gumball top arcade joysticks on early cabs

[tmc]

I've been reading a book with great artwork of early arcade cabs and i've noticed that most of the early games has the gumball type stick. I.e thin shaft with round ball top.

When did the bat shaped Happ type sticks become popular in arcade cabinets?

I alsways assumed that the bat type were typical in the USA and Europe and the gumball type in Japan. I suppose i'm wrong then?

Which is considered the better type?

also when did convex, shaped outwards, buttons become popular - i can see almost no convex buttons on early cabs?

cheers.

[Pantechnicon]

Interesting topic. I really don't think it's as simple as USA vs Japan with respect to design preferences. If you look at a American manufacturer like Williams cabs for example you'll see they used gumball sticks well throughout their history of making cabs. On the other hand Atari seemed to have switched to bats in mid-1990's.

Which is better? I don't know. I guess it depends on the game.

I'm not sure what to say on the button question, though.

[CosmicMonkey]

I'm sure I've seen Bat-top shaped sticks by either Sanwa or Seimitsu.....

Personally, I can't stand them. Round ball tops every time. And currently I'm feeling the rather lovely Seimitsu LB-39 Bubble Balls.

[Sothy]

all buttons start out convex but they get pressed alot and made concave,
Its science.

[blue lander]

I read somewhere that concave buttons supposedly have to be pushed further to register, thus the convex ones let you press the buttons faster, giving the player an advantage.

As for the gumball top joystick, I know some expert Japanese gamers use them palm-up. Meaning they place their hand palm-up beneath the joystick, slip the joystick between a couple of their fingers, and then grasp the ball upwards with their fingers. Supposedly give 'em more control. You wouldn't really be able to do that with a bat joystick.

[Kid Ice]

The first I remember seeing the bat-shaped joysticks on an arcade cab was Street Fighter 2.

[MarkMan]

It's rather simple. Happ parts are for more durable(can take a beating better) than the balltops.

[Ed Oscuro]

As for the gumball top joystick, I know some expert Japanese gamers use them palm-up. Meaning they place their hand palm-up beneath the joystick, slip the joystick between a couple of their fingers, and then grasp the ball upwards with their fingers. Supposedly give 'em more control. You wouldn't really be able to do that with a bat joystick.

Ergonomics say I couldn't do that comfortably, but I have tried to grip the joystick further down. If you can just twitch the bottom without needing to yank it from the top, it's going to be faster (although I can't see it necessarily being more accurate).

[Kitsune Sniper]

I can't use bat-style sticks. I play using gumball sticks... by holding the stick palm up, with the stick between my middle and ring fingers.

Yeah, weird, I know. But that's how I learned how to play.

Edit: I just realized that's how blue lander said "expert Japanese players" play. Heh. What the hell.

[diskoboy]

I can't use bat-style sticks. I play using gumball sticks... by holding the stick palm up, with the stick between my middle and ring fingers.

Yeah, weird, I know. But that's how I learned how to play.

I'm percicely the same way.

I grew up playing mostly Bally/Midway games with the red ball joysticks, or Williams Electronics games. The sticks with the ball were just alot more ergonomic.