POLL: MagStick Plus vs U360

[Diewrecked]

Hi guys,

There has been much discussion on this board (most recently BigDaddyE asking the question): which do you prefer of the MagStick Plus and U360? (or, what do you think of either?) - so  I thought I'd draw up a poll to find out once and for all.

So ... what say you?

[severdhed]

i have not used the magstik plus, however i do own two U360s...and i absolutely love them.   I'm sure both sticks have their strengths and weaknesses though.  If  you are looking for a great universal stick, you can't get any better than the u360.  yeah, it may not be the absolutely best stick for everything, but is works very well for everything.  if you have the space for dedicated sticks for 4 way and 8way and don't mind the cluttered look and level of confusion for guests, then by all means use dedicated sticks.   but if you want one stick that can do everything pretty well, then get a u360. 

i had a dedicated 4 way on my control panel for a while, but i found that when other people played on the cabinet, they just didn't understand.  they didnt know which games needed a 4 way stick, so they never used it.  i feared that the same thign would happen with the magstik.  nobody knows which mode it needs to be in, so nobody would actually switch it..then it wouldnt work right and they would think it sucks.

with the u360..anyone can just walk up and play without worrying about configuring the joystick, or selecting the right one....it just works.....yeah, it is expensive, but it also acts as an encoder for up to 8 buttons per stick...so you don't need to buy an ipac or anythign like that.

[Ginsu Victim]

with the u360..anyone can just walk up and play without worrying about configuring the joystick, or selecting the right one....it just works

THIS.

[mrclean]

I have owned both the mag-stick, and currently own a pair of u360's.. hands down the mag stick is terrible, and the u360 rocks.

[opt2not]

I have owned both the mag-stick, and currently own a pair of u360's.. hands down the mag stick is terrible, and the u360 rocks.

Well I wouldn't say it's terrible. To each's own.
I've been using mag stick plus' for a little while now and with a bit of adjustments you can get it to feel decent enough to merit using them. The best thing about them obviously is the top-switchable 4-way/8-way functions, but when in 8-way you have to get used to the diagonals because it's harder to hit them.

The reason I went with the Mag-stik is because I wanted to have a physically restricted 4-way joystick, and still have an 8-way. My control panel doesn't have a lot of space to fit multiple joys, so having a stick that does physically adheres to both is an ok choice.  You don't get the top-switchable physical restricting 4-way action on the U360's.

I ended up swapping out the microswitches from the stock SAIA ones to some OMRON switches. The feel is so much better, because the switches that ship with them are way too frigid. CHERRY switches are way too soft for the Mag-stick, OMRON's seem to be a good middle ground between the stock SAIA & CHERRY microswitches.

Also, you should know that the Mag-sticks have a short throw, so if you're used to the Large-throw of North American cabinets (via Happs Comp, or EuroSticks) you'll be frustrated with the feeling of the Mag-stick.

I wish the Ultimarc guys would do another version of the Mag-stick but with better 8-way action, or even better a large throw on 'em.

If you know anyone that has the mag-stik, I'd recommend trying them out before you buy them. But if you don't , then gather as much info as you can off these boards.  A lot of people seem to favour other joys rather than the Mag Stick, but I say if you can adjust them to your liking, you can go the distance with them.

[TheShanMan]

Wish I could pick both, because I like both for different reasons. But if I was making a cab and had to choose one over the other, for versatility I'd pick the u360 hands down. I'd only pick the mag stik plus if the cab was only/mainly for 4 way games.

I have swappable panels on my cab, and the mag stik panel is MY panel. No one else wants to use it simply because it is non-trivial unlike the u360. My kids have no interest in the mag stik, and I'd never put it on when I have guests over either. It only goes on when I want to play a 4 way game that I'm serious enough about to take the time for the swap. The u360 is absolutely ideal for anyone who isn't a total arcade game geek.

[chrisnack]

I've never used a U360, but i have 2 magstick plus's... i swapped out my x-arcade tankstick joysticks with the magsticks, it's a different world that for sure, I love the short throw on the magsticks, but i have a alot harder time hitting combos in street fighter, it takes some getting used to, the diagonals are definetely different than the previous joysticks i had. 

I'm not sure how the X-arcade joysticks compare to the U360.

[severdhed]

i have x-arcade and u360s...with the longer shaft and bat top, the u360 is the same height as the xarcade sticks, and has a very similar throw....other than the lack of clicking, i had a pretty easy time adjusting to them coming from the x-arcade sticks.  it seems as if i can pull of special moves in street fighter easier with the u360s than i could with the xarcades