Coin Op Non-Centering Joysticks

[Adrian M]

I was at Funspot, Weirs Beach, this June participating in the Classic Gaming Tournament when I came across the coin op version of FOOD FIGHT. The game is great and all, but the intriguing thing is that the joystick is one of those non-centering analog types which worked and felt EXACTLY like the ones on a standard 5200 controller! In other words, you push the joystick to the left and it stays...no centering activity, again, exactly like the 5200 controllers!

 

After playing the 7800 version for a while, this control setup made the game seem a bit sloppy, but it is rather fascinating in that I wonder how reliable these were and also if there were any other coin-ops that used a similar joystick? Anyone aware of any other arcade games with a non-centering analog joystick? I don't recall ever seeing any myself....

[NE146]

The analogue Food Fight Joystick WAS self centering and used bellows to hold the stick upright as did the Battlezone sticks, etc. However as you've obviously seen, the bellows many times did break causing the Food Fight joystick to become limp unfortunately.

 

It'll still work of course, except when you let go, you'll go running off in some direction.

[Adrian M]

The analogue Food Fight Joystick WAS self centering and used bellows to hold the stick upright as did the Battlezone sticks, etc.  However as you've obviously seen, the bellows many times did break causing the Food Fight joystick to become limp unfortunately.  

 

It'll still work of course, except when you let go, you'll go running off in some direction.

 

How sad it is

that the Food Fight coin op

I had the good fortune of playing

turned out to have a broken joystick

 

I wonder if they'll fix it

Maybe they'll keep it as is

I for one didn't know that it was broken

perhaps the operators do not think so either!

 

I hope the repair isn't complex

or extremely expensive

for I one day wish to play this game

the way it was originally intended!

[NE146]

If you (or the person who owns the game) is looking for NOS parts, good luck as they're hard to come by. However if you look around, there are people out there who make replacements. e.g. http://www.enteract.com/~twisnion/bellows.htm

[Adrian M]

http://www.enteract.com/~twisnion/bellows.htm

 

I appreciate your knowledge and research

perhaps I will email your link to the operators

over at Funspot NH

to encourage them to consider fixing

this wonderful little game.

 

The repair does not appear complicated

or overly expensive

which bodes well

for the chance that the game will be repaired!

 

I believe that come next summer

classic game fanatics from all across this great land

will once again be able to enjoy the real Food Fight experience

with a fully functional centering joystick

and that's the way it should be!

[AtariKen64]

i have seen sever baseball arcde games with a non centerestick, anyone else ever come acrosss this? or is it the food fight scenario again?