elmagicochrisg wrote:phaedrus wrote:Your best bet is going to srk and tech talk. Extensive faq's there, far more knowledgeable than I.
Links to those faqs?...
Go here for a comprehensive look at arcade sticks and buttons:
Slagcoin joysticks section
More specifically, go here for a detailed comparison between the more popular brands:
Slagcoin sticks comparison
Go here for a detailed comparison of different Hori Real Arcade Pro (HRAP) arcade stick models:
SRK HRAP Guide
The Hori Real Arcade Pros are arcade sticks that were probably the ultimate standard during the PS2 era. If you weren't building it yourself, look no further than the HRAP when it came to best in retail manufactured arcade sticks. Though there are no Dreamcast HRAPs, most of the models were made for the Playstation or Playstation 2, meaning they work well with adapters. The PCB, or printed circuit board, is famous for having excellent compatibility with adapters for many other consoles as well. HRAPs usually come standard with a Sanwa stick and Hori buttons. Some special editions came with Sanwa sticks and buttons or Seimitsu sticks and buttons. HRAPs can be pricey, but they are damned solid sticks and they will last a long time.
Personal opinions: The "Green Monster" official Dreamcast stick is a good stick. It is solidly built and well designed for fighting games and shoot em' ups. However, the buttons can develop a sticking issue over time and the stick is not quite as accurate as something from Sanwa or Seimitsu (the two major arcade stick manufacturers in Japan). I would recommend getting a good Playstation intended arcade stick and using adapters to use it with other systems. If you decide that dedicated stick play is the thing for you, you may want to look into custom sticks that will use multi console capable PCBs.
Round Gate VS Octo Gate VS Square Gate:
This is where the 4 way 8 way confusion comes in. Generally, any arcade stick you step up to is going to be an 8 way stick. This means the stick will register 8 directions. These sticks usually use 4 micro switches, registering the 4 main directions (left, right, up, and down) with two side by side switches (example: up/left) tripped for diagonal directions. Some games, mostly classic arcade titles, use a restrictor so that the stick can only move left, right, up or down. This is a situation where the term 4 way would be proper. There are also restrictors and custom sticks that will allow for only 2 ways of direction. Galaga arcade cabinets use a side to side only capable joystick.
Round Gates allow you to spin the joystick freely without feeling any notches.
Octo Gates: Mistakenly referred to as
8 way sticks, these contain 8 distinct notches in an octagon formation, giving a rounded feel with a bit of a
bumpy guide.
Square Gates come standard on nearly all Sanwa and Seimitsu sticks. If you step up to a fighting game or shmup arcade cab in Japan, 99.999999% of the time you will be playing on a square gated arcade stick. These are commonly and mistakenly referred to as
4 way sticks.
So which one is better? It really comes down to a matter of preference. Purists will preach square gate all day for fighting games, because that is usually what you would use with the intended set up, an arcade cab in Japan. As time goes on, most people have resorted to a custom setup that feels appropriate for their style of play.
I
personally like Seimitsu brand sticks with the original square date. I like feeling those defined corners on the diagonals. Older SNK fighting game special move motions were practically designed with the square gate in mind. Just look at Charlotte's "Power Gradation" motion in Samurai Shodown. These sticks also work well for me with shmups for similar reasons. They tend to register diagonals faster and more accurately than Sanwa sticks (more common these days).
Sorry for the wall o' text, but I hope this helps some people out. I would recommend looking around on shmups.com and shoryuken.com for more opinions and suggestions.
Good arcade sticks will usually sticker shock gamers unfamiliar with or new to the market. They are one of those products you where honestly get what you pay for. Deals can be found with the occasional Namco PS1 stick (an excellent all around stick) running $20 at a garage sale, but don't count on this.
