“Official” licensed fightsticks (tekken etc) often have clone parts despite the license , not to mention HORI (and Madcatz)and their clone parts (because that’s what they are: original parts barely re-designed), or parts found in SEGA sticks, etc.
Sometimes an arcade stick will have a genuine sanwa lever but crap clone buttons (often clone buttons are just straight shit), so it’s interesting to know where the buttons come from and what they’re worth.
Take this example: the Neogeo X hardware. 100% chinese clone parts (just licensed by SNK-P, but not anymore) and not the best quality, I extensively tested both console , sticks, dock etc, and was very upset with the quality, gladly I was not the one who purchased this shit. The day SNK-P decided to put a halt to this mascarade, perhaps they really tried it out for themselves.
Why an I compelled to know stuff about clone parts? Why don’t you ask that to the vendors who lurk on this forum , who sell tons of clone parts(PCBs, levers, buttons, accessories etc), 200 in 1 “neogeo” cartridges with 50 chinese mods of the same KOF game, etc (converters, adapters, and so on)? Not to mention the clone parts rebranded or claimed as exclusive to the store (not aiming any vendor in particular since it is common practice). They’re unanimous on the fact that’s it’s “what you need for a quick MAME cab project”. I disagree and think these clones should be better studied and compared to genuine parts, it gives ideas to modders when weak points are exposed, people may come up with better concepts to correct and or enhance certain aspects for a better a fluid gameplay (example: a nylon restrictor gate from a clone JLW used on a genuine sanwa JLW since their gates crack due either to poor choice of plastic grade, poor manufacturing, perhpas age of parts -stocks are dated now- or it could even be the transparent plastic from the JLW gates have crakced due to crazing by contact with the main body and presence of plastifiers, who knows…). I knew some arcade techs who had their repair/install shops loaded with real and clone parts, so I had the opportunity to test them there and in arcade salons. I saw some crappy clones who had a conical compression spring inside, that’s an idea not used either by sanwa or seitmisu, but the idea is valid, perhaps we’ll see this one day in genuine jap parts? Another idea coming from clone parts: upside down pivot bearings, I could go on and on. Some ideas are just shit , others borrowed (stolen) from prototypes or discontinued jap parts, and others are just well known designs used in applications very close to the mechanisms employed in joysticks (doesn;t mean they’re suited or well implemented though, clone designers opt often for the cheapest and quickest solution)
Look at what’s happening with the korean parts: modders opted for different materials ( grommets, actuators …) and new accessories (stablilizing plates, different shafts etc), some clone companies produced them locally , now the “official” companies are implementing them in their newest designs.
