Pinball Wizard and TPA

Way back when TPA for PC was in Beta, in Aug. 2013 Karl had started the Beta sub-forum thread at http://digitalpinballfans.com/showt...l-Wizard-Support?p=96012&viewfull=1#post96012 asking about TPA support for the "Pinball Wizard" from Nanotech. The current manufacturer site for the Pinball Wizard controller is http://nanotechent.com/pinball-wizard.php

I am wondering if in the years since if anyone has gotten that Pinball Wizard to fully work with the analog TPA features that currently works with the Xbox controller. Analog nudging control in TPA with Pinball Wizard? Analog plunger control in TPA with Pinball Wizard? (I find that with the Xbox controller and its default settings in TPA, it's variable on nudging force depending on how fast I move the left joystick on the Xbox controller. For the plunger and the default right joystick of the Xbox Controller, I find that the force is determined on how far back I pull the right joystick.) Has anyone been able to achieve this same level of analog variability using the Pinball Wizard with its nudging? How about with its plunger? If you've gotten these analog features to fully work with Pinball Wizard and TPA did you use a joystick controller mapper such as x360ce, or JoyToKey, or Xpadder?

In general, how have people liked the Pinball Wizard with TPA? Depending on folks' answers to my questions, I may purchase one as it would go nicely with my new setup. I found online yesterday a wall mount that will let me rotate my smaller 40inch TV into portrait mode on the wall. (Prior to my ordering it, I tested with the TV on it's side, and it was a nice experience to have a 34 inch long table in front of me. But not safe for long term use without the wall mount.) Here are some sites for that wall mount that has rotate mode:
Cheetah Articulating Arm TV Wall Mount 23-Inch to 49-Inch, 20-Inch Extension
U.S. Amazon site where it's highly rated: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GTT0VO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Manufacturer site: http://www.cheetahmounts.com/FOR-23-49-p/alamlb.htm

I also bought a barstool for when I am too lazy to stand. Xbox controller will go on a tall box on top of a snack tray in front of me. I'll need a sturdier tall box if I get the Pinball Wizard.

That's a cool accessory, but how much is it? Ttied looking on the site and couldn't find the price.

Been curious about the X-Arcade controllers. Though they don't have a plunger, and I'd use it for old-school games on the 360 (especially for pac-man games which require a precise controlling stick)

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seattlemark said:

I am wondering if in the years since if anyone has gotten that Pinball Wizard to fully work with the analog TPA features that currently works with the Xbox controller.

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Analog nudging works with mine. You will have to calibrate the controller so that the max sensitivity is right, but once you do it works pretty good.

To me the plunger will trigger tilts too often -- it's a real plunger but it's not on a real pinball box (obviously), so the plunger tends to overshake.

Apart from that, I like it. Nice using real buttons.

I use x360ce to map.

Seems awfully fancy, isn't this all you need?

^^ And you look so smart playin' Doom with it !

dave950lam said:

That's a cool accessory, but how much is it? Ttied looking on the site and couldn't find the price.

Been curious about the X-Arcade controllers. Though they don't have a plunger, and I'd use it for old-school games on the 360 (especially for pac-man games which require a precise controlling stick)

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X-Arcade works like a dream for old-school arcade games. I have the tankstick w/adapters for the 360 (the old ones requiring a wired controller) and Super Pac-Man plays so much better with it, though it's still not perfect. Regular Pac, Ms. Pac and Champion edition play perfectly with it, as do most retro games save for the Tron games.

Because of the protruding top surface edges which make my hands uncomfortable, I haven't tried it with any pinball games. The 360 controller works just fine and I'm well used to the control scheme. I use the bumper buttons instead of triggers, because I've lost count of how many triggers I've broken. Those triggers were never meant for quick-time reactive presses with pinball flippers.

workshed said:

Seems awfully fancy, isn't this all you need?

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Perhaps, if we all still had computer hardware with Joystick ports, and operating systems that supported devices on those ports.

rehtroboi40 said:

X-Arcade works like a dream for old-school arcade games. I have the tankstick w/adapters for the 360 (the old ones requiring a wired controller) and Super Pac-Man plays so much better with it, though it's still not perfect. Regular Pac, Ms. Pac and Champion edition play perfectly with it, as do most retro games save for the Tron games.

Because of the protruding top surface edges which make my hands uncomfortable, I haven't tried it with any pinball games. The 360 controller works just fine and I'm well used to the control scheme. I use the bumper buttons instead of triggers, because I've lost count of how many triggers I've broken. Those triggers were never meant for quick-time reactive presses with pinball flippers.

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Thanks for the review of X-arcade for pac-man, as that's the clincher for whether to get one or not. The xbox controllers and other sticks I've tried were soooo loose and doesn't give the control needed for a good game of pac-man.

Interesting that you wore out the trigger buttons on your controller. I must be lucky, since my controller is years old and it works as well since the first time I played PinballFX on the 360.

I may have to get an X-arcade stick.

dave950lam said:

Thanks for the review of X-arcade for pac-man, as that's the clincher for whether to get one or not. The xbox controllers and other sticks I've tried were soooo loose and doesn't give the control needed for a good game of pac-man.

Interesting that you wore out the trigger buttons on your controller. I must be lucky, since my controller is years old and it works as well since the first time I played PinballFX on the 360.

I may have to get an X-arcade stick.

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The triggers can break when the little plastic lever (which is flimsy, per se) inside the trigger snaps and the spring comes off. It can be bad on official 360 controllers, and is even worse on third-party controllers. Especially for quick time trigger presses on pinball games and (as I found out while playing Tron one day) on the MCP cone.....on the ALGOL stage. It's better to use the bumper buttons for those.

My hands are quite small for someone who stands 6' even-amazing that somehow I broke those triggers. And yes, I know what they say about dudes with small hands-they can't handle the original mammoth Xbox controller. (remember that one LOL?)

rehtroboi40 said:

... The 360 controller works just fine and I'm well used to the control scheme. I use the bumper buttons instead of triggers, because I've lost count of how many triggers I've broken. Those triggers were never meant for quick-time reactive presses with pinball flippers.

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I also have the two bumpers set to left and right flippers, and I've done that within TPA's own Controller Settings. As that seems closer to me to pinball flipper buttons than the triggers. But also, in case I want to experiment with a rarer slap-save, I also have the two triggers mapped using JoyToKey as a combination of flipper and nudge by mapping to TPA Keyboard settings as follows:

In JoytoKey, I have the Right Trigger mapped to both keyboard letter "A" (for a Nudge to the Left) and to Right Shift Key (for Right Flipper) . And in JoytoKey, I have the Left Trigger mapped to both keyboard letter "D" (for a Nudge to the Right ) and to Left Shift Key (for Left Flipper). For the slap-save being rarer, an occasional quick hitting of the triggers seems reasonable to me.