Help me choose some joysticks...

[NOkontrol]

I'm planning a 2 player CP something like a mameroom/slickstik setup, definitely will have a spinner and a trackball, at least six buttons per player, maybe a two way and/or a four way.
Most important decision would be the two main sticks...opinions please
 
It seems like the U360's are pretty popular, are these the end-all joys or what?
I'm running quite a few emus including PS1 & 2 so I can see how the analog capability would be a plus there but don't want to have issues playing 4 or 8 way games.
The mag-stik plus seems nice but since it's not analog, I'm assuming this would limit the accuracy of control for some games, correct?

Any other options I should be considering or are the U360's the undefeated champs for now?
Thanks!

[severdhed]

i love my u360s  if you want a stick that can do it all, they are the only choice.  THey work excellent in 8 way, 4way, 2 way, 4way diagonal..etc..you name it, it does it.

i cant say that it is the perfect stick for every application, but it does kick some serious butt.  i still prefer the feel of a dedicated 4 way stick for 4way games, just due to the feel of having a physical restrictor, but i can honestly say that i feel that the u360 performs as well in 4way games as the dedicated 4way sticks i have used...sometimes better.

they are a little pricey, but worth it. 

[Ginsu Victim]

U360. The only real choice.

[Finchbyrd]

For fighters? I know people can get fairly aggressive and wouldn't want it getting busted on those quarter circle turns.

[Endaar]

The U360 feels very different from a traditional switch-based stick. I doubt durability is an issue, but I really can't see going with them if you play a lot of fighters. Their appeal is their flexibility and ease of use. I ended up going with Happ Comps as my primary sticks, although I do have a U360 for analog and some other games.

[severdhed]

if you are building a cabinet for a specific type of game, then perhaps you want to go with a more specialized joystick.  however if you are building a "i want to play thousands of games" mame cabinet, then the u360 is your best option.

i have two cabinets, one is a do-it-all mame cab with two u360s, trackball and horizontal monitor, the other cab is for vertical classics only.  it has one 4way stick, 1 button, and a vertical monitor.....it would be stupid to use a u360 in this cabinet because it is designed to play a very specific type of game with a specific control setup.  but for my main mame cabinet, the u360s are amazing.

[NOkontrol]

Yeah, tough call on the fighters as I've never used a 360 and have heard mixed reviews in that dept. It would be cool to demo them first but oh well. If the 360's can be dialed in to work well for fighting games then I probably wouldn't know the difference. 

[shponglefan]

The U360 feels very different from a traditional switch-based stick. I doubt durability is an issue, but I really can't see going with them if you play a lot of fighters.

Why is that exactly?

[NOkontrol]

Yes why?

[Ginsu Victim]

If the 360's can be dialed in to work well for fighting games then I probably wouldn't know the difference. 

The U360, more than any other stick, is the most configurable option available. If you don't like the response of it, you can change the maps in minute detail. It's based on the Sanwa JLW, which is already a great stick for fighting games.

[Endaar]

Why is that exactly?

The U360 is an analog stick; it's firmware then takes the analog input and, depending on how it's setup, emulates a 4-way or 8-way etc. There is no tactile feedback as to when a direction is engaged, since there aren't any switches to trigger. This obviously leads to there not being an audible 'click' either. The travel is much longer than something like a Happ Comp, and there are also no corners. There is a restrictor plate available to shorten the throw (apparently very popular) and also an octagonal one (less common; I personally liked it) to add some more feedback.

There is no question the U360 is a great choice, and it will make both setting-up and using the panel a bit easier. I just could never get used to the feel. I ended up with a Happ Comp as my primary stick, although I do have a U360 on my panel mainly for analog games. I'm far from an expert on fighters, but I found I liked the Happ better for them, as well as for most shooters and platformer games. Personal preference of course, and YMMV.

Endaar

[Ginsu Victim]

There are 3 restrictor plates (square, circular, and octagonal), you can change the spring stiffness, and there are two shaft lengths.