Project Almond Joy

About this Project

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, my now husband and I were into fighting games. I mean, really into fighting games. We had a Sega Saturn with the RAM Expansion along with great games like Night Warriors, Street Fighter Alpha 2, and X-Men vs. Street Fighter. That continued with the Dreamcast and games like Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and Mortal Kombat Gold. What really made it great however, was the controllers; he ordered the Super Pro Stick from MAS. At the time, these were pretty much the best thing going; replications of arcade fighting sticks using real controls.

This went pretty well for the time, but in 2008, we decided we should get them refitted with USB and such so we could use them on PCs and the like. I contacted MAS and sent them on their way, then waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Follow up e-mails assured that they were just waiting for parts. If I wanted to wait, everything would be fine. Alright.

More waiting.

Weeks turned into months, months turned into years. MAS’ website shut off. E-mail and phone contacts were gone – as were our sticks. I’ve accepted they were likely sold off to pay off lingering debts. I tried a few last ditch attempts here and there, searching through forums and web archives, but no luck.

In 2019 I decided to build a hybrid arcade and sim setup (which is the point of this blog): Super Starcade DX. Part of that was having modular controls, and I knew I’d want something for general arcade games. At first I shopped for pre-made controllers, but didn’t feel like they fit me. Ultimately I decided it was time to build my own, since the parts to do so are much more readily available. “Almond Joy” is the first stick, designed for my spouse. The name is based on the colors – blue, black, and white.

Parts List

From AllFightSticks.com:

• Blue “3-3n-3” 18 inch classic body
• Two 3 hole sides, blue
• 18 inch plexi bottom
• 18 inch Sega 2P Extended button panel
• 18 inch Sega 2P plexi cover
• Tournament lockout wiring harness
• DP/LS/RS (Directional Pad, Left Stick, Right Stick) wiring harness

From ArcadeShock.com:

• Brook Retro board universal modding kit
• CROWN SDL-301-DX-QR Joystick with clear bat top
• CROWN .187 to 5-Pin Harness
• Akishop Retro cables (Dreamcast, PS1/2)

From FocusAttack.com:

• GamerFinger HBFS-G3 30mm screw base buttons (x8)
  • Four blue keycaps
  • Four black keycaps
• Sanwa OBSN 24mm screw-in button, orange
• Sanwa OBSM 24mm button plugs (x2)

From ParadiseArcadeShop.com:

• Samducksa SDB-202C-24 Clear 24mm buttons (x8)

From other sources (eBay, Amazon, etc.):

• Greetech Green keyboard switches (from Novelkeys) (x8)
• Quick disconnect kit
• Heat shrink kit
• JST-PH connector kit
• Dupont connector kit
• 24 AWG stranded wiring kit, 6 colors
• 20 AWG (or thereabouts) wire
• SCI 24mm SPST rocker switches, red LED (x2)
• Generic DPST on-off-on rocker switch
• E10 3.3V LEDs, various colors (x5)
• E10 bulb mini sockets (x5)
• Blue & Black PET cable wrap, 1/4 inch, 25 feet

Tools List

• Screwdriver set (Philips head)
• Mini-screwdriver set
• Toenail clippers
• Mini blowtorch
• Magnifying glass stand (Helping Hands soldering aid)
• Mini heat gun
• Scissors
• Dremel with grinder bit and cutting wheel
• Metal file
• Multimeter
• Wire strippers/cutters