From DOSBox Status Window I see it's wrongly detected as:
"Using joystick Controller (Fighting Stick mini 4 kai) with 5 axes, 10 buttons and 1 hat(s)"

That's exactly the same name shown in your screenshot, how is it incorrect?

It doesn't work in game: wobbling sprite jumping all around and lever is ignored, only fire works

This might be related:
"DosBox fully bindable Joystick Patch" - DosBox fully bindable Joystick Patch

Thanks.
Tried the SVN version and ECE, still the same 🙁

I noticed in your screenshots that the DPAD seems to be pressed to the right. Was that just coincidence or does it always show up like that?

No I was pressing right to show direction detection.
I can't find a DOSBox version working with this good joystick 😢

I see DOSBox has option to select 2-4 axis... but mine is detected as: "Using joystick Controller (Fighting Stick mini 4 kai) with 5 axes, 10 buttons and 1 hat(s)"

Windows "Game Controller Settings" seems to detect the actual directional lever as the "look around" pad of a XBox controller. The cross axes (on the upper left) won't move.

So there's no hope for a working DOSBox version supporting XBox controllers detected with "Look Around" directional lever control only?

Try a build against SDL2. But don't ask me where to get that 😉
Yesterplay80?

ECE uses SDL1.2

Suggestions:
Can you try in the dosbox config to change the joystick type. Do one that has more than 2 axis. Also possibly use the built in dosbox mapper. unmap anything to joystick and re-setup (tedious)

These are my settings:

jbutton_0_0 "key 305"
jbutton_0_1
jaxis_0_1-
jaxis_0_1+
jaxis_0_0-
jaxis_0_0+
jbutton_0_2
jbutton_0_3
jbutton_1_0
jbutton_1_1
jaxis_0_2-
jaxis_0_2+
jaxis_0_3-
jaxis_0_3+
jaxis_1_0-
jaxis_1_0+
jaxis_1_1-
jaxis_1_1+
jbutton_0_4
jbutton_0_5
jhat_0_0_0 "key 273"
jhat_0_0_3 "key 276"
jhat_0_0_2 "key 274"
jhat_0_0_1 "key 275"
mod_1 "key 305" "key 306"
mod_2 "key 307" "key 308"
mod_3

What should I try changing? Is there a guide?

EDIT: ok, with CTRL+F1 I can redefine controls... will try different combos....

All right!
After A LOT of attempts I've finally found a working config! 😀

Joystick cfg (file dosbox.conf):
joysticktype=fcs
timed=false
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=true

and remapping (Ctrl+F1) up, down, left, right, for Axis 1/2 and deleted mapping of axis 3/4 and the other (file mapper-0.74.map) as:
jbutton_0_0 "stick_0 button 0"
jbutton_0_1 "stick_0 button 1"
jaxis_0_1- "stick_0 hat 0 1"
jaxis_0_1+ "stick_0 hat 0 4"
jaxis_0_0- "stick_0 hat 0 8"
jaxis_0_0+ "stick_0 hat 0 2"
jbutton_0_2 "stick_0 button 0"
jbutton_0_3 "stick_0 button 1"
jbutton_1_0 "stick_0 button 0"
jbutton_1_1 "stick_0 button 1"
jaxis_0_2-
jaxis_0_2+
jaxis_0_3-
jaxis_0_3+
jaxis_1_0- "stick_0 hat 0 8"
jaxis_1_0+ "stick_0 hat 0 2"
jaxis_1_1- "stick_0 hat 0 1"
jaxis_1_1+ "stick_0 hat 0 4"
jbutton_0_4
jbutton_0_5
jhat_0_0_0
jhat_0_0_3
jhat_0_0_2
jhat_0_0_1

Case solved! 😎
Thank you all for the given suggestions!

P.S.
To make things even more complicated the fact that every dosbox.exe version behaved differently to axis remapping, keeping defaults without dosbox.conf modifications! Weird...

P.P.S.
https://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Mapper
«If you want to remap anything to your d-pad/hat you will have to change joysticktype=auto to joysticktype=fcs in configuration file. Maybe this will be improved in the next dosbox version.»!!

rolloLG wrote:

P.P.S.
https://www.dosbox.com/wiki/Mapper
«If you want to remap anything to your d-pad/hat you will have to change joysticktype=auto to joysticktype=fcs in configuration file. Maybe this will be improved in the next dosbox version.»!!

P.P.P.S.: DOSBox ECE allows mapping the dpad and all available axis even with joysticktype=auto. 😉

BTW, where can I find all special feature options in ECE version?
I mean options like "config -set fulldouble=true" to enable vsync etc. In particular for vsync and swap stereo channels (with some games through a .BAT)

rolloLG wrote:

BTW, where can I find all special feature options in ECE version?

All options have a short descriptions in the .conf files. You can generate a default .conf file by starting DOSBox (ECE) and entering

1config -wc

This will create a new. conf file under %localappdata%\dosbox\dosbox-ECE.conf. Or directly specify the path you want the file:

1config -wc <pathtofile>