Response from Jonathan: Rick,

From your description, I think you maybe mixing up leaf switches with microswitches. Leaf switches are made up of metal connectors and are used on joysticks for older games such as your Ms. Pac Man cocktail. Replacement leaf switches can be purchased here from our friends at Twisted Quarter. You also have the option of replacing the joystick with one that uses the microswitches you referenced earlier. Microswitches are much more common in games produced after 1990 and make a satisfying clicking sound when they are pressed. Leaf switch and microswitch joysticks both have a distinctive feel and many people prefer the leaf switch style to microswitch as it’s what the game used originally. Of course, the choice is yours. You can get a microswitch joystick and pac man adapter plate from Twisted Quarter as well if you want to go that route. Also, we highly recommend checking out our post on Repairing Joystick Switch Issues as it discusses the difference between the two and how to repair them.

Hope that helps. Thank you for your question and good luck with your repair.