Atari Joystick Rant

[rheffera]

Pfft.. these atari joystick go bad all the time except the juniour ones... not worth the price tag on them when they retailed. Theyt are uncomfortable for starters. ( Maybe because i have big hands). I have encounted 8 of these joysticks all of em looked ok but were dead bar the fire button and 1 of em worked partially made loud noises when you moved it though and would be very unresponsive and basically woudnt respond to diagonal movments. While oit worked, it was impossible to play any game that required quick reflexes.

 

This isnt to say they wenrt ok to buy new, they would have worked fine, im simply saying they dont last long and have an extremly short lifetime compared to some of the other joysticks out there, like TAC-2 and Slik Stick. In my opinion these CX-40's and CX-10's wernt built to last. granted they were desgined in the late 70's but bleah. I have yet to encounter a fully working CX-40. They just arnt cut out for 20 years of usage...sure if you left em locked up for the past 19 years they would be ok...

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

Try the new ones from the Flashback 2. They are a huge improvement.

[Foxsolo2000]

Actually I have to disagree with your rant for I have two cx-40's that came with my original system back in 81 and they still work. I love the CX-40 for its simple and comfortable design. Maybe you've just been unlucky

[jferio]

CX-40s bought used tend not to have aged well, in my experience. Most of the ones I've gotten my hands on tend to have the inner 'pole' that the stick sits on broken, and the domes can be worn out.

 

If you ever, ever run across one of the Wico 'Bathandle' sticks, then buy it. It's worth the money.

[Video]

I like the 2600 standard sticks when they work. The biggest problem I run into is the ring inside, that the stick is attached to, seems to be fragile and will partially break and then you can't push one direction.

 

There's some online sourses of parts, and when they work, they work really well.

 

I haven't found any dead sticks (well, one, but the ground, or power, whatever, cable was disconnected inside, easy fix) But I've found a lot where one of the five buttons doesn't work, sometimes due to a crushed dome, but useually due to the stick being broken inside.

[Dragnerok X]

In my opinion these CX-40's and CX-10's wernt built to last.

 

 

[rheffera]

LOL thats nice

[shadow460]

That's not funny at all. It's frickin' hilarious.

[BassGuitari]

In my opinion these CX-40's and CX-10's wernt built to last.

 

 

 

*Yawn* Hey guess what else everybody, 2600 Pac-Man and ET are worst games ever!

 

Anyway...

 

CX-40s are my favorite 2600 joysticks. I've owned several, and only one or two didn't work. In my experience, they are comfortable (or as comfortable as a block of plastic can be),reliable, and I like the tightish action of the stick. And, they just look so damn cool.

 

I don't really like the new "CX-40b" (they're okay...don't like the feel), and I personally find the Wico sticks to be a bit clumsy and ungainly. I own two of them, but I never use them.

[philowar]

I really want to like the CX-40s, but they're just too hard, uncomfortable, and unresponsive. Sure, back in the day when I was a kid and didn't have (or know about) any other joysticks, the original Atari sticks were what I used, but after finally getting my hands on a Slik Stik and Tac-2 a few years later, I never wanted to go back.