What's the BEST Atari 2600 joystick.

[atarilovesyou]

My vote is CX40, but regarding Wico...I only remember there being two available. The Wico Boss, which had one button on top of the stick (not a great placement but did wrap Chopper Command with it for the first time) and another version that was red and black with a bat shape. Two buttons, ine on top again and the others on either side of the base. That one, mostly my computer buddies had.

 

Wico had great quality, my two Bosses still work great. Yeah, the throw is too long for most games. The leaf switches were responsible for that arcade feel.

[+save2600]

Another problem with some (all?) of the Wico sticks is the fact their handles turn or spin on you while playing. There's a model with interchangeable handles that does this as well. Really odd feeling when the shaft, bat or handle turns/twists and ends up screwing with the gameplay. Thankfully, most of the rest of the 3rd party sticks do not "feature" that as they have static sticks.

The Epyx 500XJ's turn/spin on you also. And as a result, you have one incredibly sloppy/loose, inaccurate, loud-clicky sounding controller that adds insult to injury (pun intended) by placing its fire buttons on the side. Might be 'okay' for some games, but certainly not suitable for 4-way play or maze games at all IMO.

[Zonie]

 

Hands down the best joystick I have ever used for an Atari is the original controller in the very earliest Atari 2600 units. That later cost-cutting joysticks we are all familiar with pale in comparison. Atari should have never did away with these sticks. They are so much easier on your hands. I can play a lot longer without any hand cramping with these early sticks. Unfortunately, they are incredibly rare and not easy to identify in pictures.

That is a CX10

They are identifiable two ways.

 

1. They don't say "TOP" at the top.

2. In these, there is no plastic ring at the base of the boot. you can see the boot all the way to the edge of the recess, and sometimes the tabs of rubber in the slots.

 

I find them in the wild more often than I would have thought.

Edited May 12, 2019 by Zonie

[+cvga]

I like the TAC-2. I also have an NES controller that has been modified that I'm fond of.

[AW127]

Sanwa, Seimitsu, Hori, Competition Pro, Zipstick, Suncom "The Arcade Stick" ...

[retroeight]

CX40 and TAC-2

TAC-2 by far....

[christo930]

That is a CX10

They are identifiable two ways.

 

1. They don't say "TOP" at the top.

2. In these, there is no plastic ring at the base of the boot. you can see the boot all the way to the edge of the recess, and sometimes the tabs of rubber in the slots.

 

I find them in the wild more often than I would have thought.

 

I used to find stuff in the wild like mad. 8 Vectrex machines, Intellivision, Coleco, Channel F, Handhelds, Joysticks, 5200 stuff (several boxed 5200s) and lots of other stuff. But those days seem to be long gone. I think in all my years I only found 2 of those joysticks. But I am on the East coast and I think those sticks were only in the test market. Everything got cheaper quick. The early units were all heavy 6ers. Though the Jrs are probably the best 2600s, they are by far the cheapest build quality. Funny thing is, I did not find a lot of Atari computer stuff. I did once see one of the very first 800s that were big heavy hunks of metal with 2 cart slots and a box with a printer, disk drive and an 800xl, but that is about it. I used to do a lot of flea marketing and I just didn't see much. I even found several amigas including one in the original box.

[+Gemintronic]

Besides a Sega Genesis pad? An original Playstation controller to Genesis adapter plugged into my 2600.

 

Gamepads have always been more comfortable for me, obviously

[KevKelley]

I always liked the Kraft joystick. Boxy and little stick but it was responsive and reliable.

[Cynicaster]

CX-40 for me, with honorable mention to Slik Stik.

 

Just like with arcade games, different types of games on the 2600 simply play better with different types of sticks. But for me, it's fair to say that the CX-40 works fine with any kind of game on the system.

 

The Wico joysticks are fine for slower-paced game styles on the 2600, but for really twitchy games calling for precision and split-second reactions, they're just unusable for playing up to your potential, IMO. Somebody mentioned Frostbite earlier, and that is the same first example that comes to mind for me as well. When that game starts to really speed up in the 200k+ score range, you're whipping around the screen and weaving in and out of clusters of enemies. It's quite the rush, and a beautiful piece of game design when experienced with a responsive stick. A big spongy-feeling joystick like the Wico just does not provide the snappy response you need. I remember having the Boss back in the 80s and I couldn't get within 150k of my PB on Frostbite using that thing. For a while, it was the only working joystick we had, so it wasn't for lack of trying.

[fluxit]

First impressions after having just received my Slik Stik and played a game of Scramble:

 

I like the look of the 'stik.' It's smaller than I thought it would be. The rounded corners are nice and it feels good in my hands.

The action is good.

 

My only complaint is that it's a bit stiffer than my preference in a joystick. I don't mind resistance, but this is maybe 10% stiffer than I'd like, though it's not something I wouldn't be able to get used to I'm sure.

 

-Yet another missed opportunity for an ambidextrous dual button design, though of course it wouldn't be difficult to rewire for left-handed use.

Edited May 16, 2019 by fluxit

[fluxit]

Speaking of which, did a company ever release a db9 to db9 joystick converter adapter that swaps the axes on 2600 compatible joysticks to move an upper-left button to the upper-right without rewiring the stick?

 

I realize that this would only work for some designs, but so long as the base is square, and the wire is in a reasonable spot when on the side of the stick it should work fine.

Edited May 16, 2019 by fluxit

[+save2600]

Speaking of which, did a company ever release a db9 to db9 joystick converter adapter that swaps the axes on 2600 compatible joysticks to move an upper-left button to the upper-right without rewiring the stick?

 

I realize that this would only work for some designs, but so long as the base is square, and the wire is in a reasonable spot when on the side of the stick it should work fine.

Never heard of such an adapter and doubt such a thing existed commercially BITD anyway. Be easy enough to rig yourself though! Hack a couple of DB9 extension cables, or swap connectors internally on what would become your favorite flight stick...

[John Stamos Mullet]

Gemini Gemstik.

[boxpressed]

I don't play enough to have an authoritative opinion, but I always thought the Zircon Video Command was underrated, especially if you like a short throw stick.

[+McCallister]

Speaking of which, did a company ever release a db9 to db9 joystick converter adapter that swaps the axes on 2600 compatible joysticks to move an upper-left button to the upper-right without rewiring the stick?

 

I realize that this would only work for some designs, but so long as the base is square, and the wire is in a reasonable spot when on the side of the stick it should work fine.

Yes, these were made by a third party bitd. Forgetting the name right now, but they sometimes pop up on eBay.

[+GoldLeader]

Let's see,  it's 2 in the morning and I should be sleeping , not answering this question...    ?

 

Ahhh screw it!   Very hard to pick a Favorite so I'll say I like Edladdin sticks (Sanwa), an adapted Hori Real Arcade Pro(also Sanwa I believe), Flashback sticks, Genesis pads and Slik Stiks...

 

FWIW, I have a Wico with the ball top, but damn if it isn't a giant workout for the hand!  Just like a ColecoVision controller, you have to manhandle the thing like a Boss () so it gets old fast...

[DoctorSpuds]

The Amiga Power Stick is the perfect controller for me. It fits perfectly in the palm of my hand, and due to its small size I can easily play most games one handed. The stick is sensitive, loose, and bouncy which is perfect for games like Decathlon but not so wobbly that it'll interfere with normal play on games that require more delicate controls. Also the thing is built like a brick and is made of only the finest quality plastics, I've opened one up and still can't figure out how it works. So yeah, my money is on the Power Stick 100%.

[socrates63]

Oh dang... my favorite has always been the Wico sticks and they've been sitting in a drawer all these 30+ years. I hope they still work and haven't stiffened up.

 

I recently picked up a Retron77 but haven't had a chance to hook it up or try the joystick that it came with. From some of the video reviews, it seems to work well, and it looks close enough to the CX40 which is my second favorite.

Edited July 18, 2019 by socrates63
typo

[Rom Hunter]

1) Tac-2
2) Slik Stik

3) CX-40
4) Suzo Arcade
5) Competition Pro

[Keatah]

Anything "short-throw". Do I dare say the arrow keys on a scissors keyboard?

[AlwaysOnPlanetPatrol]

Right now, I have a couple CX-40 upgraded with the Best parts and it's my favourite; the first time I used it I beat my Enduro score after playing that game for almost 30 years.  So much better than the stock joystick.

 

When I had a C64 I have the Epyx one and I absolutely loved it, but I don't ever recall using it with a 2600.  Been looking for one at a reasonable price.

 

I also have custom one I built with the Edladdin board and it's been great for Pac-Man, Berzerk, and other maze-like games.

 

I have a few other joysticks including Genesis controllers and Quickshot, but I find prefer the CX-40.

[+Kaboomer]

4 hours ago, AlwaysOnPlanetPatrol said:

 

I also have custom one I built with the Edladdin board and it's been great for Pac-Man, Berzerk, and other maze-like games.

 

 

Could you please expand on this a little? Inquiring minds want to know...more!

[orange808]

All my OE Atari sticks eventually developed issues where one of the four joystick plastic tabs (on the edge of the "base" of the internal white joystick plastic piece)  would work its way out of the black joystick housing.  The result was a joystick that was "stuck" with the joystick wedged at an angle.

 

In our neighborhood, we played some Decathlon, so the joysticks weren't treated kindly.

 

You could open the joystick and remount the internal joystick piece properly, but it would always pop back out.

 

The Gemsticks were the aftermarket stick to buy.  They were reliable and affordable--even for kids that played Decathlon.

 

I also have a habit of using one hand to hold the base of the stick and my other hand holds the stick at the base of my thumb.  My pointing finger and middle finger rest on the oversized fire button.  I could also hold the stick down with the one hand for a long time while playing--before it started to hurt; that's handy for gaming with no pause.  (Needed a free hand for Kool Aid and chips.)

 

I imagine most of the younger set would be perfectly happy to just a use a Genesis pad.

[Galactus]

For me It's slik sticks, though many would say TAC-2's.  Just keep in mind you have a ton of options.  I do like gemsticks, but I'm probably in the minority.