Favorite Button Layout?

Tech Talk
21

It’s a very subtle difference but I definitely find the Versus City to be more comfortable after extender periods of play.

From this Slagcoin page, Ctrl+F your browser to find the text “This is a precise diagram of the Sega layout used in Astro City” … the picture right above it is the Astro 1. and the picture right below it is the Astro 2.

I can’t find the Versus City layout right now and it’s driving me insane. I’ve been trying for the past ten minutes. :wasted:

edit: It’s one I drew and I can’t find it now. It never got uploaded to Joystick Vault, Paintedover (free image host) deleted the file, and it’s gone from my buddy’s web server. I’m going to have to dig through my hard drive later on. This is driving me crazy. I hope it’s not gone!!! >:-(

22

I now base all of my sticks on the Dreamcast Agetec layout. It is a Astro City 6 button.

I prefer wide layout, because when I game for 4 hours the wrist bending outwards starts to rack up some SERIOUS RSI meter.

23

Vewlix. Best Style ever.

24

The one problem I have with vewlix is the slant of the buttons. It encourages the wrist point outward to hit throw or focus attack with thumb and whatever finger. I found that for extended play ours you do not want your wrist bent inwards.

25

Never saw it anywhere else but I’m using an arched 6-button layout and I’ve added 2 buttons where my thumb’s resting so I get the precision of the 6-button layout and the 3xpunch/kick buttons if I want them.

26

I’ve only played astro city at arcades but only occasionally dont really like it. I have a TE and i really like that. I’ve played quite a bit on a hori FS3 and im not into that button layout. feels odd to me having the buttons curve down at the end.

my vote TE/vewlix

27

Yeah, i dont think the t5 layout was used in arcade. But on the hori faq they call the layout seimitsu player 2 layout. lol
Either way, the last 6 buttons of that layout is VERY comfortable to me.

28

Vewlix layout all the way.

29

Astro City first 6 buttons

30

I think part of it is too that Americans tend to move the joystick position. For example, I have an astro city/versus city button configuration, but the stick is moved about an inch and a quarter to the left.

But yeah, I also prefer the versus city layout. It feels quite natural.

31

Having trouble decided which layout to go with?

Problem solved…

32

I have to go with this one too.
http://exar.jp/neogeo/ngst3/neogeostick3_ougi.html
Only my joy stick also has a lower row for Capcom video-games.

33

Yes @ Starcade RIP, echo to everything he said.

The most common complaint that North American players have with Japanese layouts are that the stick and buttons are “cramped” too close together. A lot of custom stick builders simply spread them further apart.

34

Nice Mai stick, but I don’t like all the extra buttons they put on those Exar sticks for the PS systems. Still pretty looking though.

35

I just started playing with a hrap3 (my first stick) so I’m not sure what I really prefer - I like the hrap3 layout, I would just prefer it if there weren’t the 7th and 8th buttons, i.e. just 6.

^^

36

Remove the buttons and replace them with Seimitsu AM-30 plugs or Sanwa OBSM-30 plugs.
http://www.seimitsu.co.jp/leverballhollplug/index.htm
http://www.sanwa-d.co.jp/p_p-button5.htm

37

I’m a sucker for 8 button 2 row layouts. SNKs original layout is not comfortable for me, so I Like having when I need a 4 button layout everything in a row… then for 6 button games I can just play with a regular SF style layout. Also with street fighter games I disable the whole far buttons do ex/supers because that feels like cheating to me.

38

Am I really the only person who uses the first 2 buttons on each row for 4 button games?

39

Personally, I always kinda liked the Saulabi button layout.

40

No, UNW4NT3D, you just play Tekken. :looney:

My first arcade stick was a HORI Real Arcade Pro 2 SA. That one I believe uses the Sega Versus City layout that deadfrog was talking about but with two extra buttons. Since then, I went on an around-the-world journey, obtaining a MAS Super Pro Stick Mini, one of those old PlayStation 1 Namco Arcade Sticks, and now finally a Mad Catz Xbox 360 FightStick Tournament Edition.

In my experience, between the Versus City layout, the old school American arcade layout, and the Vewlix layout (which, to my surprise, the Namco stick uses [or at least uses a very close style]), I find the Versus City layout to be the most comfortable, but the Vewlix layout to be the most versatile.

Although you don’t have quite as significant of a curve on the leftmost 6 buttons as the Versus City layout, it’s still ergonomic enough for your fingers to follow the curve comfortably. Within the Vewlix, or rather Mad Catz’s replica Vewlix layout, you’ve also got a pseudo American layout, a mock SNK layout, and for the Tekken players, you’ve even got the leftmost 4 buttons being the exact same positioning as the Versus City layout’s corresponding 4.

Regarding the joystick positioning, I have no clue what everyone is saying when they’re saying the Vewlix layout has its buttons too close to the joystick. Unless I’m very much mistaken, it’s similar, if not the exact same spacing of the joystick and buttons that the Versus City layout uses. And I don’t see anyone complaining about that layout’s spacing when any HRAP2/3 discussion comes up. :wtf:

Again, it’s as a few people have already said. The Japanese arcade layouts are made for the consumers in Japan who obviously have a different body build and on average, smaller hands than the average American. Thankfully, since I’m a Korean-American with small, girly hands, I can play just dapper on that cramped Japanese layout. :razzy:

Anyways, final thoughts. Even though I REALLY like the Versus City layout, since I also REALLY like my Namco stick (if MarkMan sees this post, you were right; this seriously is probably the greatest retail arcade stick ever made sans the FSTE!), I think I’ll be able to comfortably adapt to the Vewlix layout simply because of its similarity to the Namco stick.

tl;dr, UncleRico., go with the Versus City layout. You already mentioned that you had issues when you tried to play on Mad Catz’s replica Vewlix layout and that you found the Versus City layout to be comfortable, so why try and conform to what’s “hip” and “all the rage”? If everybody was basing their choices on popularity, nobody on these forums would use Seimitsu parts! :confused: