Handheld Stick with Buttons for Arcade Games: It's a Joystick (Fight Stick)

The device is an arcade joystick (often called a fight stick or arcade stick).

Anatomy

• Stick (Lever): Ball-top or bat-top; 4-way (up/down/left/right) or 8-way (adds diagonals). Microswitches at base register direction.
• Buttons: 6–8 action buttons (30 mm or 24 mm), usually Sanwa Denshi / Seimitsu (Japanese) or Happ/IL (American concave). Layout: 3×2 or 4×2.
• Base/Chassis: Metal/wood enclosure; mounts to control panel or sits on lap.
• Interface: USB (PC/PS3/PS4/Switch), DB-15 (Neo Geo), JAMMA (cabinet), Brook/Zero Delay encoders (DIY).

Classic Games Designed for Joystick

• Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga – 4-way.
• Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters – 6-button, 8-way.
• Metal Slug, Contra – 8-way + 2–3 buttons.
• Tempest, Asteroids – Spinner/trackball preferred, but stick works.

Modern Use

Fight sticks (Hori, Qanba, Razer, Victrix, 8BitDo) are standard for competitive fighting games on PC/console. DIY kits (Brook UFB, GP2040-CE) let you build custom.