TI 99/4a Atari Joystick Adapter

[Tempest]

Has anyone else had problems with the TI 99/4a to Atari joystick adapter? I have one (I don't know who it was made by), and it seems to have trouble on certain games. For instance, I tried it out with Donkey Kong tonight and it wouldn't work while the TI sticks worked perfectly. Is there a fix for this?

 

Tempest

[video game addict]

I think there's like a caps lock key, maybe not caps lock, but something similar that can cause some weird effects with them. For the longest time I thought my adapter was broken, and it wasn't until I was testing out stuff I was getting ready to trade away, that I relized it worked.

 

But you might want to play with it a bit, see if maybe it's something simple like that..

[Tempest]

Yeah I figured out the caps lock bug after a few minutes. That fixed it on several games, but not Donkey Kong. I wonder if there are a few games that are just incompatible with it?

 

Tempest

[Geeknout]

I never had any trouble with DK on the TI. I owned a few other Atarisoft and Parker Bros. titles as well. I only used Atari controllers, never owned the TI controllers.

[SteveW]

I've got a Wico controller converter, and it's never given me any problems throughout the years. I also have some TI-specific 3rd party controllers, but they've never given me problems either. Could it be that the joysticks you're using are just wearing out and don't respond that well?

[JB]

Have you tried using the other port?

I've got a few TI games that use the "wrong" joystick, since there's no clearly-defined player 1/2 stick division.

[SteveW]

My converter is labeled #1 and #2, and i've used the second controller port a few times, so it works okay. Number one has never, ever given me problems. Other than leaving my CAPS LOCK key pressed down.

 

I can't think offhand of any games that use the #2 joystick as the main game joystick. All mine use the #1 port. And game programmers have to program in which joystick they use (in BASIC/Extended BASIC the command's CALL JOYST(#1,X,Y)) so the joysticks aren't interchangeable. Actually, the original design of the TI-99/4 called for two wired joysticks and two wireless joysticks (that obviously never came out). The 99/4 still had that implemented, even though TI never put on the RF port to control any wireless joysticks. The facts may be a little fuzzy, it's been a decade or so since I read about these things.

[Atariman]

does anyone know how to make an adaptor? (or possibly where I could obtain one) I recently acquired quite a few games for the TI-99A (burgertime and parsec among them) and it's a pain to use the awkwardly spaced keys that they assigned.

[JB]

My converter is labeled #1 and #2, and i've used the second controller port a few times, so it works okay. Number one has never, ever given me problems. Other than leaving my CAPS LOCK key pressed down.

 

I kind of meant Tempest...

 

I can't think offhand of any games that use the #2 joystick as the main game joystick. All mine use the #1 port.

I know I have some, though I can't name names right now.

 

And game programmers have to program in which joystick they use (in BASIC/Extended BASIC the command's CALL JOYST(#1,X,Y)) so the joysticks aren't interchangeable.

In assembly they aren't numbered.

 

And some games are interchangable.

Parsec is a notable one, because you can occasionally make the laser glitch out and leave death rails on the screen by manipulating both sticks at once...

 

Actually, the original design of the TI-99/4 called for two wired joysticks and two wireless joysticks (that obviously never came out). The 99/4 still had that implemented, even though TI never put on the RF port to control any wireless joysticks. The facts may be a little fuzzy, it's been a decade or so since I read about these things.

Yah.

I think it was 4 wired sticks, and they hopped it down to 2 so they could use a smaller plug.

 

The diagnostic cartridge has support for 4 sticks, but 3 and 4 will always show centered with no fire pressed.