Acti Challenge Joypad controller

[ianoid]

Has anyone seen one of these and have some information about it? I haven't tested it, but it's a rugged carpet 4 directional controller with a handle and button and 9 pin connector. It says Joypad on the front and 'Acti Challenge' on the back. I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

 

 

[yanbu]

That's pretty cool looking. Initial web searches are not pulling up anything. Does it work with a 2600? Can you walk around in Tunnel Runner with it?

[BassGuitari]

Crazy, I've never even heard of it!

[Swami]

Has anyone seen one of these and have some information about it? I haven't tested it, but it's a rugged carpet 4 directional controller with a handle and button and 9 pin connector. It says Joypad on the front and 'Acti Challenge' on the back. I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

IMG_2746.jpg

 

 

 

Very intriguing. Looks like a homemade "dance pad" version of the Foot Craz, from the non-descript appearance of the carpet. Possibly a prototype for personal use or for marketing that never got off the ground. Can't find anything on the names either. Can you take pictures of where it says joypad and acti-challenge?

[ianoid]

It doesn't look home made at all to me.

 

 

 

 

[ianoid]

I still need to test it. I have a large number of things to test which is why this gets put off, but I really want to tray some Activision Decathlon with it.

[Swami]

I still need to test it. I have a large number of things to test which is why this gets put off, but I really want to tray some Activision Decathlon with it.

 

Oh, I see now the "Joypad" on the fabric. It kind of blended in more on the close-up and it looked like a generic carpet pattern. I'd agree it not a simple home-made job. Those Dance Dance Revolution people used to make their own dance pads, but this looks like something the maker intended to market. Did it come with a box or was it loose?

[ianoid]

It did not include an original box or any documentation. That would be super useful to have. I'm surprised it has the name printed on the back and presumably the date.

[CPUWIZ]

Cool, just as wicked as my Wico Joyboard.

[BassGuitari]

Do you think that "10 19 85" on the underside is a date code? (I'm thinking the "AC" at the end is part of a roll that reads "10 19 85 Acti Challenge" that got cut off)

 

A production date of late 1985 would be very interesting in the context of the Atari 2600, but it's possible this was intended for the generic catch-all "Atari and Commodore Computers and Video Games," as many controllers were, and not necessarily the 2600 specifically.

 

The "PPI" on the plug might be clue if I had any idea who PPI was.

What's that white line in the upper left of the bottom side?

Edited September 1, 2018 by BassGuitari

[Swami]

Do you think that "10 19 85" on the underside is a date code? (I'm thinking the "AC" at the end is part of a roll that reads "10 19 85 Acti Challenge" that got cut off)

 

If so, and I think it must be true, I would think that would mean there would be more of them.

[Swami]

I still need to test it. I have a large number of things to test which is why this gets put off, but I really want to tray some Activision Decathlon with it.

 

Here's an Instructables that tells a little about how one is built.

 

https://www.instructables.com/id/Floor-Mat-Game-Controller/

[ianoid]

Cool, just as wicked as my Wico Joyboard.

Pictures? And anything Wico is immediately much cooler.

 

 

Do you think that "10 19 85" on the underside is a date code? (I'm thinking the "AC" at the end is part of a roll that reads "10 19 85 Acti Challenge" that got cut off)

 

A production date of late 1985 would be very interesting in the context of the Atari 2600, but it's possible this was intended for the generic catch-all "Atari and Commodore Computers and Video Games," as many controllers were, and not necessarily the 2600 specifically.

 

The "PPI" on the plug might be clue if I had any idea who PPI was.

 

What's that white line in the upper left of the bottom side?

 

It's just a line printed on it. Nothing interesting.

 

I do think it's a date code, but I'm guessing as much as anyone.

 

It would not be surprising if it wasn't 2600 specific. Most joysticks were meant to be used with multiple platforms at that time.

 

Although it's fun to have something unique and not widely known in my collection like this, I would love to get more story about it.

[Video]

Like the pad for nes. That's pretty cool. I hope it works, it's likely wired as generic joystick, but however the mechanism for buttons in these pads are varying degrees of unreliable, at least long term, and I doubt repairable.