5200 controler

[geralds]

Iv always heard the 5200 was prety horable and broke easy. Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy but why. Iv always wanted a 5200 but been reluctant to buy one due to all the complaints about the controler braking so easy.

Edited August 28, 2010 by geralds

[Divya16]

Iv always heard the 5200 was prety horable and broke easy. Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy but why. Iv always wanted a 5200 but been reluctant to buy one due to all the complaints about the controler braking so easy.

 

I doesn't break. The buttons stop working because of a theory in electronics that current must follow a complete path and those oxidized buttons are preventing that from happening. And some games don't work as good with analog values from the stick.

[tz101]

Iv always heard the 5200 was prety horable and broke easy. Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy but why. Iv always wanted a 5200 but been reluctant to buy one due to all the complaints about the controler braking so easy.

 

Don't buy into all the hyperbola about the 5200 and its "horrible" controllers. Buy one and form an opinion for yourself. What a concept?

 

This is one guy who does not consider the 5200 to be "prety horable". The controllers had a circuit that sometimes breaks the traces. It is easily replaced with an improved version 9 circuit from Best Electronics. They are available under $10 so not expensive either. Sometimes the buttons stop responding, and all that fixes that is to either buy gold-plated buttons from Best (again, inexpensive) or to glue aluminum foil dots on the back of your current ones. Presto, the controller works like new.

 

If you are from that era, then the 5200 is an absolute necessity to enjoy some really nice arcade translations of that time period.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

 

I doesn't break. The buttons stop working because of a theory in electronics that current must follow a complete path and those oxidized buttons are preventing that from happening. And some games don't work as good with analog values from the stick.

 

Sooooo.............they break?

Doesn't matter the reason, if they stop working they are considered broken regardless of the reason. First they are working, then they are not = broken. They typical user wont care about the details.

 

Anyway, to the OP, really info on this has been discussed to death, the reasons, the solutions, etc, etc, do some searching.

[Video]

They break because of poor design by people who obviously never actually played a game. Now, don't get me wrong, a good working stick shows the 5200 off as a great machine. But, it's hard to come by working controllers.

 

There are options, the controller is pretty easily rebuildable, you can buy kits that have better traces and contacts, or buy a rebuilt controller. Or, there are several third party options. I don't know if they still offer it, but I think AA has a converter that lets you use digital sticks to play 5200 games (though won't work with the analog games, Starwars Arcade, Breakout, and similar, but perfect for say, pac-man)

 

I'd say go ahead and get the system. It's nice enough, rebuild the controllers, or if your not technically inclined, get someone else to rebuild it, and then you can have fun with the thing, there's even a few homebrews available here.

[Divya16]

 

I doesn't break. The buttons stop working because of a theory in electronics that current must follow a complete path and those oxidized buttons are preventing that from happening. And some games don't work as good with analog values from the stick.

 

Sooooo.............they break?

Doesn't matter the reason, if they stop working they are considered broken regardless of the reason. First they are working, then they are not = broken. They typical user wont care about the details.

 

Anyway, to the OP, really info on this has been discussed to death, the reasons, the solutions, etc, etc, do some searching.

 

No, I am taking the literal meaning-- physically breaking. I dropped one down the stairs and it didn't break so it's robust in that sense. But it stops working so it's non-working but not physically broken-- more like hard to press buttons is usually the case and not being in a comfortable position.

[bohoki]

yea broken in the sense of really broken to me would mean that the parts have fractures

 

but in the general sense when somthing doesnt work it is broken

 

i think half the problems would have been nipped in the bud if they werent so adamant about having to make the games require you to press "start" to play a game

 

a couple games snuck by the atari gistapo and you can play them without pressing start

 

the ones i know are robotron and mr do's castle

 

cause if the controller cant even register a start you are dead in the water

[Charlie_]

yea broken in the sense of really broken to me would mean that the parts have fractures

 

but in the general sense when somthing doesnt work it is broken

 

i think half the problems would have been nipped in the bud if they werent so adamant about having to make the games require you to press "start" to play a game

 

a couple games snuck by the atari gistapo and you can play them without pressing start

 

the ones i know are robotron and mr do's castle

 

cause if the controller cant even register a start you are dead in the water

 

I don't know.... I've used super glue and aluminum foil dots to repair MANY 5200 sticks and they all still work. Its been years and they still work fine....

 

This weekend I was cutting the plastic inside 2600 controllers to clean the contacts because they were unresponsive.

 

Horable controllers that brake ..... wow.

[atariksi]

yea broken in the sense of really broken to me would mean that the parts have fractures

 

but in the general sense when somthing doesnt work it is broken

 

i think half the problems would have been nipped in the bud if they werent so adamant about having to make the games require you to press "start" to play a game

 

a couple games snuck by the atari gistapo and you can play them without pressing start

 

the ones i know are robotron and mr do's castle

 

cause if the controller cant even register a start you are dead in the water

 

Or they could have had START/SELECT/OPTION on the console like Atari 400/800 since they wasted the CONSOL bits anyway for useless things like selecting which port gets the keypad. They could have made it so any port's keypad works and is always active.

 

I think Wizard of Wor also works without any START button.

[Emehr]

As hard as I've tried, I've never been able to stop my car with my 5200 controller.

[jetset]

As hard as I've tried, I've never been able to stop my car with my 5200 controller.

 

Huh?

[Emehr]

As hard as I've tried, I've never been able to stop my car with my 5200 controller.

 

Huh?

 

Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy

 

My mind is going numb at work so I just had to be a smart-ass.

[Bill Loguidice]

Iv always heard the 5200 was prety horable and broke easy. Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy but why. Iv always wanted a 5200 but been reluctant to buy one due to all the complaints about the controler braking so easy.

 

In my opinion, unless you REALLY want to get into collecting for the Atari 5200, with its unique controllers and its few system-specific games, you'd go through far less hassle with simply getting a good Atari 8-bit computer, where many of the same games and experiences are available.

 

I've spent years putting together a collection of Atari 5200 controller substitutes, adapters, hacks, and repairs to the point of the ridiculous, and I can't honestly say it's been worth it. It's obviously OK to like the Atari 5200 controllers - when they work like they're supposed to and with games that are designed around them (not against them, like say a Pac-Man) - they're actually pretty good, but don't let anyone fool you into thinking it will be either easy to find a fully functioning controller without going through some effort and that it will stay in working condition. Needless to say, getting into the 5200 is an "investment" moreso than many other consoles.

[Divya16]

As hard as I've tried, I've never been able to stop my car with my 5200 controller.

 

Huh?

 

Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy

 

My mind is going numb at work so I just had to be a smart-ass.

 

That other guy was also getting picky not looking at the context. He seems to be implying from context "break" and that they are so flimsy that they break easily (physically break). At least in my reply I made it clear what I meant by "break".

[jetset]

As hard as I've tried, I've never been able to stop my car with my 5200 controller.

 

Huh?

 

Most people tell me the controller brakes so easy

 

My mind is going numb at work so I just had to be a smart-ass.

 

That other guy was also getting picky not looking at the context. He seems to be implying from context "break" and that they are so flimsy that they break easily (physically break). At least in my reply I made it clear what I meant by "break".

 

Ok then. I would admit it were funny if it weren't really REALLY bad. Not insulting bad, just...

Wooosh!

[eightbit]

Just go the easy route and pay the $55 to Best Electronics for their Gold 100% refurbished controller. I'm pretty sure they put a lifetime warranty on it too. If you can snag a 5200 for $25-$35 and get the joystick from them, you are looking at a fully functional system for about $100. Not too bad if you ask me for a great classic console.

 

Then you can forget about the issues and concentrate on more important things, like the GAMES.

 

This is what I did at least. I still use a redemtion adapter just because I have it, but my controller from Best works absolutely 100% perfect. The games for the system are incredible and easily the best console games of the era in terms of quality.