Robotron

[Xiaou2]

I get that leaf sticks have better response times, but what about buttons.  Are there any advantages to leaf buttons as opposed to microswitched buttons?

 Yes.  A leaf button is pretty much the same as explained, where as it can be adjusted so that only a feathers touch of pressure will make or break connection.

 Main Advantage: They can fire much more rapidly in succession with much less physical effort.


 In a game like Asteroids Deluxe, you can rapid fire shots nearly back to back if your fast enough... and being able to bounce the leaf from open to closed rapidly is easy as pie.  But Not easy on a micro... because a microswitch will always have a much much greater distance to both activate and then reset. This distance takes more time... and also, each time you have to activate, you run into that heavier spring resistance.  It becomes a lot more fatiguing to press them so rapidly.

 The biggest problem with leaf buttons is that Although the activation is nearly immediate... the button can be pressed much further down. (long travel)  Many people think you have to press the button fully flat... using its full travel, and so waste a lot of time and energy doing so. 

 Instead, you just have to bounce/vibrate the button lightly, at only a partial / small depth.   Once a player understands this... they will realize the benefit of the leaf buttons in rapidfire games.

 In a game like Street Fighter II... leafs wouldnt be needed, cause the button presses are not very rapid in succession.

[Paul Olson]

I never played Robotron until two or three years ago. It's surprisingly good with a 5 buck two stick joypad on my pc. And ok on my GP2X. Alas, I have a cocktail, so only one stick each side. I do have another Eugene Jarvis classic on the cab though. Can you guess which?  

One more button to add Stargate! Damn, now I have to go play for a bit.

[WhereEaglesDare]

is that a giant CP for StarGate alone?

Do you have the two way stick on it too?

[Paul Olson]

That is my modular cp. I made the 3 panels shown just for defender and stargate. The original Defender joystick is used on the panel. I actually put these panels on fairly often. I am terrible at the games, but they are fun in short bursts.

I just took off the dual wicos for robotron so I can try to test the new 720 controller. I think the wicos will go back on when I am done. Robotron is just a great game to have available for little homework breaks. Like defender, I don't think I will ever be good at it, but it is fun.

[Gray_Area]

These don't have the centering grommet Wico sticks do - but - What about using the Happ optical sticks for Robotron?

[RobotronNut]

In my humble opinion, the best sticks for Robotron are Happ P360's with the kowal mod. You can read about them here, here, and here.

Nowadays, I pretty much turn the score over every time I play (default difficulty). I've decided not to up the difficulty, because I don't want hours of non-stop adrenaline. I can play at default difficulty without breaking a sweat.

[RobotronNut]

I just skimmed those old threads, and it's a lot to wade thru.
This excerpt from the page linked in my signature boils it down:

Kowal's mod is a replacement actuator that is a simple cylinder of length 0.678", inside diameter 0.375", and outside diameter 0.541" (= 13.7 mm), made to +/- 0.001" tolerance . I had mine made of stainless steel, and I blackened the outsides with a black sharpie pen.

[Malenko]

I do alright on the xbox360 live! version.....with the dual analog sticks

[(+_+)]

I know that 4" sticks are a must have, but does it really matter whether or not they are leaf switchers as opposed to Micro switches?

Leaf switches should have an advantage as micro switches have to be moved far enough for the switch to click whereas leafs only have to make contact.  Thus, leafs should have an edge for speed and precision of play.  But to take advantage of it you would need to play with a stick long enough to have a good feel for it and know just how far to move it to register.

+1
Absolutely, it's pretty vital to have the intended controls the game was built for if you're looking to get a serious score. This is true for any game.

Well I don't play Robotron, but my friend who had the tournament world record until a year ago says there is no difference to him.

I remember when the incorrect (short) sticks were on the Robotron at Funspot. Original Wico 4"joysticks were donated and even though the players liked the classic feel, the controls are always malfunctioning because of the leaf switch's inherent problems. After a couple of years of that Abdner no longer goes to Funspot for the annual tournament.

I finally talked him into going to a contest again in New Jersey last month and guess what happened twice while he was playing Robotron. 

He called it quits and we went home.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Malfunctioning joysticks really bite. I remember playing where the fire joystick wouldn't fire a certain way or the move would stick and man would it suck.

I was toying with the world record last year some time with the 5 men, no extras, difficulty 5 and was able to get about 620,000 points. I have a picture somewhere. I may have even posted it. The best I've ever done though was 1,417,000 with 12 men, no extras on difficulty 7. I got 511,000 (I think) on my first man. It was a monthly contest at Pinochios Arcade. Whoever won each month on a selected game got to play all day for free. It was great.

I enjoy 3 men, extra at 25,000 and difficulty 10 the most. I enjoy the hecticness. Espiciaally the tank wavs. I still play a few times a week and it still remains one of my all time favs.

I use the U360s and like the smoothness of play.

[captainobvious]

I get that leaf sticks have better response times, but what about buttons.  Are there any advantages to leaf buttons as opposed to microswitched buttons?

 Yes.  A leaf button is pretty much the same as explained, where as it can be adjusted so that only a feathers touch of pressure will make or break connection.

 Main Advantage: They can fire much more rapidly in succession with much less physical effort.


 In a game like Asteroids Deluxe, you can rapid fire shots nearly back to back if your fast enough... and being able to bounce the leaf from open to closed rapidly is easy as pie.  But Not easy on a micro... because a microswitch will always have a much much greater distance to both activate and then reset. This distance takes more time... and also, each time you have to activate, you run into that heavier spring resistance.  It becomes a lot more fatiguing to press them so rapidly.

The biggest problem with leaf buttons is that Although the activation is nearly immediate... the button can be pressed much further down. (long travel)  Many people think you have to press the button fully flat... using its full travel, and so waste a lot of time and energy doing so. 

 Instead, you just have to bounce/vibrate the button lightly, at only a partial / small depth.   Once a player understands this... they will realize the benefit of the leaf buttons in rapidfire games.

Reviving an old thread here...

About the button travel distance on leaf pushbuttons:
Can't the buttons be modified to a shorter travel distance?

For me, a leaf switch sounds perfect, if it could be combined with a very short button travel.
You'd have really low actuation force needed, together with short travel = win.

[Cynicaster]

I've never played this game on an original machine (never seen one, that I can recall).  But I did have it on Atari 7800 back in the day (a decent port), and I do play it on my MAME cabinet.  I suck at the game, but it's on my list of games to work on eventually.  There is definitely something magical about it--the frantic pace, the twitchy goodness, the difficulty level, the colors, and those wicked sound effects when you warp from level to level--it really is a quintessential 80's classic arcade game. 

[opt2not]

I've never played this game on an original machine (never seen one, that I can recall).  But I did have it on Atari 7800 back in the day (a decent port), and I do play it on my MAME cabinet.  I suck at the game, but it's on my list of games to work on eventually.  There is definitely something magical about it--the frantic pace, the twitchy goodness, the difficulty level, the colors, and those wicked sound effects when you warp from level to level--it really is a quintessential 80's classic arcade game.