Prolines, Joypads or ??

[tyranthraxus]

What joystick do you prefer to use? Just for the two buttons I've been

using the joypad almost exlcusivly since I got it over a year ago. But its

flaws are begining to annoy and I use a 2600 stick occasionally.

[DeV0]

The pads are my favourite, doesnt hurt the hand as much as the proline. Problem with the pads is you need about a dozen as they die pretty quickly.

[HawgWyld]

What joystick do you prefer to use? Just for the two buttons I've been

using the joypad almost exlcusivly since I got it over a year ago. But its

flaws are begining to annoy and I use a 2600 stick occasionally.

 

Never warmed up to the joypads, frankly. I just traded a set off not long ago, in fact. Still some people prefer them, I just like the Prolines better.

 

Now, if Atari would have just made that ol' 2600 stick with an extra fire button, that would have been ideal.

[Voch]

I really dislike gamepads. I'm inept at Nintendo-era games and such but I'm not too bad with the analog PlayStation controller. When I play with my 7800 I use a ProLine if I need both fire buttons or the ol' CX-40 stick if I need just one button.

 

Voch

[sku_u]

For games that do not require pressing the fire buttons frequently, I prefer the prolines. They are great for games like Ms. Pac-man. For the button mashers, I like the joypads because I can use them longer without my hand getting tired.

 

For most one button games I use various different 2600 controllers.

[bjk7382]

Problem with the pads is you need about a dozen as they die pretty quickly.

 

That is why I made This. I have always been a fan of the NES pads and now I can use them on my 7800 and 5200 with both buttons To say the least I love it.

 

The 2 button mod is a little harder than the 1 button, but is well worth it.

[jaybird3rd]

I tend to keep both controllers handy. I use the Prolines mostly for Ms. Pac-Man because they give me a precision in movement that I can't seem to get with the gamepads. They also seem to be a more rugged, better-built controller than the gamepads. But for most other games, especially those requiring both buttons, the gamepads are a little more comfortable for me.

[Albert]

I'm not fond of the 7800 ProLine controllers, they tend to make my hands ache after using them for a while. They look nice, but are an ergonomic nightmare. I like the pads better, although they aren't ideal for all games.

 

..Al

[birdie3]

JOYPADS!! Those proline sticks bite, man.

 

I ususally use a joypad, a Genesis controller, or a WICO bat controller. There is not one single game that I prefer the proline stick on. The left button button is in the wrong spot. They should have put both of them on the same side so that one could use their pointer and their middle fingers to control fire #1 and #2.

[rockman_x_2002]

Since Proline sticks are all I know, my vote is disqualified here.

 

But I know that HawgWyld mentioned something about a CX-40 stick with an extra button. Wouldn't it be possible to maybe mod a CX-40 with an extra button on the top side of the joystick base where you finger would normally rest? Use a router to cut the hole for a second fire button (donated from an old CX-40 stick), and make an extra curcuit with a button sensor on it, and wire it where you would normally have a wire going to the "secondary" button on a Proline. Is that possible?

[SS]

I use the pads. They're the the most responsive things in the world but are made a bit better if you screw SMS thumb-sticks into 'em. I've always found Prolines really uncomfortable and, infact, dumped the rest of them that I had at last week's PhillyClassic.

[The Eidolon]

That reminds me. Wico made a bat handle 2600 stick with a button on the

top and the base. A switch would select which button to use. My

brother rewired the stick into a 2 button controller and we used

it to play NES games for a while. (Had to connect it to a gutted NES

pad to get it to work, but it was kind of a fun experiment.)

 

--The Eidolon

[birdie3]

SS - Do you mean replace the joypad buttons with SMS joypad buttons? I am curious to know what you mean.

 

Does anyone here know how to repair these 7800 joypads? I tried one of mine in a Colecovision one time and now the buttons both shoot button #1 and #2 at the same time (ie: Xevious shoots bombs and bullets at the same time instead of seperately like it's supposed to). I believe that this is caused by blown resistors but I need the opinion of an expert.

[bjk7382]

Does anyone here know how to repair these 7800 joypads?

 

why not just use the cords and resistors out of the bad joypads and put them on an nes controller like the one I mentioned earlier.

[+Mitch]

That reminds me.  Wico made a bat handle 2600 stick with a button on the

top and the base.  A switch would select which button to use.  My  

brother rewired the stick into a 2 button controller and we used  

it to play NES games for a while.  (Had to connect it to a gutted NES

pad to get it to work, but it was kind of a fun experiment.)

 

--The Eidolon

 

I did this for a fellow AtariAge member a while back, except I wired it for the 7800 not the NES. I used the switch to make it able to reverse the buttons.

 

Mitch

[+Mitch]

Does anyone here know how to repair these 7800 joypads? I tried one of mine in a Colecovision one time and now the buttons both shoot button #1 and #2 at the same time (ie: Xevious shoots bombs and bullets at the same time instead of seperately like it's supposed to). I believe that this is caused by blown resistors but I need the opinion of an expert.

 

From what I recall, Xevious uses one of the difficulty switches to make it shoot either together or seperate. Do you have problems with any other games?

 

Mitch

[Max-T]

I was at my local game store earlier today and I picked up a Sega arcade-style controller, meant for the Genesis. I know that Genesis controllers will work on a 2600, so I assume they would also work for the ProSystem. I got this thing for $8, it is heavy, and the stick and the buttons have a really nice feel to them.

 

It is somewhat of a moral dilemma using Sega controllers on an Atari. But sometimes my hands actually start aching after an hour or so of using Atari controllers.

 

I understand that C64 controllers also work with the VCS. So with all those extra choices, you should be able to find one which suits you nicely if you spend a bit of time looking around. Just a thought.

[birdie3]

Mitch: No, it's not the difficulty switch. All of my other controllers work A-OK. The controller is actually malfunctioning. It used to work fine but now it does not. I just haven't messed with it to figure out what the problem is.

[+Mitch]

Mitch: No, it's not the difficulty switch. All of my other controllers work A-OK. The controller is actually malfunctioning. It used to work fine but now it does not. I just haven't messed with it to figure out what the problem is.

 

Ah, OK so it probably blew one of the resistors then. If you have any friends with soldering experience, it's about a 10 minute fix. Just need to replace one or both resistors.

 

Mitch

[SS]

SS - Do you mean replace the joypad buttons with SMS joypad buttons? I am curious to know what you mean.

 

Sorry, I was having some major problems with my scanner and just managed to get it fixed now.

 

No, not the buttons. Just the "thumb stick" thing that screws into the d-pad. I've found that it helps to achieve more accurate control than trying to use the pad by it's self. The thing is just too darned sensitive, IMHO. I tend to hit fewer diagonal mistakes when I've got the stick in place. The pads did originally come with their own sticks but I found that their concave shape didn't help with the accuracy issue at all. The SMS sticks are rounded and I find them easier to control with.

[rockman_x_2002]

I was at my local game store earlier today and I picked up a Sega arcade-style controller, meant for the Genesis.  I know that Genesis controllers will work on a 2600, so I assume they would also work for the ProSystem...

 

...I understand that C64 controllers also work with the VCS.  So with all those extra choices, you should be able to find one which suits you nicely if you spend a bit of time looking around.  Just a thought.

 

Yeah. I've found that pretty much any kind of 9-pin joystick like that will work on all these systems. There are a few exceptions to the rule, as always, but in general they're universally accepted.

 

I'm taking for granted we're speaking about Genesis 3-button controllers and not the 6-button ones. I haven't tried a six-button one because I never had one at my disposal.

 

The only problem with the Genesis 3-button is that the 7800 treats a Genesis controller like a single-button 2600 stick. So even with the extra buttons, none of them are wired (to my knowledge) to the second button on a 7800 Proline. This is the only stipulation I've been able to find. Past that, Genesis controllers will work just fine on a 7800.

[birdie3]

Woah!! Those SMS sticks are new to me. They must be fairly obscure, eh? That does look like it will work better though. I have no idea where I am going to find one one of those. Cool, nonetheless.

[thund3r]

im gunna go for pads, as ive never used a proline...

[gulag picture radio]

Does anyone know where to pick those sticks up? I have long wondered what the screwholes in SMS pads were for. Would love to have one of those! Thanks!

[SS]

Does anyone know where to pick those sticks up?  I have long wondered what the screwholes in SMS pads were for.  Would love to have one of those!  Thanks!

 

I don't know where to get the sticks by themselves, unfortunately. I've had to resort to buying/trading for a couple of otherwise crappy SMS pads in order to get a few of the sticks.