Choosing Your Controls

This is the really fun part of the project. You get to choose what kind of controls your Joystick will have. If you don't have a local arcade supply near your home, I recommend purchasing your parts from SlikStik, they have really great prices.

I am an old-school Street Fighter 2 fan, and it was my goal to recreate the feel of those controls. Therefore, I used Happ's "Ultimate Pushbuttons", and the "Competition Joystick". More modern arcade games like Marvel Vs. Capcom have switched to "Competition pushbuttons", which are closer to the control panel and rounded on the top. This makes pushing the buttons quickly somewhat easier. If you like mashing the buttons then you'll definitely like those better. The Horizontal Switch are similiar to the Ultimate, have a slightly looser feel, but supposedly these last longer than the vertical mount switches.

Pushbuttons From Left to Right: Ultimate, Horizontal Microswitch, Competition, Perfect 360.

As for joystick choices, if you like to play SNK's fighting games, I have read that the "Super Joystick" is a good choice for performing circular motions. The Super also has a special actuator that is round, so you don't really feel the diagonal directions too much, and it that can be reversed, to change it into a 4-way joystick. If you are building this control panel for MAME, then that's something important to consider. The Hanaho HotRod Joystick features these. I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to test this type. I am a type of player who needs to be able to tell exactly where the diagonals are at, which is why I went with the Competition. There is one other type of joystick that is good for fighting games. It's the "Ultimate Joystick". It's pretty similiar to the Competition but has a longer stick and is somewhat looser. It has kind of a cheap feel to me, and after using both I would not recommend this stick, but if you prefer a loose stick you may like that one.

Happ also carries a type of Joystick Kit called the "Perfect 360". This one is very unique, because it doesn't use cherry switches, but instead tracks the motion of the stick with lasers. Personally I prefer the clicking that cherry switches make, but if it makes you crazy, then try this one. You can get a conversion kit for any of the previously mentioned sticks. Thing is you also need to run a 5 volt power supply to it, and I'm afraid I don't know how to do that, so you're on your own there. There is also a Perfect 360 Pushbutton, which I also have never used.

Joysticks From Left to Right: The Competition, Super, and Ultimate.

To the Next Page:

Controller Soldering Points

Questions or comments? Be sure you have read the FAQ. If your question still isn't answered, E-mail me at
CD_Vision (at) hotmail.com.