[1]The C64 Community Loading... This site is best viewed in a modern browser with JavaScript enabled. Joystick Question. Bronski Hello. Sorry if this has already been asked, does anyone know if the Joystick uses micro switch technology? Thanks! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski Arrrrrr Just found a video on youtube, The C64 Mini - First Look. The guy uses the joystick to move around the menu, as far as I could tell, I couldnt hear the click you get from micro switch technology. I could be wrong but I think they may have cheaped out on the joystick :-( I hope I am wrong and that it does have micro switch technology, will make game playing more responsive. I am sure we will soon know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski Cant say I am having much faith in RetroGamesLTD at the moment. have posted a simple question on here, twitter and facebook and just getting ignored everywhere. Surely its not that hard to answer the question, does the joystick have micro switches, yes or no. Whats so difficult about that? I know they must be busy getting ready for launch but the are answering other questions and posting content. Its starting to take the shine off the c64 for me for sure. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh 1.. Well its stated as a Retro Style Joystick so its not intended as an exact copy of the pro .. 2.. I have a lot of micro switches right here for arcade cabinets that are almost silent so you cant really go by sound these days. 3 .. You can always use a real competition pro with a USB adapter ... 4 .. you will know for sure in 14 days either way [2]:) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski [3]synchromesh Thanks for taking the time to read my post and reply! I hope they have stayed as close to the original as possible and does have micro switch technology, will just make playing games more enjoyable to play, nothing worse than having a non responsive control, it just frustrates you and puts you off playing. Once again, thanks for the input! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh [4]Bronski I hope they have stayed as close to the original as possible and does have micro switch technology, will just make playing games more enjoyable to play, Agreed ..Back in the day Micro switches were only for Arcade machines as a rule which is what made the pro stand out from the crowd ...These days switches are so cheap I find it hard to believe they would use old Leaf contacts like the Quickshots .. Lets face it they were a little rubbish inside ... On the other hand it could enhance the Retro experience [5]:) [6]Retro -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski [7]synchromesh Thanks for the reply and I must say, a blast from the past!!!!! My god, I remember having a quick shot joystick, it was awful, if I remember rightly, the first one I had snapped, took it back and Currys allowed me to change it for, yep, another quick shot. It was the quick shot joystick that made me get a paper round and clean the cars and cut the lawns of my neighbors to get the money together to buy 2 competition pros and some games. Thanks for the blast from the past! Fingers are still crossed until we know for sure. Not long now :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski I’m 99.9% sure the joystick does not have micro switch technology, just saw a video on YouTube of the actual items being made, looks like they cheaped out on the joystick. I just cancelled my pre order with amazon, I’ll stick with my emulator and my PS4 controller to play c64 games. My c64 dream ends here :-( -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goclastninja Yes we can all use emulators but thats not really the point I had the comp pro and I get what you guys are saying about it probably not having them but I reckon the stick will work fine and im sure the community will find ways to get it compatible with usb controllers etc with button mapping,dont cancel your pre order mate you know in your heart its a really cool product regardless of the way you feel about the stick,people like us keep the love for the 64 alive and im sure the devs love it just as much as we all do,I salute them for throwing everything behind something like the mini knowing they probably wont sell near as much as the recent nes or snes mini I hope it does but thats another story,show the mini the love and support it deserves,and help keep the 64 alive and hopefully grow and gain new supporters of everything c64,I cant wait and ive pre ordered two from smyths toys here in Dublin,one for me and one for my older brother as the 64 was a huge part of our childhoods even now at 38 I still come back to the 64 on emulators and stuff,love my ps4 pro and im still addicted to cod ww2 and gta online but gaming knowdays lacks a magic that only people like us would ever understand,peace out guys,11 days to go....cant wait -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh [8]Goclastninja Yes we can all use emulators but thats not really the point Exactly !! Apart from the fact this is to help fund the "Full Sized Version " it looks great fun .. Keeps the C64 Alive and the joysticks a bonus really not a requirement ( your favorite controller will do ) To cancel because of that is somewhat missing the whole point of the project [9]:( -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trinket [10]synchromesh Keeps the C64 Alive The C64 is quite alive regardless of mass-market monetisers. [11]synchromesh To cancel because of that is somewhat missing the whole point of the project [12]:( The point of the project from a customer perspective is to recreate their nostalgic experiences. Different people associate different things to those experiences. For some it will be the tactile feel of the joystick. For others it might the accuracy of SID emulation (the background noise is one of my nostalgia triggers), recreation of CRT style displays, the responsiveness of the zero-lag original environment, the feel of the keyboard, and/or many other things. It won't sell to those whose nostalgia focuses on very specific elements, but rather to those who just want a general sense of it again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PantherUK Pretty sure they've said you can use any USB controller, so it's all good... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski [13]Trinket Thank you! You kind of said what I was thinking, feeling! For me, the biggest pull of the 64 mini was the included joystick. 64 emulators are 10 a penny and have been around for years, the competition pro joystick being bought back with the 64 mini sold it for me, brilliant I thought! The joystick was my gaming childhood and for it to come back put a huge smile on my face. It would wipe all the amazing memories I had playing with the comp pro to play on a cheap clone. I lost heart a little when I asked a simple question on every platform only to have my question ignored whilst others had theirs answered. From the little info I have been able to gather, I come to the conclusion the joystick will not be how I remember it to be, I have used cheap pads / joysticks, their no fun, they just frustrate your game play, more so on 8 bit machines when you need to be somewhat more precise with your movements / combinations. Whilst they have never said it would be exactly the same as the competition pro joystick, they also never said it wouldnt, if your going to go to the effort to bring something that was once brilliant back, at least make it as true to the original as possible, that's what made memories! I did cancel my preorder, as I wont get nothing from the 64 mini that I dont already get with my emulators apart from the little 64 case and £65 in my pocket. The comp pro joystick was worth the £65 to me. I am excited for everyone who is looking forward to getting theirs though and I do wish the makers the best if luck, I do think they missed a trick with the joystick sadly so for me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh [14]Trinket The point of the project from a customer perspective is to recreate their nostalgic experiences. Different people associate different things to those experiences. For some it will be the tactile feel of the joystick. For others it might the accuracy of SID emulation (the background noise is one of my nostalgia triggers), recreation of CRT style displays, the responsiveness of the zero-lag original environment, the feel of the keyboard, and/or many other things. It won't sell to those whose nostalgia focuses on very specific elements, but rather to those who just want a general sense of it again. My advice them are... If you expect that then Buy a real C64. Its not 1985 its 2018. Even a new competition pro made today with Micro switches would feel different. Different switches, Plastics. Rubbers and moulds.. I own a c64X and a USB competition pro although close as the keyboard and plastics are ... Its just not the same and never will be [15]:( -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh [16]Bronski For me, the biggest pull of the 64 mini was the included joystick. Well you still don't actually know what's inside yet ... Pretty sure someone will strip one and take a look [17]:) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DreamcastPast [18]Bronski Just a quick point, I have numerous Competition Pro's for my 64 and not all of them were manufactured with microswitches. I strip mine down for cleaning when I get them, I have a few that just have two metal contacts per input i.e. no microswitches. In fact, of all the Competition Pro's I have I use the non microswitch versions as my main joysticks. But each to their own. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goclastninja The ds4 analogue sticks are top notch and I dont think they work on micro switches Ive always found some classic games can play even better on a top notch usb pad or stick,I was just playing escape from colditz on an amiga emulator and it plays great with the ds4 analogue -------------------------------------------------------------------------- spannernick1 Joystick is based on the C64DTV so no Microswitches,uses rubber contacts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- RetroBiker The latest video on the "Laird's Lair" YouTube channel confirms that the joystick is not microswitched, but there will be a microswitched one in due course... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goclastninja Retrobiker I back that up watched his upload last night,he also said that added games can only be read in disk format I find that a bummer because he also said its running a version of vice,dont get why it can't read roms in cartridge format -------------------------------------------------------------------------- RetroBiker [19]Goclastninja The "firmware" is updatable. If a future upgrade doesn't allow this, I'm sure someone will hack it... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [20]Next Page » References Visible links 1. https://community.thec64.com/ 3. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/4 4. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/5 7. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/6 8. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/9 10. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/10 11. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/10 13. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/12 14. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/12 16. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/13 18. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/13 19. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/19 20. https://community.thec64.com/d/87?page=2&id=87-joystick-question [1]The C64 Community Loading... This site is best viewed in a modern browser with JavaScript enabled. Joystick Question. Bronski I remember when I bought my Pros, I paid quite a lot at the time for the micro switch version, was one of the best sticks I ever had, my mates hated it if I went around theirs for a game and took my pro, just the speed at which the pro reacted was unbeatable. Really interested to hear that Retro are thinking about releasing a version with micro switch technology, whilst I have decided to pass on the 64 mini and stick with my pi3 emulator, for now, if the said joystick is released, they will get my money all day long! Few people think I am mad for cancelling my preorder, maybe, maybe not. That said, I am still mega happy for everyone that's got one on the way! The fun for me is everyone else's excitement waiting. Only 6 more sleeps -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goclastninja Bronski hey man im not that bad with getting stuff to work on computers an stuff but cant get vice working on my pie,the games wont load,gave up trying if I start a game it just stays on the c64 basic screen saying its found a star symbol if you know what I mean and no matter what I press the loading wont continue or work,any ideas? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski [2]Goclastninja Hi Goolastninja! Sorry to hear your having problems. As much as I’d love to help, I’m not sure that here would be the right place. I’d hate to turn my back on anyone wanting help just as much as I’d hate to talk about a product that is / could be seen as a direct threat to the c64 mini, more so whilst using another’s platform to do so. I hope you understand? What I will say is your problem is easy to fix, just have a dig about online and you’ll find the answer! Best of luck! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gurce Hi Bronski, I was having a read of the recently added faq page: [3]https://thec64.com/faq/ I noticed they answered your question there: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Does THEC64 Joystick use micro switches? No, THEC64 Joystick uses tactile switches. However, if there is enough demand then we will certainly consider producing a joystick that uses micro switches in the future. My take on it is I think they are a small/modestly sized team behind this, so it's hard to make everybody's dreams come true with this initial system. Still, despite any shortcomings this initial system may have, I feel the team's heart is in the right place. Perhaps (hopefully) with the profits made on this initial release could lead to an even greater and more polished+refined product in their following working-keyboard version. I've enjoyed watching their journey from the sidelines on facebook and wish them all the best with this. I too have noticed a pattern of them replying a little selectively to queries on facebook. I'm going to give them a pass on that for now, as perhaps I sense they want to focus on the positives of the system prior to its official release, and not highlight any shortcomings just yet. Once this device is in the hands of consumers though, there probably will be more of a need to answer the prickly questions too though :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bronski [4]Gurce Hi Gurce! Thanks for taking the time to reply. Was really interesting to read your opinion. I have to say, having read your take, it somewhat made me start to see the trees within the woods. I guess it was all too easy to get wraped up into thinking this was a large commercial project, the reality is, it was pulled off by a rather small team of people with limited funds and as much as they would like to make everyone’s dreams come true, everything has a limit and I guess they did what they felt was best to ensure they delivered the best they could with the limits they had. I have nothing but the up most respect for Chris Smith, He turned his love and talent and dreams into reality for all to enjoy as much as he clearly does. Like yourself. I have followed this project from day one, sadly I never funded it after having been burnt with the vega handheld saga, that put me off ever crowdfunding any project ever again, however its impossible not to have respect for what they have achieved with the c64 mini despite its perceived shortcomings. I did cancel my preorder but your right, their love to make this happen at all costs deserves nothing but support so based on that, I am going to buy one again. I hope they do release a micro switch version of the competition pro joystick, as I said, they would get my money all day long. If I had to pick one thing that spoilt the project, I’d have to agree completely with your comment about their selective response to comments. For me, that’s what spoilt this project, I found it disappointing that some comments and questions got completly ignored whilst others went answered. the real test like you say will come when It’s in the hands of customers, that will be the make or brake of any future projects they dream up and expect people to invest in. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- synchromesh [5]Trinket The point of the project from a customer perspective is to recreate their nostalgic experiences. Different people associate different things to those experiences. For some it will be the tactile feel of the joystick. For others it might the accuracy of SID emulation (the background noise is one of my nostalgia triggers), recreation of CRT style displays, the responsiveness of the zero-lag original environment, the feel of the keyboard, and/or many other things. It won't sell to those whose nostalgia focuses on very specific elements, but rather to those who just want a general sense of it again. My advice them are... If you expect that then Buy a real C64. Its not 1985 its 2018. Even a new competition pro made today with Micro switches would feel different. Different switches, Plastics. Rubbers and moulds.. I own a c64X and a USB competition pro although close as the keyboard and plastics are ... Its just not the same and never will be [6]:( -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [7]« Previous Page References Visible links 1. https://community.thec64.com/ 2. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/22 3. https://thec64.com/faq/ 4. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/23 5. https://community.thec64.com/d/87/12 7. https://community.thec64.com/d/87?page=1&id=87-joystick-question