phuzaxeman Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 what other controllers can be used on a 5200 (other than the wico)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaf5136 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 what other controllers can be used on a 5200 (other than the wico)? Find a masterplay interface or a Sega/2600 redemption controller adaptor which will let you plug in any 2600 compatable controller or my favorite the 6 button Sega Genesis controller. That will free you of the miserable 5200 controllers that give you zero precision. The 5200 controllers were great for a couple of games(when and if they worked) like Robotron or Space Dungeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari5200dude Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 -The Trak-Ball Controller -Competition Pro Joystick -Fire Command Joystick -Control Guide 4 Way Adaptor Find More Info About These Joysticks At: Atari HQ 5200 Joystick Alternatives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian R. Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 -The Trak-Ball Controller -Competition Pro Joystick -Fire Command Joystick -Control Guide 4 Way Adaptor Find More Info About These Joysticks At: Atari HQ 5200 Joystick Alternatives Knowing what the alternatives are is one thing. Finding one is another. So, if anyone knows where to actually get one - besides eBay - let us know. IIRC, I got my Wico from 4Jays years ago, but I don't think they have them anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari5200dude Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Atari 5200 Paddle Controller- 39.95 Atari 5200 Trak-Ball Controller- 24.95 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian R. Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Atari 5200 Paddle Controller- 39.95 Atari 5200 Trak-Ball Controller- 24.95 Wow. Never knew there was a paddle controller. I see it's a custom job. Maybe with that a game like Super Breakout would finally be playable! Has anyone bought either of these from that place? What did you think of them? Good stuff? Worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I bought a track ball and a load of games (2600, 7800 and 5200) great service. I tried to buy a Wico from them, but they tested it before shipping and found it to be faulty, so I bought a Masterplay interface instead. Shawn Sr has just sent me a paddle that he made for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRetroGamer Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 -Fire Command Joystick I am sorry but the Fire Command joystick for the 5200, IMHO, is a myth. I know of NO ONE who actually has one of these and/or has a recent picture to prove it. I will say that I have a Fire Command 4 button joystick and it is most certainly NOT for the 5200 - however it does work 100% with the Colecovision (with a necessary Y cable). Anyway for the ULTIMATE 5200 controller, here is the uber-rare STARCON controller. Do a search in this forum for some posts a few years back and you will see there was a lucky find of the original maker of these who was selling out his old stock. There can't be more than 2 dozen of these out there now, max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Try this guy out. http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm#MPDOSStandard I just won an Atari 5200 on eBay and started hunting for an adapter immediately afterward. Goodbye crappy 5200 sticks, hello Sega Arcade Pad! JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prodos8 Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 (edited) Try this guy out. http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm#MPDOSStandard I just won an Atari 5200 on eBay and started hunting for an adapter immediately afterward. Goodbye crappy 5200 sticks, hello Sega Arcade Pad! JR Read that site more thouroughly that adapter he's selling is not stand alone. Their was a discussion about this thing about six months ago on this board somewhere. Edited August 9, 2007 by Prodos8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaf5136 Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Try this guy out. http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm#MPDOSStandard I just won an Atari 5200 on eBay and started hunting for an adapter immediately afterward. Goodbye crappy 5200 sticks, hello Sega Arcade Pad! JR That is the absolute best controller for the 5200. BBSB is unplayable without it. 5200+ Redemption+Sega 6 button or Arcade Pad=HAPPINESS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Try this guy out. http://www.krishnasoft.com/sps.htm#MPDOSStandard I just won an Atari 5200 on eBay and started hunting for an adapter immediately afterward. Goodbye crappy 5200 sticks, hello Sega Arcade Pad! JR Read that site more thouroughly that adapter he's selling is not stand alone. Their was a discussion about this thing about six months ago on this board somewhere. I'd be interested to hear how this thing actually works. The seller tried to explain it in the thread you are referring to. I think it requires a PC to work properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...I:IT&ih=011 Here's a quote from the eBay entry for it... "Here's a special adapter that let's you use an Atari paddle, touchpad or keyboard controller, or PC with your Atari 5200. It's a cable that connects to the joystick port on your Atari 5200 and has two DB9 (9-pin) connectors-- one connects to the Atari touchpad/keyboard controller and the other connects to MPDOS compatible cable's DB9 connector to simulate the X/Y motion and top/bottom buttons. If you don't use with MPDOS, you can use an Atari 2600/Atari 800 paddle controller." It sounds like it has at least limited support for standard 9-pin controllers, even without the MPDOS cable. I'm willing to take a risk on it as long as it's for the right price. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 If someone can figure out how this works, I'm sure there will be some interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 (edited) It doesn't work as well as I hoped. The adapter can work without being connected to a computer, but you can only use paddles... it won't convert analog signals to digital signals like the Masterplay interface. It could come in handy if it will work with the Wico Command Controller, though. I had one of these and think it might still be hanging around my parents' old house somewhere. If I can find it (and that's a big if!), I'll be golden. JR Edited August 13, 2007 by Jess Ragan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 At least now we know how it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpfalcon2003 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I have the Masterplay interface, wico, and redemption adapters. Made sure I had a variety.lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 All right, I've got more information about the MPDOS cable. Its functionality is limited, but it does have its uses. In addition to support for standard Atari 2600 paddles, the cable can also use the 2600 touchpad for data entry. The catch is that you've got to pull two resistors from the back of the touchpad, keeping it from working with anything BUT the Atari 5200. Also, there aren't enough buttons on the touchpad to fully emulate the 5200 keypad. Still, though, this is a pretty cheap way to play Super Breakout and Kaboom! the way they were MEANT to be played. Of course, you could just save yourself some money and play them on the 2600 instead, but I digress... Just one more thing. The cable DOES NOT work with the Wico Command Control. It may work with old IBM PC joysticks... not the fifteen pin sticks that were popular in the 1990s, but the really, REALLY old joysticks made before the x86 line of computers broke the 16-bit barrier. I can't say for sure because I haven't tested one of these extremely old joysticks, but I know where I can find one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2600Lives Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 I'm honestly surprised that nobody has attempted to do some custom controllers for the 5200 (the paddle controller nonwithstanding). I'm sure there would be a big enough market for it with the retrogaming boom still upon us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 You see, the problem is that the Atari 5200 just isn't that popular. It's widely considered an immense blunder from a former industry leader, much like the Sega Saturn was in the 1990s and the Playstation 3 is today. When people collect from the 1982-1984 period of video games, they usually head straight for the ColecoVision and Vectrex, leaving the Atari 5200 the odd man out. People just don't want to spend half their time putting band-aids on the system's flaws when they could get their classic gaming fix more easily from another source. Having said that, the Atari 5200 is a goldmine for more adventurous hackers. It's not hard to imagine a joystick design superior to the stock controller, and only slightly more difficult to actually create it. I imagine a controller that looks like the one designed for the Vectrex, except with a calculator keypad in the center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 You see, the problem is that the Atari 5200 just isn't that popular. It's widely considered an immense blunder from a former industry leader, much like the Sega Saturn was in the 1990s and the Playstation 3 is today. When people collect from the 1982-1984 period of video games, they usually head straight for the ColecoVision and Vectrex, leaving the Atari 5200 the odd man out. People just don't want to spend half their time putting band-aids on the system's flaws when they could get their classic gaming fix more easily from another source. Having said that, the Atari 5200 is a goldmine for more adventurous hackers. It's not hard to imagine a joystick design superior to the stock controller, and only slightly more difficult to actually create it. I imagine a controller that looks like the one designed for the Vectrex, except with a calculator keypad in the center. Ya, I've heard of a controller like that before. I think it's for the Atari Jaguar (and yes I agree and think the jag controller hacked up would make a great 5200 stick for sure) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 You see, the problem is that the Atari 5200 just isn't that popular. It's widely considered an immense blunder from a former industry leader, much like the Sega Saturn was in the 1990s and the Playstation 3 is today. When people collect from the 1982-1984 period of video games, they usually head straight for the ColecoVision and Vectrex, leaving the Atari 5200 the odd man out. People just don't want to spend half their time putting band-aids on the system's flaws when they could get their classic gaming fix more easily from another source. Having said that, the Atari 5200 is a goldmine for more adventurous hackers. It's not hard to imagine a joystick design superior to the stock controller, and only slightly more difficult to actually create it. I imagine a controller that looks like the one designed for the Vectrex, except with a calculator keypad in the center. Reliability aside, why would you want to trade a 5200 stick for a Vectrex... thing. I love the Vectrex, I really do. Perhaps more than is healthy. But the controller is an abomination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Sorry, but I gotta disagree with you. I feel the design has a simple brilliance to it, with the same row of four buttons as the legendary NES joypad. The analog stick's not too shabby either, although it is subject to breaking thanks to the flimsy plastic harnesses that hold it in place. Nevertheless, I like the size and the high level of give on the stick. You just don't find that on controllers from early 1980s game systems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 The single problem I have with the 5200 stick is the side fire buttons. For some reason, side fire buttons on any controller cramp the hell out of my hands. It doesn't matter if its the the 5200, CV, or Inty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Sorry, but I gotta disagree with you. I feel the design has a simple brilliance to it, with the same row of four buttons as the legendary NES joypad. The analog stick's not too shabby either, although it is subject to breaking thanks to the flimsy plastic harnesses that hold it in place. Nevertheless, I like the size and the high level of give on the stick. You just don't find that on controllers from early 1980s game systems... IMO it's too thick to use as a gamepad, and too squat to use as a joystick. And the buttons are in the wrong direction for stick usage(fire should be under the index finger), and too far apart for pad usage. The best solution I've found is a bastard pad-stick grip, where I pinch the stick between 2 fingers and wrap the rest under it. And rest the right end of the stick on a table so I can hammer at the buttons. ... It kills my left fingers fairly rapidly. Never broke my stick, though I DID have to clean it recently. After a decade or 2, the fire button got a lot less responsive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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