The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Reviews => Topic started by: Clthomps on August 31, 2006, 03:37:37 pm
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Does anyone own Ultimarc 360, and Happ Perfect 360, that could give a review?
I am working on building a cabinet for marvel Vs Capcom 2 and I can't decide what joystick to use, If someone that has experience with both could post a review it would be extremely helpful.
Thanks
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I don't think you should waste your time. If it is between those 2 only, go with the Happs. Ultimarc 360 would be a waste of money to use on a cabinet with just 1 8-way game in it. The beauty of the Ultimarc 360 is it's analog capabilites and flexibility. There are some other good fighter joysticks around as well.
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Wait a few days.
Yeterday to Poland arrived package with two U360 (one for kowal, one for me) :D
Kowal can start to test this joystick now, I must wait until tuesday for U360 from kowal. We have P360 too.
First I can say you that if you want to buy P360 you must modify this joystick (change spring, handle, top, actuator, change pins for 5V and GND). After modify this is excellent joystick for 8-way games where you must made complicated manouevres or smoothly moves (airhooters, racing games). But weak for 8-way beatemups games (for me). I must have 'click' in beatemups.
Finally price for moded P360 and for U360 are almost identical. Remember that for U360 additionally restrictor plates are required.
And remember that U360 can work as analog joystick.
wait...
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U360 works as moded P360. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Additionally U360 has analog mode. But remember that restrictor plates (circle especially) is required for 2/4/8-way games.
Additional hard spring isn't required. For me default light spring works excellent.
Installing is easy, as J-Stik (Sanwa JLW).
Yesterday I install this stick and immediately made world record on Over Top - 3'12''96 ;)
Replay is on MARP.
Then if you think about buying P360 or U360 choose U360.
If you have questions please ask.
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If you have questions please ask.
how is it in 4-way mode, with the 4-way restrictor installed?
(1) at what angle does it engage?
(2) at what angle does it hit the physical restriction?
thanks!
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4-way restrictor on diagonals (diamond) has identical size as circle restrictor diameter.
(1) You can set it by ultimarcmap application. Excellent solution. It can be set to immediately reaction.
(2) I will check it today.
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Can't wait to hear back from you destructor. I'm very close to picking up 4 of them.
Thanks
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I can add some more infos. (I still use circle restrictor).
Food Fight - analog mode works excellent, I'm ready for world record now.
Kowal say that for fighting games U360 is weak. But maybe he must more play on this stick. I will test this stick on fighters too. On MARP is K5 tournament now. I will play all games on U360, fighter should be too.
I played a bit on DoDonpachi, excellent work but a bit harder spring could be better than default. Additional springs available in Ultimarc shop are too hard.
Changing modes from 2/4/8/analog to other is very easy, 3 clicks in UltimarcMap application. (first one click - show list of modes, second click on mode, third click to program joystick).
You must know that you don't feel stick in hand, default spring is very light.
I will write here notes for this stick in some games (max note is 10). I will add more in future.
Over Top (driving, 2-way) - 10
Food Fight (maze, analog) - 10
Tiger Heli (old airshooter, 8-way) - 10
Star Force (old airshooter, 8-way) - 10
Maniac Square (drop-down puzzle, 4-way) - 10
DoDonpachi, DonPachi (shmups, 8-way) - at this time I give 8 for default spring but maybe I played too long on hard P360 spring. This note can be changed. -> I played a bit more. Note will be not change. I installed additional harder spring, it's totally bad, additional springs are useless. I must find new better spring. EDIT: after install new Ultimarc spring note is 10 for shmups ;)
EDIT2
(2) angle counted precisely with center in rotation center is 9 degrees (with circle restrictor plate). This result is most precisely.
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(2) angle counted precisely with center in rotation center is 9 degrees (with circle restrictor plate). This result is most precisely.
thanks for the info!
does the stick also hit restriction at 9 degrees with the 4-way restrictor?
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Square restrictor on diagonals has the same size as diameter of circle restrictor.
Then using square restrictor if you hit diagonal max throw will be 9 degrees, if you hit normal direction max throw will be lower than 9 degress (8=8,5, I didn't check it).
Restrictors have inner and outer size (up and down). Sizes of Sanwa restrictors:
circle:
- inner diameter 21mm
- outer diameter 23mm
square on normal direction:
- inner size 19mm
- outer size 20.5mm
square on diagonals:
- inner size 21mm
- outer size 23mm
Two last days I change restrictors, remove them and etc. I notice that diameter (on wide side) of black pillars in restrictor plate kit is too small or Andy think about mounting restrictors reversed.
And default brackets are too short I think (I used additional pads).
Will be good if Andy made detailed picture how assemble/dissasemble U360 with and without restrictors.
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Square restrictor on diagonals has the same size as diameter of circle restrictor.
Then using square restrictor if you hit diagonal max throw will be 9 degrees
great, thanks!
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Yesterday I installed additional harder spring which Ultimarc sells. These springs are useless, playing is impossible. I think Andy must search better spring. Spring must be a bit harder than default spring.
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Are there still two different spring upgrades? A medium and a hard? Which did you use?
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The RetroJames review said
Personally, the two options I would want at minimum are (1) Hard Spring, and (2) Restrictor Kit.
It was the round restrictor that he preferred I believe.
http://retroblast.com/reviews/Ultimarc_Ultrastick_0925006-01.html
However, desctructor said
Yesterday I installed additional harder spring which Ultimarc sells. These springs are useless.
Back to square 1 I guess. I wish Andy would just include all 3 springs in the purchase of the joystick and let us decide. There 25 cents each for Pete's sake.
As long as I've got to pay $5 x 4 joysticks = $20 for $2 worth of spring that I may or may not use, I'm Boycotting Ultimarc's Ultrastik for the time being.
I know I've harped on this already, but that's just the way I am.
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Are there still two different spring upgrades? A medium and a hard? Which did you use?
If you buy additional spring then in package will be 2 springs: medium and hard. On hard spring is impossible to move stick :D (maybe strong-mans?).
Then I test medium.
Look on this picture:
http://www.vanel.com/compression.php?lang=english
Pitch in additional spring is too big. Then spring is very hard and when you move stick to left and next to right then throw is assymetric. Playing is impossible.
I don't have photos but original J-Stik spring has low pitch and is very elastic. Additional springs for assymetric moves should have low pitch too, wire diameter (d) should be bigger only.
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For what its worth...
I just got my 360's in today, tested all 3 springs, and personally I think the medium spring is just about perfect (with the circle restrictor). So far just about anything I've tested from pac-man to street figther 2 has played awesome. I highly reccomend these sticks.
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Pac-man on circle restrictor? Heh, square restrictor is for this type of games.
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Since you cannot easily swap restrictors it doesn't make any sense to buy these sticks and then saddle them with a square restrictor. This is about flexibility, not authenticity.
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U360 springs. From left: original Sanwa, middle and hard.
(http://www.kowal.itcom.pl/ArcadeParts_pliki/image2583.gif)
Strenght comparision (from kowal site) U360 and P360 springs:
P360 - 0,6kG
U360 middle - 1,2kG
U360 hard - 1,7kG
My hand is tired after about hour of playing on P360. Then I don't understand how somebody can say that U360 middle spring is good. How long you test U360 with middle spring after you say that this is good spring?
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One hour ago I installed new (third additional) Ultimarc spring for U360. Excellent. Now for shmups games note is 10/10 too. I test new spring on 3 games in this one hour: DoDonPachi, Guwange, Wonder Boy 3. For all these games spring works excellent 10/10.
Otherwise I must test more games, more time ;)
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destructor, please let us know how this spring is on fighting games now. You mentioned once that the U360 was weak because it didn't center very well and moves with "forward, forward" motions were hard to perform.
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I don't play on fighting games (versus), beatem'ups only. But otherwise I can test how it work on versus games.
One thing more about spring. Spring is very good but can be better. Why? I feel small 'jumps' in move joystick when I delicate move stick. During game play I don't feel these jumps because I don't think about it when I play. Why are these jumps and why spring can be better -> excellent? Pitch must be small, very small as in default Sanwa spring, smaller pitch = less jumps. Yes, I feel these jumps because pitch is too big.
Spring schematic for what is pitch:
http://www.vanel.com/compression.php?lang=english
I write how should look excellent U360 spring, but I can say: buy current Ultimarc spring, you will be happy.
Toady I check how it works for fighting combinations. Remember that for fighting games you can edit maps for slower engagement.
EDIT
Test. Without modify maps. 8-way map enabled.
Double Dragon 3 - forward, forward works very good, far far better than on default Sanwa spring (I play very long on DD3 using Sanwa spring).
Samurai Shodown II - I test Charlotte character, I made all special moves without problem, I notice that I never early play on this game. One try -> one special move, no missing tries (I'm super man :D).
Top Hunter - all special moves works very good, better than on default Sanwa spring.
If you want test some special moves in some games write me what game and what move.
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I tried out the U360 and I noticed the shaft didn't always center perfectly. Since it's a Sanwa - or Sanwa clone, I don't know - base, I'm surprised at this. I think the U360 would be PERFECT for digital-type stick duties if it had a much tighter restrictor, but this would require the mapping software to be written with twice or three times the resolution.
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I tried out the U360 and I noticed the shaft didn't always center perfectly.
With new spring centering is better.
Yes, it's Sanwa JLW base.