New Seimitsu arcade stick, the LS-33 Kai.....

[PC Engine Fan X!]

On Arcade Shock's site, they have the uber-rare Seimitsu produced LS-33 Kai variant arcade stick listed for sale here: https://arcadeshock.com/collections/fro ... ck-compact

This particular arcade stick was used in the "Hori Fighting Stick PC" for the PC Engine gaming platform that was sold in Japan back in 1992-1993. I'd find my scores getting higher & higher with the Hori Fighting Stick PC with it's quite responsive LS-33 arcade stick factory-installed from the get-go + it's hefty all metal based joystick base that doesn't budge during heated gaming sessions. The original LS-33 joystick has long since been out of production and was used in candy cabs/control panels/console based arcade sticks (such as the Hori Fighting Stick Neo Geo) where space was at an absolute premium.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SavagePencil]

Maybe a little off-topic, but do you know where one can get (or build) the adaptors for each system that the Hori Fighting Stick Multi supports? I think I'm missing at least one.

[jd213]

This person mapped out the pinouts if you want to try making your own: https://x.com/GeneralPhong/status/1268883500712804354

[SavagePencil]

This person mapped out the pinouts if you want to try making your own: https://x.com/GeneralPhong/status/1268883500712804354

Sweet! I wonder if this stick would slot in directly. Arcade Shock says it has a little bit of a rise over the original.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

This person mapped out the pinouts if you want to try making your own: https://x.com/GeneralPhong/status/1268883500712804354

Sweet! I wonder if this stick would slot in directly. Arcade Shock says it has a little bit of a rise over the original.

Get one and try it out -- as it is, it's a mere 34.1mm in height basically the slimmest joystick base ever made aside from Seimitsu using an LS-55-01 mold for the actual base itself.

Apparently, the Seimitsu LS-33 Kai is unfortunately all sold out as of 10/23/2025 (considering that Arcade Shock had only 40 of the Seimitsu LS-33 Kai joysticks for sale in their entirety).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SavagePencil]

Managed to order one (thanks for the heads-up!). Now to see how hard the Hori is to crack open...

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Ordered a Seimitsu LS-33 Kai and wasn't sure if it came with a ball knob topper or not -- it doesn't. Luckily I ordered two ball knob toppers, one all-black & the second one is a chrome silver variant one. At the very least, it does have a an 8-way (perfect for arcade stg titles through and through), 4-way (ala Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) & 2-way joystick guide (ala Galaga, Galaxian, etc.) already factory installed from the get-go which is quite handy to have indeed.

At least with the LS-33-01 Kai variant joystick has the standard "5-pin" configuration which would be a matter of a simple "drop-in" swap job on your favorite console-based arcade stick setup.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SavagePencil]

Ordered a Seimitsu LS-33 Kai and wasn't sure if it came with a ball knob topper or not -- it doesn't. Luckily I ordered two ball knob toppers, one all-black & the second one is a chrome silver variant one. At the very least, it does have a an 8-way (perfect for arcade stg titles through and through), 4-way (ala Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) & 2-way joystick guide (ala Galaga, Galaxian, etc.) already factory installed from the get-go which is quite handy to have indeed.

At least with the LS-33-01 Kai variant joystick has the standard "5-pin" configuration which would be a matter of a simple "drop-in" swap job on your favorite console-based arcade stick setup.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Did you end up getting a 35mm or the 30mm ball top? IIRC the Hori stick might be the smaller size. Will have to dredge it up out of the basement tomorrow.

[SavagePencil]

Ordered a Seimitsu LS-33 Kai and wasn't sure if it came with a ball knob topper or not -- it doesn't. Luckily I ordered two ball knob toppers, one all-black & the second one is a chrome silver variant one. At the very least, it does have a an 8-way (perfect for arcade stg titles through and through), 4-way (ala Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) & 2-way joystick guide (ala Galaga, Galaxian, etc.) already factory installed from the get-go which is quite handy to have indeed.

At least with the LS-33-01 Kai variant joystick has the standard "5-pin" configuration which would be a matter of a simple "drop-in" swap job on your favorite console-based arcade stick setup.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Did you end up getting a 35mm or the 30mm ball top? IIRC the Hori stick might be the smaller size. Will have to dredge it up out of the basement tomorrow.

The Hori multi (and the Retro Frog Neo-Geo stick that arrived today…do I have a problem?) both use the smaller 30mm ball top. I think I’ll order both and see how it feels. I think I’d like to convert one of my sticks to a four way gate for Pac-Man and the like, so I’ll swap one of those out for this one and see how it feels!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Ordered a Seimitsu LS-33 Kai and wasn't sure if it came with a ball knob topper or not -- it doesn't. Luckily I ordered two ball knob toppers, one all-black & the second one is a chrome silver variant one. At the very least, it does have a an 8-way (perfect for arcade stg titles through and through), 4-way (ala Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) & 2-way joystick guide (ala Galaga, Galaxian, etc.) already factory installed from the get-go which is quite handy to have indeed.

At least with the LS-33-01 Kai variant joystick has the standard "5-pin" configuration which would be a matter of a simple "drop-in" swap job on your favorite console-based arcade stick setup.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Did you end up getting a 35mm or the 30mm ball top? IIRC the Hori stick might be the smaller size. Will have to dredge it up out of the basement tomorrow.

The two ball tops are of the 35mm sized variants that I bought with the Seimitsu LS-33-01 Kai arcade stick.

I was thinking of ordering a Retro Frog "Neo-Geo" arcade stick but passed up on it (considering that it uses the smaller 24mm sized push buttons for buttons A, B, C & D along with 24mm sized buttons for both Select and Start as well -- but it would be nice if the 30mm sized buttons were used in lieu of the 24mm buttons).

I have a Neo-Geo AES arcade stick that has a Seimitsu short-throw arcade stick factory-installed and it's quite responsive (makes me wonder if it's a stock Seimitsu LS-33 variant one {considering how slim the the actual AES joystick base is}? -- seems like that'd be the obvious clue/hint right there if that's the case with the 1st-gen Neo-Geo AES arcade stick sold/included with the AES console itself back in the day).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SavagePencil]

Ordered a Seimitsu LS-33 Kai and wasn't sure if it came with a ball knob topper or not -- it doesn't. Luckily I ordered two ball knob toppers, one all-black & the second one is a chrome silver variant one. At the very least, it does have a an 8-way (perfect for arcade stg titles through and through), 4-way (ala Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, etc.) & 2-way joystick guide (ala Galaga, Galaxian, etc.) already factory installed from the get-go which is quite handy to have indeed.

At least with the LS-33-01 Kai variant joystick has the standard "5-pin" configuration which would be a matter of a simple "drop-in" swap job on your favorite console-based arcade stick setup.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Did you end up getting a 35mm or the 30mm ball top? IIRC the Hori stick might be the smaller size. Will have to dredge it up out of the basement tomorrow.

The two ball tops are of the 35mm sized variants that I bought with the Seimitsu LS-33-01 Kai arcade stick.

I was thinking of ordering a Retro Frog "Neo-Geo" arcade stick but passed up on it (considering that it uses the smaller 24mm sized push buttons for buttons A, B, C & D along with 24mm sized buttons for both Select and Start as well -- but it would be nice if the 30mm sized buttons were used in lieu of the 24mm buttons).

I have a Neo-Geo AES arcade stick that has a Seimitsu short-throw arcade stick factory-installed and it's quite responsive (makes me wonder if it's a stock Seimitsu LS-33 variant one {considering how slim the the actual AES joystick base is}? -- seems like that'd be the obvious clue/hint right there if that's the case with the 1st-gen Neo-Geo AES arcade stick sold/included with the AES console itself back in the day).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I was super unhappy with the Seimitsu PS-14-D buttons that shipped with it. Very mushy. I replaced them with Sanwa Denshi OBSC24 and am much happier. Even at 24mm these feel great, so I’m happy with it now!