Has anyone picked up a p360 recently? Does it still have the diagonals problem? I was thinking of ordering another one (I know dumb right) but, wanted to see if it actually viable this time around. The last time I got one was in '07 and its diagonals (even after modding the actuator) STILL are iffy sometimes. I really like 360’s but, there is no way I could use that thing in tournaments, I have been using the IL comp (not a bad replacement at all, 2nd favorite stick behind classic 360’s).
Srk, will I ever be able to use the stick I enjoy so much again?
Is the P360 really best for marvel? are there any issues with the p360?
I’m looking for an american style stick but the last time I had the MAS the stick itself was too tall and sticky, I wanted something shorter with more grip around the stick. Are all American sticks the same height or are there anything shorter with more width?
EDIT: found a shorter/fatter stick on Happ’s site:
Sorry if this has been already answered before, but is there a softer spring than the standard medium spring on the default happ comp stick? I like a looser stick, closer to the resistance of a JLF but don’t like the gate or ball top design. I checked Lizardlick and didn’t find anything so I’m hoping that somebody has found a hardware or machinery distributor that sells the proper size springs with less resistance. Thanks for any info.
hey all…new to the forum and i have a question about happ sticks. i was wondering if there is a company out there that manufactures sticks with happ parts, specifically the joystick. im not looking to buy a custom made stick but it seems that all the manufactured sticks use sanwa parts …i also have zero experience modding sticks so i dont really want to go that route either. i just picked up a hori fighting stick 3 and i already feel the joystick loosening up after only a few days!! so are there any mass priduced sticks using happ parts?
MAS is pretty much the only company that makes a ‘retail’ arcade stick that are specifically made for Happ/ iL sticks, and they are really, really slow and have extremely inconsistent communication and results. I wouldn’t recommend trying to order from them through their old ass site or even by phone. If you eBay ‘super pro joystick’, you will most likely find their listing under the username World Amusement. Arcade-in-a-Box also makes sticks where the default pricing is based around having all Happ parts, joystick included. Their build quality is much better than MAS, and for that they charge a little bit more (it’s competely worth it, in my opinion). They too, however, are being drowned in orders. If time is a factor, there’s really nothing that can be done about finding an arcade stick with Happ defaults.
Regarding the speed at which MAS works, I will say that I got my order of MAS housings in a prompt 3 weeks time since my payment, so I guess it’s not terribly slow. I have heard stories about how a few people didn’t get their sticks for 2 months! Still, I’m recommending that you get one of their sticks off eBay if you do choose to go with MAS. You can expect your order in a little less than a month’s time since they have more of an obligation to get your stick to you faster due to the feedback system. They will communicate with you through eBay messages, but remember what I said about inconsistency.
No kidding :P. That’s why I chose to go the DIY route, and I just ordered MAS boxes instead to complete myself. Even that was on the pricy side, but I would rather have done it myself to ensure quality. Trying to mod an HRAP 3 to accomodate a Happ stick is something you can read into as well, but yeah if modding is out of your best interest then I’m not sure what else can be done. That mod, I hear, is pretty rough anyways.
I guess I’m about to cave and get a stick, been doing a bunch of reading on these.
Is their any upside of the P360 over the Competition? It sounds like the Competition is the American arcade standard, but the P360 is too faulty to be reliable, especially with the diagonals? Is that correct?
Also, while I really don’t like the ultra-sensitivity of Sanwa buttons, I can’t say I’d like going back to the buttons of old arcades, either. Is Seimitsu the best bet, or are Competition Buttons good?
Do I need to go stock or custom for a good American-style stick (JPN button layout would be prefered, but not required) with all Happ Competition parts? Are MAS Sticks still good? I’m looking at spending no more than $150 total, and I’m too lazy to make/mod anything myself (for the time being…)
Okay I’m confused. I think I’ve read every page on this thread and still don’t have a definitive answer. My 3 or 4 comp sticks purchased circa 2007-2008 all have white actuators. Are these the good ones? They work fine. Personally, I’ve had no problems with them.
The new happs have a black actuator.
The new iL have a white actuator.
Is there a need to switch over to iL? Is there a discernable difference that I’m missing that may show up in the long run?
^I’ve been following quite a few Eurostick v. Competition threads and most of them have always concluded that it all comes down to the actuator. Some believe that the iL stick is the best out of the box, and others believe that the Happ Comp w/ white actuator is better with a little bit of minor tweaking; I remember a small discussion about sanding down the microswitches. I think it’s safe to say that if you’re on the white actuator, you’re gold, either iL or Happ.
Like I’ve mentioned to another poster, MAS is an okay route but getting one from them will seem really “shady” in some way. Their stock PCBs (at least for the PSX/PS2 models) are faulty. I can’t comment on their PS3 or 360 compatible sticks, but if they are in charge of PCBs for those as well then I think it’d be best to look for another outlet. Also, to my knowledge they do not provide the Japanese layout. They were actually able to fulfill some custom specifications of mine, such as drilling the back panel a certain way and customizing the artwork, but I’m not sure if they would do a Japanese layout on request (if they did, they’d probably charge you).
If I were you, I’d probably go with Arcade-in-a-Box. They can do Japanese layouts with all Competitions for their price of 110 (for PSX/PS2), I believe, not including shipping. Their build quality is better than MAS, they’re somewhat flexible in options, moreso than MAS at least, and I haven’t read about any PCB complaints. Keep in mind that if you go with either companies, there will be quite a wait. Month or so.
edit:
Have any of you guys ever tried playing on Comp buttons without the springs? I first got the idea from slagcoin. I’m not sure what to think of it. I guess the extra sensitivity is nice, but I’m so used to the usual resistance and ‘pushback’ that it’s a bit awkward getting my fingers up after a press. Any opinions on this?
I just bought 3 iL sticks on an impulse buy. At least I’ll have the different colored washers.
I just recently installed a balltop from tornado terry’s for my comp stick. The shaft is a little short and I can just barely fit my hand under with a wineglass grip.
I can make more economical movements and it easier to pull off ultras. I might know there are other balltops that can fit on the comp and I may look into that.
I was actually thinking about going with Tornado Terry shafts as well, but if I’m not mistaken their balltops and shafts are designed for Pac-Man . I was thinking for a second why do these tops look really small for some reason? If you eBay ‘Wico joystick’ there’s a listing for a lot of 10 different Wico shafts that are much more comparable with Japanese style shafts.
I asked another forum member how he was able to make his Comp and 360 accommodate one, but he said that with a Comp there’s a LOT of tweaking to be done. With the 360 it’s much more seamless, but not 100%. I really need to see what can be done about it, because Wico shafts are seriously sexy and would look excellent on a Comp.
Actually there already is a more ready option for ‘retrofitting’ balltop shafts on a Competition. http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=228. This is a listing for shafts that are install-ready for Competitions, but apparently it’s imperative that you trim some of the bottom of the shaft (too long for the average stick) and you need to use a dremel to create another e-ring slot I think. I guess it’s more of a clean mod (less ghetto, as Dandy J would put it), but it’s still a mod, unfortunately. Us Happ guys looking for balltops can never get it cut out easy for us! :annoy:
Awesome, thanks for info! I was already leaning toward the AIAB route. They seem to have many satisfied customers and even with the wait, the queue seems pretty defined.
I’m just glad I can find a quality Happ stick in this increasingly Sanwa world :tup:
^I know! Sanwa and eastern arcade parts in general are great and all, but I’m just a Comp guy at heart. No disrespect, just preference as usual!
Still wondering about what you guys think about ‘springless’ Comp buttons. I think I could get used to it, but I don’t think it’d really be an advantage.
I have two MAS’s with Competition (medium spring) sticks, one with the white/translucent actuator, and one with a gimped black actuator (the actuator is way to close to the “up” cherry switch).
If you spin the bat, the black actuator doesn’t rotate, but the white/translucent one does. This pretty much fucks everything up because if it winds up in a rhombus shape during gameplay, you can’t hit the cherry switches.
Anyone know of a way to fix this? Basically, to “lock” the actuator in place so spinning the bat doesn’t spin the actuator. Would appreciate the help.
*** I will never buy MAS again. The things are heavy, annoying to customize, and are expensive. My first stick took 6 months to arrive, no exaggeration. And it came with a defective p360. Only good thing about them was when I returned the stick a full year later to replace it with a Competition stick, they changed the stick and shipped it back for no extra charge. My second stick was ebay’d.
. I was thinking for a second why do these tops look really small for some reason? If you eBay ‘Wico joystick’ there’s a listing for a lot of 10 different Wico shafts that are much more comparable with Japanese style shafts.