STE Joystick ports...

[Inky]

What's the deal with the joystick ports on the left side of the STE?

[atarianer2003]

The Jaguar-Controllers can be put in them. But there's no software, which supports this ports

 

Mike

[Inky]

The Jaguar-Controllers can be put in them. But there's no software, which supports this ports

 

Mike

 

 

That's amazing. Did anyone even program some sort of a driver for them?

[Ayreon]

there's software.. Dynablasters actually needs the STE gameports for maximum gaming pleasure. You can either use jagpads or make a converter wich allows you to use 2 normal joystick per port so you can play with 6 players.

 

And if i'm not mistaking there must be some software that allows you to use a jagpad as a mouse... having typed that it looks kinda silly

But it lets you control the mouse pointer on the desktop anyhow.

[lais]

there's software..  Dynablasters actually needs the STE gameports for maximum gaming pleasure. You can either use jagpads or make a converter wich allows you to use 2 normal joystick per port so you can play with 6 players.

 

And if i'm not mistaking there must be some software that allows you to use a jagpad as a mouse... having typed that it looks kinda silly

But it lets you control the mouse pointer on the desktop anyhow.

 

Not silly at all, and you're correct, in fact CiH was using this program at JagFest UK to control the mouse pointer on his Falcon which has problems with the mouse and keyboard.

[krupkaj]

the driver is PowerMouse from Reservior Gods.

 

Some of Falcon games (I remember Steel Talon) use only this enhaced joyport.

 

I have played with them some time ago. The result is that ZebuLand (you can download it from my home page) works with Jagpad contreller too

 

There are also analog inputs, but I do not know game which can use this.

[Ayreon]

All games released by Atari for the Falcon support the STE ports and i think there are a few STE only games that support them.

The problem was that at the time of the STE there were no controllers for the ports, so it made no sense to support them.

 

If Atari had controllers ready by then, packed at least one in every STE box and pushed the machine a little more as a games machine things would have been different.

[Goochman]

Those new 'joystick' ports were stupid. That was a waste of material if there was any on the ST machines.

[Ayreon]

I don't think they were stupid, they were just not exploited wich was stupid. The ports themselves are good and could have led to new pheripherals that weren't posible or hard to make on the ST range of machines.

Ah well at least they were used in the Jag, so research/development wasn't a totall waste.

[lais]

All games released by Atari for the Falcon support the STE ports and i think there are a few STE only games that support them.

The problem was that at the time of the STE there were no controllers for the ports, so it made no sense to support them.

 

If Atari had controllers ready by then, packed at least one in every STE box and pushed the machine a little more as a games machine things would have been different.

 

Remember the grey Power Pads with blue buttons at JagFest? These were made for the STE, and came before the Jaguar. You're right though, Atari never bundled these with the STE (not in the UK, anyway) as there was no software to support them, mainly.

[Inky]

I actually found a game on the net for the STE that actually USES those ports, and has JagPad support as well. 'Course it's only a bomberman clone.

[lais]

I actually found a game on the net for the STE that actually USES those ports, and has JagPad support as well.  'Course it's only a bomberman clone.

 

The commercial game Substation also uses them.

[Ayreon]

Remember the grey Power Pads with blue buttons at JagFest? These were made for the STE, and came before the Jaguar. You're right though, Atari never bundled these with the STE (not in the UK, anyway) as there was no software to support them, mainly.

 

I know the grey/blue powerpads. Didn't knew they already excisted in the STE time though. If they were around they sure didn't sell them in Dutchyland. So i was thinking they were from the Falcon era.

 

Atari should have made sure there was software for the powerpad and packed them with the STE and Falcon. ARC a software label of Atari UK only made 1 game with STE support, and that didn't even supported the power pad. They didn't even give Yak an STE to add extra to his game for the ARC label. Oh well Atari and marketing

[lais]

Remember the grey Power Pads with blue buttons at JagFest? These were made for the STE, and came before the Jaguar. You're right though, Atari never bundled these with the STE (not in the UK, anyway) as there was no software to support them, mainly.

 

I know the grey/blue powerpads. Didn't knew they already excisted in the STE time though.

 

I think the grey/blue colour scheme gives it away as an ST accessory rather than Falcon. I first saw one in 1994.

[Joey Kay]

Any chance of somebody posting a pic of those STE controllers here? I've never seen them.

 

I had always found it peculiar that the box of the Jag controllers said that they were for use with Atari Jaguar and STE/Falcon computers, as I assumed the computer line was dropped at the time the Jag came out.

 

Now it all makes sense. Atari no longer made computer controllers, but those Jag pads would work.

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

[lais]

Any chance of somebody posting a pic of those STE controllers here?  I've never seen them.  

 

I had always found it peculiar that the box of the Jag controllers said that they were for use with Atari Jaguar and STE/Falcon computers, as I assumed the computer line was dropped at the time the Jag came out.  

 

Now it all makes sense.  Atari no longer made computer controllers, but those Jag pads would work.

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

 

Here you go.

[+Sauron]

Wasn't that grey controller released around the same time as the Falcon? I remember first seeing them around that time.

[lais]

Wasn't that grey controller released around the same time as the Falcon? I remember first seeing them around that time.

 

I don't know the exact date but my point is, grey and blue are the colours of the ST range.

[Ayreon]

lol maybe, maybe they had them in stock or in parts for a long time before putting them on the market in very limited numbers.

 

The colors don't exactly match the ST/E range though.

 

By the way.. i remember having heard rumours of a cheap sampler for the STE ports. Got no idea what kind of sound quality that would have been and if there was ever a working version of it.

[Joey Kay]

Thanks for the pic, lais!

 

A little off-topic, but speaking of samplers using joystick ports, did anybody ever construct that audio sampler from Antic magazine for the 130XE?

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

[Inky]

I want one of those gamepads!

[Clint Thompson]

yep, those puppies will look good with my Falcon...

 

Now I need to learn to write games which support them even further

[Atari Smeghead]

I actually found a game on the net for the STE that actually USES those ports, and has JagPad support as well.  'Course it's only a bomberman clone.

 

The commercial game Substation also uses them.

 

Another game that uses them... Rock & Roll Clams!

 

Don't ask me about the game, cuz I never owned it. I can only (just barely) remember the print ads in ST Format magazine touting the Jag controller option. Heh.

[lais]

I actually found a game on the net for the STE that actually USES those ports, and has JagPad support as well.  'Course it's only a bomberman clone.

 

The commercial game Substation also uses them.

 

Another game that uses them... Rock & Roll Clams!

 

Don't ask me about the game, cuz I never owned it. I can only (just barely) remember the print ads in ST Format magazine touting the Jag controller option. Heh.

 

Oh yes, I remember that. I first played it on a Falcon and wasn't too impressed, as I recall it was sold for £14.95, it certainly wasn't a full-price game. I had seen a preview of Obsession on the humble STE only months before and that blew Rock & Roll Clams out of the water in terms of fun and technical accomplishment, by far. Was Rock & Roll Clams compatible with pre-STE machines? I don't remember.