Four Joystick Adaptor for the 2600

[atari_aaron]

I have this vague idea that when I was a kid I once saw a picture of a four joystick adapter for the 2600 in a magazine. Was such a thing ever made? Maybe planned but never released? Or is this just something I made up?

 

Aaron

[ATARIPITBULL]

I don't think I have ever seen or heard of one of those?

 

[supercat]

I have this vague idea that when I was a kid I once saw a picture of a four joystick adapter for the 2600 in a magazine. Was such a thing ever made? Maybe planned but never released? Or is this just something I made up?

1028303[/snapback]

 

It would be possible to interface two joysticks to a single joyport using a single chip that I believe would have been available in the late 1970's (a 4x2 input multiplexer). Such a device would allow most games to play normally using the first joystick, and allow specially-written games to use both. Using two such devices (one in each joyport) would allow for a total of four joysticks.

 

That having been said, I think you're more likely either confusing joysticks with paddles (a 2600 can use four of those), or else confusing the 2600 and 5200 (some of those can use four joysticks).

 

On a related note, I'm surprised I haven't seen more use of Y adapters to connect paddles and joysticks to the same joyport. That would be pretty trivial to do, but useful.

[Mindfield]

The only things I remember were the Y-connectors to allow two joysticks in one port. Were there ever any four player games that used (or could use) only one joystick for each player?

[D.Yancey]

Decathlon used only one joystick for four players.

[BassGuitari]

This thread makes me wonder how bad-ass a four-player Combat game would be.

 

[Buck]

This thread makes me wonder how bad-ass a four-player Combat game would be.

 

1029744[/snapback]

 

I dare say that it would be extremely bad-ass!

Of course, the real bad-ass accomplishment would be to find 3 other players who want to play Atari. Everyone I know thinks I'm a dork for collecting and playing.

(They're right - but I embrace my dorkiness)

 

Umm, about the adaptor. I think that the Texas Instruments joysticks were 2 to a port. I know that those wont work properly w/a 2600, but maybe that's what you were thinking of?

 

Later

 

Buck