Arcade sticks for home systems: the great compilation.

[Recap]

Inspired by the recent threads about arcade sticks and the usual questions people have, I think we can try to compile the whole of them in one thread, adding pictures and opinions on how close to the real thing they are. Listing only official Japanese products for now:


Neo-Geo Stick (old model):



Even not being similar in design and components to any professional controller, this is one of the best controllers I've checked. Responsive, strong, well placed buttons, large base. Small stick an low quality buttons, thoe.


Neo-Geo Stick (new model):



Japanese love to make things smaller. This revision of the Neo stick was released with the Neo-Geo CD system. Worse desing, worse buttons and worse stick (it gets the unique-in-shape award, thoe).


Capcom Soldier Stick / Fighter Stick for the SFC / CP-S Changer:



Lauched with SFC SFII in Japan. Never played with it. Seems to have NG old style joystick buttons, which isn't good.


Mega Drive / Genesis official joystick:



Bad picture for a bad joystick. 3 or 6 buttons models. The worst part: you couldn't rotate the stick.


PS Namco Arcade Stick:



This joystick is the predecessor of today's standard arcade style joysticks. Trying to simulate real Japanese arcade controllers, Namco released it the day Tekken was launched in Japan. For the first time, buttons and stick looked the same as their arcade counterparts. Unfortunately, tact and responsiveness were not as they should have been; components were not real arcade parts, but cheap replicas for the mass market.


PS Specialized Ascii Joystick:



Never used it, but it seems to be a fragile one. Released with PS launch in Japan as the official joystick.


Sega Saturn Virtua Stick (old model):




Released the same day as the Saturn console in Japan and the game Virtua Fighter. It is said that it was designed by the AM2 team, but it was far from a real arcade feeling. Buttons were the same as the ones in Sega Mega Drive joystick, but smaller.


Ascii Saturn Stick:



Poor quality controller. Buttons similar to the official Sega one, but the stick wasn't solid enough to survive an X-Men vs SF session.


Sega Saturn Virtua Stick (new model):



Similar in quality to the PS Namco stick. A cheap replica of Sega's own professional joystick; as the Namco stick, it only LOOKED as its arcade counterpart. This a Lik-Sang modified model for Xbox.


Sega Saturn Virtua Stick Pro:

http://www.gamesx.com/stick/

This is the one I've been using since 1997. Sega's City Astro cabs were very popular in arcade centers in Japan. This Saturn imitation is only the same in aspect; components, even if better than previous home models, weren't still the same. Feeling is very similar to the arcade experience, thoe. Notice the 2 extra buttons per player and the absence of button naming.


DC Sega Arcade Stick / Agetec Arcade Stick:



A popular one. It was with the DC when people realized that they needed to have an arcade style joystick if they wanted the real arcade feel. Again, no professional parts here, but getting close. The stick is nice for 3D fighting but not very for KOF style motions.


DC Virtua Stick Pro:



Never saw one of these. Supposedly, the same as the Saturn one. The 8-button display really troubles me.


GCN Logic 3 Joystick (?)





Additions welcome.

[Triple Lei]

Hey, I still have that Capcom Fighter Power Stick... I wouldn't play Mega Man X (1-3) without it! It was nice how it was compatible with both the SNES and NES.

[PaCrappa]

That Namco stick is a great one. It's still my favorite console arcade stick ever.

Pa

[Matt]

DC Virtua Stick Pro:



Never saw one of these. Supposedly, the same as the Saturn one. The 8-button display really troubles me.

That looks like a Saturn Virtua Stick that's been hacked for the DC, not an official product. The VMU slot seems to be a DIY job.

[Bonestorm]

dont some of the hori sticks use sanwa parts?

[Agent X]

I had ASCII's Specialized Joystick for the PlayStation. I got it shortly after launch, and I liked it a lot. It lasted for about 3 1/2 years, until it broke just one day before Street Fighter Alpha 3 came out.

Man, that was a real bummer.

I tried to repair it, and it worked for a few weeks, but then it broke again. It's too bad, because it was a very good stick while it lasted.

[Recap]

dont some of the hori sticks use sanwa parts?

Like this one? Nope. As far as I know, Sanwa parts were never used out the professional market.

[padman]

What do you mean the DC sticks have no professional parts? Whats the difference between the buttons on a DC stick and the ones on an Astro City cab?

[Recap]

Components' quality. If you ever used a Japanese cab (or a non-modified Naomi cab), you'll remember how responsive and solid the buttons were compared to the DC controller. This also goes for the sticks.

[padman]

Well if you say so. Last time I played on one of those cabs all the buttons were completely knackered. LOL. So what make are in the professional Sega cabs? Is it this Sanwa that people keep going on about?

Shirley one could just change the buttons and stick in their DC stick to these 'pro' parts?