Improve The Gp32 Joystick

[thegrimreaper]

I don't know if anyone else has tried this VERY simple trick (I couldn't find anything after a quick search on the forums), but I've been having trouble playing PacMan in Mame because the GP32 joystick seems to be too sensitive.

However, I was playing around with it last night and I've made it loads easier to use (for me anyway).

What I found...

Very slowly move the joystick around, listening for the clicks as each of the top, right, bottom, then left switches activate. I noticed, that on my GP32, the joystick seemed to be difficult to move easily from a "left only" click position, to "top only" click position (especially when used at speed in games). This meant that games like Pacman keep me moving in upwards direction, when really I wanted to switch to start moving left.

To fix this problem with the GP32 joystick and make it more like other d-pads I'm used to, just add some thin card inside the hole for the joystick. Simply prise off the joystick (a pair of scissors works well for doing this), then I added a 5mm deep length of card long enough to wrap around the outside of the d-pad hole about 2 times.

After doing that, all the games I've tried it on seem to be much easier to control and things go where you want them to (the diagonals still seem to work when needed too).

It's made using my BLU+ so much easier.

 

[phoda]

Can you provide some pictures?

 

[Quiest]

Can you provide some pictures?

​

I second that, I maybe imagine what you are doing but I want to see some pictures

 

[shinneri]

...Do your diagonals still work?

 

[Aiken]

...Do your diagonals still work?

​

who wants diagonals for pac-man?

Aiken

 

[Steve-O]

their was another tip where you put paper behind the Controller bit and the back of the case

 

[tattooman]

Showing us some pictures would be great as what you are saying it terrifying to just rip off the front joy stick, a walk through would be best.

 

[thegrimreaper]

I hope these photos work, I've just created an account on a photo site to get these online).

Here is a picture of the simple change I've made to the GP32...

I have to admit that it was a surprise to me when the joystick started to work a lot better. This made me think "why is it so much better now?", and I've come up with the following conclusion.


When you use the joystick, you tend to push the joystick as far as it will go, until it hits the plastic of the GP32.

Unfortunately, when the GP32 comes straight out of the box, the range of movement allowed by the joystick is too great. This will result in the joystick following the black line indicated in the following diagram.

Notice how much of the circumference of this circle falls into the green and orange areas (apologies for the diagrams, they were done in MS Paint). What this means, is that it's going to be more likely to be in a diagonal position than an "up only", "left only" position etc. What I found is that I be pushing the joystick "left only" (which worked OK), then when I tried to move it to an "up only" it was difficult to get it in just the right position.

Therefore, limiting the size of the circle the joystick can move could improve usability (if it's done right). By putting in the bit of card around the joystick hole, I've effectively reduced the area the joystick can move in to this. Resulting in a range of movement indicated by the black line in this diagram.

Notice that the black line now seems to spend about the same amount of time in the orange and green areas, as it does in the blue and red areas. This should mean that it is easier to find "up only" from "left only" because the "up only" position has a higher percentage of the up position than the previous diagram.


A note of caution though. If you use too much card to limit the movement of the joystick, then you'll end up with a joystick that doesn't respond at all. Or, if you use just the right amount of card, then you'll end up with something like the diagram below, where direct up, down, left and right work, but the diagonals are just about impossible to reach.

The best thing about this modification, is that you don't need to unscrew anything and it can even be completely removed and leave no evidence that you did this (therefore not invalidating any warrenty you might have).

The joystick is fairly easy to remove, just get a pair of scissors and open them up slightly so that they are wider than the stick of the joystick. Then slide the open scissors under the joystick and gently prise it up. Don't try to use a screwdriver on one side of the joystick, something that can apply pressure to both sides of the joystick at the same time makes it much easier to remove.

 

[Fishbong]

their was another tip where you put paper behind the Controller bit and the back of the case

​

But this tip you mentioned is for enhancing the responsibility of the stick. I fear i didn´t understand what thegrimreaper´s problem is, but his stick seems to be too responsive. Usually it´s the other way around, you fix your ministick if it isn´t responsive anymore.

 

[thegrimreaper]

One other thing to think about is if you're joystick isn't centred EXACTLY in the middle of the plastic hole. Then you'll have a black circle which would be off centre in the diagrams above and it would mean that it would be easier to get some positions than other. e.g. if the joystick is in the top/left of the hole, then UP+LEFT would probably be more to find than DOWN+RIGHT.

 

[Quiest]

Nice analysis!

 

[Lethe]

I thnik he means that if the joystick doesn't move as much, you can play better. It's pretty hard to explain, but I always thought the joystick moved too much (far)during play.

 

[shinneri]

I like the joystick as it is (especially considering most of my games I use my GP for work fine with diagonals). But I understand what you mean now that you explained it better. Pretty cool.

 

[Esn]

Hmm, but your diagonals worked perfectly? My problem is that my diagonals don't work as well as they should (I own an FLU). This probably wouldn't work for me, then. Anyway, how did you get the joystick out? I tried pulling it out once but I got scared because it felt like it wouldn't come out and I was afraid to break it!

 

[thegrimreaper]

Hmm, but your diagonals worked perfectly? My problem is that my diagonals don't work as well as they should (I own an FLU). This probably wouldn't work for me, then. Anyway, how did you get the joystick out? I tried pulling it out once but I got scared because it felt like it wouldn't come out and I was afraid to break it!

​

Maybe your joystick doesn't move as far as it should and therefore doesn't reach the diagonal areas very well (as in the last diagram above). You could try cutting a bigger hole for the joystick to move in, or sand paper the joystick itself so it moves more before hitting the plastic. I would be more cautious with this modification though, as your allowing for greater movement of the switch underneath and if you go too far you might break the switch.

Getting the joystick out really is quite easy, as long as you prise it up on both sides at the same time. That's why I recommend you use a thin pair of scissors, so that you can lever the joystick out using pressure on both sides of the joystick. I tried using a screwdriver at first, but that really doesn't work very well as it puts all the pressure on one side of the joystick.

 

[saintdragon]

great work!

i think il have to do this sometime....

my diagonals are BS! when i play moonwalker on DR.MD it takes so long for me to go up the stairs!