Flight Stick

[Visitor Q]

Can anyone recommend a good flight stick? Looking for the best one out...

Thanks.

[Ummon]

For what?

[Visitor Q]

For arcade games on a control panel.

I see there is a bunch listed on this page...

http://www.happ.com/joysticks/joysticks_amusement.htm

[Matthew Fisher]

Do you want an analog one, or an 8-way?  My understanding is that very few arcade games actually use analog. 

Having said that, I got one of the Happs analog ones (I think the only difference between those is essentially the grip) because some of my faves need it to be right.  I sure as heck didn't pay full Happ price, though!     Keep your eyes open, and you should be able to find one on eBay for 20-30 bucks.  If it's one pulled from an arcade machine, you will either have to swap out the pots or use an analog interface to use it with a PC, but it will still be a lot less than what Happ wants.  Built like tanks, great arcade-ey feel, and very precise.  As for an 8-way, I don't really know, but my guess is that the Happ would be very high quality. 

[Visitor Q]

I am I am in the process of building a control panel and am considering one for it. I am just looking for one that provides the best support for games in Mame or the most games in general.

[Matthew Fisher]

Well, a search of MAWS.com revealed 187 games in MAME that use "stick" as a control.  Most of the ones I had heard of, Red Baron, Afterburner, Space Harrier, etc., do, in fact, use an analog joystick.  The few yoke games were in this category as well (Star Wars, Stun Runner, etc.) and would play just fine with a stick, unless your're a purist.  Of the ones I'd never heard of, they seem mostly to be flight combat games.  Whether that is enough to justify the price (and perhaps the real estate on your control panel) is up to you. 

Of course, just about every PC flight sim ever made would use an analog stick, if you want those, too... 

[ahofle]

What I did was pick up a cheap, old, small PC flightstick with suction cups on the bottom from Goodwill.  Like this: http://www4.shopping.com/xPO-Interact-Accessories-InterAct-Mission-SV-200
I can't recommend this enough.  I simply suction it down on the rare occasion that I need a flightstick type game (works great with Tron + spinner for example).  I also avoid the extra clutter on the CP of a giant flight stick.  If you will only occasionally play flight stick games and don't really need the expensive arcade quality ones, it's a good way to go IMO. 

[Visitor Q]

What I did was pick up a cheap, old, small PC flightstick with suction cups on the bottom from Goodwill.  Like this: http://www4.shopping.com/xPO-Interact-Accessories-InterAct-Mission-SV-200
I can't recommend this enough.  I simply suction it down on the rare occasion that I need a flightstick type game (works great with Tron + spinner for example).  I also avoid the extra clutter on the CP of a giant flight stick.  If you will only occasionally play flight stick games and don't really need the expensive arcade quality ones, it's a good way to go IMO. 

Sounds like a good idea, thanks.

I guess just about any PC flight stick would work.

[ahofle]

Actually, from what I've seen, most newer flight sticks are too big and/or do not have the suction cups on the bottom.

[Ummon]

I got a cheap one like this and I didn't like it at all. Play in the stick and perhaps in the pots or the pots aren't that accurate. Maybe one a little or a bit more would be better. I'm sure an arcade one would be. Then there's always Xiaou2's U360 hack.

[Visitor Q]

U360 hack?

[Xiaou2]

 Thanks.   But,  it wasnt a u360 hack.   

 I hacked a  Topgun Analog flightstick with a Balltop.
(and special resistance rubber spider spring system similar to what
is seen on a Sinistar controller)

 
 If memory serves me correct.. The u360 is analog in nature.   However,
I think the resolution isnt as high as a typical analog stick.  Not sure.

[Ummon]

Hmmm. Right it was wasn't you. It was........I can't remember, and can't find the thread. Somebody did it some months ago I swear.

[Hoopz]

Genesim?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76052.0

Hmmm. Right it was wasn't you. It was........I can't remember, and can't find the thread. Somebody did it some months ago I swear.

[Havok]

Analog is the way to go - Mame will convert the signal for you. It now includes a mapping system similar to the U360 internally, and will adjust each game accordingly. That way, you have analog for the games that need it - Afterburner being one of my favorites, and act digital when the game requires digital. Plus, you can use it with pc joystick flight sim games, and great games like Wing Commander!

[u_rebelscum]

If memory serves me correct.. The u360 is analog in nature.   However,
I think the resolution isnt as high as a typical analog stick.  Not sure.

U360 sends 8 bit (255 range) like normal analog last time I checked, even though it has 14 bit internal circuit.  Some people confuse the 9x9 analog-to-digital grid with its analog resolution; they are not the same.

[Ummon]

Genesim?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=76052.0

Hmmm. Right it was wasn't you. It was........I can't remember, and can't find the thread. Somebody did it some months ago I swear.

Yeah, thanks.

[Statsman1]

Would a Thrustmaster Top Gun flight stick work the same way?  I want to build one into my control panel, because I have it lying around...but if it doesn't work, that's kind of a blatant hole in the CP to fill.

I can hook it to the USB port and it works fine in Windows XP, so I know that it works...but I would like to make sure it works in MAME too.

[u_rebelscum]

Would a Thrustmaster Top Gun flight stick work the same way?  I want to build one into my control panel, because I have it lying around...

I can hook it to the USB port and it works fine in Windows XP, so I know that it works.

If it works in windows, it'll work in mame. 

You'll need to enable joystick in mame, and maybe need to remap (depending how you hook up the other sticks, and which games), but it'll work.

[ark_ader]

You want the Logic 3 Tornado.



I had this for Tron and DOT.  Works like a champ.

Real easy to mount, a real pain on the light cycles but you can always make a restrictor.

[Statsman1]

If it works in windows, it'll work in mame. 

You'll need to enable joystick in mame, and maybe need to remap (depending how you hook up the other sticks, and which games), but it'll work.

The plan is 1x4-way joystick, 2x8-way joysticks, Happ trackball and spinner along with the flight stick.

Because I'm trying to stay married, I cannot build another cabinet (this is the 2nd one, the first one got killed when we moved - a gruesome death) for the next decade, so this will also be the Emulator Supreme Machine - all of the other ports (NES, SNES, Sega, Atari, etc.) and of course, the bazillion old DOS games.

This cab needs to house EVERYTHING, so EVERYTHING is being built.

I'll probably electrocute myself, but you only live once.

[Ummon]

The plan is 1x4-way joystick, 2x8-way joysticks, Happ trackball and spinner along with the flight stick.

Because I'm trying to stay married, I cannot build another cabinet (this is the 2nd one, the first one got killed when we moved - a gruesome death)...

Yeah, I can see you wanting to preserve this one, given the last lass went out so badly.