Best Atari Cab Using Classic Joystick and Buttons Layout?

[+wongojack]

Between Atari, Atari Corp, and Atari Games there are a ton of classic arcade games with the Atari name on them, but most of them use a control scheme other than a traditional joystick and buttons. Here's a list of some of their greats that use an interface other than stick and buttons:

 

• 720'
• Asteroids
• Black Widow
• Super Breakout
• Centipede
• Computer Space
• Hard Drivin
• Marble Madness
• Paperboy
• Pole Position
• Pong
• Road Blasters
• Sprint
• Star Wars
• STUN Runner
• Tempest
• Vindicators

So what is their greatest game that DOES use the classic layout? There's Dig Dug and Xevious, but I usually give Namco credit for those. What's left? I have some ideas, but I'm wondering what others think.

[Zoyous]

There really aren't that many, are there? It would have to be Gauntlet.

[+wongojack]

There really aren't that many, are there? It would have to be Gauntlet.

 

I think Gauntlet would be my choice too. Here are some candidates:

 

Gauntlet

Indiana Jones ToD

Kangaroo

KLAX

Xybots

[mr_me]

Atari policy was new machines had to have something innovative and that included controls. The first arcade game with a trackball was atari football in 1978, followed by basketball, baseball, soccer. And there was Fire Truck, 1978, with two steering wheels controlling one vehicle. Kangaroo was licensed from Japan. Pole position was licensed from japan but Atari had Gran Trak 10, 1974, Night Driver, 1976, and super bug, 1978, and the Sprint games all with four gears. Lunar Lander, 1979, had that giant thrust lever. Major Havoc, 1983, had an unusual roller controller. Tank, 1975, had dual joysticks; Battlezone, 1980, added the periscope. Cloak and Dagger, 1983, had dual joysticks. Lots of Atari 1970s games had joysticks; the joysticks on Gotcha were unusual.

Edited April 5, 2019 by mr_me

[+wongojack]

Atari policy was new machines had to have something innovative and that included controls. The first arcade game with a trackball was atari football in 1978, followed by basketball, baseball, soccer. And there was Fire Truck, 1978, with two steering wheels controlling one vehicle. Kangaroo was licensed from Japan. Pole position was licensed from japan but Atari had Gran Trak 10, 1974, Night Driver, 1976, and super bug, 1978, and the Sprint games all with four gears. Lunar Lander, 1979, had that giant thrust lever. Major Havoc, 1983, had an unusual roller controller. Tank, 1975, had dual joysticks; Battlezone, 1980, added the periscope. Cloak and Dagger, 1983, had dual joysticks. Lots of Atari 1970s games had joysticks; the joysticks on Gotcha were unusual.

 

Nice - I forgot about Lunar Lander and was aware of the emphasis on innovation at Atari. Tank, Football, Battlezone, Major Havoc - all incredible examples of non-joystick controls. Makes you wonder if Pac Man hadn't come along maybe the joystick would not have even been a standard?

[+x=usr(1536)]

Cloak and Dagger, 1983, had dual joysticks.

 

This one gets my vote for best classic joystick-and-buttons layout on an Atari game. And yep, there was a button - it was used to toss the igniter at the bomb in the centre of the screen.

 

Love that game; always thought it was terribly underappreciated.