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Arcade Stick Recommendations?


solidus

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When reading about projects like these, you see a lot about leaf switches vs. microswitches, with much of the commentary extolling the virtues of the former.  Anecdotally, most of these types of comments seem to come from the "purists" and from people who are of the age to have grown up in arcades during the early 80s. 

 

I missed that time period by a little bit - my prime years were probably '89 - '91, so that's where my perspective comes from.  When I started building MAME controls around 10 years ago, I had no idea what the difference was between these types of switches and my control panel was built using low-cost Happ Competition joysticks and Happ-style concave arcade buttons.  I still have that control panel and still use it all the time.  It may not closely mimic the exact experience of playing many leaf-switch-based games from the 80s, but having not experienced the games much in their original form, it just doesn't matter to me.  The important thing is that for the vast majority of games it works perfectly fine, with zero complaints from me (a little bit of clicky-clicky doesn't bother me; I usually have music on anyway). 

 

Later on I built a panel using some nice leaf-switch sticks (GroovyGameGear Dominux 8), mostly to play Robotron.  I top mounted them to the wood panel using adaptor plates I fabricated out of junction box covers.  It worked great, but it was definitely more fiddly to put together than the first all-wood project. 

 

The leaf joysticks are very, very nice to use indeed and for shoot-em-ups they're hands down my top choice.  The smooth circular restriction is what wins the day for me, makes them extremely comfortable and precise.  The Happs work well for shoot-em-ups too - I used them for years with no issues - but they don't have the smooth circular restriction that I like. 

 

So for a first time builder, I'd share the following opinions based on my experience.

 

Factors in favor of microswitch controls:

 

- lower cost

- great one-size-fits-all for general-purpose gaming (IMO, especially fighters, beat-em-ups, and side-scrolling games like Rush'N Attack)

- compatibility with bottom-mounting on wood panels makes them easier to build for.  Just go to Home Depot and knock it together over a weekend using basic tools

 

Factors against microswitch controls:

 

- noisy

- different feel compared to many classic games

- limited (if any) adjustability; for example Happ Competition offers none, Happ Super a little

 

 

Factors in favor of leaf switch controls:

 

- possible to adjust sensitivity (i.e., actuation distance) to your liking

- great for twitchy games that benefit from smooth 8-directional movement (e.g. Robotron, shoot-em-ups)

- more closely matches the feel of golden age arcade games

 

Factors against leaf switch controls:

 

- good products are a fair bit more expensive than micro-switch counterparts

- many require you to either build a metal control panel or get handy with a router

- not great for games where combos need to be accurately executed (fighters)

 

Another thing to consider is 4-way joysticks vs. 8-way joysticks.  You can "fake it" and use an 8-way stick on a 4-way game, but many of those games really benefit from having a proper 4-way.  The prime example that I always throw around is Frogger - I'd just as soon never play that game again than play it with an 8-way joystick. 

 

 

 

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14 hours ago, doubledown said:

Do any of the games you like to play have an arcade-counterpart...could be a start of what type of controls to use...match what the arcade used.  Also keep in mind that while basically all controls can be mounted in a thin metal control panel, approximately 0.125" or thinner, some controls, like most of the Japanese stuff (Sanwa, Seimitsu), will only work on these thinner panels.  If your enclosure has a top of plastic or wood, that's 1/2" thick (or more), most of these Japanese controls won't work, unless you counter-bore (remove) material from the bottom to "create" this thinner area for them.  A lot of arcade companies did some pretty creative stuff with their control panels regarding this back in the day, as most of the cabinets back then were 3/4" plywood and the likes.  All modern candy cabinets, use thin metal panels, so components made for them, are the norm...again in the realm of the Japanese components.  Off the top of your head, is there any arcade game, or home console arcade stick, that you remember liking the feel of?  Based on that I might be able to help with recommending some parts that would be similar.  

 

Your biggest options with joysticks would be the knob...round ball top, or tapered bat top...and the switches...clicky micro-swtiches, or silent leaf-switches

 

Then with buttons your major options are the plunger...concave plunger, or convex plunger...and the switches...clicky micro-switches, quiet key-switches, or silent leaf-switches

 

In the realm of the arcades, leaf-switches (for joysticks and push-buttons) were the defacto standard until say the mid to late 80s, when micro-switches started taking over.  On an abused public accessed arcade machine, the leaf-switches can require some occasional maintenance, not so much with the micro-switches...but some people hate hearing click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, and so on.  There are "quiet" micro-switches made, but you can still hear them, and again there are cheap micro-switches, and good micro-switches.  Offering different forces required to actuate, sound levels, length of travel until actuation...but most controls don't have all of these options when purchasing...they would be upgrade parts you could purchase separately/later if you chose.  Some of the controllers I've built, I made to replicate the arcade experience of a particular game...so I used the same (when possible), or similar types of controls.  If the original had leaf-switch joystick and buttons, that's what I used, same goes for micro-switch versions.  

Whats interesting is that, the arcades I played as a kid are quite different from the games I am into now. Im in the US, and Im not sure if that has much to do with it, but the arcades near me were filled with fighters and beat em ups. I grew up playing Street Fighter, Ninja Turtles, Simpsons, Mortal Kombat, etc. Nowadays I am much more into shmups, run n guns, etc. My favorite 'arcade' game these days is likely Metal Slug, 1942, Gradius, etc. Funnily enough, I have never actually played much of these games on an actual arcade, simply because I never saw them... so I have no frame of reference :) Its not to say that I wont ever play fighters or beat em ups, its just that my current motivation for an arcade stick setup is to play shooters and run n guns. I am not sure how that effects my choices, as I am not particularly nostalgic for a certain feel at this point...

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On 6/8/2020 at 9:25 AM, Master Phruby said:

I bought his Star Wars yoke from Kickstarter, which we should see in about a month.  Happy Birthday to me!!  But I also got this stick, spinner and trackball that he designed coming with it.  Everything I have read about it so far said it is great.

 

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4 hours ago, solidus said:

Whats interesting is that, the arcades I played as a kid are quite different from the games I am into now. Im in the US, and Im not sure if that has much to do with it, but the arcades near me were filled with fighters and beat em ups. I grew up playing Street Fighter, Ninja Turtles, Simpsons, Mortal Kombat, etc. Nowadays I am much more into shmups, run n guns, etc. My favorite 'arcade' game these days is likely Metal Slug, 1942, Gradius, etc. Funnily enough, I have never actually played much of these games on an actual arcade, simply because I never saw them... so I have no frame of reference :) Its not to say that I wont ever play fighters or beat em ups, its just that my current motivation for an arcade stick setup is to play shooters and run n guns. I am not sure how that effects my choices, as I am not particularly nostalgic for a certain feel at this point...

Well 1942, TMNT, and The Simpsons used WICO 8-way leaf joysticks (different colored knobs, game dependent)...available as reproductions HERE (this is the 4" shaft version for thicker control panels, there is also a shorter 3.5" version for thinner metal panels), and most of these probably used mating leaf-switch buttons as well.

 

Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and all of the NEO-GEO MVS games (pretty much), used HAPP's competition micro-switch joysticks, and matching buttons.  From my understanding, the Spanish company iL (Industrias Lorenzo, S.A.) use to make HAPP's parts back in the day, but then after their merger with SUZO, manufacturing went to China, but iL still continues to make their products in Spain, and sell under their own name.  So basically you can buy HAPP's Chinese made Competition joysticks/buttons, or iL's Spanish made EuroJoystick, and PSL-L buttons.  People say HAPP's quality went down when they switched to Chinese manufacturing...I don't have a frame of reference for this, but when I want these kind of parts I simply get the iL components, they're sold at lots of the online shops.  One thing to consider with either of these sticks...they only come with a molded bat knob...in lots of different colors.  So if you want a ball knob...you're out of luck...or are you!?!  iL does make replacement shafts for their EuroJoystick with a 6mm threading on the top so that you can install any color ball or bat knob you want (that you can purchase with this thread size/pitch).  I've used these on several occasions, mostly for 1 reason, I don't care for the overall height of, or the diameter of the fattest part of the molded bat knob for a stick in my lap.  Both of these sticks are made for 3/4" thick control panels, but my aluminum enclosures are only like 0.090" thick.  The enclosures don't afford enough room below the joysticks to drop mount the stick's bases that far, so by getting the replacement shafts (available in 2 different lengths/heights), I get what suits my needs...normally the "standard length" when I use a taller bat knob, or the "extended length" when I use a ball knob.  

 

Worth noting, if you do want to, with any regularity play any sort of fighters...get a micro-switch stick.  The leaf-switch sticks can be very sensitive (which is great when you want them), but difficult to not hit diagonals, when you don't want to...kind of hard to explain maybe.  So as an example of my recommendation to you would be like this:

 

JOYSTICKS

 

Buttons - CONCAVE Plungers (90s era appropriate) or Convex Plungers

 

I prefer Concave plungers, as they were the standard shape from the 1970s leaf-switch pushbuttons - thru the 1990s micro-switch buttons.  The Japanese controls companies started the convex plunger trend for some reason.  Again all of this is personal preference.  Fortunately though as the iL products are mass produced in an enormous amounts of quantity...they are readily available...and pretty affordable.  

 

On the opposite side of this would be either of the Japanese companies' (Sanwa/Seimitsu) joysticks.  As stock, they only work with thin metal panels, but shaft extensions are available.  The biggest "feeling" difference in these compared to the HAPP or iL, is the spring tension of the stick.  The Japanese ones, are very freely moved (light-weight spring), and the Western Happ/iL, are stiffer.  Basically any pre-made modern day HORI, or whoever's, arcade stick made for say the PS3/PS4, XBOX ONE, will be these Japanese styles of sticks.  So if you have experience with and like the feel of modern home-use arcade sticks you may want to look into the Japanese products, if you want a firmer, more robust feel (80's/90's arcade), then go with the Western controls.  

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1 hour ago, doubledown said:

Well 1942, TMNT, and The Simpsons used WICO 8-way leaf joysticks (different colored knobs, game dependent)...available as reproductions HERE (this is the 4" shaft version for thicker control panels, there is also a shorter 3.5" version for thinner metal panels), and most of these probably used mating leaf-switch buttons as well.

 

Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and all of the NEO-GEO MVS games (pretty much), used HAPP's competition micro-switch joysticks, and matching buttons.  From my understanding, the Spanish company iL (Industrias Lorenzo, S.A.) use to make HAPP's parts back in the day, but then after their merger with SUZO, manufacturing went to China, but iL still continues to make their products in Spain, and sell under their own name.  So basically you can buy HAPP's Chinese made Competition joysticks/buttons, or iL's Spanish made EuroJoystick, and PSL-L buttons.  People say HAPP's quality went down when they switched to Chinese manufacturing...I don't have a frame of reference for this, but when I want these kind of parts I simply get the iL components, they're sold at lots of the online shops.  One thing to consider with either of these sticks...they only come with a molded bat knob...in lots of different colors.  So if you want a ball knob...you're out of luck...or are you!?!  iL does make replacement shafts for their EuroJoystick with a 6mm threading on the top so that you can install any color ball or bat knob you want (that you can purchase with this thread size/pitch).  I've used these on several occasions, mostly for 1 reason, I don't care for the overall height of, or the diameter of the fattest part of the molded bat knob for a stick in my lap.  Both of these sticks are made for 3/4" thick control panels, but my aluminum enclosures are only like 0.090" thick.  The enclosures don't afford enough room below the joysticks to drop mount the stick's bases that far, so by getting the replacement shafts (available in 2 different lengths/heights), I get what suits my needs...normally the "standard length" when I use a taller bat knob, or the "extended length" when I use a ball knob.  

 

Worth noting, if you do want to, with any regularity play any sort of fighters...get a micro-switch stick.  The leaf-switch sticks can be very sensitive (which is great when you want them), but difficult to not hit diagonals, when you don't want to...kind of hard to explain maybe.  So as an example of my recommendation to you would be like this:

 

JOYSTICKS

 

Buttons - CONCAVE Plungers (90s era appropriate) or Convex Plungers

 

I prefer Concave plungers, as they were the standard shape from the 1970s leaf-switch pushbuttons - thru the 1990s micro-switch buttons.  The Japanese controls companies started the convex plunger trend for some reason.  Again all of this is personal preference.  Fortunately though as the iL products are mass produced in an enormous amounts of quantity...they are readily available...and pretty affordable.  

 

On the opposite side of this would be either of the Japanese companies' (Sanwa/Seimitsu) joysticks.  As stock, they only work with thin metal panels, but shaft extensions are available.  The biggest "feeling" difference in these compared to the HAPP or iL, is the spring tension of the stick.  The Japanese ones, are very freely moved (light-weight spring), and the Western Happ/iL, are stiffer.  Basically any pre-made modern day HORI, or whoever's, arcade stick made for say the PS3/PS4, XBOX ONE, will be these Japanese styles of sticks.  So if you have experience with and like the feel of modern home-use arcade sticks you may want to look into the Japanese products, if you want a firmer, more robust feel (80's/90's arcade), then go with the Western controls.  

So much awesome info..thanks! Im assuming those sticks have no gates and have a full 360 degree movement right? I assume thats what I want for shmups in particular where I dont need to hit specific directions like I would to do combos in a fighter, and instead want smooth movement in all directions and everywhere in between.. basically like a controller analog stick

Edited by solidus
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3 minutes ago, solidus said:

So much awesome info..thanks! Im assuming those sticks have no gates and have a full 360 degree movement right? I assume thats what I want for shmups in particular where I dont need to hit specific directions like I would to do combos in a fighter, and instead want smooth movement in all directions and everywhere in between.. basically like a controller analog stick

You're not going to get smooth movement in all directions because the games themselves don't support it. Every game was 4 or 8 way I think until Happ or Capcom or whoever it was came out with their 49-way optical sticks. I think this happened in the early 90's, and there were probably about 50 or so arcade games that used these.

 

You can get optical sticks now to build your own controller but they're not going to be much advantage in a game that doesn't support 49-way movement and they are going to make 4/8 way games really, really hard to play. Maybe there's some optical stick out there that has an option of having a 4/8 way gate that you can disengage when you want 49-way movement; not sure about that. There are a *lot* of options out there for controls nowadays and new ones coming out all the time.

 

But basically, what I would recommend is picking controls based on the games you want to play most of the time... I'd try to look up what those games actually used, because you're not going to get a better experience than that with a different type of stick. Every arcade game had its controls matched to the game, so that will always be not just the most authentic, but almost always the best experience too.

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9 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

Every game was 4 or 8 way I think until Happ or Capcom or whoever it was came out with their 49-way optical sticks. I think this happened in the early 90's, and there were probably about 50 or so arcade games that used these.

 

I reckon Williams was the first with a 49-way optical stick in 1983 with Sinistar. But I wasn't aware there were that many games that used them later on.

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1 minute ago, Zoyous said:

I reckon Williams was the first with a 49-way optical stick in 1983 with Sinistar. But I wasn't aware there were that many games that used them later on.

I didn't even realize Sinistar used a 49 way stick.

 

But yeah, in the 90's I guess there was kind of a resurgence of these, and a bunch of more modern games used them. I was grossly estimating at the "50" number I posted and I almost changed that to something else, but that's kind of my guess. It may be less than that. But somewhere I do remember seeing a list of 49-way games and it was about long enough to fit one page of my browser screen. I don't know where I saw that list and am not able to find it now. I think it was on a site that actually sells sticks, and they say what games used the stick you're on their selling page for.

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1 hour ago, solidus said:

So much awesome info..thanks! Im assuming those sticks have no gates and have a full 360 degree movement right? I assume thats what I want for shmups in particular where I dont need to hit specific directions like I would to do combos in a fighter, and instead want smooth movement in all directions and everywhere in between.. basically like a controller analog stick

The HAPP Competition and iL Eurojoystick have a round restrictor built into the base, but use a square actuator to hit the switch contacts.  So while not a 100% true "circular" motion, imagine a square with "really" rounded corners.  If you run the stick around the perimeter very slowly and deliberately you can tell that its flat on the sides, but you won't get caught in the corners like the Japanese sticks with their factory installed square 8-way gates.  Again, the HAPP Competition is the stick that was in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1943 Kai and I'm sure loads of others SHMUPS in the 1990s.  With a Japanese stick, depending on brand and model, gates can be available as 8-way square, 8-way round, 8-way octagon, 4-way clover, 4-way diamond, and 2-way horizontal or vertical.  I believe the HAPP Super is a pure circular 8-way...but the general consensus regarding this stick, is that it's pretty unremarkable.  I haven't used one in a long time, so I don't recall personally.  Always remember too, if you end up with 1 stick and don't love it, you can always change it later, while re-using the rest of the project.  Worst case scenario, you would need to drill 4 new holes if the new stick has a different mounting pattern.  And unless you're getting something radical like a WICO reproduction, an analog stick, a 49-way stick, or something vintage...most joysticks new cost between $15 - $25...so it's not really breaking the bank going from one to another...obviously depending on your budget.  But that kind of leads back to my previous comment, that no matter what you build, some point after the fact you'll want to change something, fix something, or build a new one using what you learned from the first one.  At some point you have to start somewhere, and only after building one and using it, will you decide if you like it or not.  

 

Then just to throw this into the mix, there's also an absolute myriad of vintage sticks available in the used market, if you can't find what you like with modern solutions.  Here's a few that I've used in previous projects, and/or are using for a few upcoming projects...just to give you a very small sample of what's been made over the yerars:

 

SxMqHN.jpg

 

From left to right:

1) Namco (Japanese) - Galaxian, 2-way

2 & 3) Bally/Midway - Galaga/Tapper/Timber, 2-way

4) Data East - DECO Burgertime, 4-way

 

MgauHr.jpg

 

From left to right:

1) Taito (Japanese) - Space Invaders Pt. II (Cocktail), 2-way

2) WICO - Universal replacement joystick - Top fire bat handle (leaf-switch), 8-way

3) ATARI - Ball logo joystick - lots of mid to late 80s ATARI arcade games including Gauntlet/Galaga '88/Indiana Jones/and others, available as 4 or 8 way, with micro-switches or leaf-switches

4) Bally/Midway - Gorf (Cocktail)/Gaplus/Bump 'n Jump/Journey, 8-way

5) Bally/Midway - Pac-Man series (and lots of early 80s Bally/Midway games), 4-way

6) Seimitsu LS-32 2/4/8-Way (modern Japanese Candy Cabinet joystick)

 

1Fbuy3.jpg

 

1) Sega Zaxxon/Super Zaxxon/Future Spy, 8-way flight stick w/trigger

 

The possibilities are almost endless.  But again, and unavoidably, it all still comes down to personal preference, and budget.  Obviously for simplicity and cost, start with a new modern stick (Western or Japanese), and upgrade later if you choose.  I buy vintage joysticks when I'm building any of my Experience Controllers, as I'm attempting to replicate the "arcade experience" as closely as possible.  And as all joysticks feel and react very different, that's a major part of the experience.  

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18 hours ago, doubledown said:

One thing to consider with either of these sticks...they only come with a molded bat knob...in lots of different colors.  So if you want a ball knob...you're out of luck...or are you!?!  iL does make replacement shafts for their EuroJoystick with a 6mm threading on the top so that you can install any color ball or bat knob you want (that you can purchase with this thread size/pitch).    

 

I'm not crazy about the Happ bat-tops either, but yeah, there are options.  Here is what my Happ competitions look like:

 

1654193641_Untitledpicture.thumb.jpg.b33f094e63094dfbef343fe5c814d041.jpg

 

I got the shafts and ball tops from GroovyGameGear.  They're pretty pricey for what they are, but I absolutely love them and cannot go back to the bat-style at this point. 

 

Quote

I believe the HAPP Super is a pure circular 8-way...but the general consensus regarding this stick, is that it's pretty unremarkable.

 

The Super definitely has a smoother circle to it than the Comp.  It's a very durable product and not a bad work-horse joystick but I find it a bit "sloppy;" I can't think of a single situation where I'd rather use a Super than a Competition for an 8-way application.  The Super can easily be converted to a 4-way stick by inverting its actuator.  I have one installed on one of my panels in 4-way configuration and it's still a bit sloppy by itself.  But for a few bucks you can pick up a 4-way restrictor for the Super from GGG and with that sucker installed, I love the Super as a general purpose 4-way stick.  Nobody will ever mistake it for an authentic 80s joystick but it's a very serviceable generic controller to play a wide range of 4-way games.  I also swapped in a ball top for that one as well, which helps a lot.   

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Cynicaster said:

 

I got the shafts and ball tops from GroovyGameGear.  They're pretty pricey for what they are, but I absolutely love them and cannot go back to the bat-style at this point. 

 

Is that the aluminum VersaBall Shaft?  I'm familiar with them, but they don't list them on their website that I can find currently, so I'm not sure if they stopped offering them, or they're waiting for new stock or what?

 

40 minutes ago, Zoyous said:

The bat-top style kind of came along in the 90s with fighting games, is that correct? I don't really remember seeing them around in early 80s arcades.

Bat-knobs definitely came about real late 80s, or early 90s.  Pretty much all fighting games had them, as did a lot of other Midway games like NBA JAM and the likes.  I can work with either, but when I've used bat-knobs joysticks as of late, I've replaced the molded bat-knob shafts with threaded shafts, and used a Crown/Samducksa screw-on bat knobs.  They're a bit thinner diameter than the standard molded ones, and polished smooth, like ball knobs are, not molded/textured as the factory iL or HAPP ones are.  

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On 6/6/2020 at 11:35 AM, solidus said:

So I am in the market for an arcade stick that I can use on my lap or on my coffee table while playing emulators on my living room TV. I have a PC setup that I use while sitting back on the couch, and I normally just use controllers. Do you have any suggestions for a good quality but not absurdly expensive USB arcade stick? I would use it for things like MAME and well as shmups... or pretty much any games that would work well with it.

Not to be like an ad, but it's relevant, so in case you're interested, the Legends Gamer ($199.99) is being upgraded to the Legends Gamer Pro for free if you put in a reservation before June 30. It's the same as the Gamer except with the addition of a trackball.

 

It's the same type of quality controls as found on the Legends Ultimate full-size arcade, and easy to upgrade should you want to swap in different buttons or sticks (or bat-tops). It's a two part system. The first part is a streaming box to hook up to your TV that has 150 built-in arcade and console games, as well as access to game streaming (either free from your own PC or via a service from optimized servers), online leaderboards, running games off USB, etc. The second part is the two player wireless arcade controller, which has both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and can work with other devices.

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52 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Not to be like an ad, but it's relevant, so in case you're interested, the Legends Gamer ($199.99) is being upgraded to the Legends Gamer Pro for free if you put in a reservation before June 30. It's the same as the Gamer except with the addition of a trackball.

 

It's the same type of quality controls as found on the Legends Ultimate full-size arcade, and easy to upgrade should you want to swap in different buttons or sticks (or bat-tops). It's a two part system. The first part is a streaming box to hook up to your TV that has 150 built-in arcade and console games, as well as access to game streaming (either free from your own PC or via a service from optimized servers), online leaderboards, running games off USB, etc. The second part is the two player wireless arcade controller, which has both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and can work with other devices.

So can this be used as a standalone joystick connected to "any" computer running say MAME, via USB, or is it only for use with this streaming hardware component?

 

What brand are the joysticks/buttons...any idea?

 

Is there a 1 player lap-top version, or only this larger 2 player table-top version?

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1 hour ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Not to be like an ad, but it's relevant, so in case you're interested, the Legends Gamer ($199.99) is being upgraded to the Legends Gamer Pro for free if you put in a reservation before June 30. It's the same as the Gamer except with the addition of a trackball.

 

It's the same type of quality controls as found on the Legends Ultimate full-size arcade, and easy to upgrade should you want to swap in different buttons or sticks (or bat-tops). It's a two part system. The first part is a streaming box to hook up to your TV that has 150 built-in arcade and console games, as well as access to game streaming (either free from your own PC or via a service from optimized servers), online leaderboards, running games off USB, etc. The second part is the two player wireless arcade controller, which has both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and can work with other devices.

This is interesting. I wonder how input lag is with the streaming... Ive tried some streaming stuff before and I noticed lag. I imagine things like fighters and shooters where response is crucial may be problematic... Ive played Doom 2016 using a shadow PC and it was really laggy and hard to enjoy

Edited by solidus
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Is that the aluminum VersaBall Shaft?  I'm familiar with them, but they don't list them on their website that I can find currently, so I'm not sure if they stopped offering them, or they're waiting for new stock or what?

Yes, that’s the product.  I ordered them 3-4 years ago and at the time I remember they only had one option in stock for color.    I checked back months later and it was the same situation.  So the impression this gave me was that they were discontinuing production and just trying to sell all the stock they had.  Not sure though. 

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On 6/12/2020 at 4:55 PM, solidus said:

This is interesting. I wonder how input lag is with the streaming... Ive tried some streaming stuff before and I noticed lag. I imagine things like fighters and shooters where response is crucial may be problematic... Ive played Doom 2016 using a shadow PC and it was really laggy and hard to enjoy

There is minimal lag using either your local PC for free or the paid streaming service. Of course, there are always exceptions and hiccups, but it's the same performance you get from the Legends Ultimate. That's on top of the 150 built-in games, which have no lag, as well as on top of adding your own games via USB, which again, has no lag. It's a two part system, a streaming box (really, a console that can also stream), and a wireless arcade controller that works like any other Bluetooth or USB controller.

 

Some new pics (https://www.facebook.com/groups/457437778352096/permalink/721742625254942/?

103007452_10219324991610229_693163570347

104457766_10219324991450225_402196211408

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On 6/12/2020 at 3:54 PM, doubledown said:

So can this be used as a standalone joystick connected to "any" computer running say MAME, via USB, or is it only for use with this streaming hardware component?

 

What brand are the joysticks/buttons...any idea?

 

Is there a 1 player lap-top version, or only this larger 2 player table-top version?

Yes, it's a two part system. One part is the console and the other part is a standard arcade-style two player wireless arcade joystick. You can see it in the message above. The wireless controller works like a standard Bluetooth or USB controller, so should work with most things. 

The parts are our own, but they're equivalent to "name brand" parts. It's easy to swap battops, springs, different buttons, etc. Again, I point to how things have worked with the Legends Ultimate for real-world examples of all that's possible.

We have variations of this product planned in the future, including a 1 player version, but for now (and likely this year) it's going to just be the Gamer and Gamer Pro on offer.

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  • 8 months later...
On 6/11/2020 at 9:12 PM, doubledown said:

 

 

MgauHr.jpg

 

From left to right:

1) Taito (Japanese) - Space Invaders Pt. II (Cocktail), 2-way

2) WICO - Universal replacement joystick - Top fire bat handle (leaf-switch), 8-way

3) ATARI - Ball logo joystick - lots of mid to late 80s ATARI arcade games including Gauntlet/Galaga '88/Indiana Jones/and others, available as 4 or 8 way, with micro-switches or leaf-switches

4) Bally/Midway - Gorf (Cocktail)/Gaplus/Bump 'n Jump/Journey, 8-way

5) Bally/Midway - Pac-Man series (and lots of early 80s Bally/Midway games), 4-way

6) Seimitsu LS-32 2/4/8-Way (modern Japanese Candy Cabinet joystick)

 

 

 

 

I am working on a project where I am adding a Taito Space Invaders CPO, Joystick and fire button to the front of a control panel. as I played a LOT of it as a kid.  I know the ball was very small.    Do you happen to know what size it was?  30 seems to be the smallest I can find anywhere, but that is only 5mm less than the standard 35, and I want to say it was smaller.  Any idea??  ALso, and idea on where I can find the ball top?

 

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I can measure it when I get home tonight...but its probably around 25mm or 28mm.  If you're looking at arcade parts suppliers, you're probably not going to find anything smaller than 30mm.  The original Nintendo arcade sticks used 30mm, 28mm, and 25mm ball knobs...depending on the game, and cabinet type, and MikesArcade.com sells reproductions of all 3 sizes (do a search for "knob" in their search box, top/left corner)...I don't remember what thread they are though.  You can also check McMaster.com (do a search for "ball knob") for different sizes/colors.  FYI, phenolic plastic knobs will be glossy and smooth, polypropylene knobs will be matte, and very slightly textured.  Then you'd have to know what thread size/pitch you'd need.  FYI, 1/4" and M6 are incredibly close to each other...so if you want to install a M6 threaded ball knob onto a 1/4-20 shaft, you can easily "re-tap" the M6 ball threads with a 1/4-20 tap...if they don't have what you're looking for in M6x1mm thread (and vise versa).  

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On 2/23/2021 at 2:36 AM, scotty said:

I am working on a project where I am adding a Taito Space Invaders CPO, Joystick and fire button to the front of a control panel. as I played a LOT of it as a kid.  I know the ball was very small.    Do you happen to know what size it was?  30 seems to be the smallest I can find anywhere, but that is only 5mm less than the standard 35, and I want to say it was smaller.  Any idea??  ALso, and idea on where I can find the ball top?

 

The original Taito cocktail joystick knob is 25mm (1 inch).

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On 2/27/2021 at 11:05 AM, doubledown said:

The original Taito cocktail joystick knob is 25mm (1 inch).

SWEET!!!!!  Thank you so much!!  I ordered these a few days ago, and they were supposed to be here today, but now it says tomomorrow.  No biggie as I still have work to do on the cabinet.  Not the best looking set in the world, but the price is right.  10 for $7.39.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071GZ4BF5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been thinking about buying an arcade stick for awhile, but the Mayflash F300, which is the one I was thinking about buying is sold-out everywhere. So going the DIY route seems like the best option, although still some doubts remain.

 

Is something like this good as case, or should I just buy a wooden box and drill it myself? (https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/dp/B07NKGLZ2P/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=arcade+stick+diy&qid=1616690320&sr=8-1)

 

I was curious about the Industrias Lorenzo products, since they're a spanish brand so shipping should be cheaper (i live in Portugal), but they don't have ball tops, and I grew up with a Quickjoy Megastar joystick so I'm more used to that form. I mostly play shmups and run and guns (almost never fighters, unless they're scrolling beatemups), so I really don't know which product should I buy. I have no idea about gates, or what buttons or sticks are better for shmups (and I prefer something more silent, to not piss off the rest of the family)

 

Amazon has some button kits, and I have no idea if they're good enough for the price (https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/dp/B07Z6GDZM7/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=arcade+stick+diy&qid=1616690602&sr=8-6) or (https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/dp/B078W5JQ1Q/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=arcade+stick+diy&qid=1616690602&sr=8-7)

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