What buttons and joystick are best?

[Gengurru]

I'm just looking for a straight answer, cause i've heard manny different things about different buttons and joysticks. I heard Happs and Sanwa are good for buttons, but which ones better. I also need a good 8-way joystick; I've read good things about the Happs competition joystick  and the Happs super joystick but thats about it. I also realized this about opinion and personal preference but your opinions would be great.

[Namco]

I like Happs' sticks because that's what they had in early 90's Dynamo cabinets that usually housed my favorite games like Street Fighter 2. That and I don't know any better. They're quick, accurate, take little pressure to operate, and are clicky. Others like no click and prefer silent leaf switches. Others like short little japanese ball-tops. Hell, some prefer analog PC joysticks mounted on a wooden panel covered with black and green marble contact paper.

However it may be a disservice for me (or others) to give you a biased opinion. Only you can really answer which kind of sticks you like better.

Also, most joysticks use a combination of 4 microswitches to move in 8 directions. 4-way joysticks are just regular joysticks with a restrictor that prevents you from hitting 2 switches at once. True 8-ways are rare with a specific use.

[Gengurru]

Do you prefer the competition over the super or vice-versa? Or have you not really tried either of those. Also, which buttons are best, cause now that i've looked around i see more than one kind of button within the brands and such, so with regards to buttons i'm lost.

P.S. sorry to be annoying and needy

[Namco]

Do you prefer the competition over the super or vice-versa? Or have you not really tried either of those. Also, which buttons are best, cause now that i've looked around i see more than one kind of button within the brands and such, so with regards to buttons i'm lost.

P.S. sorry to be annoying and needy

I haven't tried the Super. To me the competition feels exactly right, the same thing I played in the 90s on so many cabs. ... actually the ones I have are the originals that came in that arcade cabinet. They might not be happs, but they look the same and have the square actuator.

As for buttons, again I was after the ones I played as a kid. The perfect match is Happs' standard pushbutton. I believe it's called "pushbutton with horizontal microswitch". The Happ competition buttons are totally wrong because they're convex shaped, I hate those. Stay away from Happ Ultimate buttons/stick. They're very stiff with a long throw, not for fighting games

[Paul Olson]

If you want to play mostly fighting games, the Happ competition and Happ concave buttons will feel the most like the originals. You have to buy for what you want to play the most, because there is no single joystick that will feel like all of the originals. The competition seems to be the best for hitting the corners, since the pattern feels a little bit square. The super pattern feels more like a circle, which would most likely feel better in games where you make circular motions. The sanwa's seem pretty popular, but I have not tried them so I don't know how they are. The safe bet is to buy a happ comp and super - they are less than $10, so you can afford to experiment a little. If they aren't what you want, then try out the more expensive sticks. My favorite 8-way is the Wico leaf switch version. Unfortunately, they haven't been made in a while, so you have to find them used or NOS - well worth the effort though. Again, it is all about the feel. If you grew up playing fighters that used the Happ sticks, just get those.

I have been playing arcade games since the late 70s, and I can definitely appreciate the differences in all of the sticks, and I want the originals for every game I want to play (I think I currently have over 50 sticks). It is important enough to me to go through the work and expense to have the originals available. That being said, I will usually put 2 happ comps with 6 buttons each on the cab when people are over (unless someone requests something different). It covers a ton of games, and most people are familiar with the layout. Other people go with 49ways or u360s to get the functionality (but not the feel) of all the different types of sticks (4-way, etc).

All you will get on this question is opinion because that is really all there is too share. It is kinda like asking which is better: Coke or Pepsi? It is all subjective. I suggest starting with the Happ stuff because it is the cheapest. If you decide you want something else, they will make good spares or; sell them to someone else.

[Gengurru]

First, thanks for all the help. Second, I've really only started to play fighting games recently, and on game pads not arcade sticks so i have nothing to go on. That being said i'll probably go with the competition joystick and horizontal switch buttons; i'd get both sticks but i'm REALLY low on money.