Favorite Joystick

[WizWor]

The CX40 stick is my favorite, but kind of fragile. I have a pair of Wico Command Control Joysticks that I have been playing with for decades. Very good game play and durable. I am looking for a couple more sticks and am interested in others' opinions. Notice this is about FAVORITE not BEST. If you love a stick not in the poll or just want to talk about your favorite stick, please feel free to post below.

 

I am aware of a couple interesting options which may not be 400/800 compatible. I saw an Acemore Super Stick...

 

 

Are the 5200/7800/Jaguar sticks compatible with the 400/800?

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

[+Philsan]

Competition Pro Mini

[Roydea6]

Kraft: not on POLL

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwisko6Sz_vbAhWqIDQIHVpSDsoQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.robohara.com%2F%3Fp%3D1032&psig=AOvVaw3L5AU652M-TOIqPmRoBVpX&ust=1530456030427815

[+DrVenkman]

As a kid, I had a WICO Command Control that I used with my 800 and later ST for years. A few years ago when I got active in the hobby again, I bought a NOS Wico on eBay and was delighted. Then a friend suggested I also try a TAC-2. Wow. I wish I'd known that this thing existed 35 years ago. So my vote today is the TAC-2, followed by my tried-and-trued WICO.

[Tezz]

The Zipstick was my overall favourite. The later microswitched Competition Pro was also good although most seem to favour the older model. I went through a few of those in the past. Last year I bought several joysticks that I didn't own back in the heyday to try them out for myself. The Epyx 500XJ and the Boss were both well made but their ergonomic design wasn't for me.

[erichenneke]

As a kid I had ( and still have ) the Wico Boss. Mainly because it was a little cheaper than the "red ones" if I remember correctly.

 

I always thought the Boss was cool, but my preference for actually playing games was always the Atari CX40.

 

That said, I've really become a fan of the Suncom Starfighter and Suncom slik sticks. And also Gemstiks.

 

Those are the ones I pretty much always go to now.

[Mathy]

Hello Herb

 

One of the Atari magazines from there US or the UK tested a couple of sticks. The TAC-2 caught my eye. So I do "know" the TAC-2 since maybe 35 years. But I never got around to buying one.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

[BassGuitari]

The CX40 is my go-to joystick for the VCS and 400/800, but I also like Slik-Stiks, TAC-2s, Kraft Mazemasters, the Quickshot I (and also the Archer-branded clone sold by Radio Shack), and microswitch-modded Gemsticks and Kraft Aces (basically the same thing). The Zircon Video Command is neat for something a little different, although prone to internal wire breakage.

 

I don't care for the Competition Pro or most joysticks with long throws and/or really high profiles (at least the Comp Pro's range of motion is tight and clicky). The classic Wicos are exceptionally well-built but that's about all the good I have to say about them. Pointmasters are garbage unless you mod them. The Epyx is sorta nifty but basically a gimmick, and very slippery at that (if you like the 500XJ, check out the Wico Ergostick; it's the same idea but with a rubber layer on the shell for traction).

 

 

 

Are the 5200/7800/Jaguar sticks compatible with the 400/800?

 

No/Yes/No

Edited June 30, 2018 by BassGuitari

[+MrFish]

Are the 5200/7800/Jaguar sticks compatible with the 400/800?

 

No/Yes/No

 

Correct, but Best Electronics does sell an adapter to allow a Jaguar controller to be used on other Atari systems (8-bit computers included).

Edited June 30, 2018 by MrFish

[+MrFish]

I have no one favorite, and some of my favorites are missing from the list.

So, I won't vote, but here's some info about what I do like...

 

Personal Favorites (in no particular order):

CX-40 - Overall good gaming stick, but will cramp your hand with enough use, and wear out internally over time.

CX-24/Proline - Good for games that require little or no use of buttons; action will loosen up over time.

500XJ - Another low button use stick for me, with nice clicky switches.

TAC-2 - Great all around gaming stick and Pac-Man type game favorite; built like a tank.

Competition Pro - Good all around stick.

Genesis Gamepad - Good for some platformers.

Star-Cursor - Rock solid arcade-quality stick, with 4-way/8-way selector on bottom.

Kraft - Small, easy to use stick, with good internal parts and 4-way/8-way selector on bottom.

 

Here's the Star-Cursor, for those who aren't familar:

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by MrFish

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hmmm, I am using Quick-Shot II, Quick-Shot II plus and Quick-Shot II turbo joysticks - all of them have autofire! (Someone said, autofire is cheating, but it is standard for my Quickshot joysticks.) Think there are 18 of these nice sticks in my collection...

 

QS II with normal switches

 

QS II plus with micro-switches

 

QS II turbo with micro-switches and autofire-switch for Atari and CPC

Edited June 30, 2018 by CharlieChaplin

[rcgldr]

Bally Astrocade joystick with pinout swap adapter cable.

 

http://rcgldr.net/atari/ballystm.jpg

 

The joysticks have light touch, short throw, but there's only 1 button (a trigger). The knob on the top is a pot, used for games like gunfight or football to move the character's arm independently of the characters movements, and I don't use it for the Atari.

 

For PC, I use CH USB joysticks (flightstick + combatstick), again a light centering touch, but these are fairly expensive. I use them as a pair, similar to radio control, left stick forward/back for throttle, right stick left/right for steer. For aircraft, left stick left/right for rudder (or helicopter yaw), right stick forward/back for elevator. I also have Real Flight USB transmitter, based on a Futaba transmitter mechanics.

[+Stephen]

Hmmm, I am using Quick-Shot II, Quick-Shot II plus and Quick-Shot II turbo joysticks - all of them have autofire! (Someone said, autofire is cheating, but it is standard for my Quickshot joysticks.) Think there are 18 of these nice sticks in my collection...

 

Quickshot_IIplus.jpg

QS II plus with micro-switches

Finally - someone else is using the best stick ever made for these machines

[adam242]

The Suncom TAC-2 is my 'go-to' favorite, but I do appreciate the old school charm of a CX-40 sometimes. I had a Competition Pro BITD that I loved and stood up to all kinds of abuse.

[ggn]

Without any doubt, the "Pacman" joystick is my all time favorite:

 

 

Greek made (actually the small factory that produced these was very close to my home), insanely goo build quality, no circuitry inside (it's all done using switches that have a very satisfying "click" sound), super comfortable (you can play for hours without your fingers going numb), makes all the Kick-Off players turn green with envy when I tell them I have two

[baktra]

Finally - someone else is using the best stick ever made for these machines

 

Unless you have to replace the springs yourself. Lot of cursing in the process.

But I like QS II Turbo too.

[WizWor]

Thanks for posting all the new ideas for me. Safe to assume all of these (except for the cx40) are very durable?

[electronizer]

My sister and I started out with a pair of CX-40 joysticks along with our brand new 800XL—probably one of the best family Christmas presents we ever got! The first game we had was Popeye, and we played the heck out of it. My dad likes to tell the story of how my sister and I complained constantly that the CX-40 joysticks didn't work—we would try to make a fast move and die, and then we would yell and blame the joysticks. Looking back, I'm sure my dad was right and we were just bad at playing the game, but for some reason my mom sided with my sister and me, and convinced my dad to buy new joysticks.

 

Next we got a pair of TAC-2s. I don't remember much about playing with them except that I didn't really like the limited throw. At some point I got a 500XJ and that was a game changer. I loved the ergonomic grip and the microswitches for precision movement. Played that joystick until it wore out. However, I also remember some extremely painful hand cramps after some trigger-intensive gaming sessions.

 

One other joystick that isn't listed here is the Mindscape PowerPlayer. I got a couple from B&C when they had them NIB.

 

 

Similar joystick feel to the 500XJ with microswitches, and potentially better trigger ergonomics. At that point, though, I wasn't doing as much gaming, so I don't recall whether I ever got fatigued with the PowerPlayer.

[+MrFish]

Next we got a pair of TAC-2s. I don't remember much about playing with them except that I didn't really like the limited throw.

 

That's exactly one of the qualities that I like about the TAC-2, especially for Pac-Man and similar, because you can make quicker 180's.

 

 

At some point I got a 500XJ and that was a game changer. I loved the ergonomic grip and the microswitches for precision movement. Played that joystick until it wore out. However, I also remember some extremely painful hand cramps after some trigger-intensive gaming sessions.

 

Yes, nice stick action, but the button configuration spoils it for long playing sessions. That's why I only use it for no button or limited button use games. Similar problem with the CX-24/Proline/7800 sticks. The button placement seems like it would be a good alternative, but in practice it's not so great.

 

[+MrFish]

There was also a knockoff version of the 500XJ called the Konix - Speed King. It featured an autofire switch, which made using that style of button placement easier.

It had the same solid construction and clicky switches as the original 500XJ. Overall a nice joystick.

 

Edited July 1, 2018 by MrFish

[Marius]

The Joystick "The Arcade" made by Suzo.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arcade_(joystick)

 

Pity that it wasn't listed in your poll.

[Marius]

The one I use most:

 

[+therealbountybob]

Quickshot 137F aka Python

 

Especailly good for games like Star Raiders where you can fly and shoot with one hand and operate the keyboard with the other!

 

though they do suffer with creaking noise and the firing contacts need to be cleaned if you are playing something pixel perfect like BBSB - I usually clean them with a bit of newspaper/some contact cleaner but this repair article says

"The trick is to treat all contacts with 1200/1000 grade sand paper and clean it with IPA afterward. Works like a charm."

https://www.retrohax.net/quickshot-ii-joytick-repair/

 

Is there a surface coating on the metal switches if so would sanding eventually remove the surface?

IPA beer? might drink that

[Lord Thag]

Back in the day, probably a Wico.

Nowadays, I exclusively use a Genesis Asciiware Power Clutch. I prefer having a real arcade stick I can set in my lap. The old 'handheld giant stick on a tiny square' design was never something I much liked.

[Level42]

The Joystick "The Arcade" made by Suzo.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arcade_(joystick)

Pity that it wasn't listed in your poll.

That onze is clealy also inside the australian onze listed earlier on the thread.