My only real complaint with it is the stock joysticks, which are some crappy Happ knock-offs that suck, IMO. Snobs in the Arcade/MAME hobby like to trash talk it but the truth is that it’s a sturdy product with good fit-and-finish that gets the job done. I’ve got a cabinet I built myself from scratch, but I’ve also got an X-Arcade tank stick (the one with the track ball).

If you want real arcade-grade parts as opposed to the plasticky toy sticks that were sold for various home consoles like NES and Genesis, the X-Arcade units seem to be the industry standard these days for pre-built arcade control boxes. You need some basic woodworking skills and some tools, though, so this route is only an option if you’re feeling adventurous. The best results will always be had by designing and building a box that has exactly the controls you want, in exactly the layout that you want. Money is no object on this, and also not in a rush to get it. I'd like something that has the following:ġ) Large, steady base I can rest in my lap as I playĢ) At least one joystick and two buttons, but prefer something with 3-4 buttons to allow for more arcade games (not a huge fighting game fan, so don't need 6)ģ) The ability to change the joystick easily from 4 way to 8 way and back againĤ) The ability to either plug directly into a USB port for playing on MAME or a common connector (like a 9 pin) so I can use a USB adapter. I was looking at the wonderful stuff that Edladdin has, and while some of it seems like it would work (such as the Super Arcade Controller), I wasn't sure if it was 'best' for my needs and thought I'd ask here for advice. I already have original controllers for most systems to plug into the computer, so this can just be for arcade games. Not for a MAME cab! Just something I can hook into my computer via a USB port and use to play more games in MAME. So with me working mad OT hours right now I've got a little extra money, and was thinking about getting a good joystick setup to play arcade games on MAME through emulation.

Mame os x configure joystick