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Questons about the Bally Astrocade...


ataridave

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Are the "trigger-style" controllers comfortable, and where can I get one?? Also, can I use the male/female TV adapter with the Astrocade, and what is the keyboard on the system for? And did all of the games listed here:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/ads_and_catalogs/bally/bally.html

 

get released?

Edited by dave4shmups
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The trigger controllers ARE comfortable! They're shaped just like pistol handles, and are among the best joysticks available in the early 1980s. The joysticks are responsive and have a fair amount of give to them, unlike other sticks of the time which tend to be very tight and unyielding.

 

Astrocade trigger controllers are fairly rare... I don't think you're going to find them outside of eBay or a site like Good Deal Games. Even then it'll be tough to get the controller without an Astrocade to go along with it!

 

JR

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The trigger controllers ARE comfortable! They're shaped just like pistol handles, and are among the best joysticks available in the early 1980s. The joysticks are responsive and have a fair amount of give to them, unlike other sticks of the time which tend to be very tight and unyielding.

 

Astrocade trigger controllers are fairly rare... I don't think you're going to find them outside of eBay or a site like Good Deal Games. Even then it'll be tough to get the controller without an Astrocade to go along with it!

 

JR

 

Good to know, thanks!! :) How often do you have to use the keyboard on this system?

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Not at all, unless you plan to make games in BASIC. That "keyboard" you're talking about is just a calculator keypad, and it isn't necessary to play games. The beauty of the Astrocade is that you can "dial in" all your choices using the trigger controller... just twist the joystick to change the option, then squeeze the trigger to select it. The trigger controller is a lot like those old Ikari Warriors arcade machines in that it works as both a joystick AND a paddle, all at once.

 

JR

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Not at all, unless you plan to make games in BASIC. That "keyboard" you're talking about is just a calculator keypad, and it isn't necessary to play games. The beauty of the Astrocade is that you can "dial in" all your choices using the trigger controller... just twist the joystick to change the option, then squeeze the trigger to select it. The trigger controller is a lot like those old Ikari Warriors arcade machines in that it works as both a joystick AND a paddle, all at once.

 

JR

 

Wow, that sounds great! I was going to ask what the dial is for. Now if I could just find a system!

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I too was looking for a system for years, and found it to be disappointing. Although I'm sure the controller was utilized well in some games, for the games I was interested in (Incredible Wizard and that Galaxian game) it felt pretty awkward. Also for every game you have to choose number of players and level before you start...just seemed clumsy to me. I got rid of it after a few weeks.

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I've got an Astrocade I've been restoring, but I'm at a road block in it's restoration, and have yet to play it. The problem is the original power pack is burned out and not servicable, and they are extremely rare since they are "permanently" (they can be unplugged IF you open up the system) attached to the system, so it's extremely difficult to find them seperately. And you can't just go and use a substitute power-pack either, becuase they are VERY unique, they have DUAL power outputs of 11.5 VAC @ 85 MA, AND 7.5 VAC @ 1 AMP coming off the powerpack with four wires! So unique are they that they had patents pending with the patent numbers printed on the powerpacks! So, needless to say, this is a HUGE downside to the system, should you get one that the powerpack is burned out like mine, or should the ancient powerpack burn out on you at some point, you basically shit out of luck. Like me, so far...

Other than that, it's an incredible system with arcade quality (from the early 80's) and was light years ahead technilogically/spec wise to the Atari 2600, Odyssey2, Intellivision and other systems of it's era. Good luck in your quest. I do have two of the controllers, but I'm a bit hesitant to sell, in case I ever do get a powerpack or buy another system, I'll need them.

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I've got an Astrocade I've been restoring, but I'm at a road block in it's restoration, and have yet to play it. The problem is the original power pack is burned out and not servicable, and they are extremely rare since they are "permanently" (they can be unplugged IF you open up the system) attached to the system, so it's extremely difficult to find them seperately. And you can't just go and use a substitute power-pack either, becuase they are VERY unique, they have DUAL power outputs of 11.5 VAC @ 85 MA, AND 7.5 VAC @ 1 AMP coming off the powerpack with four wires! So unique are they that they had patents pending with the patent numbers printed on the powerpacks! So, needless to say, this is a HUGE downside to the system, should you get one that the powerpack is burned out like mine, or should the ancient powerpack burn out on you at some point, you basically shit out of luck. Like me, so far...

Other than that, it's an incredible system with arcade quality (from the early 80's) and was light years ahead technilogically/spec wise to the Atari 2600, Odyssey2, Intellivision and other systems of it's era. Good luck in your quest. I do have two of the controllers, but I'm a bit hesitant to sell, in case I ever do get a powerpack or buy another system, I'll need them.

 

Well, good luck in your quest! That's crazy about those power-packs; you'd think that with an older system like that, the only power issue would be with the AC adapter.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Are the "trigger-style" controllers comfortable, and where can I get one?? Also, can I use the male/female TV adapter with the Astrocade, and what is the keyboard on the system for? And did all of the games listed here:

 

http://www.ballyalley.com/ads_and_catalogs/bally/bally.html

 

get released?

 

My book has an entire chapter on the Bally Astrocade, with a system history/biography and descriptions/reviews for every released game for the system. For more details, click on the following:

 

http://brettweisswords.blogspot.com/

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