Joysticks for the CPC - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

[Bryce]

This is the joystick I used

https://www.arcadeworlduk.com/products/Sanwa-JLF-TP-8YT-Ball-Top-Joystick.html - I desoldered the 5pin connector and attached the wires directly

There are the buttons

https://www.arcadeworlduk.com/products/Gold-Leaf-Arcade-Button.html

This is the enclosure

http://cpc.farnell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&langId=69&urlRequestType=Base&partNumber=EN83645&storeId=10180

You should have gone for a joystick that uses standard industrial micro-switches like the one in this set: https://www.ebay.de/itm/Zero-Delay-Arcade-USB-Encoder-PC-Joystick-Push-Taster-fur-MAME-Sanwa-AC782/401528837415
You can seriously abuse them and even if a switch does break, you can swap it in minutes.

Bryce.

[tjohnson]

You should have gone for a joystick that uses standard industrial micro-switches like the one in this set: https://www.ebay.de/itm/Zero-Delay-Arcade-USB-Encoder-PC-Joystick-Push-Taster-fur-MAME-Sanwa-AC782/401528837415
You can seriously abuse them and even if a switch does break, you can swap it in minutes.

Bryce.

Yeah I think in hindsight I would, I've actually had the joystick in a box for a couple of years having got it when I purchased the bits for my home built arcade machine a couple of years bacl but noticed the arcadeworlduk place also sells the model you mention https://www.arcadeworlduk.com/products/Sanwa-JLF-TM-8T-Ball-Top-Joystick.html

[Bryce]

The joystick I used on my Neo Geo is one of the "real" ones (ie: the one's used by commercial arcade machine builders and almost completely made of metal), but these are getting difficult to find. It's absolutely bullet-proof, I couldn't break it if I wanted to. Can't remember which company it's from though.

http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/other-retro/neo-geo/msg55627/#msg55627

Bryce.

[Bryce]

And speaking of good/bad/ugly.... http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/classifieds-38/joysticks-to-go/msg160284/#msg160284

Bryce.

[gaos74]

Good morning.

It is Friday the 13th and I resurrect an old topic.

A famous joystick has also been resurrected.

I want to share with you the new custom build that I received.

This is the T.G.S. (aka The Greek Stick):



Remember the Tomahawk? This is better!

It has been created by dinohatzi (founding member of the Vintage Computers Society - vintagecomputerssociety.blogspot.com)

It can be customized with 1 or 2 buttons (left or right), autofire and different colors.

The casing is metallic and it has electrostatic paint.

I feel that I hold the Porsche of joysticks!!!

I am not affiliated with the creator. I just wish to give credit to such a nice effort so please do not misunderstand my post.

Can't wait to finish work today!!!

[Gryzor]

This is lovely! I think he also produces more designs, or am I thinking of someone else?

How much do they go for? And also, where did you order it?

[gaos74]

I have asked dinohatzi to send me a link and I will share.


Here is the link:

https://tgsjoystick.wordpress.com/

[Gryzor]

Perfect, thanks!

[Velociraptor]

I've just cleaned up 3 Zipstiks I bought on ebay. All 3 have different internals, the only microswitches that are the same is in the fire buttons, each of them have different directional microswitches for example.


One had some made in England, one had the same as the fire buttons and the last one had cheap looking generic ones with a not so satisfying click.


Zipstik has always been my preference but I wanted to let people know that you might not get what you're expecting if you buy one as it might not contain the switches you're used to.

[retro_collector]

My favorite joystick is my Wico Arcade joystick that I got with my Atari 800.


Will it work on my 6128 plus or do I need an adapter like on my Speccy?  I don't have the 6128 plus yet its still in the UK


THanks


Bill

[protek]

My two cents to this topic.


Here's my second DIY joystick. This one uses the Sanwa mechanism. It is ambidextrous.



My alltime favourite joysticks are Commodore VG-260, Cruiser, Konix Navigator and Alberici Cobra among a few others.


I've ordered another Sanwa mechanism with buttons and an USB controller board. I'm going to try to create a joystick that can be connected to both PC and retro machines

[TotO]

A new great homemade joystick for CPC may have two differents fire buttons and not twice the same. 
(for information, I'm left handled and always use the left hand for the stick and right hand for the buttons, like on arcade cabinets)

[protek]

I know why arcade cabinets have the joysticks for the left hand, but I don't necessarily agree with it. I've grown up using the right hand for the stick and left for the buttons. It's in my spine. Therefore, if I ever build an arcade cabinet, the stick will be on the right.

[VincentGR]

I know why arcade cabinets have the joysticks for the left hand, but I don't necessarily agree with it. I've grown up using the right hand for the stick and left for the buttons. It's in my spine. Therefore, if I ever build an arcade cabinet, the stick will be on the right.

I remember when cabinets moved from just buttons to stick, the stick was in the middle or right.
Many say that companies did that back then to make the games harder.

[TotO]

The buttons was on the right side to be able to fire faster and continue to be on the right side on any videogames systems today.

[siccoyote]

I'm used to using the stick in my right hand at home, but when I use an arcade machine the joystick on the left feels right, I can perform better on Bombjack for example using the arcade stick and buttons than using a right handed stick or a joypad.

[protek]

I recently acquired a new Sanwa joystick with buttons and USB encoder.


What kind of connection would be required to have a DB9 connection beside the USB? Can it simply be achieved by connecting the microswitches of the joystick in both the USB encoder and a DB9 port?

[TotO]

Sure.


1- UP
2- DOWN
3- LEFT
4- RIGHT
5- FIRE 3
6- FIRE 2
7- FIRE 1
8- COMMON
9- COM 2 (if 2 sticks are used and not interconnected)