Atari 2600+: Ambidextrous controllers?

[tripletopper]

The one feature that defined most Second-Generation default controllers were ambidextrous controllers. (OEM with the Bally, INTV, CV, 5200, Arcadia, 7800 Pro Line.  As well 2600 via third parties, plus the OEM 2600 Trakball and 5200 Trakball.  BTW, will the Keypad, Trakball, Steering controller. Light Gun, and Booster Grip work?)

 

I'm surprised that when Atari made their "fight stick" it wasn't 180able and ambi.

 

When you make a new two button joystick and a 2 button pad. PLEASE made them ambidextrous.

 

Second generation controls have a joke that the good news is they are ambidextrous, and the bad.news is when you use those and get good, you're going to learn to be ambidextrous with the arm cramps of holding the joystick.

 

Atari appeals to the age slice that make a right handed fight stick the number one requested product that goes unfulfilled at Gamestop.

 

Do not follow the Japanese trend of left-move only controls.  Be American.  Make it Ambi.

 

The Hori USA manager say an ambi stick would sell well in the USA, but Hades will have a zero degree Kelvin day before the main Japanese HQ allows it, even if localized to the US Market.

 

Being used by everyone > left move only users.

 

 

 

[0078265317]

The hyperkinetic trooper has 2 buttons.  I got one long time ago in a different color scheme.  If the 2600+ uses real 9 pin controllers (hard to tell but looks like it does from the photos) and not usb or some proprietary stuff that should work.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-Trooper-Controller-not-machine-specific/dp/B07M5HYTZL/ref=asc_df_B07M5HYTZL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241890262780&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2127077005137555421&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1016895&hvtargid=pla-679449561260&psc=1

 

It works just like the original cx40 I have.

[Bakasama]

It think those will with a real 2600 but I seen people talk about build quality. Its not sounding too good since the stick part of the controller tend to pop out.

[Flojomojo]

[0078265317]

On 9/24/2023 at 5:59 AM, Flojomojo said:

Neat.  Are those wires soldered or clipon.

[0078265317]

Just found this.

 

 

[Flojomojo]

12 hours ago, 0078265317 said:

Neat.  Are those wires soldered or clipon.

Clip on. This is from the old AtariAge magazine in the 1980s. 

[Sean_1970]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:24 PM, Flojomojo said:

Clip on. This is from the old AtariAge magazine in the 1980s. 

I remember that from back in the day. My kid is left-handed so I’m interested to see how he gets on with the new CX-40. The new controllers have rubber feet which I’m assuming are covering screw holes, but they feel pretty firmly attached and I’m not keen to try to forcibly remove them. Maybe an enterprising person will do a teardown on them in the near future to confirm…

[xeex]

1 hour ago, Sean_1970 said:

I remember that from back in the day. My kid is left-handed so I’m interested to see how he gets on with the new CX-40. The new controllers have rubber feet which I’m assuming are covering screw holes, but they feel pretty firmly attached and I’m not keen to try to forcibly remove them. Maybe an enterprising person will do a teardown on them in the near future to confirm…

@Ben from Plaion posted a nice teardown here.

 

It won't be quite as easy to modify the CX-40+ for lefties, but certainly still possible.

[Sean_1970]

16 minutes ago, xeex said:

@Ben from Plaion posted a nice teardown here.

 

It won't be quite as easy to modify the CX-40+ for lefties, but certainly still possible.

Awesome vid, takes me back to when I bought a “repair kit” for my old CX-40 because the white plastic ring bit broke. Definitely looks like care was put into the new CX-40+ stick. If the 2600+ does well enough, maybe some enterprising 3rd party will make a stick for lefties or with a button in either corner 🤞

[MysticSword]

I got a Hyperkin Ranger gamepad controller which, for me, I feel works great with the 2600+.

It can change between right-handed or left-handed style playing (via a little switch setting), the controller wire on the back is 10ft long and can be also changed around according to the right or left hand style. And another bonus is that it comes with a built-in paddle controller too (there's another switch on the controller to change from stick or paddle), which I've tried with Super Breakout and Warlords and it seems to work fine (though a bit stiff, but that may loosen up a bit with use).

[fluxit]

27 minutes ago, MysticSword said:

I got a Hyperkin Ranger gamepad controller which, for me, I feel works great with the 2600+.

It can change between right-handed or left-handed style playing (via a little switch setting), the controller wire on the back is 10ft long and can be also changed around according to the right or left hand style. And another bonus is that it comes with a built-in paddle controller too (there's another switch on the controller to change from stick or paddle), which I've tried with Super Breakout and Warlords and it seems to work fine (though a bit stiff, but that may loosen up a bit with use).

Unfortunately, the 'stiffness' is due to the particular potentiometer that Hyperkin chose for the Ranger.  It has a very thick grease on the shaft.  On the plus side, the grease is unlikely to migrate into the body of the pot.  But that means that it will stay pretty much the same for 30 years, or however long that particular grease takes to gluify.

I disassembled the pot in my Ranger, flushed the grease out with IPA, and replaced the grease with a lighter variety.  I'm still not really a fan of the paddle on the Ranger, though it works well enough for what it is.  The thumbstick surprised me though.  It's excellent, and I don't normally like thumbsticks.

[MysticSword]

@fluxit Thanks for the reply and info. I got the Ranger as I typically like playing games with a gamepad type controller, and the thumb-stick and playing games with it does feel great.

Though there are still some exceptions with games that I may still prefer playing with the Atari joystick controller (such as Missile Command, for example). It's good to have options of course. I do plan on getting an Atari paddle-pack (the one that comes with 2 paddle controllers and a 4-in-1 game cartridge), which I think will probably feel and work better for paddle games on the Atari 2600+.

Overall I'm still quite satisfied with the Ranger gamepad if even just for the great feeling and quick response of thumb-stick style playing that it provides.

[Chemical Burrito]

I'll vouch for both of the Hyperkin controllers (Trooper and Ranger) on the 2600+.

 

The Trooper is ambidextrous and - frankly - plays far, far better than the CX40+ that comes with the 2600+.  But count me as one of the 2600 players that was looking for a better joystick from the day I got my first 2600 and relegated the original 2600 stick to whatever unfortunate soul came over to play and didn't have their own joystick to bring with them.

 

The Ranger is also quite nice and 2600+ compatible.  Like some of the other posters here, I'm not thrilled with the stiffness of the paddle controller part, but the thumbstick is really nice for a retro controller.  I kinda hope that Hyperkin makes a 7800 controller now - just take the Ranger and add a second button and you'd have a nearly perfect replacement for the 7800 "Euro" pad.