Odyssey 2 question

[2600Lives]

Ok, I wanna try something with the O2.

 

I've successfully re-wired a 2600 joystick to work with the O2, but I'm wondering if this would be possible with a Sega Genesis 3-button controller. The O2 sticks REALLY suck, so I'm wanting to experiment with similar 9-pin controllers to see what happens. I've heard thet the Genny controller has some sort of a "power feedback" or something (not an electronics expert, so I dunno), so I don't really want to even plug it in unless someone has already tried it. Thanks in advance!

[littleman jack]

You may also try checking out Wico sticks for the O2. I think Wico might have made an O2 stick, and they are usually a lot nicer than the original sticks (like their 2600 and 5200 sticks).

[Seob]

Maybe this link can help. It has the pin-lay out for the odyssey2 and Atari 2600. I would say that if a genesis pad works on a atari it will work on a rewired o2 as well.

I still prefer the o2 joystick in stet of the atari joystick. It is much smoother to move around.

[horseboy]

This guy thinks it is a problem.

[2600Lives]

The sticks are nice and all, but it's that plastic top with the "star" pattern. What it does is limit the overall movement of the sticks, and when they are old, they stop working properly. If I take the top off, the sticks work fine, but I'd rather just make a new controller (I'm partial to control pads anyway).

[RickO2]

You may also try checking out Wico sticks for the O2. I think Wico might have made an O2 stick, and they are usually a lot nicer than the original sticks (like their 2600 and 5200 sticks).

 

Wico made an adapter that allowed you to play the Odyssey2 using wico/atari sticks. I have not seen a Wico stick for the Odyssey but a few may exist. Wico also made a trackball for the Odyssey2 and if anyone out there has one please let me know. Of course the adapter only works on the plug-in joysticks, not the hardwired sticks.

 

I personnally like the Odyssey2 sticks because I grew up on them. The earlier joystick (silver) did not have the star pattern. I actually like the star pattern because you need it for games like Football (pointing in different directions is how you call plays).

[maf]

The original silver O2 controllers do not have the star pattern you refer to.

[2600Lives]

Well, spent some time trying to re-wire an old crappy 6 button Genny controller tonight, and no luck. Is there ANY way to get the actual stick out of those O2 joysticks? From what I can tell, they're actually fixed to the bottom part of the case, and it's nigh impossible to get it out so I can get in there and give the thing a good cleaning. The top part comes off easy enough (just two li'l screws), but getting to the actual board and contacts doesn't seem possible.

[Seob]

I forgot to included the link: O2 pin layout

[monzamess]

Heh, I was wondering if you were referring to my pinout diagram.

 

PLEASE NOTE: I made that diagram by trial-and-error. It very well could be that the Genesis controller does something especially with those "unused" pins that could fry the O2. I don't really know.

 

What I've done in the past with Genesis controllers is open them up and see if I can just isolate the up/down/left/right and fire buttons, and literally cut out anything extra. The controller will be useless on a real Genesis but who cares?

Edited August 18, 2008 by monzamess

[pixelated]

By the way, I saw this system in a store in it's original box. Should I buy it? Not for a collection, but to actually open and play?

Is it worth it? Is there quite a few good games for it?

[horseboy]

By the way, I saw this system in a store in it's original box. Should I buy it? Not for a collection, but to actually open and play?

Is it worth it? Is there quite a few good games for it?

 

 

It is fun. I love mine. It is also the cheapest of all the classic systems. If you are patient you could get one with about 30 games on ebay for around $30. I think it is pretty fun to cellect for as well.

[littleman jack]

There are some really fun games. Some of the common carts like KC Munchkin, Smithereens, and KC's Crazy Chase are fun, as well as the homebrews at Packrat Video Games and the harder to find carts like Killer Bees.

[liveinabin]

I love the keyboard on it (especially when it comes to entering your initials on the hi-score) and the cartridges are cool as hell. Love those little handles.

[maf]

There are some really fun games. Some of the common carts like KC Munchkin, Smithereens, and KC's Crazy Chase are fun, as well as the homebrews at Packrat Video Games and the harder to find carts like Killer Bees.

I don't think Smithereeens is common. Got a copy to spare?

[Atari2008]

The Odyssey 2 seems to have quite a following around here, I'm going to have to check out some of the games.

[littleman jack]

maf,

 

I'm sorry, I only have one copy of Smithereens. I got it off ebay for peanuts.

 

I think Atari2600.com might have it, as well as 4Jays. I have bought some O2 games from 4Jays and they're very reasonable. I just unloaded all my extra carts to a nearby video game store, along with an extra O2 system. Smithereens wasn't one of the extras. So maybe it is a bit rare.

 

If I run across one I'll PM you or add another reply here.

[Atari2008]

I've been playing K.C. Munchkin on an emulator the past few days...what an addicting game!

[Seob]

One of the nicest games for the odyssey2 will be released this year, if i'm correct. It's robot city and very addictive.

[aftermac]

I rewired my O2 so that I can plug unmodified Atari joysticks into it. I tried a Genny controller on it thinking that it should work unmodified as it does on a 2600, but it was a no-go. There is some voltage issue with an O2 that prevents a Genny controller from working in this manner.

 

With that said there may be some way to convert the Genny controller, but this was too much of a hassle, since I already converted an NES gamepad to work with my 7800 & 2600... and subsequently O2.

 

On a side note, I also converted my O2 controllers to be 2600 compatible, so I can still use them on the O2 or 2600 if I choose.

[2600Lives]

You got a tutorial on how to do this rewiring? Especially the NES pad?

[aftermac]

You got a tutorial on how to do this rewiring? Especially the NES pad?

 

Here is the tutorial I followed to convert an NES pad to Atari 7800:

 

http://www.geocities.com/gjp57/nes-7800.txt

 

This version is more accurate than the one AtariAge has in the 2600 FAQ, because it covers both the NES-004 & NES-004E gamepads. There is a critical difference in the resistors that I ran into that was almost a show stopper. This tutorial was REALLY hard to find. To do this conversion you need to scrap a 7800 controller... or a 2600 joystick if you only want one button.

 

To convert the O2 to accept 2600 controllers, I went to Radio Shack and bought two male DB-9 connectors and switched the wires coming out of the O2 to match the ports on a 2600.

 

Does your O2 have removable joysticks or not? If it does you'll have to scrap your O2 joysticks to do this.

[2600Lives]

Yeah, mine has the removable kind. I don't mind not being able to use the O2 sticks on it, honestly.

 

Unfortunately, I can do NO soldering whatsoever (don't own an iron, and my hands are too messed up from my wrestling days to do delicate stuff like that. Besides, I have less than zero electronic aptitude, aside from just switching wires around).

[horseboy]

Yeah, mine has the removable kind. I don't mind not being able to use the O2 sticks on it, honestly.

 

Unfortunately, I can do NO soldering whatsoever (don't own an iron, and my hands are too messed up from my wrestling days to do delicate stuff like that. Besides, I have less than zero electronic aptitude, aside from just switching wires around).

 

I think you could probably do this mod with some scissors and some splice locks.

[aftermac]

Yeah, mine has the removable kind. I don't mind not being able to use the O2 sticks on it, honestly.

 

Unfortunately, I can do NO soldering whatsoever (don't own an iron, and my hands are too messed up from my wrestling days to do delicate stuff like that. Besides, I have less than zero electronic aptitude, aside from just switching wires around).

 

I think you could probably do this mod with some scissors and some splice locks.

 

To convert the O2 to accept Atari controllers (by using the O2 joystick cable) I didn't have to do any soldering... just had to strip some wires. Radio Shack had crimp-on pins for the male DB-9 connectors.

 

As for the NES mod, I'm not sure if horseboy's suggestion would work or not... it could work in some parts of the mod, but it also calls for removing the IC and soldering wires in its place. The NES mod isn't quite as easy as switching a few wires around, because of that IC and how the NES processes pushing the buttons.