Of 5200 controllers: is 5200 Maker Matrix or RetroGameBoyz better or equal?

[Giles N]

Could be nice to see lots of good 5200 controller options floating around and being improved upon.

 

I’ve heard about the RetroGameBoyz 5200 joystick/arcade stick.

 

How is it on all sorts of games?

 

Will a analogue stick version come around? (I love games like Star Wars Arcade and Resque on Fractalus).

 

Anyone who’ve tried the 5200 Maker Matrix analogue game-pad?

 

Their site say they’re out of cables.

 

Would popular demand ‘fix’ this, and get a new batch produced?

 

Anyone here who have it, or have tried it?

 

Is it any good?

 

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by Giles N

[+DrVenkman]

4 hours ago, Giles N said:

Anyone who’ve tried the 5200 Maker Matrix analogue game-pad?

 

Their site say they’re out of cables.

 

Would popular demand ‘fix’ this, and get a new batch produced?

 

Short answer: no. “Popular demand” won’t fix the cable issue. The bottom line is, we got cables from Console5 and they are sold out. Their supplier, and all the places @MakerMatrix contacted directly to inquire about having cables made, wanted far too much money up front and in minimum order quantities (paid in advance) to tool up and make new ones. We’re talking many thousands of units. 

 

Too bad - we enjoyed building them and we had plenty of customers. If the cabling issue hadn’t come up, we had preliminary plans and discussions with Scott Baker regarding revisions of his base PCB design to simplify some aspects of building them, add some interesting cosmetic features (internal lighting through the translucent resin buttons for instance) and maybe a couple other things. But that’s not gonna happen now. 

 

In my personal use, I found the thumbstick controllers just about perfect for a great majority of 5200 titles that are basically digital/directional games forced to use the 5200 analog scheme: maze games, Gyruss, Defender, etc. True analog control games are playable but challenging: Super Breakout, Missile Command, and Centipede don’t do well with short-throw self-centering sticks. There’s just not enough range of motion to get the fine degree of control necessary. For those games, there is nothing like the Trak-Ball. 

 

Haven’t used the RetroGameBoyz unit so I really can’t comment, but it looks quite nice and well made. 

[XLurker]

I've had the RetroGameBoyz 5200 joystick for more than 6months and out of the box it is well built and works pretty well. The trimmers are nice because you can easily calibrate it's centering with Missle Command as well as use the horizontal trimmer as a paddle controller for games like Kaboom! and Super Breakout. My only issues with it were the cheap Blee Sanwa knock off joystick that is stock and very little space to comfortably rest my hand and palm. I replaced the cheap Blee joystick with an authentic Sanwa JLF and built an oak enclosure around it. The stick is now so much more tactile and smooth and I now have a very comfortable ergonomic accurate joystick.

Edited November 18, 2021 by XLurker

[BIGHMW]

Check out my video on my RetroGameBoyz stick, they make them to custom order, both left-handed and right-handed versions are available, they take 2-3 weeks to complete, and like I said, they are completely made-to-order, right fresh off the 3D printer, there are also color choices available for both the stick knob and also the fire buttons, and the keypad onboard is of absolutely top-quality, highly recommended!!!

 

 

[Giles N]

7 hours ago, DrVenkman said:

supplier, and all the places @MakerMatrix contacted directly to inquire about having cables made, wanted far too much money up front and in minimum order quantities (paid in advance) to tool up and make new ones. We’re talking many thousands of units. 

 

Too bad - we enjoyed building them and we had plenty of customers.

So essentially the production-costs got just much too high.

Thats a real pity really, as it looked/looks awesome.

 

[Giles N]

6 hours ago, XLurker said:

ell as use the horizontal trimmer as a paddle controller for games like Kaboom! and Super Breakout.

Can the trimmer be used on Pole Position?

Is it responsive enough?

 

[Giles N]

9 minutes ago, BIGHMW said:

Check out my video on my RetroGameBoyz stick, they make them to custom order,

Thanks for the video!

Appreciated.

But hope you can make a video where you test it in front of games: recording the actual controller in front of a screen with the games running, so people can see all sorts of movements on-screen as stick is turned, buttons tapped, trimmers trimmed/paddled… could be cool in view at least!

[Giles N]

On 11/18/2021 at 3:03 PM, DrVenkman said:

the places @MakerMatrix contacted directly to inquire about having cables made, wanted far too much money up front

And no possibility of getting the same hardware/elements, cheap(er) from somewhere in Asia…?

[+DrVenkman]

1 minute ago, Giles N said:

And no possibility of getting the same hardware/elements, cheap(er) from somewhere in Asia…?

Giles, I’m sure everyone appreciates your enthusiasm, but posting multiple replies one after another over and over again is a little much.

 

I’ve already explained the situation. You’re welcome to investigate further if you like. 

[Giles N]

22 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

Giles, I’m sure everyone appreciates your enthusiasm, but posting multiple replies one after another over and over again is a little much.

 

I’ve already explained the situation. You’re welcome to investigate further if you like. 

Ok, I’m sorry.

 

I get your point; I’ll try to slow down or let things be what they are.

 

Hope I didn’t ruin your Saturday.

 

Not my intention to stress anyone out.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Giles N

[Swami]

On 11/18/2021 at 3:01 AM, Giles N said:

Could be nice to see lots of good 5200 controller options floating around and being improved upon.

 

I’ve heard about the RetroGameBoyz 5200 joystick/arcade stick.

 

How is it on all sorts of games?

 

Will a analogue stick version come around? (I love games like Star Wars Arcade and Resque on Fractalus).

 

Anyone who’ve tried the 5200 Maker Matrix analogue game-pad?

 

Their site say they’re out of cables.

 

Would popular demand ‘fix’ this, and get a new batch produced?

 

Anyone here who have it, or have tried it?

 

Is it any good?

 

 

I got one of the Maker Matrix controllers and didn’t like it. I don’t use it anymore. It could have been made better and the stick could have been made to work with more games but the people involved will just blow off your concerns like you don’t know  what your talking about. Had the same experience with them when they were developing the ikonsgr 5200 adapter. You may have just gotten that feeling. 

[Danjovic]

it makes me wonder that a short cable adapter to a standard DB15 should be very useful dor future products and projects, as long as, of course, the Console5 cables are ready available again to build such adapters.

[leech]

It's annoying to try to look for a place that has DB15 connectors that don't have the screw holes on them, when you know there is a particular way to describe such things, but can't remember exactly what it was.  I thought maybe it was 'slim' or 'screwless' etc, but nope.  All I can find are extension cables, that could basically be cut and used for wiring up joysticks.

[coachbrj]

I like my Maker Matrix controller. I haven't had a time when I thought it was crap. I have ordered a RetroGameBoyz 5200 joystick/arcade stick and am looking forward to using it.

[cbelcher]

On 11/20/2021 at 3:41 PM, Giles N said:

And no possibility of getting the same hardware/elements, cheap(er) from somewhere in Asia…?

Aliexpress is where I get 15 pin screwless DB 15 cables.  The key is to search for SNK  / NeoGeo extension cables

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000027227774.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.37ce6b141SMMik&algo_pvid=0d44ae27-5aed-442f-800e-99912e89b409&algo_exp_id=0d44ae27-5aed-442f-800e-99912e89b409-20&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"10000000061544451"}

[BIGHMW]

Here are the ones I own as well, very high quailty, and exactly like Console 5 sold, but are sold out of):

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232787206703?hash=item363332e22f:g:WZ0AAOSwdrlbDlv3

[BIGHMW]

Here is a whole page of eBay listings for Neo Geo cords:

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l2632&_nkw=neo+geo+extension&_sacat=54968

[BIGHMW]

....and if you don't feel comfortable buying on eBay or AliExpress, here is a more domestic spot to get them:

 

http://www.videogameobsession.com/neogeo/neosale.htm

[Giles N]

On 11/23/2021 at 11:37 PM, coachbrj said:

 

I like my Maker Matrix controller. I haven't had a time when I thought it was crap.

 

Have you tried it on games like Star Wars Arcade, Pole Position, Resque on Fractalus etc (any game where sensitive analogue motion can

be handy)? 
 

If so, how do you think it works?

[leech]

37 minutes ago, Giles N said:

Have you tried it on games like Star Wars Arcade, Pole Position, Resque on Fractalus etc (any game where sensitive analogue motion can

be handy)? 
 

If so, how do you think it works?

I still need to find a full list of games that use analog.  Like I did not know Pole Position did!  (Wish I could use analog controls on the 8 bit computers)

[BIGHMW]

10 hours ago, leech said:

I still need to find a full list of games that use analog.  Like I did not know Pole Position did!  (Wish I could use analog controls on the 8 bit computers)

THAT is why I prefer the 5200 over the XEGS if it had to be one or the other in that scenario if it ever came down to it from a financial issue, because of the improved 5200 versions of the classic 8-bit games and also 5200-only titles like Tempest and Xari Arena (AtariAge completed version). That plus the various controller options available now as opposed to nearly 40 years ago (from the likes of Retro Game Boyz, and Maker Matrix among them and also my ProPaddle 2 5200 paddle controllers I picked up from 0711Spiele.de over in Europe on eBay) and the ever-expanding lineup of now-over 400 titles including many XL conversions and also the great homebrews coming out every month, including the newest one, @glurk's Barnstorming. 

 

And while we wish we had more than 16K of RAM in her and that maybe if Curt Vendel was still with us we probably would've had a 64K RAM upgrade option for Big Sexy in which all we would have to do is send in our units to get the RAM chips upgraded so we can play almost all of the XEGS titles including the Class of 2021 from the most recent ABBUC Software Contest over in Europe including @shanti77's award-winning Gacek, as well as @popmilo's Blokz, and many others, we can still put up with our somewhat-massive library.   I can manage.

[leech]

On 11/27/2021 at 11:07 PM, BIGHMW said:

THAT is why I prefer the 5200 over the XEGS if it had to be one or the other in that scenario if it ever came down to it from a financial issue, because of the improved 5200 versions of the classic 8-bit games and also 5200-only titles like Tempest and Xari Arena (AtariAge completed version). That plus the various controller options available now as opposed to nearly 40 years ago (from the likes of Retro Game Boyz, and Maker Matrix among them and also my ProPaddle 2 5200 paddle controllers I picked up from 0711Spiele.de over in Europe on eBay) and the ever-expanding lineup of now-over 400 titles including many XL conversions and also the great homebrews coming out every month, including the newest one, @glurk's Barnstorming. 

 

And while we wish we had more than 16K of RAM in her and that maybe if Curt Vendel was still with us we probably would've had a 64K RAM upgrade option for Big Sexy in which all we would have to do is send in our units to get the RAM chips upgraded so we can play almost all of the XEGS titles including the Class of 2021 from the most recent ABBUC Software Contest over in Europe including @shanti77's award-winning Gacek, as well as @popmilo's Blokz, and many others, we can still put up with our somewhat-massive library.   I can manage.

I mean what all would be required to upgrade it to 64kb orlf RAM?  Does RAM stacking work?  If someone could come up with a plug on solution, it would be more feasible for that to promote more development.   Why port games to a 5200 that requires 64kb of ram, when that would be a rarity?  (Same thing happened for the XL line most of its life, developers targeted 48kb of the 800)

[BIGHMW]

On 11/18/2021 at 1:19 PM, Giles N said:

Thanks for the video!

Appreciated.

But hope you can make a video where you test it in front of games: recording the actual controller in front of a screen with the games running, so people can see all sorts of movements on-screen as stick is turned, buttons tapped, trimmers trimmed/paddled… could be cool in view at least!

I DID do that type of footage for my review of the ProPaddle 2 paddle controller, here it is:

 

 

[coachbrj]

On 11/27/2021 at 12:34 PM, Giles N said:

Have you tried it on games like Star Wars Arcade, Pole Position, Resque on Fractalus etc (any game where sensitive analogue motion can

be handy)? 
 

If so, how do you think it works?

I have not.

[TheRealOC]

On 11/21/2021 at 3:51 AM, Swami said:

I got one of the Maker Matrix controllers and didn’t like it. I don’t use it anymore. It could have been made better and the stick could have been made to work with more games but the people involved will just blow off your concerns like you don’t know  what your talking about. Had the same experience with them when they were developing the ikonsgr 5200 adapter. You may have just gotten that feeling. 

@Swami Would you be interested in selling it?