Happs ms pacman 4way joystick

[gtjoe]

After having supers and competitions, and trying the oscar 4 way restrictors, I have made the decision that I really want a dedicated 4-way joystick.

Is the Happs ms pacman 4-way the one I want?  I want the joystick travel to be restricted (move in a notched manner, not in a circular motion).

What are my other alternatives?  

Also since I have a wood cp and the pacman joystick was designed for metal panels, does anyone know if the super or competition joystick shafts can be used on this?  I don't really want to top mount or router the cp to get the pacman joystick to work in my cp

thanks,
Joe

[neuromancer]

Two other options that come to mind:

Oscar restrictor.
4way stick from ebay.

Optional mounting: you could cut a square hole in the panel and mount the stick to a metal plate, the plate to the panel the same way you mount a trackball.

Bob

[Lilwolf]

I bought 2 waco leaf switch 4ways a like them (one regular, one qbert).  But I heard that the wico microswitch ones suck.  

Mine works well, I dont have any problems with dead zones or anything.  They don't have much of a triangle though (they have plastic peices that make more of up trigger up...  Before I got them, I would do better playing Pengo on a keyboard.... Now I use the cabinet again.

They are also nice because they have a longer shaft then a pacman joystick.  This allowed my to install it on a wood control panel without a mounting plate.

BUT...

I bought mine at videoconnect.com... and they are out of them.  

[eightbit]

I ordered the 4 way from video connect and they sent me a crappy 4/8 way switchable one that switches by rotating a colar underneath after you loosen 4 screws. I'm not very happy with them. The first guy I talked to told me they were out of stock of the MS pac man replacement one  and he transferred me to someone else. She assured me that they had them and would send me one, well thats not what they sent me.

I also have a t-stick from ultimarc.com that is 4/8 switchable by flipping a switch on the side and I'm very happy with the 4 way feel of that one. I'm looking to rig it so that I can switch it without lifting the control panel.

[MKL]

Also since I have a wood cp and the pacman joystick was designed for metal panels, does anyone know if the super or competition joystick shafts can be used on this?

I haven't tried so I can't tell for sure but I'm positive the shaft of the Super can be used: what crucially matters here is the diameter of the shaft. The pacman shaft is 0.394" (see the specs on their website). I live in a metric system country so that corresponds exactly to 1cm (1" = 2.54cm, 0.394 x 2.54 = 1.00076cm). I've measured the shaft diameter of my Super and that's also exactly 1cm, so I'm confident you can swap the shafts.

[Frostillicus]

what is the difference in feel between a real 4-way joystick like the ms pacman happs one and using the 4way oscar restrictor plates?  aren't the regular 4ways based on a diamond hole for the shaft, too?  
I was going to go with some oscar restrictors, but if there is a big difference i might reconsider.

[eightbit]

Most of the convertible joysticks like the happs ultimate still allow the joystick to go in 8 directions they just don't send a diagonal signal when pushed diagonaly. To me this is wrong, a true 4 way joystick only goes in 4 directions. The restrictor plate idea works but I've heard from some people that aren't happy with it. The restrictor plates can be fussy to adjust(depending on how picky your are) and they can be a bother to remove. Some people like using pins from the top which makes them easy to swap and I've heard from others that there is to much play when using the pins so you need to use bolts which is a lot harder to swap. I personally have never used the restrictor plates. I was planning to go with a dedicated 4 way stick untill video connection screwed up my order. Now I either need to order another one from somewhere else or fight with video connection to get this one replaced. I'm also liking the switch able T-stick from ultimarc but I had other plans for that (mini-mame cab), but I might order another of those for my big cab and just switch it when I need to.

[gtjoe]

As for the oscar restrictor plates, they work, but I just don't like the feel of using them.  

The travel in the four directions is severely restricted (it only moves maybe 25-50% of what the joystick can do without the plates).  It didn't feel like I was moving an authentic arcade stick anymore.  It felt like I was just applying pressure to a stick that was stuck in a hole a little bigger than the stick.  I can see why it was designed this way.  If the joystick were allowed to travel any more than it does, there would be a chance that the diagonals would register.

Personally I preferred toughing it out with the 8 way joystick over using the restrictor plate for pacman and donkey kong.

I guess I plan on trying the pacman 4 way or the T-stick by ultimarc.

Since building my cp, i have updated the spinner, i am in the process of updating the trackball, and now I want a real 4-way.  And of course I am working on a new cp layout  Maybe I am just a little picky...

[Grasshopper]

If you want maximum authenticity for the early games then there is no substitute for a 4 way Wico. There is a guy selling 4 way Wico clones on Ebay at the moment. However they're quite expensive - $18 + $8 shipping. Also the standard length Wico shaft is a bit short for mounting in 3/4" wood without routing.

I agree with the previous posters, if you're not concerned about microswitch clicking then the T-Stik is an excellent 4 way stick, and the fact that it is easily 4/8 way switchable is a bonus. However a word of warning. For some bizarre reason the T-Stiks sold by Ultimarc are supplied with the shortest shafts available and may be difficult to mount in wood. If you want one with a longer shaft then you'll have to buy directly from the manufacturer (Industrias Lorenzo). They are hard work to deal with but much cheaper than Ultimarc.

[Frostillicus]

Ah thanks for the input guys

[dhansen]

I used the wico 4-ways in a 3/4" CP and have no problems at all, these use a 31/2" shaft.

Doug

[Frostillicus]

anyone ever try wico 8-way leaf stick with the oscar 4-way restrictors?  i have 2 blue wico's from videoconnect that have really long shafts.

[gtjoe]

anyone tried the happ universal in 4way mode?  opinions please.  I may go with this as the 4way joystick solution for my wood cp panel - much easier than trying to fit the mspacman/galaga 4 way.

here is a good review of it from www.therealbobroberts.com

"I guess I should say something about another useful item that just happens to also be a Happ product. Lots of RGVACers have asked about joysticks for CTs or for Pac series games, and while these are not leaf type joys, the Universal is an ideal small stick for those apps, now that the OEM supply has all but vanished.

They have a nice solid 4-way action with a short stroke that mimics the feel of the Pac joystick, and they mount through the center hole, which is quite handy considering the odd bolt pattern that Bally/Midway used. They are real easy to install since a simple twist of the wrist unlocks the complete shaft & knob from the base. Then you simply unscrew the locking nut much the same as you would for a std CP button & mount it like a button. Then you do a reverse twist, and you're ready to transfer your wiring.

It's a plus in my opinion, even though it would look better with a round red ball handle "

[wee beastie]

I got the J-stick from ultimarc (with the red ball top) that is 4/8 way switchable.  I haven't mounted it (as I just got it today, but it looks like it will work great.  I think the feel is nice.  You can't hit diagonals, but it still can slide from one direction to the other.  I also think the shaft is the perfect length for mounting in 3/4 wood.  When it's all done, it should look like a short joystick.  Similar to how Ms Pac has a short joystick.  I'll let you guys know the final verdict when I get it mounted, though.

[Nailz]

I was using the Happs 8-way supers and decided that they just wouldn't do for the 4-way games like Pac-Man, etc.

I switched to a couple of Wico leaf 8-ways and a 4-way leaf and to be honest the 8-ways did such a good job I swapped out the 4-way for a button top joystick for some other type games.  The Wico 8-way does a great job for me of simulating a 4-way stick, and it's good for everything else as well.

[Jungle]

anyone tried the happ universal in 4way mode?  opinions please.  I may go with this as the 4way joystick solution for my wood cp panel - much easier than trying to fit the mspacman/galaga 4 way.

I have used both the Happ Universal and the Happ Ms. Pacman/Galaga.  I found both to give pretty similar play in 4-way games.  I like the looks of the red ball top better, but the Universal is much easier to mount (I'm going to hack it to a trigger stick when I get around to it).  If you don't feel like messing with the mounting of a Ms. Pacman stick, the Universal could be a good second choice (or third choice if we count 4-way wico leaf as the #1 option).

[Brax]

I'm really curious to know how the J-Stik feels in 4-way mode. I think that would be a excellent solution for a wood control panel if it feels good.

[wee beastie]

Brax,

I just went to the laundromat next door that has an old ms pacman machine in it.  I felt the joystick compared to ultimarc's j-stick, and here's my review.

The j-stick, when mounted in 3/4 MDF sits at almost the exact height as the original ms pac stick (it's tough to measure to the top of a rounded surface).  Let's put it this way, if there is a difference, it's not noticeable in looks or feel.  

As far as the action is concerned, you can definitely feel the restrictor on the bottom of the j-stick.  If you move the j-stick, you will feel the "corners" (not really corners because it's a 4-way joystick, but you feel corners at the cardinal directions--up, down,left, and right).  Part of this has to do with the fact that the j-stick does not have as much tension in it as a real pac joystick (weaker spring?).  I also noticed that the real pac joystick felt "spongey."  When i pushed the joystick up, resistence on the stick became tighter and tighter.  The j-stick does not experience this "spongey" action.  You could move the entire range of motion without feeling too much resistence on the stick.  In other words, it's a very light handed joystick, that would be ideal for quick movements.

As far as playability, I think the j-stick is great.  As I said earlier, I'm able to slide from one cardinal direction to the other without feeling a kink or wave like some of the restrictor plates LOOK (i say this b/c i haven't used a plate) like they may cause.  All the 4 way games played great with the j-stick and i would highly recommend it!!.  As far as I can tell, the tension in the stick is the only difference between the j-stick and the real deal.

I'd like to hear from some others who have tried the j-stick.

wee beastie