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Games you wish used a paddle?


spongebue

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What games do you wish used a paddle instead of a joystick? I think that these would be kinda fun with a paddle instead:

 

River Raid: really, do you need to go faster or slower, especially with greater manuverability?

 

Centipede: You may not be able to go up and down, but it's usually not really needed

 

Grand Prix: meh, who needs braking?

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I think a better question is why didn't the put 2 buttons on the paddle and driving controllers? I mean, I know why: cost!, but just think how awesome the paddles and driving controllers would be with an extra button. Acceleration and braking, or a acceleration and shooting, or acceleration and gear shifting. There are enough unused pins on the controllers to add the extra buttons, but Atari choose to not add them. Bummer!

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Good topic, Spongebue!

 

Here are some other games that theoretically could work with paddles and would have better gameplay, too (like the awesome Astroblast).

 

Crackpots -- far and away has the most possibility for improved gameplay

Stampede

Skiing

Sky Jinks

Barnstorming

Megamania

JoustPong (you could use the bigger button on the paddles! ;) )

Beamrider

Oink! (for the Wolf only in Game 3)

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Definetly Gremlins. I know, you cant pull down on the paddle like you can on the joystick for the "flash" on the 2nd screen that temporarily stuns the gremlins...but with the better control of the paddle, it might not even be necessary to use!

Beamrider also seemed more natural to be a paddle game. Again, you wouldnt be able to use the super shot against the mother ship...

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Ditto Space invaders, or just about any similarly set-up shooter for that matter . . . like Galaxian, Megamania or Phoenix, etc. Maybe not something like Spiderfighter though because the rapid-fire nature of that one might kill your hands using the paddle button to shoot. Gyruss would be pretty cool too with some sort of spinner controller.

 

I think a better question is why didn't the put 2 buttons on the paddle and driving controllers?    I mean, I know why:  cost!,  but just think how awesome the paddles and driving controllers would be with an extra button.    Acceleration and braking, or a acceleration and shooting, or acceleration and gear shifting.    There are enough unused pins on the controllers to add the extra buttons, but Atari choose to not add them.   Bummer!

 

Oh that would indeed be awesome. Indy 500 is already one of my favorite games, but I've often thought how much fun it would be to be able to shoot too. Imagine the possibilities of having game variations where you could fire on your opponent. Getting hit wouldn't even have to kill you, maybe just freeze you in place for a few seconds. The tag and dot chasing matches would really be livened up too.

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Rob-

 

Are you sure there are enough pins for another button?  Don't forget that two paddles run on just one 9 pin connector.

 

Oh yes, I am sure. On the paddles the the left and right joystick lines are used for the existing paddle fire buttons. The up, down, and joystick fire buttons are not used and are available. That is enough for 1 more button on each paddle.

 

On the driving controllers: left, right and fire are used. That leaves up, down, and the 2 paddle potentiometer lines available for extra switches. So really on the driving controller it would be easy to have 3 buttons!

 

Or, how about a driving controller with a vibrator built in for that "rumble-pack" controller experience? The program sets off the vibrator when you crash.

 

Cheers!

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I have suggested making paddle hacks of Commando Raid, and MAD, but people never seem to care. If you really think about those two games, having a paddle would make them like new games.

 

Yes, I agree. Commando Raid especially is just begging to be a paddle game.

 

Cheers!

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JoustPong (you could use the bigger button on the paddles! ;) )

 

And you could have four player games of JoustPong. Two to a team--if you miss it, your partner could get it.

Heheheheh...yeah...or at some point someone suggested using the joystick (or the paddle) for "english" on the ball angle, but I like how it's currently associated w/ the player's speed.

 

For me the most exciting use of paddles would be 4 player games. But then I think about how hard it would be to do the kind of games I have in mind...4 players moving anywhere on the screen, w/ different colors and/or shapes...is TOUGH, even with flickering.

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On the driving controllers: left, right and fire are used.   That leaves up, down, and the 2 paddle potentiometer lines available for extra switches.   So really on the driving controller it would be easy to have 3 buttons!

 

Actually .. the driving controller uses pins 1/2 which are U/D. 3/4 (L/R) are free. FWIW. 8)

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

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