Recommended Joystick ?

[Shift838]

With my All in one project I am assembling that houses the PEB and 99/4A components in one case I have opted to use the Atari Joystick Adapter sold by Arcade Shopper.

 

I have always used the 99/4A joysticks and I really don't like them that much so.....

 

I am wondering what are some of other TI'ers recommendations for atari compatible joysticks to use on a real system ?

 

 

[+save2600]

Atari CX40, Wico ball, Competition Pro's and Tac-2's are my favs, but the real answer here is that ANY joystick is better than the TI sticks.

[Omega-TI]

If you are not going to build your own and go with the the adapter, I've personally had good luck with the Wico Red Ball.

I've found that stick is nearly indestructible.

 

[Opry99er]

Tac2 or Wico Red ball.

 

Hard to beat the CX40 though... As previously stated

[Opry99er]

Wico bat, too. Excellent stick.

[+arcadeshopper]

I'm a fan of the wico bat handle

[+OLD CS1]

Epyx 500XJ. By far my fave.

[+Ksarul]

I personally like the Prostick IIs. . .but all of the other ones already mentioned are good too.

[LASooner]

[Opry99er]

Ooooh, the Slik Stik!!! Forgot about that one!!

[sparkdrummer]

I prefer my home grown sticks but if you're handy and can build an adapter I really like the pistol grip joysticks from the Bally Astrocade.

[+OLD CS1]

The SlikStik looks like the TAC-2 which I like, as well. No switches, just one big metal ball sitting amid four metal plates.

[Shift838]

i think i may try my hand at making an arcade quality atari compatible joystick.

 

Thanks everyone for your input...

[Omega-TI]

i think i may try my hand at making an arcade quality atari compatible joystick.

 

Thanks everyone for your input...

 

<< THIS THREAD >> might give you a few ideas for design.

[PeBo]

agree with LASooner about the slik stik and OLD CS1 about the Epyx (except I found that the index finger fire button on the Epyx made my hand cramp if a game required rapid fire.

 

For original era games, few joysticks provide the excellent tactile response of an Atari Heavy Sixer. I was lucky enough to get 3 of them in a bulk joystick purchase, and was able to swap springs/boards to build a single near-perfect one from them. The button is a joy with it's extended travel, and the audible "clicks" of the stick leaves nothing to doubt. Second generation Atari joystick may look the same, but they are not even in the same class. It really is the penultimate single button right-hand joystick (I've never mastered left hand pads and sticks with right hand buttons, and so I suck at nintendo games and any that came after).

 

My favorite though is a kick-a$$ atari knock-off made by Recoton, that has been my go-to joystick for the TI and emulators for many years now. More than any other atari-style joystick, it was built to last (I have the play hours to prove it). A longer throw than the heavy sixer, it finds a sweet spot between stiff and mushy that I really like. And that giant button...what can I say????

Edited February 11, 2017 by PeBo

[am1933]

Personal fave................Suncom TAC 2

 

[Shift838]

Got all my arcade joystick parts in today and I put one together for less than $25.00 US.

 

I decided to make just an atari extension cable and use a male 9 pin on the joystick too so I can if I want move it and use it on my Raspberry Pi Emulation station too..

 

• Cost of the Joystick and 2 buttons (I only used one) was $17.00 US
• Had some 9 conductor wire already (only need 6)
• Had the connectors on hand
• bought a small box enclosure for $3.00 US that's Hinged and has a magnet to keep it closed.

 

Took about an hour. Hardest thing was lining the joystick shaft in the center of the 1/2 hole I drilled. The joystick is from Adafruit and so is the button.

 

Here some pics. I am going to paint it and put some rubber feet on it. But it works great.

 

 

 

 

 

[Iwantgames:)]

I use a Wico Bat. I have 4 of them lol but only one actually works good the others still need fixing and I never seem to get to it lol

[Airshack]

One for flight (Wico) and another (Genesis) for everything else.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Airshack

[masschamber]

Got all my arcade joystick parts in today and I put one together for less than $25.00 US.

 

I decided to make just an atari extension cable and use a male 9 pin on the joystick too so I can if I want move it and use it on my Raspberry Pi Emulation station too..

 

• Cost of the Joystick and 2 buttons (I only used one) was $17.00 US
• Had some 9 conductor wire already (only need 6)
• Had the connectors on hand
• bought a small box enclosure for $3.00 US that's Hinged and has a magnet to keep it closed.

 

Took about an hour. Hardest thing was lining the joystick shaft in the center of the 1/2 hole I drilled. The joystick is from Adafruit and so is the button.

 

Here some pics. I am going to paint it and put some rubber feet on it. But it works great.

 

 

 

 

 

not bad, not bad at all, but you do realize you could have gotten a resistor and used that second button to make a 7800 joystick, you've already got the part just sitting there, I bet if you listen closely you can here it calling you

[BassGuitari]

Honestly, I just use the standard TI joysticks.

My favorite though is a kick-a$$ atari knock-off made by Recoton, that has been my go-to joystick for the TI and emulators for many years now. More than any other atari-style joystick, it was built to last (I have the play hours to prove it). A longer throw than the heavy sixer, it finds a sweet spot between stiff and mushy that I really like. And that giant button...what can I say????

That's actually a knock-off of a Kraft Ace, isn't it? (Unless that was a knock-off of the Recoton or something else. )

Edited February 14, 2017 by BassGuitari

[Shift838]

not bad, not bad at all, but you do realize you could have gotten a resistor and used that second button to make a 7800 joystick, you've already got the part just sitting there, I bet if you listen closely you can here it calling you

 

I will probably wait to do that until I get my BlueFruit bluetooth adapter to wire in then it can be synced via Bluetooth with the PI3 as well and still work on the TI...

Edited February 14, 2017 by Shift838

[+save2600]

not bad, not bad at all, but you do realize you could have gotten a resistor and used that second button to make a 7800 joystick, you've already got the part just sitting there, I bet if you listen closely you can here it calling you

 

^ Two resistors actually, but yeah. lol

 

 

@ Shift838, couple of questions:

 

1) Where'd you get the project box?

 

2) How's the action on that Adafruit joystick? Stiff, loose or just right for the box?

[Shift838]

Honestly, I just use the standard TI joysticks.

 

That's actually a knock-off of a Kraft Ace, isn't it? (Unless that was a knock-off of the Recoton or something else. )

 

I like to have both options. I have my TI pair (2 pair working). I have had a few pair die on me. So with my new project I wanted both options.

[Shift838]

 

^ Two resistors actually, but yeah. lol

 

 

@ Shift838, couple of questions:

 

1) Where'd you get the project box?

 

2) How's the action on that Adafruit joystick? Stiff, loose, just right?

 

The project box was actually picked up on a spur of the moment when I was in hobby lobby getting a paint pen. figured what the hell it was only $3.00 and I could at least get it wired up see if it worked.

 

The action is decent. The joystick would not be for someone that needs games that the read is based on how much you have moved the stick in one direction or the other. It's simple, it's either on or off.

 

No complaints about it yet, but remember I have to play with it on some games and put it through it's paces.

 

I have seen other joystick like the HAPP that had a bit stiffer feel. Just depends on what you like. From playing Donkey Kong and Centipede last night it reacts well so far.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Shift838