who likes the disc controllers and who does not?

[vprette]

I keep finding people around that despises the intellivsion controller.... not ergonomic, disc is not accurate etc. etc.

I DO LIKE A LOT THE intellivision controllers!

how can people say so bad about it: I honestly wonder if many of those people used it for real..!!

 

so please help me understand..

[IntyFanMatt]

I personally like the controllers a lot.  The disc was innovative and a pre-cursor to the D-pads we see today, and the keypad allowed for more complex and interesting games than other systems at the time.  I never had a problem with hand cramps or any other issues that people have mentioned.  Always liked them.

[Rev]

I think it’s best if you grew up with it and know how to use it.   It’s fun at conventions watching new people tapping up/down/left/right.

[rietveld]

I use 'sticks' on all of my Intellivision s.  

[IMBerzerk]

It's much better with a Stickler only because you can avoid Intellivision Thumb.

[fdr4prez]

2 minutes ago, IMBerzerk said:

It's much better with a Stickler only because you can avoid Intellivision Thumb.

Numb Thumb is typically from the side buttons more than the disc - at least for me 

[BydoEmpire]

I grew up with the Intellivision, but I never had a problem with the disc - then or now.  To me they're way more ergonomic than the 5200, 7800 and CV controllers.  They cause way less stress on your hands and wrists.  The bigger problem with the Inty controllers is the side buttons, not the disc.

[IntyFanMatt]

49 minutes ago, fdr4prez said:

Numb Thumb is typically from the side buttons more than the disc - at least for me 

True. The disc shouldn’t cause any thumb issues. It’s the hard side buttons that do, especially with an Intellivision II.  

[Flojomojo]

The poll needs a "meh" option.

 

The console is 40 years old and while it was controversial once, I feel like we have moved on. They best part of the controller was the keypad overlay, which could be mapped to different functions for different games. It was like a very simplistic touch screen, giving you more input choices than 8 directions and a red button. 
 

I would prefer a joystick for something like Pac-Man. I like buttons for things like Defender. The disc is fine but I wouldn't choose it over a dpad or twin analog sticks. 
 

It's like playing games on a laptop with a plastic trackpad. It can be done, but a mouse or a controller is better. 

[mr_me]

Thumbsticks are innaccurate.  Analog discs would be more accurate and more comfortable than thumbsticks.  Dpads are limited.  Joysticks are fine if they're mounted on a panel.

Edited September 26, 2019 by mr_me

[Papy]

2 hours ago, BydoEmpire said:

I grew up with the Intellivision, but I never had a problem with the disc - then or now.  To me they're way more ergonomic than the 5200, 7800 and CV controllers.  They cause way less stress on your hands and wrists.  The bigger problem with the Inty controllers is the side buttons, not the disc.

Personally, as a joystick guy, I found the Colecovision controller slightly better than the Intellivisison controller (at least when I don't take into consideration that Intellivision was 16 directions instead of just 8). For me, the real problem with the Colecovision controller was (as a right-handed person) the bottom left of the controller constantly pushing into my left palm... which is why I strongly recommend wearing padded cycling gloves with cut fingers when using a Colecovision controller (bonus points for looking cool).

 

Of course, the most comfortable controller of that era was, to me, the Colecovision's Super Action Controller.

[Papy]

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

Joysticks are fine if they're mounted on a panel.

Apart from the Super Action Controller, one joystick that I thought worked quite well was the Konix Speedking. Not perfect as I think the joystick should have been moved 1 cm toward the center for a better balance (even if it would have looked weird), it was still quite good.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Papy
missing words!

[Papy]

2 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

The disc is fine but I wouldn't choose it over a dpad

I don't think a dpad would be good for 16 directions.

[Black_Tiger]

I love the non-Intelivision II discs, but I usually use a custom Genesis pad or Neo Geo stick for 4 / 8-way action/platformer type games. I still play new games with a disc enough that I get accustomed to it, even if a 4-point d-pad works better.

[mr_me]

There are intellivision games that are eight directions, four directions, and even two directions.  The disc works really well in four directions.  The only eight-way game that the disc has trouble with is snafu diagonals.  It even works well with qbert becase it has true diagonal switches.

 

The disc can even be used as a rotary control; the intellivision disc doesn't have enough points to be an effective rotary control however.  The Amico disc does.

Edited September 26, 2019 by mr_me

[Blarneo]

I didn't like the controllers.

But it wasn't the disc that I had a problem with. It was the action buttons on the side. They were stiff, irritating, painful after an hour's play and way too small. 

The disc was great if the game was designed with it in mind, like most of the in house intv games. The third parties though, were hit & miss.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Blarneo
typo

[Flojomojo]

5 hours ago, mr_me said:

There are intellivision games that are eight directions, four directions, and even two directions.  The disc works really well in four directions.  The only eight-way game that the disc has trouble with is snafu diagonals.  It even works well with qbert becase it has true diagonal switches.

 

The disc can even be used as a rotary control; the intellivision disc doesn't have enough points to be an effective rotary control however.  The Amico disc does.

^^^this. 16 directions is a 1979 talking point. Something like Vectron or Space Hawk is perfectly playable with fewer compass points, just as Food Fight works fine on the Atari 7800. 

[JBerel]

I used them all from pong on up, and I thought they all sucked until this one....

[IntyFanMatt]

4 hours ago, Blarneo said:

I didn't like the controllers.

But it wasn't the disc that I had a problem with. It was the action buttons on the side. They were stiff, irritating, painful after an hour's play and way too small. 

The disc was great if the game was designed with it in mind, like most of the in house intv games. The third parties though, were hit & miss.

Did you have an original Master Component or Intellivision II?

[mr_me]

1 hour ago, Flojomojo said:

^^^this. 16 directions is a 1979 talking point. Something like Vectron or Space Hawk is perfectly playable with fewer compass points, just as Food Fight works fine on the Atari 7800. 

Vectron is unplayable with fewer than sixteen directions.  With Space Hawk, like most of the sports games, more directions is better.

30 minutes ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Did you have an original Master Component or Intellivision II?

The original controller might be better but the side buttons are not ideal for rapid fire games.  The rubber might have gotten stiffer over time as well.  A slight modification can improve them.

[Flojomojo]

6 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Vectron is unplayable

This I can agree with. 😂😂

[IntyFanMatt]

38 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The original controller might be better

Yes it is definitely better.  No doubt. 

[+intellivotion]

the disc rocks, period

I couldn't imagine any other kind of controller for my favourite console.

[Blarneo]

5 hours ago, JBerel said:

I used them all from pong on up, and I thought they all sucked until this one....

That is my favorite 80s controller by far! Only to be overtaken by this one in 1990. Both of them. Every game. Yes, even Zelda & Metroid.

[Blarneo]

4 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

This I can agree with. 😂😂

You never gave it a chance. 😉 It is an acquired play mech, but with time, it's much more playable than Auto Racing, which is unnecessarily complicated and unrewarding.