leaf or micro???????

pacalman

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thinking about going with micro switch buttons on the pac and centipede. just wanted to know if they are hard to change over to? or is one better than the other? Thanks
 
the pac man series is not as good with the microswitch joystick.

centipede I guess you just have the fire button.
curious if it would constantly fire if you just held down a microswitch.
 
on the pac i just wanted to do player 1 & 2 with the trans blue micro. i didn't think about the centipede fire button working if you hold it down. i think it would? i wanted to go with a trans red balls and buttons.
 
Yes... of course it would continue fire. A button is all about "contact"... either pressing two metal leafs together (leaf) or snapping two tiny metal contacts together (microswitch). If you hold either down, you're holding the metal together creating a contact.

That said, microswitch buttons suck on classics. Why? Because they're not stock. Why mess with something that isn't broke? Just an opinion of course...
 
thinking about going with micro switch buttons on the pac and centipede. just wanted to know if they are hard to change over to? or is one better than the other? Thanks

Personally, I prefer the 'feel' of the original leaf switches, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I would only go with microswitches if I couldn't find a source for a leaf switch assembly for a certain game. Is there a particular reason you want to change over?
 
Yeah, electrically, microswitches are exactly the same as their leaf counterparts. "Feel"-wise, they're totally different. Microswitch parts just don't feel right in some games. For example, my Robotron currently has microswitch sticks. Now, they work fine, but the feel is all wrong. And they're only in there since it came like that and I don't have suitable replacements. Likewise, my Berzerk came with a microswitch stick that someone fitted - but that game really feels wrong with that stick, and I'm currently on the lookout for an 8-way leaf stick to fix it.

If at all possible, stick with the right parts for the game - but if the correct parts aren't available, then yeah, microswitch parts are workable replacements. Just expect to get flack from gamers that are horrified to find a Pac with a microswitch stick ;)

-Ian
 
Sticking translucent buttons and ball tops on dedicated cabinets like what you are suggesting is like sticking Dayton's on a front wheel drive 1980's Civic...

...it just looks... wrong.
 
In my opinion they're worse than the leafs (leaves?).

I had micro-switches in the cabinet I put my Time Pilot 84 in... after a couple of hours, I finally scavenged a leaf switch off of a spare CP and put it in. The response is faster (shorter throw) and they're easier to press. Micros are better in fighting games... but that's about it... for a game where you just have to press the button once in a blue-moon or just hold it down for longer periods of time, a micro will work fine. But for a game (like Time Pilot 84) where you're constantly pressing the button over and over again... your forearm will thank you if you stick with leafs.

As for the joystick... again, for a fighting game... micros. For Pacs, leave the leaf switches... the clicking sound will get on your nerves eventually for standard games. This is especially true with games like Robotron, Pac, ... actually, lemme keep the list short and just say non-fighting games. They feel better, they respond better (again, non-fighting games) because you get that little bit of resistance that builds toward the full throw of the joystick, and they don't sound like someone is under your CP shaking a paint can with a single tic-tac in it.

They do make translucent leaf switches in pretty much every color you could want.
 
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C64 Basic

In my opinion they're worse than the leafs (leaves?).

I had micro-switches in the cabinet I put my Time Pilot 84 in... after a couple of hours, I finally scavenged a leaf switch off of a spare CP and put it in. The response is faster (shorter throw) and they're easier to press. Micros are better in fighting games... but that's about it... for a game where you just have to press the button once in a blue-moon or just hold it down for longer periods of time, a micro will work fine. But for a game (like Time Pilot 84) where you're constantly pressing the button over and over again... your forearm will thank you if you stick with leafs.

As for the joystick... again, for a fighting game... micros. For Pacs, leave the leaf switches... the clicking sound will get on your nerves eventually for standard games. This is especially true with games like Robotron, Pac, ... actually, lemme keep the list short and just say non-fighting games. They feel better, they respond better (again, non-fighting games) because you get that little bit of resistance that builds toward the full throw of the joystick, and they don't sound like someone is under your CP shaking a paint can with a single tic-tac in it.

They do make translucent leaf switches in pretty much every color you could want.

Love the Commodore 64 (or Basic Language) reference! hehe....I haven't thought about "Load "*",8,1 in FOREVER!!

Just sayin...

J
 
Something that hasn't been mentioned, in favor of leaf switches. The contacts are self cleaning. So no bad contacts due to oxidation. They are also adjustable for feel. But you have to be really picky to go to the trouble.
 
Micros are only good on fighters, and maybe some other Jamma games where you hold the button to fire. I used to not like leafs, but the more I play and tinker with classics, the more I like them.
 
Has there yet been enough feedback on these?: http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=309

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.


I use one in my Tron joystick... works well enough and the leverage REALLY takes some of the load off, you can barely feel the things (and oddly enough, not really hear them at all...). After playing an original Tron (giant leaf), and then my Tron (mico-leaf)... I do like mine a little bit better... much easier on the forearm after an hour or so.
 
pacman - leaf, 'long as you keep the contacts clean and the gap just right! :D. also depends on the gap you set betwixt the microswitch lever (by bending) and joystick lever
 
I toyed with the notion of using micros instead of leafs in my classics. It's just not the same and I prefer the leafs IMHO.
 
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