Atari 2600 Joystick...Joysticks?

[Berzerker]

So I just got your regular old Atari 2600 controller from an Amazon seller, who claims it's an original. I'm PRETTY sure he's right, but I had some questions about how one would look like new, bought in 1981.

 

One of the pads is missing and replaced with some ABC gum type solution, but it's the joystick that's particularly odd. Why? Well, it's made of rubber, of course! And it EASILY slips off. This isn't really a problem during gameplay, but did the original Atari 2600 joysticks have a cheap rubber slip like this!? I've looked and numerous pictures and watched numerous videos and I see the Joystick but I just can't TELL from looks if it's like that for everyone, and of course no one specifies what the damn thing's made of anyway. Under the slip, there's an odd white stick that has a hole in the middle. There's dirt inside this hole and around the edges. How did that even happen!?

 

The controller works fine for most games, but playing Berzerk, Adventure, ET, or any game that requires diagonal movements is a nightmare. Why? It's just not responsive enough to move diagonally, and only works a small fraction of the time. Would it be basically like this new, or is it an age thing? Is it because of the dirt, myabe!?

 

So since we've narrowed it down that there's a high chance that this isn't the original joystick cover, what would the original be like anyway? From what I see in videos and pictures the...Base part that...Isn't the stick part looks rubbery, but the stick itself looks plasticy. So how would some rubber-plastic thing like that even fall off in the first place!? Or again, is this how the controller would be new!? Or DO I have the original slip, just now it can fall off!? Or was the original slip nearly IDENTICAL to this one, and this is a great replacement!? Please, help me!

 

Also, PLEASE acknowledge every part of the post. It's annoying when you know all the information and are nice enough to comment and help me a lot but I still have one floating question...

[homerwannabee]

So I just got your regular old Atari 2600 controller from an Amazon seller, who claims it's an original. I'm PRETTY sure he's right, but I had some questions about how one would look like new, bought in 1981.

 

One of the pads is missing and replaced with some ABC gum type solution, but it's the joystick that's particularly odd. Why? Well, it's made of rubber, of course! And it EASILY slips off. This isn't really a problem during gameplay, but did the original Atari 2600 joysticks have a cheap rubber slip like this!? I've looked and numerous pictures and watched numerous videos and I see the Joystick but I just can't TELL from looks if it's like that for everyone, and of course no one specifies what the damn thing's made of anyway. Under the slip, there's an odd white stick that has a hole in the middle. There's dirt inside this hole and around the edges. How did that even happen!?

 

The controller works fine for most games, but playing Berzerk, Adventure, ET, or any game that requires diagonal movements is a nightmare. Why? It's just not responsive enough to move diagonally, and only works a small fraction of the time. Would it be basically like this new, or is it an age thing? Is it because of the dirt, myabe!?

 

So since we've narrowed it down that there's a high chance that this isn't the original joystick cover, what would the original be like anyway? From what I see in videos and pictures the...Base part that...Isn't the stick part looks rubbery, but the stick itself looks plasticy. So how would some rubber-plastic thing like that even fall off in the first place!? Or again, is this how the controller would be new!? Or DO I have the original slip, just now it can fall off!? Or was the original slip nearly IDENTICAL to this one, and this is a great replacement!? Please, help me!

 

Also, PLEASE acknowledge every part of the post. It's annoying when you know all the information and are nice enough to comment and help me a lot but I still have one floating question...

I have no clue what exactly you are talking about with the rubber part of the joystick. Maybe it is a heavy sixer joystick? The way you can tell if it is heavy sixer is if does not say top on the joystick. Also the button is springy. As far as the ultimate test to tell weather it is an Atari joystick or not, it is this. Check the plug of the joystick. Does it say Atari on it? If it does, than it is an original Atari joystick. If the plug does not say anything or some other company then it is not an original Atari joystick.

[Mirage]

Without a pic it's really hard to tell exactly what you're talking about, but yes, the main stick cover is rubber-like (soft, not hard plastic). They were attached new, but it usually would come off after some hard usage. BITD, we used to just leave them off and just use the white plastic part most of the time. It never was the most responsive controller new, especially diagonally, but it sounds like yours probably is worse for wear. It could be because of dirt, but also the plastic part may be broken or breaking. They used to sell replacements.

 

What is amazing to me is that apparently it's come to buying beat up old crappy patched up Atari 2600 joysticks on Amazon? Really? Has it become that hard to buy them? Heck, a better solution probably would have been to have bought a whole setup for cheap that includes some sticks. If I bought a separate one on Amazon and someone sent me something in the condition that you're describing, I'd be pretty P.O.'ed honestly. They're not rare, they're not expensive, and I hope at least the thing doesn't have any chew marks on it. It sounds like something I wouldn't bother using at all! (Sorry, I just hope you didn't pay much!)

[Nukey Shay]

The inner part of an Atari CX-40 stick is a white hard plastic tube that leads into the black plastic case. A softer black vinyl-like cover slipped over the tube. A black plastic ring slips over the cover to attach it firmly to the base.

 

It sounds like your joystick is missing the plastic ring...or the cover has accidentally slipped above it. There should be visible holes in the case if the ring is missing. If the ring is present, use a flat screwdriver to carefully pry it out of the 4 holes...put the cover back over the tube, then snap the ring back over it.

Edited January 25, 2011 by Nukey Shay

[A.J. Franzman]

I advise against removing the ring in the manner described above; they're very easily broken, even if you disassemble the controller to remove the ring from the inside. However, with a little bit of fiddling, the vinyl boot of a CX-40 (the common, later style of Atari 2600 joystick) can be worked back under the ring, even without using any tools -- I've done it several times. The boot of the earlier CX-10 style joystick (the spring-loaded one mentioned above by homerwannabee) has tabs on it and may not be possible to reinstall without removing the ring.

[Nukey Shay]

That is why I used the word "carefully". The ring shouldn't break if you aren't putting so much pressure on it to cause it to bend or twist. Caution should always be used with 20+ year old equipment

 

If it happens constantly, you could try using a little crazy glue between the vinyl boot and top cover, I suppose.

[SlowCoder]

The boot of the earlier CX-10 style joystick (the spring-loaded one mentioned above by homerwannabee) has tabs on it and may not be possible to reinstall without removing the ring.

 

Yeah, it can be done. I have a couple of these sticks and, as with everything I get, I completely parted, cleaned and reassembled them. I've never removed the rings for any of my CX40 or CX10 sticks. You just have to fenagle carefully.

[raskar42]

hope you didn't pay too much for the joystick - sounds like a vintage joystick that saw heavy use.

 

I believe the internals are different based on the year

 

 

 

(courtesy of Best Electronics)

 

as a note - for the joystick for the flashback 2 - the stick unscrews from the base. every once in a while i'll get one in a joystick lot.

[diogoandrei]

hope you didn't pay too much for the joystick - sounds like a vintage joystick that saw heavy use.

 

I believe the internals are different based on the year

 

 

 

(courtesy of Best Electronics)

 

as a note - for the joystick for the flashback 2 - the stick unscrews from the base. every once in a while i'll get one in a joystick lot.

 

..by the way, this Gold CX40 PCB board from Best Electronics look interesting. Anyone tried this?

[dpg]

Buy brand new ones. I bought one of those little Atari consoles at Walmart for $15 and it included two joysticks. The rubber is a little harder than the original but otherwise they seem the same. And they are new.

I put my originals away and have been using these fot two years. They even have the same plug.

[Charlie_]

Buy brand new ones. I bought one of those little Atari consoles at Walmart for $15 and it included two joysticks. The rubber is a little harder than the original but otherwise they seem the same. And they are new.

I put my originals away and have been using these fot two years. They even have the same plug.

 

The flashback 2 joysticks are pretty good, but they have a slightly longer throw to them than the old Atari stick.

 

I was playing Dragons Fire the other day with a fb2 stick and the shaft separated from the base!

[jferio]

The flashback 2 joysticks are pretty good, but they have a slightly longer throw to them than the old Atari stick.

 

I was playing Dragons Fire the other day with a fb2 stick and the shaft separated from the base!

 

I did go ahead and pick up a third one of these when I found it at a thrift store.

 

With regards to the shaft separating... first, the shaft is actually screwed into the base, so it might come off that way if you don't retighten it regularly. I have had this happen a couple of times.

 

However, one of the key design flaws I've read about is that the screw thread on the shaft is the potential weak point... some people have had the threaded part snap off the shaft, leaving them with effectively a useless stick at that point. It would be possible to repair the damage, but it likely would never be as strong.

[Charlie_]

The flashback 2 joysticks are pretty good, but they have a slightly longer throw to them than the old Atari stick.

 

I was playing Dragons Fire the other day with a fb2 stick and the shaft separated from the base!

 

I did go ahead and pick up a third one of these when I found it at a thrift store.

 

With regards to the shaft separating... first, the shaft is actually screwed into the base, so it might come off that way if you don't retighten it regularly. I have had this happen a couple of times.

 

However, one of the key design flaws I've read about is that the screw thread on the shaft is the potential weak point... some people have had the threaded part snap off the shaft, leaving them with effectively a useless stick at that point. It would be possible to repair the damage, but it likely would never be as strong.

 

Thanks for the reply! Yes the stick screws on but my stick sperated bewteen the thread and the shaft.

There is glue there and the glue must have given way.

[Nukey Shay]

This is why I use a Slik Stick

30 years and still going. I've never even needed to open the thing.

[Charlie_]

Here is one of my sticks. As you can see the shaft is really 2 parts. Only glue hold them together.

[A.J. Franzman]

You may be able to fix that with an epoxy-style glue called "Plastic Welder". I get it at Ace Hardware, but other home improvement centers should have it. Don't use it indoors, though, the stuff really stinks before it's cured.

 

If it bonds to the plastic, it's incredibly tough. I kid you not, I have used it to fix drop targets in a coin-op pinball machine by laminating a thin layer of clear polycarbonate onto the front of the original (broken pieces of) target face.

Edited January 30, 2011 by A.J. Franzman

[jferio]

Here is one of my sticks. As you can see the shaft is really 2 parts. Only glue hold them together.

 

Wow. Now that is a detail I didn't realize. But then, I usually use my 7800 Space Invaders mod stick, or one of the Wico CnC sticks, when I pull out the Atari. I always thought that the threading would snap off, not that the whole piece would come out of the shaft itself.

 

I do second the idea of using a solvent based 'glue' that melts the two together. I recommend, though, doing a test on a corner of the controller, to make sure it will do it correctly and harden back up, rather than leaving a permanently softened mess.

[Bodyshots]

The inner part of an Atari CX-40 stick is a white hard plastic tube that leads into the black plastic case. A softer black vinyl-like cover slipped over the tube. A black plastic ring slips over the cover to attach it firmly to the base.

 

 

I bought a new Atari Joystick. When I took it home it didn't work. When I opened it, it had gum inside.

[Muzz73]

Yes, I have rebuilt several CX-40's using the gold PCB and improved handle from Best Electronics. People who have hated the CX-40 for decades are impressed by the solid, clicky feel vs. the mushy feel of an original CX-40.

 

If I am reading the website correctly, Brad may be out of the improved joystick handles and may now use the OEM ones (not sure, I should ask him), but in your case, I'd replace the boot retaining ring to keep the stick together, then, if you feel the need to rebuild, look into the other options.

 

If you decide to rebuild it with the gold PCB, I'd replace the fire button spring while you're at it. It'll feel like a completely new controller and better than when it was new from Atari.

[chas10e]

 

I bought a new Atari Joystick. When I took it home it didn't work. When I opened it, it had gum inside.

 

did it still have any flavor ?

[Bodyshots]

http://www.geekalerts.com/u/atari-nes-controller-candy.jpg

 

I've had both. The Nintendo Mints are top notch. And you get a lot! The Atari gum was, 'meh'

[Video]

your talking about the rubber stick coming off, sounds like the plastic retainer ring that holds that part on is broken, or maybe missing. But yeah, the original stick is rubbery outside (hexagonal, when viewed from the top) and at the base tapers out to a round-ribbed-old-school-gear-shift looking bit.

 

It's not supposed to come off, but like I said, sounds like the retaining clip is missing in your case, and the rubber boot just covers a hard plastic stick, that usually does look like a really thick straw, and will get dirt in it if the boot is coming off.

[chas10e]

 

the heavy sixer (cx-10) stick doesn't have that retainer ring the newer style has (cx-40) to the untrained eye they are both "original joysticks"

 

only a couple parts are interchangeable between these 2 sticks ... the boot isn't the best fit between the two but kinda works ok

 

that ring breaks easy & as easily discarded

[gilsaluki]

Excellent Video. Thanks for posting.

[0078265317]

I got a good shape cx-40 at salvation army store for 10 bucks.