New discovery for going beyond digital control on your 5200 games

[ave1]

I've got a new discovery of a special joystick that can get digital control games on the Atari 5200 & 2600 like Meteorites & other 80s versions of Asteroids to be more analog for fine-tuning the placement of your shots. This can also be helpful on Star Trek Strategic Operations Simulator and Wizard of War. On the flip side this variance in movement of your onscreen character may not be such a good idea in certain digital games because it may slow you down when you need to always be full-steam-ahead (ie. PacMan, Dig Dug, Frogger, Q-bert, etc...). It also will not be a preferred method of control with 5200 games that already have the benefit of innately working in an analog way with an analog controller (Missile Command, Super Breakout, Dreadnaught Factor, and Star Wars Arcade).

 

But on the certain digital-control games which require specific shot placement or character placement, it's going to enhance your control. I am really excited to tell you that Beamrider and Gyruss are completely beyond awesome with this new method of control. I have yet to try Pitfall or Pitfall II with this method, but I can imagine there'd be a benefit with them as well.

 

So I'd like to go over the details of how to set this up on the 5200. First you will need an original Playstation flightstick made by Madcatz. This controller has a switch to enable digital or 'pulse' digital control.

 

The following adapters will be connected to that flightstick:

 

1] A PC gameport to Atari 5200 15 pin adapter. (Source: bohoki here at Atariage makes them)

2) An Atari/Amiga controller 9 pin to PC gameport controller adapter (Source: Ebay seller Ikonsgr74 makes them)

3) Best Electronics Atari Systems to Sega controller Convertor cable (Source: Best Electronics- call their 800 number to order)

4) A Tototek Joypad Counverter (Version MD). This allows Playstation controllers to work on a 9 pin port of a Sega Genesis. (Source: Tototek website)

 

Alternate method: Replace adapters 1,2, and 3 with a Masterplay Clone adapter, and user the Tototek with it.

 

One more method: Use a PC gameport to 5200 15 pin controller adapter with an Innovation SmartJoy Emulator adapter (Playstation to PC gameport adapter). The latter adapter is not easy to find at a reasonable price these days.

 

If you want to see a presentation/tutorial on this, here you go:

Edited October 22, 2018 by ave1

[doug0909]

Thanks for this, very interesting.

 

Have you tried it on Demon Attack? Small movements to get away from enemies are sometimes difficult to execute...

How about Star Wars arcade?

 

I can't find #3 on the Best website. Curious, why do you need it? Genesis controllers work fine on my 2600...

[Swami]

Thanks for this, very interesting.

 

Have you tried it on Demon Attack? Small movements to get away from enemies are sometimes difficult to execute...

How about Star Wars arcade?

 

I can't find #3 on the Best website. Curious, why do you need it? Genesis controllers work fine on my 2600...

You need #3, because the Amiga/Atari adapter and the 2600 port use pin 7 of the 9 pin controller port for power (for the Tototek adapter and flight stick), while the Tototek adapter uses pin 5 for power, so it moves the power pin from pin 7 to pin 5. #3 is near the right end of the bottom row, here:

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/quickguide.htm

[ave1]

Yeah, I needed to call #3 the 'Sega Genesis to Atari Systems Adapter Cable and not "Atari Systems to Sega controllers convertor cable"...Sorry for the confusion.

 

I will definitely have to try the 2600 games Demon Attack and Star Wars Arcade with it. 5200 Star Wars Arcade isn't really going to do well with it since it's innately an analog control game.

Edited October 23, 2018 by ave1

[Shawn]

Your videos are always very up beat. You are very enthusiastic and fun to watch share whatever the topic might be from video to video. Thank you.

[Swami]

Best Electronics website is like a labyrinth of endless hidden treasure. Awesome site, just hard to find what your looking for.

[doug0909]

Thanks... So is this the only digital joystick ever made with a pulse control option?

[Swami]

I've got a new discovery of a special joystick that can get digital control games on the Atari 5200 & 2600 like Meteorites & other 80s versions of Asteroids to be more analog for fine-tuning the placement of your shots. This can also be helpful on Star Trek Strategic Operations Simulator and Wizard of War. On the flip side this variance in movement of your onscreen character may not be such a good idea in certain digital games because it may slow you down when you need to always be full-steam-ahead (ie. PacMan, Dig Dug, Frogger, Q-bert, etc...). It also will not be a preferred method of control with 5200 games that already have the benefit of innately working in an analog way with an analog controller (Missile Command, Super Breakout, Dreadnaught Factor, and Star Wars Arcade).

 

But on the certain digital-control games which require specific shot placement or character placement, it's going to enhance your control. I am really excited to tell you that Beamrider and Gyruss are completely beyond awesome with this new method of control. I have yet to try Pitfall or Pitfall II with this method, but I can imagine there'd be a benefit with them as well.

 

So I'd like to go over the details of how to set this up on the 5200. First you will need an original Playstation flightstick made by Madcatz. This controller has a switch to enable digital or 'pulse' digital control.

 

The following adapters will be connected to that flightstick:

 

1] A PC gameport to Atari 5200 15 pin adapter. (Source: bohoki here at Atariage makes them)

2) An Atari/Amiga controller 9 pin to PC gameport controller adapter (Source: Ebay seller Ikonsgr74 makes them)

3) Best Electronics Atari Systems to Sega controller Convertor cable (Source: Best Electronics- call their 800 number to order)

4) A Tototek Joypad Counverter (Version MD). This allows Playstation controllers to work on a 9 pin port of a Sega Genesis. (Source: Tototek website)

 

Alternate method: Replace adapters 1,2, and 3 with a Masterplay Clone adapter, and user the Tototek with it.

 

One more method: Use a PC gameport to 5200 15 pin controller adapter with an Innovation SmartJoy Emulator adapter (Playstation to PC gameport adapter). The latter adapter is not easy to find at a reasonable price these days.

 

Thanks for the video. This will be interesting to try out and I always enjoy seeing the various games being played. Makes me want to play some games I haven't played in a while or haven't got around to yet. Earth Dies Screaming looks like a fun cockpit game.

 

Does that flight stick have the little right analog stick hat switch on the top front of the joystick? This might improve the robotron game, but it would be quite a test of coordination to use the hat switch and joystick at the same time.

 

I'll make another plug for the Willingham Amiga/Atari to PS2 adapter adapter and say it will plug into the ikonsg74 gameport to Amiga/Atari adapter without the Sega Genesis to Atari adapter cable. Of course, you have the reverse problem of the Tototek MD in that you'd need the adapter cable for the Masterplay clone.