Lefty Joystick Adaptor

[SpaceDice2010]

I was reading through one of the collector books the other day and one of the "missing" items that they said was never found was an adapter to make the 2600 for use by left handed gamers. I had one of those damn things and probably still do. Were there more than one company that made them?

[MagitekAngel]

So you mean an adapter that rotates the directions of the joystick 90 degrees clockwise, such that the button is now on the right side? Sounds fairly simple to make... But never heard of such a thing before. Maybe it's rare?

Edited October 9, 2010 by MagitekAngel

[Pioneer4x4]

If you don't mind making it permanent, just re-arrance the wires in the stick. But an adapter would be nice because it would work with any stick. I have never seen or even read about one.

[SlowCoder]

If you don't mind making it permanent, just re-arrance the wires in the stick. But an adapter would be nice because it would work with any stick. I have never seen or even read about one.

 

IMO, definitely the easiest, albeit a pain if you don't want to keep it that way.

 

But you could almost as easily build an adapter with 2 9-pin connectors (1 M, 1 F) for less than $5

 

I'm a lefty, with 2 lefty parents. But I grew up in a righty world, and learned to do many things right-handed. That includes playing video games and using computers.

[Stan]

Or you could just get a TAC-2, which either right or left-handed players can use.

[SpaceDice2010]

Hmmm. I guess I will have to see if I can find the damn thing. All it was was a little adapter that plugged into the joystick port that allowed a lefty the hold the stick a different way. I was wondering if more than one company made it as the book said if you had one from Suncom it is classified as "Missing Merchandise".

 

This is the book, btw

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574325736?ie=UTF8&tag=atariage&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1574325736

 

For some reason I really like that book, not for the price guide, but for the pictures and it does a 1/2 decent job with Atari label variations.

[Stan]

Ahem, or just get a TAC-2. Better joystick function as well as lefty feature.

[user42]

Does it really make a difference? With the Atari we control the movement with the right hand while pressing the buttons with the left. On almost every system that came after it we control the movement with the left hand while pressing the buttons with the right. By your logic all the righties should be complaining that we want "right handed joy-pads" with the movement controlled by the right hand....

[Lord Helmet]

Does it really make a difference? With the Atari we control the movement with the right hand while pressing the buttons with the left. On almost every system that came after it we control the movement with the left hand while pressing the buttons with the right. By your logic all the righties should be complaining that we want "right handed joy-pads" with the movement controlled by the right hand....

 

The righties do complain on occasion. the modern gaming forum has a couple of threads somewhere with people bitching about all modern pads being made for lefties.

 

I'm left handed but I've never had an issue with the 2600 stick. To really play video games of any era you have to be somewhat ambidextrous anyway.

[Herbarius]

Does it really make a difference? With the Atari we control the movement with the right hand while pressing the buttons with the left. On almost every system that came after it we control the movement with the left hand while pressing the buttons with the right. By your logic all the righties should be complaining that we want "right handed joy-pads" with the movement controlled by the right hand....

 

It's a similar thing with guitars...

[Stan]

Ahem, being a righty, that's why I use the TACFecking-2. Buttons on both sides, can be used in any way you like. More responsive, more durable, just get it already.

[SpaceDice2010]

I mean. I guess the reason I was asking is if anyone actually had seen such a thing. I know I sent like $10 to a mail order company to get one back in the day. Then I see a collector book asking if anyone has one they want to see a picture. Before I go looking I want to make sure I am not looking for something very common. I have no desire to say I have this rare piece of atari hardware or anything like that, but if they want a picture to prove that it actually existed then I will try and find it when I have time. If 20 different manufacturers made one then I probably wont even bother to look.

[Pioneer4x4]

I mean. I guess the reason I was asking is if anyone actually had seen such a thing. I know I sent like $10 to a mail order company to get one back in the day. Then I see a collector book asking if anyone has one they want to see a picture. Before I go looking I want to make sure I am not looking for something very common. I have no desire to say I have this rare piece of atari hardware or anything like that, but if they want a picture to prove that it actually existed then I will try and find it when I have time. If 20 different manufacturers made one then I probably wont even bother to look.

I personally have never heard of one, I think it is a neat thing, if I found one, I'd keep it. I wouldn't pay much for one, maybe $5 for kicks if I saw it laying on a table.