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Arcade upgrades - joystick recommendations please

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Ginsu Victim:
There's nowhere to put microswitches on a U360. If you're going to want that, just get a Sanwa JLW.

DrumAnBass:

--- Quote from: CheffoJeffo on March 15, 2010, 12:00:08 am ---Damned kids and their bitching about joysticks ... mushy this, responsive that ... meh ... in my day we used Wicos and were happy to have them!

Wait a minute -- we still are!

Wico FTW!

 ;)

--- End quote ---

Yah just a note on the Sanwa sticks - they are very "clicky" and playing on a Sanwa JLF is a very different experience than playing with a classic Wico leaf stick. Even Happ Supers feel less "clicky" than the Sanwa JLF. I haven't tried the U360 or the 49 way sticks however.

But an original Wico Leaf stick to me = vintage gaming nirvana.

ubiquityman:
The Happ comp feels pretty clicky too.
The U360 however is completely clickless.
If you like the Wico leaf sticks, the U360 is closer to that than the Happ or JLW. (I've not tried the JLFs)

severdhed:
joysticks are just one of those things that depends alot on personal preference.  some are short throw, some are long throw, some are stiff, some are loose..etc. everyone has their own opinion on what they like, and it is very hard to tell what joystick is good based on someone elses opinion.  i have used several joysticks between my cabinets and my friends including:

x-arcade  ( i had no problems with these sticks, the throw is good on them and they work great as 8way sticks, they only come in black)
happ competition (in my friend's cabinet, throw is similar to x-arcade, i really like these as 8way sticks, they come in lots of colors and they are inexpensive)
sanwa JLW (in my friends cabinet as a dedicated 4way balltop, I absolutely love this as a 4way stick, i have not tried it in 8way mode, but i dare you to find a stick that feels better in 4way mode)
Wico 8 way leaf(with worn out grommets) (these came in an old cab i picked up, i didn't like them at all.  they required too much effort to move, way too stiff...i hate these sticks)
Wico 4 way leaf (NOS with really stiff grommets) ( i bought one of thse NOS from the guy i got my Donkey Kong cab from, it was even worse than the 8way, after 10 minutes of donkey kong, my arm was tired...i hate these sticks.)
Betson 4way space invaders stick (bought this new from betson, balltop is small, and the throw is a little too long, i dont really like this stick at all, but it is in my DK cab now because it was the only other 4way stick i have, and it is better than the Wico)
Ultrastick 360 (these are the sticks in my main MAME cab.  i have the medium springs on the standard bat top shafts.  they feel great.  they feel different than the happ comp sticks, but work every bit as well in 8way mode, they work suprisingly well as 4way sticks, even without physical restriction, and they absolutely rock for Qbert. )

it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

i originally had a frankenpanel on my 2player mame cabinet with two x-arcade 8ways, the betson 4 way, trackball and spinner.  it was just too cluttered.  so i cut it down to two U360s and a trackball.  on my DK cabinet, it is set up to run mame and all the games that play well on a vertical monitor witha  4way stick and 1 button. 

my friend has a 4 player showcase style cabinet with a large panel, so i think the happ competitions and the JLW 4way are the best way to go for him, since he has the space.

i plan on buying a JLW to replace the Betson stick in my DK cabinet here shortly.

the truth  is that there are others here that swear by Wico leaf sticks...to them, they are the best sticks you can get, i personally can't stand them.  so you need to take everything with a grain of salt.  i say if you are looking to keep a clean looking panel and only 1 stick per player...you can't go wrong with the U360.  they may not be the best stick for every single game, but as far as I am concerned, they are the best option if you want 1 stick that can do it all.

CheffoJeffo:

--- Quote from: severdhed on March 16, 2010, 12:12:44 pm ---Wico 8 way leaf(with worn out grommets) (these came in an old cab i picked up, i didn't like them at all.  they required too much effort to move, way too stiff...i hate these sticks)
Wico 4 way leaf (NOS with really stiff grommets) ( i bought one of thse NOS from the guy i got my Donkey Kong cab from, it was even worse than the 8way, after 10 minutes of donkey kong, my arm was tired...i hate these sticks.)

--- End quote ---

If you were playing on Wicos with a WORN-OUT grommet and thought they were stiff, then you really need to exercise your wrists some more (and, based on the typical demographic here, that would be surprising!)

But, the underlying thought remains the same and is accurate ... I would never want to try to set a record in Donkey Kong using anything other than 4-way Ninty sticks.

I am surprised that there is a "4 Way Space Invaders" stick, since Space Invaders didn't originally have a joystick and was a 2-way game, but would be interested in hearing more about this stick. Mayhap it was designed for replacement use in cocktails or the like. Pics would be very cool.

severdhed -- if you have Wicos that you don't want, I'll (along with eleventy12! other people) will be happy to take them off of your hands.

 :cheers:

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