Yeah a local theatre was my first experience with it as well (and Sonic the Fighters next to it)! Far as I know all the cabs for it had the twin stick setup as that’s integral to the experience.
I was so frustrated the Masterpiece collection didn’t release outside of Japan, but at least it’s easy enough to get a copy of it, and it’s frequently on sale digitally. Just makes it harder to play with folks who aren’t already into it.
17 years on, Okami is still one of the best.