Favorite Joystick to Play With

[Scott]

I installed artwork in my buttons as well. But it was just printed paper and I laminated both sides. Then I used a circle ruler to find size and cut out w/ scissors. How thick is the artwork you are using for your buttons? Depending on the thickness and type of material will determine what kind of tool you will need to cut it with.

I'm not entirely sure on the thickness...I guess just some type of photo paper from Kinko's. I'm still working out what I wanna use for my art. I don't need to get it laminated because its going under plexi, so I guess some card stock might be best.

 

[Dinodoedoe]

I went to FedEX Office and printed my artwork on stock paper then had it lami-labeled. I trimmed down the art, peeled back the adhesive and applied. Then I cut out the button pieces and trimmed to size. With the button art having adhesive on them, it made it easy because all you need to do it stick to the button into the center and trace.

I did a walk-through a few years back that pretty much walk you through step by step., just skip down to Step #30.

 

[blakeb8111]

I just got one of the neo geo pro (bean) controllers with a cmvs I bought through the forum(originally made by xian xi). Would you share how you changed the buttons in the pro stick? I've made a couple of control panels before but I've never tried modding a stick that has the buttons going to a board inside like this has. Thanks for any help.

 

[Scott]

I went to FedEX Office and printed my artwork on stock paper then had it lami-labeled. I trimmed down the art, peeled back the adhesive and applied. Then I cut out the button pieces and trimmed to size. With the button art having adhesive on them, it made it easy because all you need to do it stick to the button into the center and trace.

I did a walk-through a few years back that pretty much walk you through step by step., just skip down to Step #30.

That's a beautiful job you did there. I think I'm gonna use your method to trim the button art.

 

[Reaperman]

I've pretty much fully come around to the MAS recently, but they need mods. Last week I finally ripped the lame optical stick out of it and popped in a proper IL Eurostick. It feels pretty good now. The original buttons (happ/e-switch units) got swapped out for IL/Cherry quite some time ago, but I tried to live with the shitstick because optical sounded cooler and more modern. Now it feels more like a stupid fad that dates things to the mid-200X's. I also had to do some strength modding to help with the poor design on the bottom panel.


Right now I'm trying to decide if the messy wiring inside bothers me enough for a swap. It's not like I can see it, but I know it's in there.

 

[Electric Grave]

Optical sticks were just hype, same thing goes for all the silent micro switches, nothing but shitware. Nothing beats good old IL/Cherry. The thing I miss the most about IL/Happs is the Super Joystick, Happ design IL manufacturing, now with IL no longer doing business with Happ we got suzo which isn't horrible but it ain't no IL. The Super joystick of today is but a mere shadow of the IL Super. Competition sticks are meh, even the IL ones, I think IL calls them Euro Stick?

 

[opt2not]

Nah, they're not shitware.
I never tried an Optical stick, but I do have silent switches in one of my fight stick's JLF, and silent pads in the buttons. I think they're great, reminds me of playing on old leaf switches back in the 80's, but with more precision (and no need to re-adjust them every once in a while). One of the benefits is if you game at night within earshot of your sleeping missus or children, and want to keep the clicking down to a minimum, the silent option helps keep them sleeping, and you gaming. Another benefit, especially for fighting game fans is that if you play characters with rapid fire moves -- like in SF: Blanka, Honda, Chun-li -- your competitor can't tell when you're rapping on the buttons from the lack of clicking.

This, plus some sound-proofing foam within the case and you have a yourself a fairly stealthy arcade stick -- perfect for competitive fighting game play, or covert nighttime gaming.

 

[Electric Grave]

You can still hear the clapping of the buttons and the joystick still noisy enough but hey this amazing hardware makes it 15% more silent yay!

Overated.

 

[opt2not]

LOL EG, 15% is really an underestimate. It's more like it cuts down the db's by well over half, if not closer to 70% of the noise, in comparison to regular Japanese switches found in sanwa and seimitsu parts. In comparison to Cherry's, it's no contest.
Installed into a panel, the noise is practically inaudible.

Actually, japanese buttons already have silent switches, the noise that occurs is from the plunger smacking down onto the base of the button housing causing that clacking sound. The .30 cent pads are installed at the base of the buttons, and absorbs the force at the lowest point of the housing and doesn't interfere with the actuation distance of the switch.

I don't bother buying the official "silent sanwa buttons" or "silent JLF's", since you can get these button pads and silent omron switch mod-kits for waaaay cheaper.

 

[Electric Grave]

Woo silence...please.

Just the fact alone that you felt the need to explain to me how Japanese buttons work tells me this discussion was over before it began. It's ok though, to each their own.

 

[opt2not]

Woo silence...please.

Just the fact alone that you felt the need to explain to me how Japanese buttons work tells me this discussion was over before it began. It's ok though, to each their own.

It's cool bro. Better luck next time.

 

[Electric Grave]

Better luck at what? Now you're just fishing.

 

[opt2not]

Well then, that makes two of us. But I was stupid enough to take the bait.

 

[SAKAMOSTRO]

Classic AES joystick since my first neogeo, now with a neogeo CD, I developed a lot of love for the control pad,also the fact that I play my fighting games better with it.

 

[Electric Grave]

I love the gamepad, I'm just not a fan of the button layout. I'm gonna make a DB15 adaptor and switch the lines around, see if it works. Not all games in Neo CD nor AES have an option for it.

 

[Chempop]

Reassembled my HRAP last night. Had been using the pcb in a cab but don’t need to anymore. I made a few changes putting it back together.

Removed the laminate from the overlay, took some goo-gone and scrubbing, but I like the mat surface now.
Swapped out the LS-32 for a 56 w/octo-gate.
Tossed in some sanwas for the buttons I use, kept the other 4 flat seimitsus because some games use them for menu navigation.
And bling-bling bubble top cause why not.

 

[MCF 76]

Reassembled my HRAP last night. Had been using the pcb in a cab but don’t need to anymore. I made a few changes putting it back together.

Removed the laminate from the overlay, took some goo-gone and scrubbing, but I like the mat surface now.
Swapped out the LS-32 for a 56 w/octo-gate.
Tossed in some sanwas for the buttons I use, kept the other 4 flat seimitsus because some games use them for menu navigation.
And bling-bling bubble top cause why not.

Damn, very nice Chem I really dig that ball top.

 

[Chempop]

Thanks! A few things I forgot to mention. Screw-in nuts won’t fit on the ‘A' button because the mount plate gets in the way, luckily I had an oddball button nut that is much narrower than standard sanwas or even seimitsus. It fit under the plate and holds the button in just as good. Should have taken a pic, oops. Also, the damn PCB uses a ribbon cable for the stick which was originally soldered onto the LS-32, a buddy helped my crimp the extremely thin wires to .110 connects so it’s easier to swap sticks.

No stick is perfect, but for the $100 this one cost it has served me very well. It’s like a mini blast city panel.

 

[K-2]

I love the HRAP and seeing yours makes me want to delaminate mine.

I did manage to get Seimitsu screw in in mine, but I had to sand the locking nut a bit to clear the stick mount.

 

[Xian Xi]

I just got one of the neo geo pro (bean) controllers with a cmvs I bought through the forum(originally made by xian xi). Would you share how you changed the buttons in the pro stick? I've made a couple of control panels before but I've never tried modding a stick that has the buttons going to a board inside like this has. Thanks for any help.

There is two ways to do it. If you use 24mm snap ins, you will need to center them in the button shaft in the housing and use a few dabs of hot glue to keep it in place. The other method is to use screw ins, you would need to cut out the button shaft completely from the controller housing, some with the start and select buttons and replace them with panel mount pushbuttons. This only applies to the bean stick.

 

[miisalo]

 

[Electric Grave]

^I like the CPO, looks rad. Never been a fan of 8 buttons but other than that it looks sick.

 

[blakeb8111]

There is two ways to do it. If you use 24mm snap ins, you will need to center them in the button shaft in the housing and use a few dabs of hot glue to keep it in place. The other method is to use screw ins, you would need to cut out the button shaft completely from the controller housing, some with the start and select buttons and replace them with panel mount pushbuttons. This only applies to the bean stick.

Thanks for the tips. The feel of the joystick seems decent but I think changing the buttons will be a nice improvement.

 

[blakeb8111]

Optical sticks were just hype, same thing goes for all the silent micro switches, nothing but shitware. Nothing beats good old IL/Cherry. The thing I miss the most about IL/Happs is the Super Joystick, Happ design IL manufacturing, now with IL no longer doing business with Happ we got suzo which isn't horrible but it ain't no IL. The Super joystick of today is but a mere shadow of the IL Super. Competition sticks are meh, even the IL ones, I think IL calls them Euro Stick?

Second on the old IL cherry. I bought some of the more recent happ competition sticks which still had the original cherry switches and they were nothing great. But I added this:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/110982405154?nav=SEARCH

I ordered them with the stainless bat top and with the anodized aluminum bat top and the guy threw in a ball top for me to try out also. It comes with a heavier spring but the stainless bat top is still way too heavy. The ball tops don't have as nice of a finish as the bat tops so I wouldn't bother with them either. The aluminum bat top with the heavier spring gives a pretty nice feeling joystick and looks awesome. And I wrapped the actuator 2 or 3 times around with some electrical tape and the feel is much better. Reminds me of my SFII:CE and MKI / MKII days in the arcade.

 

[sir arthur]

Best Hori stick ever