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Why can't I find a good 4-way joystick?

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bluevolume:

OK, so I've looked online, and been to our local arcade parts store twice, and I keep coming up empty.  Maybe I'm expecting something that isn't possible.

When I think of a 4-way dedicated joystick, I'm thinking that the joystick will only move in a cross pattern, and physically will not move in diagonal directions.  Sort of like a gear shift control, that only moves within defined channels.  But every 4-way joystick I pick up doesn't work that way, they still let you move the stick to the corners, but no contacts are closed there.

Help!

RayB:


--- Quote from: bluevolume on September 05, 2007, 10:50:34 pm ---...our local arcade parts store...
--- End quote ---
Ask for the "ms pac/galaga reunion" joystick. It's the only modern 4-way I know of (besides the cheap sanwa imitators), and well built as well.

Zero_Hour:

The cross pattern isn't the issue. It's the ability of the joystick to actuate only one of the 4 switches at any given time. Think about it... What classic arcade game did you play that actually felt like a gear shift when you moved it. That would actually have made Pac Man near impossible if you had to return the stick to center before moving in another direction. As long as the stick restricts the movement of the joystick such that you move from one direction to the next without actually connecting 2 switches simultaneously, 4 way games will play much as you remember them in the arcade.

I'd love to pick up a Wico Leaf-Switch 4 way stick, but I'll probably save myself a lot of aggravation, and just pick up the Reunion 4 way RayB mentioned.

bluevolume:

I guess I was thinking about the Galaga joystick, a 2-way that truly only moved 2 ways. 

NoOne=NBA=:

The closest stick to a gear shift pattern would be the Seimitsu.
It has a clover-leaf shaped restrictor that makes the stick push out from the diagonals, and drop into the primary directions.
I don't really care for that feel, so I grind mine down though.

Most of the others have a diamond shaped restrictor that prevents the stick from hitting diagonals, but allows straight travel from one primary direction to another.

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