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Game cartridge and joystick questions.


Space Centurion

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Hi all, I am new to the 4A and have some simple questions.

I have two games (for now), Moonpatrol and TI Invaders. Are they keyboard only, or can you switch to a joystick? I have the TI joysticks but they do not respond to the game, so I am not sure if the games do not support joysticks, or if the joysticks are dead. Any advice? Thanks.

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Hi, yep, they are the TI ones. Do I need to do anything special to activate them?

Just in case it isn't obvious... be sure you are plugging the joysticks into the port on the left-hand side. The one on the back of the console is for the cassette recorder. Easy to mix them up as they are the same style connector!

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Welcome to the TI-99 world!

Although you have two TI Joysticks together at one port, each game usually wants either #1 or #2. So for a particual game only Joystick #1 works, while another wants you to use Joystick #2.

Alpha Lock [it's a Key] releasement is important in order to use the "UP"-direction on the Joystick. This is the main bug of the console and can be fixed with a resistor installment on the mainboard/keyboard.

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Hi.....ok, so to just verify everything.....

-joystick plugged into left side, made sure plugged in properly and not loose.

-Alpha up

-tried moving/firing both joysticks

 

I found a TI Invaders manual online, and it basically says to just use the joystick. I wasn't sure if I needed to activate the joysticks by a function keycode or similar, it just seems to be plug and play. ARGH.

 

SO, from everyones experience, do you think the joysticks are dead, or the port?

 

I'll have to take some voltage readings from the port, see if I get anything.

 

I did buy the parts to make the "normal/atari" joystick adapter, guess I'll have to build it today and see what happens. :-)

 

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going one step slower:

 

back in the time you started the games usually via keyboard.

 

TI Invaders:

 

1. hit any when color title screen shows up

2. hit "2" key on the keyboard to enter TI Invaders

3. hit the "1" or "2" key on the keyboard to begin the game.

4. now joystick input is read by the game

 

Moon Patrol:

 

1. hit any when color title screen shows up

2. hit "2" key on the keyboard to enter Moon Patrol

3. hit the "Enter" key on the keyboard to begin the game.

4. after a short intro joystick input is read by the game

 

The TI Joysticks look like this:

http://www.ti99.eu/gallery/index.php/Hardware/Joysticks-and-Adapters/DSCF2082

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Hi, those are the joysticks I have.

I done all of the above, and nothing.

 

Silly me did think of an easier test though....use my other 99 with the screwed up keyboard. And still nothing.....

 

SO....figuring it must be the joystick, I took one apart, and sadly the greyish traces on the plastic "conductor" are peeling/flaking off, so they are pretty much screwed. ARGH. All well, I guess I'll be soldering the joystick adapter one day soon.... :-)

 

Thanks for everyones help, at least now I know what normal operation should be. I'll keep everyone posted once I get that adapter done.

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Sorry to hear that. The TI Joysticks give you the original feeling but they are horrible to play with. After 15 minutes your hand/fingers are hurting. The response of directions is bad as well.

I always use the TI Joysticks only because I am a TI Geek.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The TI Joysticks are notorious for failing, the contacts are just painted on.

 

I never personally liked them, but I was always curious whether you could fit microswitches into them to make high-quality response sticks. ;)

 

Aye , you can fit the microswitches - there was an advertisement in an old magazine (cant remember which, probably BYTE) they were offering Microswitched versions of the TI sticks.

The old sticks were very soggy and unresponsie, personally I think the keyboard was the better option for Parsec and definately MunchMan (trying to get munchie to take a corner with the sticks was like trying to steer a wagon on a footpath)

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I second that the TI joysticks suck. They will kill your hands in no time, poor response time, and pinch your fingers just to really piss you off - as if you weren't already at that point.

 

Build the adapter and use regular Atari compatible joysticks. You'll be much happier AND compatible with the rest of the world.

 

-Dano

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Build an atari adaptor http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/hardware/cables/joystick.html and use atari joysticks..

 

like say these http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FWico-Boss-game-controller-joystick-for-the-Atari-2600-%2F251225027917%3Fpt%3DVideo_Games_Accessories%26hash%3Ditem3a7e2db54d

 

My Wico "bat handle" has been in use since like 1983.. still goin strong!

 

 

Greg

 

 

Hi all, I am new to the 4A and have some simple questions.

I have two games (for now), Moonpatrol and TI Invaders. Are they keyboard only, or can you switch to a joystick? I have the TI joysticks but they do not respond to the game, so I am not sure if the games do not support joysticks, or if the joysticks are dead. Any advice? Thanks.

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Hi all....ok, so I built the adapter, and it works well. And yes, playing games with a joystick is so much better. I recently bought another 99/4a a few days ago, and it came with joysticks, these ones work though! So far, I have been letting the kids use the TI joysticks, and they seem happy with it. I myself use the regular joysticks...hehe....

 

I have noticed though, the first set of TI joysticks have black buttons, and the new ones have red. Anybody know if there is any internal differences??

 

Thanks.

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I don't know about internal differences, but there has been 4 different types of Joysticks released as far as I know. And they all used the same PHP-1100 item number.

There were the TI 99/4 joysticks. And then the TI99/4a joysticks in 3 different types of stylings: black with orange button, black with black buttons and orange button border, and last but not least beige with blue button.

There have been some official third party joystick accessories released for usage with the TI-99.

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