Jump to content
IGNORED

Mystery Arcade Joystick for original Xbox


SRGilbert

Recommended Posts

So I'm out of town this weekend and stop at a little local run game store. Cool store, lots of retro stuff, lots of moderns stuff too, average prices. Then I spot this arcade stick on the shelf. The thing I noticed right away was that it has a connector for the original X-box, which was weird because to my knowledge, there are almost no fighter/arcade sticks for the Xbox except for that Radica one. The dude at the shop couldn't tell me anything about it either.

 

I though maybe it was a home made deal, but it's really well done, very professional. The buttons aren't quite Happs standards, but decent enough. Stick seems like a good quality, nice leaf switch action. Anyway, I talked him down from $30 to $20 and took it home. I figure the case and controlls alone are worth way more than $20, so I took a chance.

 

Tried it out and it works, score one! Then i opened it up, expecting to see a hacked controller board and a mess of wiring. Nope, all still very profession inside as you can see and what appears to be a custom controller board. Except for what you see on the board, there are NO markings anywhere on this thing to identify it. I can't even ID the joystick!

 

So, what's up with this?

post-12780-127153666452_thumb.jpg

post-12780-127153667443_thumb.jpg

post-12780-127153668598_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen one just like it at a local pawn. Unfortunately, I was strapped for cash at the time and didn't pick it up, by thet ime I got money, it was gone :(

 

Can't tell you anything about it other than, if I've seen one, and you've got one, it probably is a mass produced item. I seem to remember seeing one somewhere else too, but I won't swear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given that the board has 'USB Cable' where the controller cable goes in, it might potentially be an arcade stick made for the PC that was adapted to the Xbox by the owner. Or, perhaps, it was sold that way, and just came with a breakaway adapter like the Xbox controllers do, with a 'wink wink nudge nudge'. Xbox controllers use a physical variation on the USB specification, and are compatible with PCs when adapted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given that the board has 'USB Cable' where the controller cable goes in, it might potentially be an arcade stick made for the PC that was adapted to the Xbox by the owner. Or, perhaps, it was sold that way, and just came with a breakaway adapter like the Xbox controllers do, with a 'wink wink nudge nudge'. Xbox controllers use a physical variation on the USB specification, and are compatible with PCs when adapted.

That would be my guess as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given that the board has 'USB Cable' where the controller cable goes in, it might potentially be an arcade stick made for the PC that was adapted to the Xbox by the owner. Or, perhaps, it was sold that way, and just came with a breakaway adapter like the Xbox controllers do, with a 'wink wink nudge nudge'. Xbox controllers use a physical variation on the USB specification, and are compatible with PCs when adapted.

 

Maybe, but it also has pads for all the xbox specific buttons like the XYAB and B&W buttons. What usb controller would have that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xbox controllers use a physical variation on the USB specification, and are compatible with PCs when adapted.

 

IIRC they're not standard HID devices, they require their own driver. So a USB joystick that acts as a standard HID device won't necessarily work if physically adapted to the Xbox.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I'm out of town this weekend and stop at a little local run game store. Cool store, lots of retro stuff, lots of moderns stuff too, average prices. Then I spot this arcade stick on the shelf. The thing I noticed right away was that it has a connector for the original X-box, which was weird because to my knowledge, there are almost no fighter/arcade sticks for the Xbox except for that Radica one. The dude at the shop couldn't tell me anything about it either.

 

I though maybe it was a home made deal, but it's really well done, very professional. The buttons aren't quite Happs standards, but decent enough. Stick seems like a good quality, nice leaf switch action. Anyway, I talked him down from $30 to $20 and took it home. I figure the case and controlls alone are worth way more than $20, so I took a chance.

 

Tried it out and it works, score one! Then i opened it up, expecting to see a hacked controller board and a mess of wiring. Nope, all still very profession inside as you can see and what appears to be a custom controller board. Except for what you see on the board, there are NO markings anywhere on this thing to identify it. I can't even ID the joystick!

 

So, what's up with this?

 

I've seen that controller at the Cleveland Classic Console and Arcade Game Show. I don't remember the name of the company that makes it though and I've looked on the CCAG website for info on it but of course can't find anything. The link to the website is in my sig below. See if you can find it. Supposed to be a really good joystick from my understanding. Well built from what I remember. I've used it at the show before.

 

Rich

Edited by vrocko
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 years later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I just noticed this solution to the old mystery, and now that you mention it, that case shape, and especially the wiring looks an awful lot like the ps1 'soul edge' layout redoctane I gutted/refit into a neo geo stick a while back. 

 

It had very offbrand stuff inside.  Buttons were japan-style switches, but with a sharp-edged deep us/euro concave surface, and the stick's an IL clone but with a balltop. There was even a sharp mold line on the ball, nothing felt good. Never could ID the logo on those parts.  Even the "t-molding" was fake--just plastic tape.  The wiring in mine was somehow even worse by comparison.  Same perfboard circuitry, and it wouldn't shock me if that bread tie was factory original. Pictures are well worth a laugh, but in their defense, IIRC these things were super-cheap at something like $40.

 

I did what I could for it, but at the end of the day, it's only a display piece, because that case shape is just too annoying.

before/afters of the Inside/outside

 

Zg3V9J5m.jpg?1

 

5mfJMfJm.jpg

Edited by Reaperman
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...