2600 vs 5200 controllers

[Tr3vor]

I know what your thinking, but give the 5200 a chance. i want your opinion of which one is better... IF the atari 5200 controller worked 100% of the time and did not break. and i want your opinion on if they had a more solid design, would you think that the atari 5200 controller had actually replaced the 2600's controllers.

 

personally i would have to go with the 2600 paddle and joystick combo. i think that the paddle works better with super breakout and the joystick works better for games like pac man. the 5200 controller on pac man is horrible. cant change direction as fast as i want to.

 

Tr3vor

[BassGuitari]

Depends on the game. But if you're playing a 2600 game, why would you need a 5200 controller anyway? Why do with two fire buttons, a keypad, and 360-degree movement what you can do with one fire button and 8-way movement?

 

I think the Atari 5200 joystick controller is well-suited to its console and software, especially games that take advantage of the 5200's analog joystick (notably Star Raiders). However, paddle games should be played with paddles.

 

For Atari 2600 games, again, I think the 5200 controller would be overkill.

 

Generally, I think the 5200 joystick is more comfortable and versatile (not that I dislike the CX-40). And the whole "it sucks on Pac-Man" thing is a cop-out.

[Galaxian]

I would have to go with the Atari 2600 controller. I love its simplicity and how many 3rd party controllers there are. For instance, I have a pointmaster controller and 2 gemstick controllers.

[accousticguitar]

CX-40 all the way.

[littleman jack]

I think the small size and the simplicity of the 2600 CX-40 controller make it the greatest.

[opeygon]

you can't beat the paddle controller. i wish there was one for the 5200 so i could play a really enjoyable game of super breakout. i just can't get into the game with my 5200 controllers. but the graphics are so much better than the 2600 version. oh what a dilemma!

[BassGuitari]

you can't beat the paddle controller. i wish there was one for the 5200 so i could play a really enjoyable game of super breakout. i just can't get into the game with my 5200 controllers. but the graphics are so much better than the 2600 version. oh what a dilemma!

 

The Trakball is much better than the joystick...but it's still not as good as paddles.

[tz101]

I got my replacement pots and flex circuits from Best Electronics recently. Both of my stock 5200 controllers now work like the year was 1982.

 

Only one question I have: Why all the haters? I even had to try them with Pac Man and Ms. Pac Man to see what all the moaners were whining about. I have to say that I just don't get what all the complaining is about. From my experience, the rubber boots around the sticks act like return springs, centering the joysticks rather nicely. I was able to move Pac Man and the Ms. around their respective mazes quite nicely, thank you. So much for all the garbage about these controllers I heard for so many years.

[Tr3vor]

I got my replacement pots and flex circuits from Best Electronics recently. Both of my stock 5200 controllers now work like the year was 1982.

 

Only one question I have: Why all the haters? I even had to try them with Pac Man and Ms. Pac Man to see what all the moaners were whining about. I have to say that I just don't get what all the complaining is about. From my experience, the rubber boots around the sticks act like return springs, centering the joysticks rather nicely. I was able to move Pac Man and the Ms. around their respective mazes quite nicely, thank you. So much for all the garbage about these controllers I heard for so many years.

they should have used springs in the first place, and its not the faultyness im talking about, its about how it feels in your hand. its almost worse than the intellivision controller, well... not that bad, but its not comfortable.

[GideonsDad]

If we are talking about a flacid, fall-to-the-side, un-modified 5200 controller then there's no question that the 2600 controller is better. The keypad is pretty cool though.

 

GideonsDad

[Curt Vendel]

Atari did a nice joystick/paddle combo controller for the Atari 2700 wireless system and also for the Atari 2800 system.

 

It would've been nice if that design was carried over to the Atari 5200.

 

 

I like the 5200 joystick overall with the exception of the firebuttons, if the 2 left/right buttons could've been done with one on each side in hard plastic with left for 1 and right for 2 like the 7800 sticks, I think it would've been a far more accepted design, the firebuttons out of the entire design are really its worst part.

 

The lack of self centering is a bit of a problem, its the control itself that is the problem for games like pac man and others. However, look at your modern analog thumbstick controls, yes they are self centering, but their 360 degree movement still makes them lowsy for playing Pac Man or any other up/dn, left/right games even with the self centering.

 

 

 

Curt

 

I know what your thinking, but give the 5200 a chance. i want your opinion of which one is better... IF the atari 5200 controller worked 100% of the time and did not break. and i want your opinion on if they had a more solid design, would you think that the atari 5200 controller had actually replaced the 2600's controllers.

 

personally i would have to go with the 2600 paddle and joystick combo. i think that the paddle works better with super breakout and the joystick works better for games like pac man. the 5200 controller on pac man is horrible. cant change direction as fast as i want to.

 

Tr3vor

[AtariLeaf]

All things being equal and the 5200 being 100% functional I'd still choose the 2600 sticks for comfort and ease of use.

[disjaukifa]

All things being equal and the 5200 being 100% functional I'd still choose the 2600 sticks for comfort and ease of use.

 

Agreed, I've used 5200 controllers before and I just don't like them as much as the good ole CX-40.

 

-Disjaukifa