Your Joystick, how do you hold it?

[99pence]

While the heading might make it sound like it's heading into PC-FX territory, but really its about how you hold your arcade joystick.

Are you a pincher? Do you cup it from the bottom or the top? Grab it from the side? Or do you just send it right the way out there, throw out the rule book and rest your fingers on the panel and place your thumb right on the top?

[Ceph]

With both hands.

[DJ Incompetent]

This thread needs pictures.

With both hands.

[ave]

Depends on which game I'm playing with it. Ikaruga for example needs very exact movements, I just give it a slight push in some situations. Regarding shooters like DDP DOJ, they also need exact movements but not as exact as Ikaruga does. I grab the whole thing ( ) and move it around while thinking about threads with a slight lack of inspiration on shmups.com

ps: Anybody ever tried to play shmups with a flight game mission stick? I did, now I know what beginners must feel like... incredibly wobble feeling

[nZero]

I usually take the claw grip. Tiny Japanese joysticks don't really feel comfortable for me any other way. Bat-style ones I can actually feel comfortable grabbing from the side.

ps: Anybody ever tried to play shmups with a flight game mission stick? I did, now I know what beginners must feel like... incredibly wobble feeling :P

On my old computer, I had a Logitech Wingman for X-Wing/flight sim/driving/etc. style games and a Saitek P2550 gamepad for emulation. Pretty much every reboot, which one was enumerated as which would switch, so I've had many fond experiences where I was too lazy to remap controls in MAME and played shooters with the Wingman. For some reason, it actually worked pretty well on DoDonPachi... I made it to the last boss of the 1st loop once.

[Damocles]

Ball-top: With my thumb, first, and second fingers with the others resting on the panel.

Bat-Top: Sometimes the same as ball-top, other times adding the ring finger into the mix. When I need very precise and fast control all fingers are lifted from the CP and I literally claw the stick.

[Ed Oscuro]

N64 stick: right hand like gripping a dual shock, left hand goes over to reach the stick. Wears you out after a while. WORST STICK EVER.

Thank goodness for the Dual Shock style pad.

[rolins]

If I'm playing shmups then I grip the joystick using my thumb, index, and middle finger. When I'm playing fighting games I switch to a more stronger grip. Where I'll have the shaft between my middle & ring finger, and my thumb on top of the ball.

[Ex_Mosquito]

I hold mine like this with my wrist anchored to the base. I find cupping the stick with 3 fingers and my thumb gives maximum control. For accuracy I use just the thumb without the fingers touching the stick and flick the stick for 8-ways of subtle movements, i can get 1-2mm movements this way.

[HeLGeN-X]

[Arznei]

Usually with my entire hand, or I have the stick between my pinky and ring finger which seems most accurate for shooters.

[Kamakazie]

When using a ball-style stick I hold it like HeLGeN-X, when using the stick-style, I keep my middle and ring finger on the left side sort of wrapping towards the front and my thumb on the bottom-right.

[Knuckles-chaotix]

Well the exact same way i would handle my penis. Two hands!

[Martinov]

I use Rolins method, but with the edge of my hand firmly rested on the base, and my ring finger sometimes resting on the top of the stick's shaft.

Everything is starting to sound far too phallic.

[shoe-sama]

MY PRECIOUSSSSS.....

[theevilfunkster]

Shaft between my little finger and ring finger...

[zinger]

[Dale]

I hold it so I have the top of the stick going into my palm with my fingers coming down the shaft, my thumb raps around the left side if I'm using my right hand and vice versa for left. My whole hand will shift slightly from the left to right depending on where I'm at in the game.

I might post a pick later.

[Ed Oscuro]

If I'm playing shmups then I grip the joystick using my thumb, index, and middle finger. When I'm playing fighting games I switch to a more stronger grip. Where I'll have the shaft between my middle & ring finger, and my thumb on top of the ball.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/479/joystick1dd4.jpg

Nice stick! Have wanted one of those for quite a while (I have one of the larger flight-controller style ones).

[rolins]

What kind of stick is that? Any suggestions on where I can find one?

Thanks!

Micomsoft XE-1 ST2



Check out ebay and yahoo japan auctions, the latter being the best place to start. This joystick doesn't appear frequently as the XE-1 PRO versions, so expect some competition. The joysticks on the PRO & ST2 are identical, but the PRO is my favorite joystick ever. But I think the reason the ST2 is highly sought after is because it's compatible with wide range of systems: NEC PC-88, X68000, MSX, FM-Towns, Sega MarkII/III, SMS, MegaDrive, PC-Engine (w/ XHE-3 adaptor), and PC (w/ usb adaptor)

[ROBOTRON]

- I grab it by the ball.