Choosing Joysticks For Your Arcade Machine

Joystick 101 – Which joystick is right for me?

This is perhaps the one question which we can’t help you with until we find out your particular preferences. With this in mind, we thought we’d provide a simple guide to help you choose between the range of joysticks which we offer for our arcade machines.

Happ/Suzo Competition Joystick:

****This is our standard joystick of choice****

These joysticks are the popular choice for most European and American gamers. Definitely the best joystick of its ilk, in my humble opinion it actually improves with use. Happ/Suzo joysticks are the industry standard. These joysticks will last, ensuring flawless gaming for many years to come.

Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT:

A new decade brings the next generation of fighting games. A fresh breed of instant classics are upon us with many more in the works. If this is your nirvana, then this Japanese joystick would be your sword of justice. Allowing the player to be lightning quick yet smooth in transition, this is the official joystick of the streetfighting generation and is used in all tournaments by the likes of world StreetFighter champion Ryan Hart.

These joysticks have been around for a while, but you never tire of the precision; a Raging Demon is not an issue anymore with a Sanwa JLF at the helm.

4 or 8 Way Selectable Joystick:

Let’s step back in time 20 years… Your favourite arcade games are Pac-Man, Commando or Burger Time (and you’re an arcade purist), then we have to install this joystick for you! Some retro arcade games used what they call a 4 way joystick, therefore you can’t move diagonally – only up, down, left and right. This setup is far more suitable for the games which run using a 4 way joystick, but you can’t alienate the rest of the games (imagine trying to play 1942 and you can’t move diagonally)! With a simple pull and twist of the joystick handle, you can effortlessly switch between the 4 and 8 way modes allowing you to retain the directional comfort in order to evade those ghosts, munch those powerpills and randomly die when you finish the game (…reminds me of the end of Fallout 3…) This is a must for all fans of the 70’s-80’s retro gaming. Personally I find the sticks a little stiff for my liking, but it’s a worthy sacrifice for the switchable modes.

Should you have any questions about joysticks or any other matter related to your arcade purchase, then we are always on hand to answer any queries you may have. For many other options on how to configure your arcade machine to your own desire, have a look at our arcade machine options page.