gliptitude

I only see games listed. What did you play these games with? Are you selling hardware? .. I'm looking for non-standard 2600 controllers. Mainly rare or desireable joysticks.

Can you identify the joysticks you have? Anything special or unusual?

It does seem especially extraordinary that these were the only Atari items in the shop. .. But the retro gaming market often confuses me, what people pay for and what they don't and what they are aware of and what they aren't. Perhaps there were more games that came in with these and sold already and these are just what was left. .. Maybe the shop owner, who likely has never even heard of "homebrew" games, just assumed these were junk titles. And maybe the customers were of the same disposition.

Me too! 1) Like-new condition Vectrex - Loose but super clean and barely used. 2) I, Cyborg - Vectrex homebrew now long out of print. I think the only exact item from my previous list also on this list. A game that really captured my imagination. 3) TG Enjoystick, 2600 joystick (x2) - This pair of unusual and rare joysticks is almost single handedly responsible for me finally being able to really appreciate the VCS. Love playing with these. 4) 3D Sector-X - really cool Vectrex homebrew, definitely the most valuable game in my collection, and acquired through an excellent and thrilling trade with a fellow Vectrex guy across the globe. 5) Like-new CIB DMG Game Boy - purchased locally from a mom out of a minivan in a Wal Mart parking lot (craigslist). She was probably about the same age as me and seemed to be disgusted by my juvenile interest in her item. The Game Boy was a left over gift from her grandmother's closet that was never given to her brother because he misbehaved!!! .. It's awesome to see so many Vectrexes on people's lists. Incredible!

A lot of that appears to be resellers, buying multiple copies. I think you can count on these showing up at double the price or higher very soon, if not already.

Hmm maybe I will revisit the Kraft joysticks. I have one somewhere that I had cast aside in the past. I remember being really excited to buy it but then very disappointed in using it. I think Kraft made all kinds of joysticks for computers and even arcade and industrial applications. I'm not sure how much variety there is among Kraft Atari sticks though. My quick search just now yielded a lot of images like the one I had.

Good point, especially for 2600 (such simple wiring) and extra especially for something like the button-only controller I posted. .. My real stick preference though is a bit more complicated though because I really like these analog-like mechanics, like the Enjoysticks I was using until they broke. I got some interesting conversation on the subject last year: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/241587-2600-analog-sticks/?do=findComment&comment=3298691 .. I would have a use for one like yours and it looks more compact than others I have seen, but I really prefer something I can comfortably hold in my hand, (like the Enjoystick). Maybe my DIY joystick should involve some retro-fitting of an existing enclosure. .. Not sure about arcade buttons on a handheld joystick though, or what would be a good option there.

I'm reposting in the "Wanted" section. I need to replace my VCS joysticks. The stock Atari joysticks will not do. Most joysticks that I've used will not do. I'm interested in the Competition Pro and the Tac 2. Also interested in the more obscure stuff pictured below, and any other obscure or quality joysticks anyone has to offer. Some items I have for trade might include loose Vectrex stuff, Dreamcast console, Wii console soft modded for emulation, Game Boy games, Sears console, maybe other stuff. Or money.

I totally totally agree the stock controllers suck. There are some top rated ones I haven't used like Competition Pro and Tac 2, but I'm finding those hard to come by and I'm skeptical that they measure up to what I've been using. .. Heh, my little stick is on the opposite end of the sprectrum as yours. It's a lot like the Vectrex analog "thumbstick" and even the components look like analog pots, but fitting in the hand like it does makes it more intuitive and useful than the Vectrex one. I thought about posting picks of some button only controllers, except that most of those have the buttons oriented in a diamond formation so you could use them for directional control. I'd want the buttons oriented like an Asteroids arcade panel, for steer and thrust games only. .. A more straight orientation like that could also double as the second controller for Stargate and Indiana Jones. What sort of buttons did you use for your controller?

I'm looking for replacement controllers for my 2600 gaming. I have a pair of TG Enjoysticks, which are fantastic but seem to be on the verge of breaking. I would love to get more of the same but I've never seen them anywhere besides the original auction i got them from. Attached photos are some obscure items that appeal to me, in addition to the Enjoysticks. Some items I have for trade might include loose Vectrex stuff, Dreamcast console, Wii console soft modded for emulation, Game Boy games, Sears console, maybe other stuff. Or money.

I purchased a very clean AV modded Atari Vader console from RangerG. After some friendly negotiation the deal was set and very promptly shipped. Thank you!

I'm interested. Any chance you could include a power supply, tv hookup or controllers? I'm not sure i understand the broken tabs. Do you mean that velcro is now holding the two halves together? Some more pictures and a more detailed explanation of that would be helpful. Edit-also looking at your AV modded console.

Well I tried the previous version of the game again and the arrows were like I remembered, easy enough to use or not use. Then I tried the new version again and the arrows were fine this time, just like the first version. ??? I am pretty sure it was functioning differently earlier in the day because i really couldn't avoid using arrows that time. .. So consider that it is possible that (for some reason) the arrow mechanic may not always work properly. .. When it does work for me it works just fine and it's a pretty cool control scheme. .. It's possible i'm just having hardware issues. I've had it sometimes with this console/joystick that i can't move Left and have to reset the console to get it to work again. I didn't see this as a problem myself, but it does help to explain a circumstance i encountered several times. Some enemies who are smaller than the hero are small enough that they can't be stabbed horizontally when they are on the same footing as the player. Like the enemy can be at the very bottom and when you are also at the very bottom you can't stab or shoot them because they are below your stab/shot. Maybe just part of the challenge. I don't know that there's a right way and it also depends on what you think this game is about and what it means to you. For me the combat is not exactly too difficult. It's just lacking a hook for me. I can think of some games that are pretty monotonous but actually still fun and addictive, because the action is really well articulated or because the graphics or sound have a lot of substance to them, so that it's perpetually gratifying to fire your weapon and see/hear the consequence of that. Your game is not just about action and i think you can get away with not perfecting that aspect. If it does seem justified to you to focus on the combat, maybe you could try to imagine the game without any adventure elements and pretend that it was only a single screen arcade game, and try to tinker with it until it feels like a fun game unto itself. It's worthwhile having a close look at other games, even ones you are already familiar with, (why is this one or that one more fun than this or that other very similar one?), and you can take ideas and inspiration from other games. I said that the dragon boss in Anguna was fun for me. The apparent difference between the dragon and the other enemies in the game is that there is a clear pattern and a clear goal. It is a purposeful encounter.

I experienced a number of glitches that I don't remember experiencing in the previous .bin. I am playing on a television with a Harmony cart. I've played a few games and taken some notes, but really still need to spend more time with it. The most noticeable and consistent problem was the transition between screens in the forest. It was very choppy with almost every screen. This did not happen that I noticed inside the dungeon. I did NOT have any problems with the status screen. I had a hard time using the sword when I had arrows. I kept shooting arrows on accident when I was trying to save them for later. I don't remember having this problem in the previous version and I remember it working well before. I got stuck in a wall once, (in a room with a rock in the center, entering from above, forest) and I had an unexpected game over another time, (touching a white bat by the river). The combat is less frustrating for me than before, but I guess i still do not find the combat very fun. If there is going to be as many enemies and fighting as there is i feel like those mechanics should be improved and it should be a highlight of the experience. .. The dragon boss was an exception for me, fun and gratifying combat. Most of the sprites are okay for me, but the blobs in the dungeon are not as effective for me as the other characters. I'm not sure how you could improve those graphics without changing them to something other than blobs. I think it would be cool to experiment with some of the colors in the game. .. In the video and also in the status screen it looks like there are more areas to explore that I haven't found yet. I'm looking forward to finding those.

That's my habit too! Except i put baseball on the radio rather than the TV. I currently have the Harmony cart plugged in so I play at least 5 different games per sitting. Subterranea is currently my focus, but i usually play H.E.R.O. and Yars' Revenge too. Lately I'm mixxing in a few not so good games that amuse me: Spacemaster X-7, Stargunner and Gyruss.

Ha ha ha ha ha. .. Joysticks are definitely obvious and intuitive, and in my opinion they are much more FUN than a D-pad. But it is possible to change direction very accurately and very quickly with a d-pad, with little effort. For me it's noticeable enough that I feel like i'm cheating when I use a pad on a game designed for a stick. .. Also it's impossible to get too violent with a d-pad, whereas i feel like i am routinely getting too violent with my joysticks, if it is a really hectic or twitchy game. .. I won't give much credence to joysticks over pads as some sort of extra legit way to play. It's just what was popularized when console gaming was trying to choose the most expedient single device for every home gamer to control every piece of potential software. Arcade controls have always been very diverse. .. BUTTON ONLY steer and thrust happens to be my favorite control scheme, and it is more accurate than any digital joystick or d-pad, if you have a display system capable of accurately depicting more than 8 directions for a projectile to move in, (such as Asteroids or any vector arcade or vectrex).

I had not played or even heard of Subterranea until after I listed my 10. Been playing it all weekend and I'm confident it belongs in my list: 1)Yars' Revenge 2)Night Driver 3)Cosmic Ark 4)Dragonfire 5)H.E.R.O. 6)Subterranea 7)Fantastic Voyage 8)Encounter at L5 9)Demon Attack 10)Secret Quest

Thanks for the replay BigO. You are correct that the adapter with no controller gives the same indication as it does with neutral 2600 controller. There are several great Vectrex games that only require one button (Vectrex button 4) for in-game play: Fortress of Narzod, 3D Narrow Escape, Starhawk and Vector Pilot. There are a few more games that are not so great. I don't quite understand the theory and all the variables you lay out, but it sounds like the pin-5 tie in through a resistor could be done easily with an additional in-between adapter. .. But if a new dedicated device could be just as easily devised I guess that would be even better. It would be nice to have a switch to change which Vectrex button the 2600 button corresponds to, or maybe even have buttons on the device for Vectrex buttons 1, 2 and 3, (for menu navigation..). As I recall the Vectrex controller is more complicated than the Atari one, with a few resistors. Also analog joystick.

Many of us know that a Sega Genesis controller will work on a 2600. This recently caused me to think and hope that a 2600 joystick could also work on Genesis. My roundabout experiment at doing this suggests that the Atari controllers do NOT work properly on a Genesis and I am wondering why this is the case and if there might be something simple I could do to make it work, (such as a simple pass through device that was only changing a pinout or two). .. Obviously Atari controllers do not have enough buttons to fully satisfy the Genesis but I was expecting that the Atari button would still correspond with ONE button on the Genesis, which would be enough to play some games, (like Sonic I think), and that the stick would correspond directly to the Genesis D-pad. .. My real goal was to play on a Vectrex using the Genesis to Vectrex adaptor that I have. This is how I tested "2600 to Genesis compatibility", rather than on an actual Genesis, (because I don't have one). The adaptor works fine for using Genesis controllers on Vectrex, but it has several problems when I plug the 2600 joystick into the adaptor, (monitored with Vectrex test cart): - When the joystick is physically centered the Gen adaptor/Vectrex indicates that the joystick is constantly pointed DOWN and LEFT. - Moving the joystick in any direction does cause the corresponding correct direction, but releasing the joystick immediately results in down/left again. - Pressing the fire button signals two buttons simultaneously, (Genesis B and C I think), (probably not a problem for my purposes but perhaps an indication of what is happening). Anybody have a thought on this? It probably seems like a silly endeavor, but I have a pretty rare and unique VCS joystick that I really like using and I'm always looking for fun new things to do with the Vectrex. Fortress of Narzod would be sweet with this joystick.

How about Subterranea?

1) Yar's Revenge 2) Night Driver 3) Cosmic Ark 4) Dragonfire 5) Fantastic Voyage 6) H.E.R.O. 7) Encounter at L5 8)Demon Attack 9) Secret Quest 10) Moonsweeper I can't believe how low (138) Night Driver is! .. The rarity-weighted ranking is interesting, but I really disagree with the method, (and see no possibility for a really good method either). Particularly in this venue, the famously rare ones are arguably more "popular" as a result of their known "rarity". In other words these games HAVE ACHIEVED CULT STATUS and I do not see how that would classify as a disadvantage in polling. Emulators and flash carts make all of this software accessible to anyone. I would say that H.E.R.O. really very solidly qualifies as a COMMON game in this respect.

Cool. I love giving feedback on these projects, (when it is welcome). I just don't have any programming knowledge to share. I look forward to seeing your game evolve. I really like the sprite for the green enemy figure. The way he looks and also the way he behaves has a lot of character, one of my favorite touches in the game so far.

I've always wanted to try an all button controller for the steer/thrust type games like Gravitar. Is this controller good for that? It looks like the layout might not be ideal. .. Joysticks were a big barrier for me getting into the 2600, until I found these which I really really like: The stick is really nice and feels like analog.

Thanks for taking my comments into consideration gauauu. I totally agree with your friends. .. It's kind of like adapting books into movies and expecting the movie to be an accurate and direct represention of the book. But a movie is a movie and the things that make a good movie are unique to movie making. For me it is interesting to see how adventure games work on 2600, the clever techniques and mechanics designers/programmers come up with to make such an abstract concept work in such a limited environment. Of course literal realism is not practical here the way it is on a modern console. .. Now I have spent some time playing Anguna on real hardware. I paid closer attention to the sounds and combat this time. I think maybe before i was confusing the two sounds of the player taking a hit and the enemy taking a hit. But I guess my overall reaction is the same. I found the combat kind of tedious and not so gratifying. .. Within the scope of this dungeon level the combat is not prohibitively difficult, but I find myself avoiding it as much as possible. It seems like a drag on the overall experience. I tried to find other examples of combat that i do find gratifying. Secret Quest was the most similar type game. In that game it is generally one hit to kill. Also the sound effects are more decisive. .. Maybe I am biased. I have disagreed with others in the past about the Vectrex game Fortress of Narzod. In certain situations in that game it takes multiple hits to kill an enemy. I find it confusing and a chore but others consider it interesting and sophisticated.

I've just watched the Yar's Revenge/Howard Scott Warshaw video, in its entirety. Really excellent talk he gives. Thanks for sharing this (one year ago).