RetroGameBoyz Atari 2600 Arcade Stick Review

[Skippy B. Coyote]

***Disclaimer: I purchased this controller with my own money and was not sent it to review. I don't get any sort of proceeds or compensation from the sale of these controllers, nor was I paid or compensated in any way for this review, and my thoughts on it are my own. Basically, you're getting my honest opinion***

 

 

 

Heya folks!

Recently I found myself in need of a new joystick for my Atari 2600 (after snapping my second to last CX-40) so I decided to reach out to RetroGameBoyz.com to see if they could build me a custom Atari 2600 arcade stick. They offered several multi-button arcade sticks for the Atari 5200 and Atari 7800, but they didn't have a single button Atari 2600 dedicated stick. The owner of the company was really friendly and said he'd be happy to work with me to make a custom arcade stick to my liking, so we set to work designing a joystick and button layout template and after a bit of cooperative trial and error I think we settled on a very nice aesthetic and functional design and he got it all assembled and shipped out.

 

After a little waiting for UPS to deliver it, my RetroGameBoyz custom Atari 2600 arcade stick arrived in the mail today, so here it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's pretty rare for me to not have any complaints about a product, but I think this one came out pretty darn awesome! The injection molded case (which measures 7.75" wide, 5.75" deep, and 3" tall) is just the right size to set over your knee without feeling cumbersome and the little rubber feet on the bottom grip rock solid if you want to set it down on a table or a lap desk. It feels extremely solid and hefty with no creaks or wobbles, and I think the light beige color really makes it look like an authentic Atari product from the early to mid 80's.

 

The 3D printed top logo graphics plate and control panel plates are easily the smoothest feeling 3D prints I've ever seen and if I didn't know better I would honestly think this controller was a factory production item from back in the day. The 10 ft cord with case mounted tension pull really completes the look and there's nothing about this controller's appearance or feel that would ever make me think it was a handmade product and not a new old stock arcade stick from the 80's.

 

As far as the controls go, the joystick is a high quality Sanwa JLF clone that I had RetroGameBoyz equip with a octagon shaped restrictor plate for precise control in both 4-way and 8-way games. It plays a mean game of River Raid but also works just as well for Ms. Pac-Man! The joystick spring tension feels just right too, not too light to flop around but also not strong enough to give you false inputs if you let the joystick go and allow it to snap back to center from any direction. 

 

The button is very nice as well, with a smooth snappy feel and very little pressure required to actuate the silent microswitch. It's not light enough to accidentally press just resting your finger on it, but after putting the button through it's paces with an hour of Plaque Attack I can safely say that it's extremely responsive and excellent for games that require high speed rapid tapping. Another neat feature is that the button comes equipped with a nice bright red LED that is powered off the +5 volt pin of the Atari 2600's controller port. 

 

All in all I'm absolutely thrilled with this arcade stick, and also happy to see that RetroGameBoyz liked my custom design enough to make it a regularly stocked item on their website! For the $65 they're pricing this at it's a serious steal of deal, and I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a good solid Atari 2600 controller that'll perform excellently whether you're just gaming for fun or playing competitively in the High Score Club.

 

 

If you'd like to pick up one of these awesome little Atari 2600 arcade sticks for yourself here's the link to it on the RetroGameBoyz website: https://retrogameboyz.com/products/atari-7800-2600-arcade-stick-mold-injected-case

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by Skippy B. Coyote

[+sramirez2008]

52 minutes ago, Skippy B. Coyote said:

equip with a octagon shaped restrictor plate for precise control in both 4-way and 8-way games.

Can you easily open the unit to switch between 4/8 way games?

 

53 minutes ago, Skippy B. Coyote said:

It plays a mean game of River Raid

Does it have a short throw?  River Raid and other SMUPS tend to require quick side to side movement, so I’m always looking for a controller with as short a throw as possible.

 

Thanks for posting this review.?

[Skippy B. Coyote]

16 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

Can you easily open the unit to switch between 4/8 way games?

 

Does it have a short throw?  River Raid and other SMUPS tend to require quick side to side movement, so I’m always looking for a controller with as short a throw as possible.

 

Thanks for posting this review.?

 

The 4 rubber feet on the bottom are fitted in with rubber pegs, not glued in, and are removable to access the 4 screws underneath to open the case if you need to do maintenance at some point. I wouldn't recommend opening it to switch restrictor plates for 4 or 8 way games though, that would be kind of a pain, so I'd recommend using an octagon shaped restrictor plate that'll work well for both 4 and 8 way games to save yourself a lot of hassle.

 

As far as the throw goes, it's standard Sanwa JLF length so I'd call it a medium throw. A lot shorter than a Wico bat top stick but not as short as a Tac-2, for example. It's about the same as a Competition Pro, maybe a tad bit shorter, if you've ever used one of those. 

 

[+sramirez2008]

2 minutes ago, Skippy B. Coyote said:

A lot shorter than a Wico bat top stick but not as short as a Tac-2, for example. It's about the same as a

Exactly the information I was looking for. I prefer a Tac-2 or any of the Suncom sticks for that matter, because of their throw.  Great looking js.
 

Thank you.?

[Skippy B. Coyote]

7 minutes ago, sramirez2008 said:

Exactly the information I was looking for. I prefer a Tac-2 or any of the Suncom sticks for that matter, because of their throw.  Great looking js.
 

Thank you.?

 

No problem! Also, since it's a JLF compatible joystick stick there are tons of aftermarket parts available for it like replacement springs to increase or decrease the tension, and you can easily install an oversized actuator like this one to shorten the throw distance if it's not to your liking out of the box: https://focusattack.com/kowal-1mm-oversize-actuator-for-sanwa-jlf-series-joystick/

Edited December 20, 2021 by Skippy B. Coyote

[+sramirez2008]

25 minutes ago, Skippy B. Coyote said:

 

No problem! Also, since it's a JLF compatible joystick stick there are tons of aftermarket parts available for it like replacement springs to increase or decrease the tension, and you can easily install an oversized actuator like this one to shorten the throw distance if it's not to your liking out of the box: https://focusattack.com/kowal-1mm-oversize-actuator-for-sanwa-jlf-series-joystick/

?

[+GoldLeader]

Very Nice!