Interesting Joystick in the TVGames Ms. Pac Collection

[MinerAl]

I just got my Namco Collection II (Ms. Pac, Galaga, Xevious, Mappy and Pole Position) TV Game.

The joystick is an 8 way (or feels like one anyway) which makes it less than perfect for Ms. Pacman, but it's not as bad as when I've accidentally left my T-Sticks in 8 way on my cab.

Anyway, the other interesting thing about the joystick is that is a self centering ~180 degree pot/spinner too.  

I couldn't get pole position to work at first because I was trying to get the car to turn by moving the joystick left/right.  I thought I'd gotten a broken game, but upon reading the directions (the horror) I found that you could twist the top of the joystick to turn the car!  

I'd already taken it apart and put it back together (what? like you don't immediately dismantle every toy you get?) and it looks like the joystick would be fairly easy to remove...

I wonder how long until these get hacked for a cab

[crashwg]

Post some pics of the inside please.

[Minwah]

Anyway, the other interesting thing about the joystick is that is a self centering ~180 degree pot/spinner too.  

So did it use a pot or optics?

Sounds like it would be pretty good for Xybots...

[RayB]

I just got my Namco Collection II (Ms. Pac, Galaga, Xevious, Mappy and Pole Position) TV Game.

I wonder how long until these get hacked for a cab

I've got news for you. It already HAS:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=13716&item=6106512803&rd=1

This "cab" (if you can call this ugly wood box a cab) is exactly that. A Namco TV game in a box with a small TV. I emailed the guy asking him, and he readily admitted to me it was the Namco tv toy.

~Ray

[MinerAl]

It feels and acts like a pot.  I didn't take it that far apart.

There have been some fairly convincing cabinets that used the Namco Collection 1 (Pac Man, Galaxian, Rally X, Dig Dug, and Bosconian).  Some even used arcade joys and buttons.  I don't have any example links handy, but I remember seeing them here or in the project announcement forum.

I was thinking of using just the joystick part without the rest of the mini-console.

What games would this be good for besides drivers?

[MPS]

I'd be VERY cautious about buying one of these things.  Jakks has sunk to a new low in terms of the construction & quality control.

I bought one last week only to get it home and find out that I could not move down in Ms. Pac-Man.  All the other games worked fine.

I returned it for a new one.  When I brought that one home, the joystick was much stiffer & Ms. Pac-Man worked fine.  However, there must have been a bad pot in the joystick because I could not turn the car at all in Pole Position.

I'm on my third unit now.  So far, so good.  

[Minwah]

What games would this be good for besides drivers?

As I said it should be great for Xybots...maybe Ikari Warriors etc. as well (I presume you can use joy inputs for rotate?)

[RayB]

But Xybots uses two switches for left or right turn. Not a pot.

[Minwah]

But Xybots uses two switches for left or right turn. Not a pot.

I know, but I would think it would still work well, since the joystick has a return to centre mechanism which is very unusual.  Analog inputs can be mapped to digital ones in MAME...