Jump to content
IGNORED

5200 Trackball Question?


Video

Recommended Posts

I just got a 5200 Trackball, and it's awesome. There's a few things I'd like to know about it though.

 

I don't know if it's naturally like this or not, but it seems that the trackball reacts slowly, even when you spin the ball fast. I don't know, it just seems that way to me. Is there a way to speed it up so it can move faster?

 

The second thing is, what games work with this controller? I've looked on many games, and none claim to work on it, but some of the most obvious ones do, like Asteroids, Centipede, and Break out. I thought it would work on other games, but it doesn't work with some, like Pitfall and Pac-Man, Ok I guess, since they're supposed to be played with a stick. But is there a list of games that are made to use the trackball? If not, can you list the games that use the trackball?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the 5200 FAQ:

 

2.7 -- WHAT GAMES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE TRAK-BALL CONTROLLER?

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

* -- Plays best when used with the trak-ball

# -- Some gamers prefer to play it with the trak-ball, others don't.

X -- Works with the trak-ball but is not recommended.

 

* Centipede

# Football/RealSports Football

X Galaxian

# Kaboom!

X K-Razy Shootout

* Millipede

* Missile Command

X Pole Position

X RealSports Baseball

# Soccer/RealSports Soccer

X Space Invaders

# Super Breakout

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the list. Sorry, I realized I said Asteroids in my first post, I meant Missile Command.

 

That's cool to know. I was looking over the controller and didn't see a joystic switch on it. I know some of the 2600 games have a joystic mode so you can play all games with them. I guess Atari didn't see a need since the joystic was analog on the 5200.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 5200 trakball is the tool of the devil. ;)

 

It's just a crufty design. In order to make the trakball "compatible" with joystick games (and thus to avoid any software changes for already released games) the trakball functions like a "virtual" joystick. As you spin the ball, a current (somewhat, sorta, roughly, almost) like the one controlled by the potentiometer in the 5200 controller is fed to the 5200. The faster you spin the ball, the farther the "joystick" tilts.

 

On a "real" trakball (like a Missile Command or Centipede arcade game) the trakball outputs digital pulses in quadrature-- the game board sees a distinct number of "steps" in a certain direction as a result of the ball spinning. Nice and crisp, smooth input...

 

The 5200 trakball's output is a spastic approximation of an auto-centering joystick being "slapped" as the game is played. It's "trakball-like", but nothing like the fine control you might otherwise expect. :sad:

 

-Clay

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 5200 trakball is the tool of the devil.  ;)  

 

It's just a crufty design.  In order to make the trakball "compatible" with joystick games (and thus to avoid any software changes for already released games) the trakball functions like a "virtual" joystick.  As you spin the ball, a current (somewhat, sorta, roughly, almost) like the one controlled by the potentiometer in the 5200 controller is fed to the 5200.  The faster you spin the ball, the farther the "joystick" tilts.

 

On a "real" trakball (like a Missile Command or Centipede arcade game) the trakball outputs digital pulses in quadrature-- the game board sees a distinct number of "steps" in a certain direction as a result of the ball spinning.  Nice and crisp, smooth input...

 

The 5200 trakball's output is a spastic approximation of an auto-centering joystick being "slapped" as the game is played.  It's "trakball-like", but nothing like the fine control you might otherwise expect.  :sad:  

 

-Clay

 

WOW.

 

:o I think DK is going to be ticked off if he reads this. :sad:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO - the 5200 trak-ball is an excellent unit (especially if you just got a brand new one like me!)

 

Mine too-- I bought a few in new in box probably 10 years ago when they were $19.95. Maybe from All Electronics? I sold them over the years, but kept one for myself.

 

It's a *nice* piece of hardware, unfortunately it's just a crappy implementation of a trakball. (But in all fairness I'm mostly from the arcade game side of the world, so I can be snobbish about hardware... Spend 30 seconds on a real Missile Command machine that's properly maintained and 30 seconds on the 5200 version with the "trak-ball controller" and you'll see what I mean.)

 

-Clay

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd still say playing Missle Command and Centipede with the 5200 trackball is a lot funner using the 2600 trackball for all the "joystick only" 2600 released games.

 

Thomas has tweaked some 2600 games since then, but that joystick mode on the 2600 trackball is pretty bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Well sure it's more fun. But the fact is it's just simply not a 'real' trackball apparently based upon the explanation. Makes sense to me. :)

 

But of course that doesn't change the fact that it rocks for the 5200 games. That's what it's made for and that's all it'll be used for. But I can see how it's pretty much a hack :P And of course that's totally fine :)

Edited by NE146
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well sure it's more fun. But the fact is it's just simply not a 'real' trackball apparently based upon the explanation. Makes sense to me. :) 

 

But of course that doesn't change the fact that it rocks for the 5200 games. That's what it's made for and that's all it'll be used for. But I can see how it's pretty much a hack :P And of course that's totally fine :)

1020658[/snapback]

If I recall, it was determined that Clay's trackball was quite broken and that a properly functioning 5200 trackball DOES work in a native mode on games that support it. The behavior he was viewing is only for games that don't have native trackball support.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 5200 trakball is the shiznit (or is that shit-fizzle? snizzy-wizzy?)

 

This thread is the first time I've ever seen anyone say something negative about it, but to each his own.

Galaxian and Space Invaders are actually pretty awesome with the trakball, as well as of course Centipede and Missile Command. Pole Position sucks with it, I wouldn't even bother.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've played Defender with it. Great control for that game, but it can get a little tiring because you have to keep rolling for thrust. Another plus for Defender and the trak-ball is that you're hands won't get cramped on the fire buttons. Don't use it anymore since I upgraded controllers awhile ago, now I just use a Competition Pro. But I would rate it like this for Defender:

 

Competition Pro > Trak-Ball > Stock 5200 stick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 years later...

back in the day i used to think the tracball was great to me it was the crackball it was like arcade at home compared to the tracball on my atari 2600 and commodore 64 but living in the now i can see its limitations it does not act like a mouse it has the feel of great floatyness

 

and with the analog* games its even worse but maybe its just my squeeky wackball

 

 

 

 

 

 

*superbreakout,gorf,kaboom,missilecommand,starwars

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I was just looking into this subject myself. The Trak-Ball doesn't have anywhere near the range of the real joystick. On some games, it seems like it doesn't even get out of the dead band: nothing happens.

 

I ran across some information recently that described how software can "calibrate" itself to the Trak-Ball signal, at least for centering. A game that wasn't written specifically to support the Trak- Ball wouldn't do that. This explained why my multicart menu would work in the down direction, but not up.

 

The game would also need to respond to a smaller range of "joystick" input. Using a diagnostic cart, the Trak-Ball doesn't hit the extremes of what I assume to be a programmer's guideline for the range that a game should use. The regular joystick moves the cursor way beyond those boundaries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just looking into this subject myself. The Trak-Ball doesn't have anywhere near the range of the real joystick. On some games, it seems like it doesn't even get out of the dead band: nothing happens.

 

I ran across some information recently that described how software can "calibrate" itself to the Trak-Ball signal, at least for centering. A game that wasn't written specifically to support the Trak- Ball wouldn't do that. This explained why my multicart menu would work in the down direction, but not up.

 

The game would also need to respond to a smaller range of "joystick" input. Using a diagnostic cart, the Trak-Ball doesn't hit the extremes of what I assume to be a programmer's guideline for the range that a game should use. The regular joystick moves the cursor way beyond those boundaries.

 

Dan Kramer's notes on how to program for the Trak-Ball is posted elsewhere on here and on Facebook...

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...