doubledown

While not "new", I was asked to make a left joystick version of the Lady Bug Edition: VVG Joystick Controller that I had previously made (which was a right joystick layout)...so here's that one: Then I realized that I never added my Tutankham Edition - VVG Experience Controller here to this thread, so here's that little beauty: Also a few months back I made a couple of 7800 controllers, and just so that they're all in one place, here are those: 7800 WICO Edition - VVG Enhanced Controller (w/ WICO leaf-switch joystick, and 4-piece arcade leaf-switch push-buttons) Commando Edition - VVG Enhanced Controller (w/ Coin Controls leaf-switch joystick, and 4-piece arcade leaf-switch push-buttons) Then I also worked out a way to have 1 controller offer both 2600 2-button, and 7800 2-button wiring compatibility (swappable at the the press of a push-button switch); so I added that to my previously made CX2600 2-Button (Ball) - VVG Joystick Controller: I'm also looking into making a fully compatible ColecoVision controller (joystick, keypad, & 2 or 4 buttons), with a similar couple of push-button switches that will offer ColecoVision and Atari 2600 & 7800 2-button control schemes. The first switch will change the button wiring between Coleco & Atari, then a 2nd button for the Atari side...which will allow you to swap between 2600 or 7800 2-button wiring. I'm still working on this one. And finally, to round up this weekend's activities, I made 1 more each, of my Vanguard Edition and Mouse Trap Edition - VVG Experience Controllers...so now there's 2 of each of these in the wild now. As always...enjoy, and more to come!

Thank you, and again, credit to the owner for the amazing artwork. As I have no game programming skills, I've had the thought of making a unique control scheme controller, specifically for SMURF...just something else on the back burner simmering, while I figure out how I would execute it. In addition to the joystick Up for JUMP, the joystick Down is used for DUCK...so that would be another button. You can, but just remember SMURF is a 4-way control game, so when you want to use the period button on the SFC NTT DATA controller to jump, you have to stop manipulating the D-pad.

These items in their "cheapest" forms (both price, and quality) are available on ebay or Amazon...as cheap-o / knock-off stuff, potentially shipped from China taking weeks to arrive. Quality components are available from multiple arcade parts suppliers on the web, such as Arcade Shop, Focus Attack, Paradise Arcade...and plenty of others (Shoryuken.com mentioned above is a review and forum site, not a vendor to my knowledge), and enclosures can be purchased from places like Digi-Key, Mouser, Arrow, OnlineComponents...and plenty of others. If you want a truly high-quality controller that will help you better your Track & Field type games times/scores, I would suggest a heavy table-top / lap-top enclosure that you don't have to hold in your hands (so that you can use multiple fingers from each hand to manipulate each of the Run buttons, watch YouTube videos for skilled players using this technique) and true leaf-switch push-buttons, adjusted for trip-wire sensitivity. Something like what is pictured in the original post would probably cost you somewhere between $15-$25 on the low end of the spectrum, up to, how ever fancy/high quality you want to make it.

So here's something new: What is it, well its a SMURF-tastic ColecoVision joystick controller of course...which I call my SMURF: RIGC Edition - VVG Enhanced Controller. I was contacted about building a full-featured/universal, ColecoVision, SMURF "themed" controller, and this is what it's new owner and I came up with. Obviously there is no arcade counterpart of SMURF: RIGC to model such a controller after; and controls-wise, SMURF: RIGC is pretty basic, as it only requires the use of the joystick during game-play, and select keypad buttons for 'pre' and 'post' game selections. So with no controls or design limitations, and for maximum ColecoVision game compatibility, it was built with an 8-way joystick, (4) Super Action buttons, and a full 12-button keypad. The hardware details are: ** Hammond 14" x 8.25" sloped-top, aluminum enclosure, (braced/stiffened/weighted) & painted a SMURF-y blue ** Seimitsu LS-32 joystick, 8-way, w/ round restrictor, with Sanwa LB-35 White ball knob, a SMURF-y blue shaft cover, and a Seimitsu White dustwasher (to mimic a "standing" SMURF) ** Sanwa OBSF-30 silent, 30mm push-buttons, (4) Light Blue bodies, w/ (4) White plungers ** VVG ColecoVision Controller PCB w/ Keypad, w/ C&K key-switches, w/ (10) White square caps & (2) Blue square caps, w/ black legends ** VVG 10' Controller cable, w/ rear-mount cord cleats for cable management ** Custom "SMURF: RIGC" themed CPO artwork, which I cannot take any credit for...as it's new owner is wholly responsible for, and did a SMURF-errific job with! Enjoy! "That's one small SMURF for SMURF, one giant SMURF for SMURF-kind" - SMURF Armstrong

Do you have a link to the buttons you bought? I wouldn't begin to guess about the strength of a wood panel, obviously it would depend on type, thickness, un-supported distances, how much force will be applied to it, and the likes. Most arcade cabinets that used plywood, were between 1/2" and 3/4" for thickness. Dropping down to something like 3/8" if available (especially if MDF or particle board, vs. plywood)...I'm not sure how it would be. I normally either use a pre-built arcade type joystick controller that were made by Hori for the Saturn and/or Playstation consoles, as a donor enclosure (which I then gut, and re-purpose for just the enclosure), or I buy Hammond aluminum sloped-top, or steel flat-top, enclosures for my controllers. All of them are thin metal control panels, which means I can basically use any control component I want, as long as I have enough mounting depth.

One additional thing to consider (amongst all of the others), is control panel "thickness" when it comes to certain controls. Most all Japanese controls (joysticks and buttons) are only designed to be installed into a thin sheet metal control panel. If you mounted a Japanese joystick to the underside of a 1/2" or 3/4 thick wood panel, the exposed shaft length would be incredibly short. For this, "shaft extensions" are available, but then the buttons could be your real problem. The snap in buttons have little plastic tabs that wing out underneath a thin metal panel and hold the button from popping up and out, and wouldn't work properly in a thick wood panel. And the ones with a threaded nut to hold them in place are only going to be long enough for a thin panel too. One way to accommodate this is to use a router and remove material from the underside of the wood panel, so that, the control area of wood is thin enough for these specific Japanese controls, but then it's also significantly weaker. Arcade cabinet makers use to use this concept back in the day, but they then usually added a metal plate to replace the strength lost when the wood was removed. Most "western" controls have longer joystick shafts, and longer button bodies to allow for direct installation into thicker wood panels.

Years ago I made a bunch of controllers where I needed 9-pin controller cables with a DE-9 connector with out the PC locking screws, and used Genesis controllers were the easiest/cheapest way to get them. So I cut off the cords, and now have a couple boxes full of "cord-less" Genesis pads. Most of my artwork I draw myself, on a few I've had help from others when some part of it was beyond my capabilities. All my artwork is printed on an Epson XP-15000 photo printer on premium photo paper, then 2-sided heat laminated w/ glossy lamination media w/ UV protection, then I apply 3M double-sided adhesive sheeting to the back, for application to the controller...all done by me. With regards to buttons, there are basically 3 types of actuators...leaf-switches (old school, and silent), micro-switches (from mid 80s forward, and clicky), and key-switches (Japanese modern, and usually fairly quiet). It's all personal preference regarding feel, force required to actuate, dead-band, length of travel and over-travel, and presence or absence of sound when actuated. If I'm building a controller to mimic an arcade counterpart, I use what was original to the cabinet, if not, then the selection is narrowed down by depth of the enclosure to be used, color I want, illumination if wanted, then I make a selection based of my preference of what is left. Most people can deal with any type, but die-hards will stick to their guns on this much heated debate, stating that type X is better than type Y. Old school fixed shooters like Galaga, requiring a lot of button pressing (or Track & Field type games), will only play really well with leaf-switch buttons. They can be set for "trip-wire" sensitivity, and can require a very minimal force to actuate. Playing these games with micro-switch push-buttons, especially ones with cheap micro-switches that require a lot of travel to actuate, and a lot of force to actuate, will tire out your fingers rather quickly. Similar concepts with joysticks...leaf-switches or micro-switches...centering spring or grommet...bat-top or ball-top...8/4/2-way, dead-band, length of throw, force of throw, over-travel...and on and on and on. All of the Seimitsu and Sanwa stuff are considered modern Japanese Candy Cabinet controls...and will all be similar to each other...but not exactly the same. Most of these sticks can be modified with components available on the market made for this purpose. Western controls like those from HAPP, iL, WICO can be tailor-made to suit your liking too, but not so much with the purchase of available parts, this would have to be done with home-brew engineering...which I've done for several joysticks to better suit my tastes. It will all boil down to "staring somewhere", then after playing with it for a while, testing and/or changing out other components to suit your tastes if you feel you need/want to change something.

Basically there are about an infinite number of possibilities for this project. For starters, if you want the "controller" to simply plug into the controller port of a Genesis console, then yes something like the Joystick Interface you linked would work...or you could simply remove a PCB from a Genesis control pad, and wire your joystick/button contacts to the necessary points on the board. This is called "pad-hacking" for internet search help...if you're not familiar with it. This is what I've done with the few Genesis controllers I've made (take a PCB from a Genesis controller) as I have lots of donors laying around. My NBA JAM controller is arcade accurate and was built using iL components...the same as those used in the original Midway NBA JAM arcade cabinets: and with its 8-way joystick, A/B/C and start buttons, its compatible with all Genesis games that don't require a 6-button controller. My Gauntlet controller is also arcade accurate and was built using an original Atari arcade leaf-switch joystick and leaf-switch push-buttons. As it is also an 8-way joystick, with A/B/C/ and start buttons, it is also compatible with all Genesis games that don't require a 6-button controller. There are lots of options for joysticks and buttons, and everyone's preference is different. Personally I prefer Western controls versus their Japanese counterparts, as well as concave push-buttons versus their convex counterparts...but again...my personal opinion. You won't know which hardware you like until you use it. Until you have a reference point where you may have used/tried something in the past and thought, gee I really liked or hated that particular component, you'd be going off of what someone else likes the look or feel of, and commented about it somewhere, that you happened upon and read. If you can think of, or remember a particular arcade game, or home use joystick that you've used, that you really liked or hated due to it's feel and/or operation we could probably help narrow down the component selection for you. Then there is always the dreaded concept of price. I've seen joysticks made for as little as $20-$30, but they're nothing I'd ever want to use, so you'll really need to consider your budget before you get too far into it.

I think it says 1gg2! 😄

You could try playing with an "all button" controller. Like this: If you don't want to Thrust or Hyper-Space...simply don't press those buttons.

All good news...and I'd like to voice my "dibs" for a green one, if/when available. As a fellow long-time AA'er...fellow Ohio-ian...and the greatest custom controller builder in the world (at least in my own mind)...I feel it's only right that I get one of the green ones! 😁 Teasing, of course...but I would really like a green one! With that said, I'm not sure why you would have have it originally working on the Y-Axis...but I definitely appreciate the consideration to switching it to the X-Axis; as that's how it would be usable for the PlayStation 2, Atari Anthology, Major Havoc. I'll have to check the in-game settings for that particular game, to see what settings/options are available to alter/manipulate. Usually "sensitivity" is adjustable, I'm not sure if anything else would be. Looking forward to this!

I am sure there are a vast number of ways to achieve this result. As I specialize in controllers for the ColecoVision, and the ColecoVision console provides no power at the controller ports (like the Atari's do), I'm always looking for passive solutions whenever possible. Since I had already done something similar, and I have found a 10/8/6/4/2 Pole - DT switch that I really like (mostly due to the color changing, mechanical indicating cap), I just decided to keep it simple and re-use the idea. Plus, less chance for failure without using any powered components... at least, in my mind anyways.

Thank you... ...and thank you. By the by, this same concept works for making other "hybrid" controllers. I previously made these: ...as Genesis (& Atari 2600 2-button) / ColecoVision (& Atari 2600 1-button) controllers. Originally designed and built for the amazing port of Gauntlet for the Sega Genesis, and built with "arcade-accurate" controls...the addition of the push-button switch, added joystick & 2-button compatibility with the ColecoVision...for it's port of Gauntlet (which only requires these controls...no keypad necessary). I'm currently contemplating making a new hybrid controller that would have 3 switches for compatibility with Atari 2600 2-button / Atari 7800 2-button / ColecoVision 2-button (with keypad): Switch 1 - will toggle between Coleco & Atari Switch 2 - will toggle between Atari 2600 2-button, and Atari 7800 2-button (applicable for when Switch 1 is set to Atari) Switch 3 - will flip/flop the buttons from left=left / right=right to left=right / right=left for games where I'd like to flip/flop the button functions, such as the ColecoVision port of Cosmic Avenger, which Coleco completely botched from the arcade layout (left Fire / right Bomb) to the ColecoVision port (left Bomb / right Fire). Also since all of these consoles use the same DE-9 connector, only one installed cable is required, and only the push of 1 or 2 switches is required to make it 100% compatible with whichever of these systems I'd want to use it with. I would probably design a custom PCB if I decide to make this one. They're pretty inexpensive to have made, and it would save hours of time with the wiring, especially since the multi-pole switches I'm using, have both solder lugs and PCB pins. Just have to wait and see if I decide to make this hybrid one or not.

I'll bet a lot of people would. When I get a chance I might be able to get one drawn up and posted. Basically all you're doing is this: Bring in your 9 conductor cable, and take wires 1/2/3/4 directly to the joystick contacts, and take wires 5/6/7/8/9 to the COMs of a DT switch, with at least 5 poles (the one I used has 6, as they only sell these in even-paired numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10). Take an additional ground wire directly from the COM of the switch...to the joystick switches...which completes the joystick. Then wire each set of output terminals of the switch, for wires 5/6/7/8/9 as you would for either wiring scheme. I used the N.C. set for 2600 wiring and the N.O. set for the 7800 wiring. Then where any interference occurs, i.e. a wire to Button 1's contact coming from both the 2600 & 7800 sides, add diodes to keep them separated. Attach the wires from the switch to the anode of the diode when it's a signal line, then combine the cathodes and connect them to the contacts of the button. And reverse this with ground wires. Its really very simple...which is kind of why I was so surprised that I couldn't find where anybody else had done this before.

Thank you, ...and thank you. The wood grain did come out really well...and I've used the same concept for a couple other controllers. I had originally gotten some adhesive-backed wood grain vinyl for a controller I was working on, and after I used it for that one, I scanned a large 11 x 17 section of it, so that now I can simply print, laminate, and use it whenever I need/want to. Technically to match the CX2600 more authentically, it probably should just be on the front face, but it looked so good on the full CPO that I used it that way instead. One change I'm going to make, is the mechanical indicating button on the side. The "normal" version of this cap is black when the button is un-pressed, then green when pressed. That's the version that is stocked by the few vendors who carry them, but they do offer the indicating cap with different colors, including orange. So I ordered one of those to replace the green one with, and I'll re-print the side artwork with an orange capped legend (versus the green one), once it arrives and I have time to change it out.

Or simply buy 1, 2, 3, or however many of these that you might need: ...so that the controller in your hand/lap...can reach to your console.

So it seems like everybody and their mothers are making Atari 2600 and/or 7800 “arcade joystick” controllers these days. And why not, they can greatly improve your game-play experience, and they’re beyond simple to wire for those attempting their first custom controller builds. The ones I most often come across are either built with 1 button as a 2600 controller, or with 2 buttons…usually for 7800 compatibility (while still maintaining 2600 1-button compatibility). But as 2600 fans are of course aware, several vintage games have now been hacked, and new homebrew games are being programmed…to make use of 2 “2600” buttons…which are wired very differently from their “7800” counterparts. But what surprises me, and what I’ve not yet seen, is anybody building a custom joystick controller that offers both, 2600 and 7800, 2-button compatibility in one controller. So I decided to take it upon myself to make this happen, "for the greater good": I originally built this controller about a year ago, as a 2-button, 7800-wired joystick controller…for use mainly with my 2600 & XEGS. As I grew up with a 2600 in the early 80s, I decided to “theme” the controller with aesthetics inspired by the CX2600 console, and the CX-40 joystick…hence the wood grain CPO, the orange segmented ring surrounding the joystick, and the black-body w/ orange plunger concave push-buttons. At the time I built it, I’ll admit, I wasn’t really aware of these new-fangled 2-button 2600 games, as I honestly don’t pay much attention to any of the new 2600 stuff. I mostly concentrate on and around, the original 2600 games I grew up with, and the ColecoVision. But then some months after I built this, I built my buddy and me, each, new dedicated 7800 controllers; and then I re-wired this one, for use with 2-button 2600 games. But that got me thinking…why does it only have to work for the 2600 or the 7800? Why not simply make it work both ways? So I re-wired it once again, and added a side-mounted push-button switch with a mechanical indicating cap, that allows me to simply press the switch for 2600 2-button games…and press it again for 7800 2-button games: As originally assembled, the controller was built into a Hori HSS-09 donor controller. The donor was completely gutted of its original components, and it required minor modification to some of its internal structure, as well as machining the top steel plate for installation of the new components. From there I chose a Seimitsu LS-32 joystick (which allows for 8-way square/round/octagon, 4-way clover, and 2-way horizontal/vertical gates), and 2 Ultimarc GoldLeaf push-buttons. I installed new, stiffer than standard, Cherry micro-switches into the joystick to firm up its throw and feel, as well as significantly quiet down the audible “clicking.” The new push-button switch on the controller's right side that “re-wires” the buttons, is a simple multi-pole switch that allows me to change all of the necessary lines in and out of the buttons, from one wiring scheme to another…all without the use of any magic, witchcraft, or powered components. So there you have it…proof that both 2-button, 2600 & 7800 compatibility, can be achieved in 1 controller, with 1 set of buttons, with 1 controller cable, and no active electronics. This may be a world's first. W.F.S.T.Y.A.M.A.

Shameless plug...I have (10) different ADAM DDP game titles on ebay right now for anybody interested. LINK All of the titles are published games (no copies), and all are either "tested and working", or "sealed and collectible" (thus unable to test). Games list: 2010: The Text Adventure Game B.C. II Grog's Revenge - (sealed DDP Case) Best of Broderbund, The: A.E. & Choplifter Buck Rogers - (sealed DDP case) Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Junior Dragon's Lair Family Feud Kung Fu Superkicks (TeleGames) Zaxxon - (sealed DDP case) I would have just offered them for sale here outright, but with minimal historical sales data for most of these games, I just figured put them up on ebay so that everybody/anybody has a chance at them. Happy bidding.

Seriously...the dumbest thing I've seen today. Apparently they're trying to capitalize on the popularity of the 1983 "blockbuster" Joy Sticks":

Q*bert doesn't use diagonal joystick inputs on the 2600: While your character Q*bert may move diagonally on the screen, the inputs are simply made with the 4 cardinal directions, wherein the joystick is rotated 45 degrees clockwise. This is the same way it was done in the arcade cabinets. With that said, I don't think my brain could handle attempting the use of a 5 button "Asteroids" controller for Q*bert.

I'd like to say...very very, very very cool! And I would definitely be interested if/when available. As a standard USB device, it would also work for Major Havoc on Atari Anthology for the PlayStation 2...which allows for USB mouse control.

I would appreciate you checking, just let me know what you can come up with. I'm aware that there is seemingly no love lost, from most people, with regards to the original TI-99 joysticks. And admittedly, I probably wouldn't use them much...but being a "hardware guy," I'd still like to get a set. Obviously the biggest thing I'm concerned with getting is the computer (working), and it's power adapter (working)...everything else can be fairly easily, and reasonably attained. I just figured that since I was asking here, I might as well list my whole "grocery list", to see how much I can get in 1 big lot, or from fellow members before I checked elsewhere.

I've been looking into the TI hardware for a little bit here recently, and I'm aware of the FinalGROM99 (and some other hardware options)...and would definitely consider it the way to go. I just thought that if someone had a spare machine to sell, they may have a few commons to include in the package to get me started, until I get further into it. There are a bunch of TI-99/4A systems on ebay, but very few of them are being sold as tested/working, even fewer were tested past "the power LED turns on", and with most...no testing at all. And almost all of them are being sold as-is, no refund or return. As a long time ColecoVision collector, I literally have dozens of spare consoles (plus 4 ADAM computers), and thought the same might apply to collectors of the TI-99/4A.

Howdy folks...I will preempt this topic by stating that I wholly understand that something along the lines of this request more rightly belongs in the Wanted section, but as I feel most don't read through that area very often, I thought I'd have better luck by posting this here. If you feel you need to ostracize me for this...feel free, and bring it on. With that out of the way...I've decided that I wanted to get myself a TI-99/4A, and I wanted to check with you fine folks here to see if anybody had one they were willing to sell. I believe what I'm looking for at this point, would be as follows: TI-99/4A (black/silver) Power Adapter RF Modulator and/or A/V cable (no big deal if not available, as I can make my own A/V cable) Joystick Pair (if no joysticks available, no biggie, as I'll probably use something different anyways, just nice for the package) Speech Synthesizer Donkey Kong cartridge (plus any other common carts to start the collection) I'm not concerned at all with boxes or packaging, for any of the above items...but I am interested in them being "tested & working" (if that's not too much to ask). So if you've think you've got what I'm looking for, and are willing to part with it, please send me a PM (or reply here if you wish) with what you have, what you're looking to get for it, and if you want to ballpark the shipping cost...my zip code is 43528. Thanks in advance!

Adding 4 extra switches to a standard 4-switch, 8-way joystick, only gets me a passive 8-way INTV joystick, wherein the "diagonals" achieved are true diagonals of 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees, versus the +22.5 degree diagonals of 67.5, 157.5, 247.5, and 337.5 degrees that the Intellivision creates/sees, when only 2 wires, through 2 cardinal direction switches are grounded. The additional 4 switches I added, 1 in each corner, ground wire 9, in addition to the 2 contacts of the existing cardinal direction switches also being closed simultaneously, and this is what creates the true diagonals, passively on the Intellivision. For only 8 switches to create 16 unique directions, 8 wires would need to be used, but the Intellivision does it simply with 5, because the drawn conductive traces on the flexible membranes can allow for this this sort of witchcraft. But in the real world, where physical switches are to be used, with only having 5 wires to create 16 directions, it will have to be done with 16 switches...1 for each direction. So my attempt will be to create a circular array of 16 switches around the joystick's actuator, in a break-before-make scenario...which yields 16 separate directions...passively. The joystick that i'll be using has a round restrictor so that the the switches can be installed equidistant from the actuator's center point (versus a square restrictor/gate, that would have longer throws into the corners), and allow for a b-b-m install . I'll just need to figure out the mounting diameter for the switches, and the diameter for the nylon actuator...that will make this all possible.