8 to 4 way Top Adjustable Sticks?

[cadmium]

I'm looking for a 8 to 4 way joystick, adjustable via the top. The only one I know about is the Mag-Stick Plus by Ultimarc (I was considering a u360, but the price is out of my league right now). I currently have a Happ Competition and I am concerned about the light touch of the magstick (without having tried one).

Are there any other similar sticks at a reasonable price I can find?

[andiamo-racing]

Omni stick from GGG

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=195

[Ginsu Victim]

If the U360 is what you want, just wait until you can afford it and then buy it. I wound up replacing my original sticks (Happ Universal) because I didn't get what I wanted the first time. Believe me, the U360 will be worth the wait.

[cadmium]

I have some concerns besides the money. I'm not sure I'll actually like the smooth action of the stick, I grew up on micro-switches, so It's what I'm used to. Plus, while it would be nice to play some analog games, the ones I'd play like Star Wars, really wouldn't be the same anyway.

Omni stick from GGG

I haven't seen this before. It's pretty... ugly.

[Ginsu Victim]

Put a hard spring and a restrictor in a U360 and you won't find much to complain about. (I have no complaints period)

[javeryh]

If the U360 is what you want, just wait until you can afford it and then buy it. I wound up replacing my original sticks (Happ Universal) because I didn't get what I wanted the first time. Believe me, the U360 will be worth the wait.

I agree 100%.  I am most likely going to replace all the T-Stiks in my cocktail with U360s when I get a chance.  No one - and I mean no one - that comes over to my house understands the difference between 8-way and 4-way nor do they care.  They just want the stick to work properly when they select a game.

[cadmium]

Put a hard spring and a restrictor in a U360 and you won't find much to complain about. (I have no complaints period)

I'm curious what your favorite games to play are?

Honestly, if I could find something that was basically a Happ Competition with a top adjustable restrictor for not to much money, I'd be thrilled. But there doesn't seem to be that "perfect" stick out there.

[Ginsu Victim]

As far as games that use joystick, I tend to mostly play Donkey Kong, Ms Pac-Man, Defender, Dig Dug, Street Fighter Alpha 3, 1942 series, R-Type, Rastan, Strider, King of Fighters series, Metal Slug series, Robotron, Smash TV, etc, etc

As for the perfect stick, the U360 is staring you dead in the face. It's as close as you're going to get.

[Turnarcades]

I can't recommend an alternative, but if you're concerned about the Mag-stiks performance, take it from me they're great.

[Axe]

That Omni is  Ugly!!! lol and i LIKE balltops!

I guess it would work well.... but Dayyyyyaaammmm

 

[TheShanMan]

As far as games that use joystick, I tend to mostly play Donkey Kong, Ms Pac-Man, Defender, Dig Dug, Street Fighter Alpha 3, 1942 series, R-Type, Rastan, Strider, King of Fighters series, Metal Slug series, Robotron, Smash TV, etc, etc

As for the perfect stick, the U360 is staring you dead in the face. It's as close as you're going to get.

He's not easy to convince for sure! I tried to tell him that the mag stiks don't have "light touch" and I'd imagine there aren't any posts here from users claiming this problem. But while you haven't convinced him, you've just about convinced me, and I haven't even given thought to switching my joysticks! I might replace my 8 way competitions since it looks like they have the same footprint. Quick question: do the u360's allow for putting the dust washer under the control panel? In other words, can the dust washer be removed from the shaft? On the mag stiks (at least with the ball top) you can't remove the dust washer and therefore it has to go on top of the control panel.

I wholeheartedly agree with the suggestion that you get the best joystick for your application (within reason price-wise of course). The worst thing that could happen after getting your CP built and overlay installed, is to realize you should have spent a few extra bucks to get what you truly wanted - especially if it has a different footprint. If you really can't spring for the stick you want right now or you're just not 100% sure that you'll want it, then try to get really cheap ones that have the same footprint as the ones you think you want so it's easy to switch later. Looks like you could do that with the comps and the u360's.

[cadmium]

He's not easy to convince for sure! I tried to tell him that the mag stiks don't have "light touch" and I'd imagine there aren't any posts here from users claiming this problem.

Hey, I resemble the remark

I'm not that one that needs convincing, it's my wife who controls the purse strings. I was all ready to by a u360 until she had the we're broke speech with me  .

So I've been trying to find a cheaper alternative that gives me adjustable 4-way/8-way control. It looks like the mag-stick is the best of that bunch.

As for the light touch, that's what it claimed on the mag-stick website, so I was just going by that. I've never tried one myself.

And as for the lack of clickiness, I don't know how I'd ever pull off Ryu's Shoyruken without being able to tell when I've hit F+D+DF without the clicks  (yes, I suck). And if I tweaked out the mapping on the stick to make it easy, then I'd get ---my bottom--- handed to me if I ever did venture into a real arcade again.

[Ginsu Victim]

You can't really map it to make the game easier, only more precise.

Also, there are no real arcades anymore. Quit telling lies.

[javeryh]

I'm not that one that needs convincing, it's my wife who controls the purse strings. I was all ready to by a u360 until she had the we're broke speech with me  .

I get that speech 3 times a week - just ignore it.  Buy the U360, she will be mad for a bit and then get over it.  Either way you will be getting the same "we're broke" speech soon enough.   

[cadmium]

I get that speech 3 times a week - just ignore it.  Buy the U360, she will be mad for a bit and then get over it.  Either way you will be getting the same "we're broke" speech soon enough.   

Something tells me that wouldn't go down too well in our household

Can someone with a u360 tell me how map changes work? Does it automatically pic up different games, or is it something that can be controlled via my Front-End (maximus), or do I have to launch another program to do it?

[Ginsu Victim]

If you use a more current version of MAME, it can map for you.

Some frontends use a plugin to change it. I use MAMEWAH, which calls on the Ultramap software to switch maps. It's seemless.

[cadmium]

I'm using Maximus arcade and have a number of different emulators, so swapping out maps on the fly would be important for me. From what I can tell there is no direct support, but I can execute command's before launching mame, or other emulators.

I did read in another thread about a guy adding microswitches for the feel of it. I might try that mod so I could use those switches for everything except Mame, which would save on setup.

[TheShanMan]

It looks to me like the u360 has digital outputs to emulate a switch based joystick, so I think that microswitch hack would only be good for getting the clicking feel.

[Scottk]

I love my U360's!

I actually have 4 of them on my CP, as I have a 2 player CP, with each player given 2 360's for those games that need it, ala Robotron.

As others have mentioned, with the newest MAME's, MAME will set the mode for you.

Well, technically, you set it up as an Analog stick, and MAME does the mapping per game.

So, for example, if you are playing a 4 way game, MAME will map all the positions that the Analog stick can do, to a 4-way mode.
ie, it basically does the same thing as Ultimarc's utilities to "set" the mode.

But Ultimarc's util is still useful for other non-MAME emu's.

On my U360's, I got the red balltops, along with the restrictor + spring package.  I used up using the circle restrictor, and the "tougher" spring.

It was worth every penny!

[andiamo-racing]

GGG makes the retro edition of the omni joy. Which looks much better 

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=194

[lettuce]

My next project shall be a bartop for vertical games, and although i used the U360 on my last project just gone (and love em), for this project i shall be using the Mag-Stik Plus (although i would of preferred the model before with the micro switches), just because i wouldnt need hardly any of the features of the U360 stick. It all depends on what games you are going to be playing, i like play alot of after burner, space harrier, skate or die etc which uses analog controls so the u360 was an obvious choice, but if i was only ever going to play 2,4 or 8 ways games then get the mag-stick its less than half the price of the U360

[Ginsu Victim]

I did read in another thread about a guy adding microswitches for the feel of it. I might try that mod so I could use those switches for everything except Mame, which would save on setup.

This is stupid. There's no need to add microswitches to this stick. Why not try wiring your cellphone into a land line?

Setup your frontend to switch the map for whatever works best for the console emulator or PC game you're playing. Don't have a map that works for you? Make one.

[daywane]

no one has mentioned thr "T"-stick plus
you left up on the joystick and give it a twist.
It then will go into 8 way or 4 way
I like them just fine

[Ginsu Victim]

T-stik is now the mag-stick.

[daywane]

  I did not know this....
I have been out of the loop. for some time now.
thanks for the heads up

[cadmium]

My next project shall be a bartop for vertical games, and although i used the U360 on my last project just gone (and love em), for this project i shall be using the Mag-Stik Plus (although i would of preferred the model before with the micro switches), just because i wouldnt need hardly any of the features of the U360 stick. It all depends on what games you are going to be playing, i like play alot of after burner, space harrier, skate or die etc which uses analog controls so the u360 was an obvious choice, but if i was only ever going to play 2,4 or 8 ways games then get the mag-stick its less than half the price of the U360

So it's just a cost issue then? Or do you prefer the feel of the T/Mag-Stick?

[Ginsu Victim]

He's doing a bartop that doesn't play EVERYTHING, so he doesn't need a U360 for it.

I know when I build my Dreamcast / Neo Geo bartop, I'll just be using Sanwas, because I don't need a stick that expensive for such a limited selection.

My Mame upright absolutely requires Ultrastiks, though.

[whammoed]

I think I will be using some sort of mappable joystick on my next build...49way, u360, whatever.
I used to think I needed a dedicated physical restricted 4-way for games like pacman, but after owning an original pac cocktail for a while I realize that unless you are playing with an original stick for a particular game, the important thing is how it performs in game play. That dedicated 4-way doesn't feel like the original anyway.

[arzoo]

Can someone with a u360 tell me how map changes work? Does it automatically pic up different games, or is it something that can be controlled via my Front-End (maximus), or do I have to launch another program to do it?

cadmium,
Before you commit to spending the $ for the u360's (and possibly cause a family riff  ), you should definitely figure out the software side. As has been already mentioned, the later versions of mame can set the digital restriction - so for mame the u360 would stay in analog mode. For other emulators, you'll need to pick a default mode - most likely 8-way. You'll also want a default mode for the FE - I assume you use the joystick to scroll through game lists; so 2-way or 4-way is best. To do all this, Maximus would need the ability to launch and external app before launching an emulator and after quiting an emulator. If it can't launch the external app on emulator quit, then the FE will remain in the mode used by the last game you played - which may or may not be a show stopper.

[cadmium]

Maximus has the ability to do that, though I hope I can figrure out how to make it so it's not poping up command prompts all the time.

Someone mentioned it has digital out built in (in addition to analog out), do I need the optional wiring harness for that, and can I just connect the digital outs to my I-Pac? If that's the case, I can just assign the digital buttons to the other emulators/fe and just leave mame using the analog output.

[Ginsu Victim]

Though I don't see the need to use the digital output if you're able to run it via USB, yes, you'll either need the wiring harness or you can hack a firewire cable (the kind that hooks up to your motherboard. It has the same 2x5 pin structure.)

You don't need to do this, though. If nothing else, create a batch file that loads the appropriate map for the emulator or game, then starts said emu or game.

Using a frontend that supports external programs, though, you just need to have it change the map before a game, run the game, then on exit change the map back to whatever default you'd like. Very simple. (You're WAY over-complicating this!)

[cadmium]

You're WAY over-complicating this!

Nah, if I can wire it through my I-Pac, I don't have to do anything in my front-end or any other emu's. They should just work! Then i just have to set up MAME, which should be pretty easy.

By going all analog, I have to setup the startup and end batch files, or command lines for each emu, which seems like more work to me.

[Ginsu Victim]

If you're just going to wire it as a standard stick, though, WHAT'S THE POINT?

Running it through the I-pac defeats the entire purpose of having a U360!

Is this a wind-up?

[cadmium]

If you're just going to wire it as a standard stick, though, WHAT'S THE POINT?

Running it through the I-pac defeats the entire purpose of having a U360!

Is this a wind-up?

It doesn't defeat the point for non MAME emulators that don't support analog controls or more specifically joypads (almost all of them). MAME would get the full analog signal coming over usb, but everything else that doesn't take an analog signal simple gets the digital signal from the I-Pac.

To me it's connecting 5 extra wires to avoid reconfiguring 10 different emulators. MAME is the only emulator that would benefit from the analog controls, and it would get the analog signal.

I don't think that would be defeating the purpose, only getting the most out of the stick for each situation.



In other words, it seems like more work to configure batch files or commands for 10 different emulators, than to hook up 5 wires (up, down, left, right, ground) - for those emulators that only take digital signals.

[Ginsu Victim]

You're confused. The USB allows you to set up the U360 as analog, 2-way, 4-way, 8-way, whatever way you want.

It's only analog when you tell it to be, otherwise, it's like a switch-based stick.

Like I've already said, you're making this WAY TOO COMPLICATED!!!

[TheShanMan]

Ginsu, do you mean it emulates a keyboard just like an ipac does? So in digital mode applications would see keypresses instead of analog joystick input?

BTW, that picture is sick!

[Ginsu Victim]

Scanners dude.

It's seen as a joystick (you define what kind, though). You'd run it through an ipac for it to be seen as a keyboard. (Or just use joy2key)

[cadmium]

Scanners dude.

It's seen a joystick (you define what kind, though). You'd run it through an ipac for it to be seen as a keyboard. (Or just use joy2key)

Right, some emulators can't use a joystick, and my emulators are already setup for a keyboard. And joy2key is just a way to do what I can do easily in hardware. Remember, I'm already using an I-Pac, so it's nothing to wire up a different joystick.

It's all good in the hood. I think I'll get one, once I can afford it (It's going to be like $100 with all of the "upgrades", which is slightly crazy, but whatever).

Still buddies? 

[Ginsu Victim]

I just don't know whether you can run it in input and output mode at the same time.

[TheShanMan]

Scanners dude.

It's seen as a joystick (you define what kind, though). You'd run it through an ipac for it to be seen as a keyboard. (Or just use joy2key)

What do you mean "you define what kind"? Joystick vs. gamepad? I'm just not sure what you mean here. I also have no idea what "scanners" means. What you were saying seemed to suggest the joystick itself can act like a digital stick, so I assume you weren't actually referring to joy2key.

BTW, I hope I'm not coming across as nit-picking what you're saying; they're real questions because I'm not all that familiar with the u360 yet, other than briefly reading the web page for it.

[Ginsu Victim]

What do you mean "you define what kind"? Joystick vs. gamepad? I'm just not sure what you mean here.

I mean you define whether it's seen as analog, 4-way, 8-way, mouse, etc

I also have no idea what "scanners" means.

It's a movie. That's what the pic is from.

What you were saying seemed to suggest the joystick itself can act like a digital stick, so I assume you weren't actually referring to joy2key.

See the above statement. The joy2key mention is only for programs that have no joystick support.

BTW, I hope I'm not coming across as nit-picking what you're saying; they're real questions because I'm not all that familiar with the u360 yet, other than briefly reading the web page for it.

Not at all. You didn't get on my nerves the way someone else did. Around here, you're one of the people I give total respect to. No reason to get annoyed with you. Ask me anything you'd like.

[arzoo]

scanners

[Ginsu Victim]

Anyone with THIS for an avatar would know. 

[TheShanMan]

What do you mean "you define what kind"? Joystick vs. gamepad? I'm just not sure what you mean here.

I mean you define whether it's seen as analog, 4-way, 8-way, mouse, etc

Oh, I get it now, thanks to looking over the u360 web page again - it operates either as a joystick or a gamepad, based on whether or not you use a 2/4/8/whatever map.

It can act as a mouse too? Man, that's one versatile stick! Does it basically do the same thing that mame does if you use an 8 way for a trackball game (except with more precise control)?

[Ginsu Victim]

The mouse control is good. It's no substitute for a trackball or lightgun, but it is better than using a standard stick in MAME.

[cadmium]

I just don't know whether you can run it in input and output mode at the same time.

Yeah, me neither as my whole idea would depend on that. I sent Andrew an email with that very question. I don't see why it wouldn't though.

Not at all. You didn't get on my nerves the way someone else did.

You don't mean me do you?

[Ginsu Victim]

What ever would make you think that?

[cadmium]

What ever would make you think that?

What exactly did I do? 

It's the most expensive and modifiable stick on the market right now and my needs and setup might be a little different than yours. I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers.

I am just trying to see if the stick does what I need it to do before putting down the money for it.

[Ginsu Victim]

I was at work and was easily annoyed at having to talk in circles about the U360.

Haven't felt good for like a week.

No hard feelings.

[november]

Hey, I resemble the remark

I'm not that one that needs convincing, it's my wife who controls the purse strings. I was all ready to by a u360 until she had the we're broke speech with me  .

I say forget the cabinet and work on your finances if you're getting a we're broke speech on $130.

Richest Man In Babylon is a great book, no this isn't spam.

I can recommend some more later, but this is definitely a quick and easy to understand read that I think EVERYONE within' the US should probably be forced to read at least once.

[cadmium]

I say forget the cabinet and work on your finances if you're getting a we're broke speech on $130.

Well it's the we're broke after spending $450 to build the cabinet and then wanting to spend another $100 to replace a $10 joystick.

Plus gas prices and food prices are high, I have a one year old and the wife is staying home to raise him for the time being. So there is a lot on our plate besides joysticks.

It's not a sob story or anything, just how it is. We live comfortably, have some small investments, but we are by no means rich and disposable income is in short supply.