Adding a Stickler to a Flashback Controller

[doctorclu]

When I got my current Intellivision 1 (1979) one of the controllers had a stickler installed on one of the controllers, good for giving your controller more a joystick feel:

 

 

Much to my surprise the Stickler was not something glued onto the disc, but an actual plastic piece that replaces the disc itself. This is very common knowledge for the avid Intellivision collector, but just in case you didn't already know this I've given this bit of background.

 

Featured in the picture is the Flashback disc on the left as it compares to the Stickler on the Right.

 

I tried the stickler in the Flashback (2014) controller, however, as you can see in the picture above the disc for the Flashback controllers is just a little bigger than their earlier counterparts from 1979. As a result, just a typical "Oh $%#!!" moment in "Shark! Shark!" pulled the Stickler completely out of the controller much like this...

 

I took a look at the Flashback controller (2014) and a spare Intellivision 1 controller (1979) I picked up in a flea market. Here is the top comparisons:

In this picture the original Intellivision 1 top is in the middle, and the two flashback tops are left and right.

Notice how the two different controllers of the Flashback have JX-1 and JX-2 on the inner molding.

 

Then I took a glimpse at the bottom shells:

In this picture you see the Flashback controller as it rests in the shell, then the flashback bottom shell in the middle, and then the Intellivision 1 controller shell to the right.

 

What I learned today was the Flashback controller shell is a bit smaller with a wider hole for the controller disc. The screw holes line up between the older and newer shell however.

 

**I would recommend to use the original screws from the Intellivision 1 (1979) controller when working with the Intellivision 1 (1979) shell top.** The screws from the 1979 controller are larger than the screws from the 2014 controller.

 

What I would do in the end to make a Stickler work on the Flashback controller is to switch out the upper shell from the 1979 controller and add to the bottom 2014 controller shell. The lower 2014 shell was needed to house the Flashback controller arrangement, and the upper 1979 shell was needed for the size of the controller disc hole for the Stickler.

 

Both are similar with just one slight modification needed:

The tabs just below the disc hole need to be filed down just a wee bit, not much, to work with the other shell. Here for the 1979 top to work with the 2014 bottom you need to file down the tabs toward the outer edges to line up with the slot in the 2014 bottom shell.

 

After that, the bottom of the controller will snap together, and the screws will hold the controller together with some coxing. All and all it works, though you meet a little resistance at the top, with a part where it doesn't quite come together:

 

And if curious, since I now had a 2014 top and 1979 bottom left over, I thought I would see how the reverse would work.

 

In this one the tabs in the 2014 have to be filed down towards the inside to make them smaller and line up with the slots in the 1979 bottom shell. After that the lower part snaps together, the screws hold the controller together, and like the other, it is basically together, though not quite joining at the top:

 

A little rough, but now you have a Stickler on a Flashback controller which allows you to also have a Stickler controller on the Intellivision 2 thanks to the Flashback adaptor that Nurmix makes.

 

I was not able to get a Stickler to work on a Intellivision 2 before the Intellivision Flashback came along since the Intellivision 2 controller has such a thin disc, as you can see in this picture where you see the Intellivision 2 controller disc to the left compared to the Flashback disc to the right. In short from what I tried, maybe others had some method of making the Stickler work, but for me the Intellivision 2 controller did not have the room inside for the Stickler to work. So this helps playing games on the Flashback or an Intellivision 2 as well.

 

Anyway, the disc on the Flashback controller is quite responsive, but if you want to try a joystick add on, this was one way I found to get the Stickler to work.

 

Hopefully someone like me who has enjoyed gaming using the Stickler or a fan of something closer to a joystick controller will find my findings presented here helpful for Intellivision Flashback gaming.

 

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Here are two other comparison pictures I took of the two controllers:

 

Above view of the Flashback disc left to the Stickler on the left.

 

The circular plastic washer that goes under the disc and side buttons for the Intellivision 1 on the left, and the Flashback (2014) counterparts on the right.

Edited October 19, 2014 by doctorclu

[+intvsteve]

Great presentation!

[+JasonlikesINTV]

Thanks for putting in the time to document this so well. It's bound to save someone some unnecessary hassle.

[doctorclu]

Got some more Sticklers from a e-bay auction, so here are pictiures of the Stickler box and a Flashback fully converted.

[+nurmix]

Nicely done, Greg.

 

If you listened to episode 15, I hope you took my comments about this thread in the way they were intended (you get a thumbs up for your execution, I just never liked joystick adapters of any kind on the Intellivision, as I always thought the disc was elegant and ahead of it's time). To me adding a 'joystick' shaft to an Intellivision controller is akin to reworking an M. C. Escher painting so everything is on the same plane.

[pimpmaul69]

Nicely done, Greg.

 

If you listened to episode 15, I hope you took my comments about this thread in the way they were intended (you get a thumbs up for your execution, I just never liked joystick adapters of any kind on the Intellivision, as I always thought the disc was elegant and ahead of it's time). To me adding a 'joystick' shaft to an Intellivision controller is akin to reworking an M. C. Escher painting so everything is on the same plane.

i only found the sticklers to work good on 4-way games. They are terrible for games the you hold in a direction and "roll" another direction.

[doctorclu]

Could see how rolling on the controller would not work as well. Nurmix I took the comments as you liked the disc controllers, and I get that. I like the keyboard on the Atari 400 and I think it just has to do with the feel of what you're used to or what brings back good memories.

 

But anyway, I'm admittedly on of those that liked the Intellivision games despite the controller. I definately do not like Intellivision 2 controllers. So when I found the Stickler that came with an Intellivision at some point I was heaven. Intellivision graphics with something closer to the VCS/Atari computer stick I was used to? Heck yeh!