in my hand. Once they are installed in the CPs i don't think you notice them.



Linky

[Organic Jerk]

If you want to reduce the noise of a switched based joystick you could use GGGs Microleaf microswitches. I have bought a bunch for my cab and I haven't installed them yet but they are much more inaudible than a standard switch. You can barely hear them click at all when held in my hand. Once they are installed in the CPs i don't think you notice them.

These actually work as a replacement for cherry microswitches on joysticks?  They fit perfectly?

[Franco B]

Oopsie, my bad. Just tried them on a t-stick and they don't fit 

For some reason i assumed they would 

[MazzMn]

I love my Mag-stiks from ultimarc.com,

Ditto on the Mag-stiks. I have the Plus version and like the ability to switch between 4 way and 8 way without opening the cabinet.

[divemaster127]

If you have the $$ for the magstick plus these are awesome sticks, why would anyone want to have to reach inside their cp everytime you want to change 4/8