Games That Work Well with Atari 7800 joystick

[Atarikid96]

Hi all! My first real post on the forums. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on what are the best/worst games to play with the original 7800 joystick. For me, games like Ms. Pacman, Ballblazer, and Centipede work great because the movement/aiming dies not have to be super precise, although with Ms Pacman, I do sometimes have a problem turning sharply and quickly. Now a game I find nearly impossible to play WELL with the joystick is Asteroids. I just can't seem to aim precisely enough, while, say, on a 2600, I can. Does anyone have any opinions on that or other games? Thanks!

[Stun Runner 87]

Hi all! My first real post on the forums. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on what are the best/worst games to play with the original 7800 joystick. For me, games like Ms. Pacman, Ballblazer, and Centipede work great because the movement/aiming dies not have to be super precise, although with Ms Pacman, I do sometimes have a problem turning sharply and quickly. Now a game I find nearly impossible to play WELL with the joystick is Asteroids. I just can't seem to aim precisely enough, while, say, on a 2600, I can. Does anyone have any opinions on that or other games? Thanks!

You should purchase the 7800 European Dpad controllers. Thee are similar to Tue NES controllers.

 

 

They are available for purchase on BestElectronics website.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Stun Runner 87

[Atarikid96]

You should purchase the 7800 European Dpad controllers. Thee are similar to Tue NES controllers.

They are available for purchase on BestElectronics website.

I have a Euro controller as well, i just was talking about the 7800 joystick itself.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Niether the 7800 pad nor the joystick are ideal. An Nes conversion pad or a proper homebrew joystick works much better.

[Atarikid96]

Niether the 7800 pad nor the joystick are ideal. An Nes conversion pad or a proper homebrew joystick works much better.

. Thats true as well. To me, Asteroids isn't asteroids without a real joystick.

[VicViper]

A while back someone on here was making sega to 7800 conversion cables, they where cheap, and are wonderful. I use my Sega Arcade Power stick and love it, despite the lack of microswitches in the US version.

[+GoldenWheels]

Compared to going with a one button Sega alternative, a 7800 converter, or building your own stick....the Pro Line does not work well period, IMO.

 

It stinks.

[toiletunes]

Tolerable games: Pole Position. Worst games: Anything that uses the buttons a lot. Best use: Cut the cable for a conversion pad and use the leftovers as a doorstop.

[CRTGAMER]

Hi all! My first real post on the forums. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on what are the best/worst games to play with the original 7800 joystick. For me, games like Ms. Pacman, Ballblazer, and Centipede work great because the movement/aiming dies not have to be super precise, although with Ms Pacman, I do sometimes have a problem turning sharply and quickly. Now a game I find nearly impossible to play WELL with the joystick is Asteroids. I just can't seem to aim precisely enough, while, say, on a 2600, I can. Does anyone have any opinions on that or other games? Thanks!

 

Surprised not mentioned yet. Genesis Gamepad even when unmodded works for many of the 7800 games.

[ave1]

You might like this- Here you go:

Edited January 1, 2017 by ave1

[+save2600]

To me, Asteroids isn't asteroids without a real joystick.

I prefer Asteroids be played with one of these:

 

[+Sauron]

Here's my list of games that work well with the 7800 ProLine Joystick:

[+sixersfan105]

Hi all! My first real post on the forums. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on what are the best/worst games to play with the original 7800 joystick. For me, games like Ms. Pacman, Ballblazer, and Centipede work great because the movement/aiming dies not have to be super precise, although with Ms Pacman, I do sometimes have a problem turning sharply and quickly. Now a game I find nearly impossible to play WELL with the joystick is Asteroids. I just can't seem to aim precisely enough, while, say, on a 2600, I can. Does anyone have any opinions on that or other games? Thanks!

To answer the original question, I think it works pretty well with Choplifter.

[+save2600]

It's really easy to criticize the CX24 and it deserves the reputation it has, BUT... I've been playing with one a lot more than usual lately after upgrading to the BEST Electronics boards and have to admit that the increased tactile feedback helps big time with the stick (no more wrenching) and the buttons when situated properly*, are a little easier on the thumb/finger as well.

 

*The Best fire button boards are slightly different from OEM and cannot be oriented the same each side, as the stem of one of the buttons will not align. I forget which side it was, but one of the boards had to be installed upside down for the stem, when depressed, to touch the middle of the dome contact. Install incorrectly, which will be your first instinct because the boards match, and one will make poor contact and won't feel the same as the other side.

 

Anyway, no doubt the side buttons and controller in general is still a pain after a while thanks to its vertical nature and narrow design*. In playing the various games that rely heavily on button depresses though, at least most of them feature rapid/repetitive fire when held in... just have to learn to play a little differently and get used to a slower pace of firing when going that route.

 

 

*Hindsight being what it is, wish they would have modeled a 2-button 7800 controller after the standard/comfortable/familiar Atari 2600 CX40, and just added a button where your index finger naturally wants to rest on the base of the stick. OR simply added a fire button on top of the stick, like you saw Wico, Spectravideo and others do.

[Shawn]

Here's my list of games that work well with the 7800 ProLine Joystick:

 

Funny my list looks exactly the same.

[Ska_music_fan83]

I've found that Water Ski actually plays very well with the ProLine joystick. Other than that, Ms. Pac Man, Pole Position 2 and Robotron: 2084 are all alright. Games that require you to press buttons frequently are very, very bad though. lol

[BydoEmpire]

I've had my 7800 since around 1990 and I always hated the PainLines. I use a cx40 for everything, unless two buttons are absolutely necessary. I picked up a Europad about 10 years ago and every time I use it I'm disappointed. It doesn't feel tight, the screw on stick makes it worse, and I never seem to do well in games with them. HOWEVER, for some reason just in the last few months I've come around and I use the ProLine almost exclusively these days. My big issue before was wrist pain and cramping up. Maybe it's that I'm only playing games for short times these days, rarely more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. For whatever reason I'm finding the ProLines not nearly as bad as they've been for me over the years.

 

I think the ProLines work best with games that don't require constant pressure on the stick, which translates to wrist pain. Games like Ms. Pac Man, Tower Toppler, or more recently for me KC Munchkin. If you can move, release, move, release your wrist gets a little break. Games like Robotron or Galaga that require constant motion are a lot less comfortable.

[AtariLeaf]

When we were kids we used to play this game where we would smash random objects with a cinder block. This would be an ideal game to play with a 7800 proline joystick.

[+H454]

When we were kids we used to play this game where we would smash random objects with a cinder block. This would be an ideal game to play with a 7800 proline joystick.

Thats sound similar to my " throw crap in a pond" game i used to play.

[Jinks]

When we were kids we used to play this game where we would smash random objects with a cinder block. This would be an ideal game to play with a 7800 proline joystick.

Great game till someone's toes got broken or got a flying piece in the eye.

[+save2600]

Great game till someone's toes got broken or got a flying piece in the eye.

Safety is so overrated.