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Controller options for the ColecoVision2


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There's a middleground for joystick and d-pad, and that would be a thumbstick. (like early master system controllers and some Gravis PC gamepads had to screw into the d-pad) Honestly though, the original colecovisions controller's short stak broad, flat knobbed joystick tends to function better as a thumbpad, that would depend on personal prefrence though. (and the button positioning makes it pain to use as such, especially for 2-button games, not so bad for keypad usage and games with no buttons or rare use of buttons) As depicted here:

(if you don't know of this guy, he's a big atari and sega fan, growing up with the 2600, 7800, and Genesis)

 

 

Of course the Intellivision's disc is more like a d-pad in that sense, but probably less functional as one than the CV controller is as a thumbstick (due to the somewhat slippery and recessed disc as well as the 16 directions), plus is at a less convienient location compared to the CV. (in terms of grasping the controller single handed)

And of couse there's the 5200, which might have been a pretty good configuration with a digital joystick (both as a thumbstick and finger gripped joystick), well that and better buttons. (ie larger, and less prone to wearing out -using ones more like the paddles or 7800)

But the key example of a gamepad like arrangement would probably be the vectrex, albeit that's with an analog thumbstick rather than a d-pad.

Edited by kool kitty89
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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a talk with doubledown last year about keypads, and here's what he had to say:

 

The biggest problem with a CV keypad is that it has to be of the single bus/common pole variation. Which means that there is one common (ground) and one contact for each button. So 1 keypad has 13 contacts. Most of the one's you'll find readily available on the internet are of the more common "matrix" style. Which means that there is one contact for each row and one for each column, containing a total of 7 contacts. These types of keypads are a lot more common, but unusable by the CV due to its diode array within the controller, and the decoder built onto the CV PCB.

So my question is: Would it be difficult to create some kind of interface between a "matrix style" keypad and the CV?

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I had a talk with doubledown last year about keypads, and here's what he had to say:

 

The biggest problem with a CV keypad is that it has to be of the single bus/common pole variation. Which means that there is one common (ground) and one contact for each button. So 1 keypad has 13 contacts. Most of the one's you'll find readily available on the internet are of the more common "matrix" style. Which means that there is one contact for each row and one for each column, containing a total of 7 contacts. These types of keypads are a lot more common, but unusable by the CV due to its diode array within the controller, and the decoder built onto the CV PCB.

So my question is: Would it be difficult to create some kind of interface between a "matrix style" keypad and the CV?

 

Yep, you can translate using a microcontroller or CPLD.

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There's a middleground for joystick and d-pad, and that would be a thumbstick. (like early master system controllers and some Gravis PC gamepads had to screw into the d-pad) Honestly though, the original colecovisions controller's short stak broad, flat knobbed joystick tends to function better as a thumbpad, that would depend on personal prefrence though. (and the button positioning makes it pain to use as such, especially for 2-button games, not so bad for keypad usage and games with no buttons or rare use of buttons) As depicted here:

(if you don't know of this guy, he's a big atari and sega fan, growing up with the 2600, 7800, and Genesis)

 

 

Of course the Intellivision's disc is more like a d-pad in that sense, but probably less functional as one than the CV controller is as a thumbstick (due to the somewhat slippery and recessed disc as well as the 16 directions), plus is at a less convienient location compared to the CV. (in terms of grasping the controller single handed)

And of couse there's the 5200, which might have been a pretty good configuration with a digital joystick (both as a thumbstick and finger gripped joystick), well that and better buttons. (ie larger, and less prone to wearing out -using ones more like the paddles or 7800)

But the key example of a gamepad like arrangement would probably be the vectrex, albeit that's with an analog thumbstick rather than a d-pad.

 

Quite a bit off topic to reply to, but felt the need. :) While I'm sure he means well, I think that review is whack-- I've NEVER seen anyone hold a CV controller like that or use one the way he does! Everyone I've ever seen play CV pinches the sides of the disc-- even on the cover of CV Experience the guy is pinching the stick, not thumbing it! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Does anyone here have the pinout information for the CV controllers/controller ports? (U/D/L/R and button 1 match VCS and thush SMS and MD, but the other button is the contenton point, with SMS using pin 9) If both buttons match, SMS/MD controllers should be fine for any games not using the keypad.

 

The Jaguar pad was my first though for a reemagined CV controller though, and what do you know:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/117927-colecovision-controller-mod/

jagcolecoconversionas3.jpg

 

You know, that does work pretty well. But luck fining Jag controllers en mass for a reasonable price.

 

How about something like a Gravis Gamepad or SMS controller/ CD-i, where there is a d-pad with a screw hole to attach an optional joystick? Just a thought.

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  • 2 years later...

ColecoVision2 = best arcade controller = Joystick: 8-way Rotary = all 2D games

 

Bermuda Triangle

Guerrilla War

Ikari Warriors

T.N.K. III

Victory Road

World Wars

Ikari III

Search And Rescue

Battle Field

Time Soldiers

Heavy Barrel

Midnight Resistance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Resistance

Gondomania

DownTown

 

gameplay:

 

So, the original colecovisions controller's Joystick 8-way... Rotary

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  • 2 weeks later...

If it were me doing the ColecoVision 2, I'd definitely make it compatible with the Wii Classic Controller. It provides d-pad, dual analog stick, four face buttons, four shoulder/back buttons, +, -, home. It is still commercially available and there is a variety of 3rd party versions also. And all you have to provide is an I2C port for each controller. It is well documented how to interface to it.

 

With the Wii they provide both GC ports and the wireless bluetooth ports. So I don't see a problem with supporting DB9 for ColecoVision controllers and then the i2c connectors for the Wii Classic Controller. Several DIY game systems support the Wii nunchuck. It is the same interface for the classic controller.

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controller option i would go with this jaguar gamepad mod

 

http://www.atariage....ttach_id=245996

 

There is also this recent occurrance--recreated Jag controller shell molds that are likely to be available on the cheap when he gets it down 100%: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/196805-replacement-jag-controller-buttons/

 

Would need to come up with a pcb design for the internals, but the shells and buttons are already in place.

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