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[av2k]

I'm first and foremost a fighting game player but there are times where I do like to branch out to other genres and feel like the traditional gamepad is a step down from a heavy duty luxurious joystick. This is a list of games that I think is extremely fun to use a joystick with.

Most old school pre-playstation 2 days had less than buttons and didn't require dual thumbsticks to play most of the time. I would recommend experimenting with different games but these are particularly my favorites:

Super Mario Games (or any 2d side scrollers really)
Contra
Legend of Zelda
Tetris
Bubble Bobble
RPGS such as Chrono Trigger and FF series

Unfortunately, with newer games, there are so many more buttons and the requirement of both d pad and thumb stick eliminates most games from joystick accessibility. However, there are some exceptions..

Super Meat Boy - Only requires D pad and three buttons. A real blast to play. Especially when you're frantically trying to maneuver traps, the leverage on a joystick feels so damn good.

Bardbarian - just need movement and a few buttons for specials, really fun as well.

Rogue Legacy - this one is an ABSOLUTE JOY, to play with on a traditional fight stick. The first row of buttons are attack/special/magic and the second row of buttons would be movement based.. jump/backdash/forward dash. This is by far, my favorite non-fighting game to play on a joystick.

Here's my Tournament Edition stick before it got upgraded with a Korean Fanta stick:

Anywho, does anyone else here use joystick for non-fighting games as well and if so, what games do you recommend?

 

[oneida]

any shmup

 

[Business]

Puzzle Bobble
Metal Slug

 

[sixteen-bit]

2D games and arcade ports typically

 

[El Sloth]

I really like playing Binding of Isaac with my arcade stick. I've been messing around with Spelunky on it too.

 

[danmaku]

Arcade games in general. Most games on MAME are designed to be played with a joystick.

 

[de1irium]

I played Rogue Legacy and Super Meat Boy on a stick, and totally agree on both counts. SMB especially felt so much more precise.

 

[georly]

Beat-em-ups.

Only had 3 xbox controllers and 1 arcade stick, but that was enough to play castle crashers 4 player. It worked wonderfully.

 

[Producer]

Shooters, Beat em ups, any arcade game.

 

[braves01]

FFVI, doing Sabin's Blitz moves feels very natural on a stick

 

[Robin64]

All the old Track and Field games are great on joystick.

 

[GusZamboni]

i have a great time playing Super Time Force and Volgar!

 

[AlexBasch]

A couple of friends brought their joysticks to play KOF 2002 but then whipped out FIFA15.

Had flashbacks of Super Sidekicks while playing with those, was fun as well even though we had to keep a button pressed to run and shit, haha.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Shoot the CORE!!!!!!!

 

[av2k]

i have a great time playing Super Time Force and Volgar!

Holy crap, I forgot about Volgarr, I would love to play that as soon as I get home. Bought it from a HumbleBundle pack but totally forgot that I had it. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[kewlmyc]

As stated in this thread already, any arcade game. Mostly beat-em-ups and Shumps. Streets of Rage is awesome with a fightstick.

 

[hao chi]

Catherine works pretty well, but I still prefer the DS3 for it.

 

[ResidentDante]

Wouldn't the awesome Geometry Wars 3 work?! It's recently been patched for free into Evolved edition with lots more content and a more forgiving main mode!

Edit: I'm an idiot, it's a twin stick shooter. The retro look and Astroids blocked my memory there.

 

[Mepsi]

Ys Origin. I resorted to using my stick for it after many attempts at making a decent controller scheme for it that didn't require me to hold the controller strange to be able to charge magic and jump at the same time failed. On a stick it just feels so natural.

 

[Orayn]

Volgarr plays extremely well with a joystick. I also had a pretty good experience with Super Meat Boy, believe it or not.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Pac-Man CE DX plays excellently with one.

 

[Yudoken]

I play Project M on pc better with an arcade stick, I put the c-stick movements on the buttons and it works great!

Spoiler

Smash Bros. is not a traditional fighting game and normally played with a gc/any other controller

 

[Kolma]

Pac-Man championship edition (lil obviously but still)
Also Pix the cat

 

[Skyzard]

I like playing Alien Hominid with it - sort of like metal slug but better.

 

[Peltz]

I play Project M on pc better with an arcade stick, I put the c-stick movements on the buttons and it works great!

Spoiler

Smash Bros. is not a traditional fighting game and normally played with a gc/any other controller

Yikes. I can't imagine Smash with digital movement. The game was quite literally designed to be played with an analogue stick.

 

[HUELEN10]

Pac-Man CE DX plays excellently with one.

I like the way you think.

 

[Kagami]

Is there any joystick that's practical to use to play Dragon's Crown?
The main movement control works fine with a digital stick (can swap the digital and left analog functions in settings), but the game uses the other two controls for miscellaneous side functions (using items and moving the selection pointer around the screen).

 

[Akuun]

Super Meat Boy feels pretty good on an arcade stick.

Edit: Oops, didn't see it in the OP. My bad.

 

[Neathyr]

Shmups work fantastically well with a stick, and this is from someone who prefers controllers for my fighting needs. I'd say arcade-like platformers (Mario, Donkey Kong...) are also good picks.
But as a (hidden) rule:

Arcade games in general.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Pac-Man CE DX plays excellently with one.

so good with a 4-way restrictor plate

 

[Lucumo]

Flight games in general.

 

[Ostinatto]

FFX

You can set the cursor on memory + turbo on the stick and farm Dingos on the Monster arena forever..

 

[Not Spaceghost]

REmake plays surprisingly well with an arcade stick.

 

[BywayCombatant]

I remember trying OlliOlli on my arcade stick and it worked really well. The directional inputs with the analog sticks translates very well to joystick (much like switching from pad to stick in FGs).

 

[HankToms]

I broke my brother's Thrustmaster joystick playing 4-D Boxing. It worked surprisingly well though. Forward right to forward left repeatedly to chain hooks together.

 

[Puruzi]

Beat em Ups

 

[therapist]

any shmup

perfect answer - these games benefit more than fighting games with joysticks imo

 

[bennywhatever]

I'd love to play this with a joystick.

 

[Goliath]

I basically play arcade games, and console games from NES-Dreamcast on arcade sticks. With some of the later consoles like Dreamcast, N64 and PS1; you may have to pick the games carefully but for the most part my biggest limitation is the old computer running the emulators.

 

[Always-honest]

Never mind, misread.

 

[TheHighFlyingBirds]

Sensible soccer on amiga was awesome with a stick, could get loads of swerve with the stick.

 

[nded]

Yikes. I can't imagine Smash with digital movement. The game was quite literally designed to be played with an analogue stick.

It's not so bad. Double tap to run/smash.

 

[Crab Milk Mickey]

Pix the Cat and Lethal League.

 

[SonyToo!™]

Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram needs 2, although the 360 XBLA port plays well with a pad's 2 analogs (why hasn't anybody in the west made a modern fully 3D fighting game?)

Just about every 2D arcade game really, especially brawlers and shmups although a short throw stick like a Seimetsu LS-32 is advisable for the latter.

Sigh it's a shame that so many ppl seem to think an arcade stick is only for fighting games, there is lack of redefinable controls in console western made "arcade" games so I can't use my arcade stick.

Metal Slug XX & Guwange both need a stick to get the most from them.

 

[Baron Von Beans]

I used my TE stick for the Space Harrier section in Bayonetta 1, it worked beautifully.

Then, for poops and laughs, I tried it out on a normal level. It worked, but the controls need some getting used to. But by golly it was fun!

 

[av2k]

Sigh it's a shame that so many ppl seem to think an arcade stick is only for fighting games, there is lack of redefinable controls in console western made "arcade" games so I can't use my arcade stick.

Pretty much this. Unfortunately, most games that I want to play on a stick nowadays require camera controls or waaay too many buttons.

 

[secondratesaint]

My girlfriend and I recently played through the Simpsons Arcade game on 360 using sticks.

 

[FunkyLounge]

I have always thought that Crypt of the Necrodancer would feel amazing on a fightstick

 

[CrashPrime]

Puzzle Bobble
Metal Slug

Came to post. Didn't leave disappointed. Metal Slug is up there with fighting games in terms of playing better with joystick. Tetris too.

 

[Wheresmycoffee]

Get one of these and play literally EVERY Sega Saturn game with a nice stick! Depending on the time it was built, these sticks can have either a Seimitsu LS-32 or some knockoff ascii joystick. The buttons suck but can be swapped for sanwas if you're handy with a dremel. Search for HSS-0136.