Basef on my history, the last time is could use well an off the shelf stick with no mods is the Beeshu Supersticks, (and for 1 TG16 title, Side Arms, I’d still need a temporary mod). And with some professional modding help, the Street Fighter 15th Anniversary Stick turned out to be pretty handy when I heard of PS2-> other console adapters.
The main reason for both is its right handed friendliness. One out of the box, the other with modding.
From my perspective, the choices of joystick designs offered more choices in the Pre-SF2 joysticks than there are post-SF2 be choices.
For example, there were trigger stickd before SF2, every 2600 joystick maker except Atari had a mirrored button. There were many companies that made add on sticks to he intellivision 1/2, which was the best they could do considering, at the time, you had to disassemble your INTV 1 to put in a custom stick. There were 3 different significant 5200 joystick alternatives, an optionally self-centering sticl, a digital stick with Y adapter, and a 2600 stick to 5200 machine adapter. Third parties made coleco extrrnsl keypads to use those 2600 sticks with CVs.
Now most fught sticks have little to differentiate one model from another. Companies use different sticks, but don’t usually advertise Sanwa Sticks or Seitsmu Sticks, or Wico Sticks.
Now that all sysyem makers have restrictions on macroing and other cheat features for the purposes of the integrity of online games and achievenents, how does one joystick differentate itself against the others?
I see the mist obvious choice is ambidexretlity. The next most obvious difference is the Mortal Kombat layout.
Other than artwork commemmorating a cetain video game title or character, what are the real differences between different PS4, Xbox One and Switch fight sticks are there? Are they a bigger difference than an ambidextrous stick, or even an MK stick?
Darksakul said things that some people won with hat a lot of people call "wonderboy"s, with some design so microtargeted modt people think it’s stupid, but great tool for THAT person to use.
People thought the similar way when the Hitbox was introduced.