2600 trak-ball

[beyondoasis]

i found one of these on eBay and I got really excited. i didnt even know they're was a 2600 trak-ball (only a 5200 one). well long story short...i'm really considering buying this. but i want to know...is it worth it? will it work on all paddle games? good with missile command/super breakout? is it better than a paddle? feedback plz!

[+Nathan Strum]

Paddle games? No. It won't work with paddle games at all.

 

With the 2600, the Trak-Ball doesn't funciton as a true Trak-Ball. It works more like a joystick that you roll. It's very good for some games though. I think Missile Command is much more playable with it, as is Centipede. Crystal Castles though? Not so much.

 

If it's cheap, it might be worth getting. I have a couple of them, but rarely use them. Mainly because I rarely play the games they work well with.

 

Anyway, B&C Computervisions has them for $14.95 new (CX-80), $9.95 reconditioned (CX-22).

Edited March 15, 2007 by Nathan Strum

[TimsterAA]

I just picked up one of these also from "the 'bay", and it hasn't arrived yet, but I'm wondering the same thing. What games will I most enjoyably be able to use it with.

 

--Timster--

 

Got mine for just over $18 shipped, so that's probably not too bad. Are there any 7800 games that it would work good with? Anyone know of any other systems & games that might be able to use it (Commodores/Atari 8-bits/etc...)?

Edited March 15, 2007 by TimsterAA

[SeaGtGruff]

Paddle games? No. It won't work with paddle games at all.

 

With the 2600, the Trak-Ball doesn't funciton as a true Trak-Ball. It works more like a joystick that you roll.

Actually, there should be a switch on the underside of it (which is kind of hard to find because it's inset in a little hole) that lets you choose between joystick mode and trakball mode. In trakball mode, it should function as a true trakball, except I don't know if any 2600 games were actually ever done for that. In joystick mode it will work for any game that uses a joystick.

 

Michael

[Ze_ro]

It's too bad Marble Craze doesn't support this thing :/

 

--Zero

[Danno]

Paddle games? No. It won't work with paddle games at all.

 

With the 2600, the Trak-Ball doesn't funciton as a true Trak-Ball. It works more like a joystick that you roll.

Actually, there should be a switch on the underside of it (which is kind of hard to find because it's inset in a little hole) that lets you choose between joystick mode and trakball mode. In trakball mode, it should function as a true trakball, except I don't know if any 2600 games were actually ever done for that. In joystick mode it will work for any game that uses a joystick.

 

Michael

None.

 

None commercially anyway.

 

there are two Hombrew games that use "Trak-Ball" mode though. TJ's Missle Command conversion, and Kenfused's 7800 CentipedeTB conversion.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

there are two Hombrew games that use "Trak-Ball" mode though. TJ's Missle Command conversion, and Kenfused's 7800 CentipedeTB conversion.

That's right, though I prefer the term "hacks" instead of "homebrew games".

[bust3dstr8]

I picked up one little while ago at my local store for $7. Without the analog support, it plays like shit.

I can do better with my Genny pad, so i returned it.

[Lord Helmet]

It's too bad Marble Craze doesn't support this thing :/

 

--Zero

 

Agreed!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

The problem is, that decoding the Trak-Ball input requires a lot more valuable CPU time during kernel display than the Paddles. So, except for rather simple kernels (like Missile Command), the Trak-Ball is overstressing the 2600 capabilities.