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

[ComSoft6128]

I still have two CPC compatible joysticks, a Konix Speedking and I think the other is the Cheetah Bug. Both are fine to use.

Was there a joystick for the CPC that was recognised as being THE joystick to have?
Or, were all joysticks pretty much the same - the same/similar components in different cases?

Cheers,

Peter

[Carnivius]

I think I won my Cheetah Bug from an Amstrad Action competition but I can't find any proof of that and may be misremembering.  I really liked that joystick though.  Used it more on my Amiga than CPC, especially for Sensible Soccer (felt oddly fitting to control tiny lil dudes with a tiny joystick).  The one that was plugged into my CPC most was the Cheetah Star Probe which I liked the design of with all it's angles. and used a heck of a lot on my 464.
The other joystick I used a lot was the more arcade-style Quickshot Maverick particularly because it was the only one I had where the two fire buttons could be set to do different things so that got a ton of use on my Amiga for games like Turrican II and James Pond 3 that made use of a 2nd fire button.
Tried a lot of other sticks at friends houses and Future Entertainment Shows but I was pretty happy with the ones I had.

[tjohnson]

I still have two CPC compatible joysticks, a Konix Speedking and I think the other is the Cheetah Bug. Both are fine to use.

Was there a joystick for the CPC that was recognised as being THE joystick to have?
Or, were all joysticks pretty much the same - the same/similar components in different cases?

Cheers,

Peter

The joystick that seems to get the most recognition as being the king of the 8 bit and 16 bit era is the competition pro, but I'm not sure it is as good as people remember but good for the time as it was microswitched, the one that can be had in green/pink/yellow is slightly better in my opinion, can't think what it is called at the moment.

[blackdalek]

I had (and still have) 2 Star Cursor joysticks. These controllers always seem to get a bad rap for being ugly and uncomfortable with poorly located buttons... but I've never had any problem using one nor did I find it that ugly.
These controllers had a steel shaft for the stick and 3 large arcade style buttons. There was a switch on the front to make all 3 buttons work as the same fire button or as separate buttons. The setting for 3 buttons didn't work on the CPC's joystick port, but it was quite simple to open up the controller and modify it so that all 3 buttons worked independently.
There was a switch on the base which could restrict stick movement to 4 way or 8 way.
All the functions (direction and buttons) were achieved using very robust large microswitches.
The controller was also built like a tank with a casing of robust durable plastic. It also had 4 suction cups on the base so it could be attached to a table surface if you didn't want to hold it.
Before I bought my second Star Cursor, I bought several other popular sticks that were currently on the market. None of those lasted very long and were all broken within months. I eventually got a second Star Cursor years later off ebay.

[ComSoft6128]

Never saw the Star Cursor - (one quick Google later) - looks sturdy, unlike the Amstrad joystick which came with my first 6128. Even though it was "free" it was quickly ditched for something better.

[tjohnson]

Never saw the Star Cursor - (one quick Google later) - looks sturdy, unlike the Amstrad joystick which came with my first 6128. Even though it was "free" it was quickly ditched for something better.

Did you have the jy1 or jy2 they were pretty awful i remember we bought some in boots but they kept breaking so my dad kept taking them back. Eventually we bought something better.  I recall i had a delta something and i think i also had a cheetah bug at some point.  I also had a gravis which was later available for the pc as a full analogue joystick which had a massive throw.

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[Bryce]

The JY1 was the cheapest piece of crap they could throw together. The Competition Pro is probably the best you could get at the time.

Bryce.

[tjohnson]

Powerplay Cruiser!  I think that was actually better than the competion pro but as you say Bryce the comp pro is generally regarded as the best.

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[George Schizas]

I had an Atari CX24 that came with my an Atari VCS 2600 Jr (I still have it, and it's indeed a 2600 and not a 7800), and when that one's switches were so worn off by heavy use that they didn't work, I got a Konix Speedking, which (after heavy use as well) eventually broke its internal structure plastic bases.


Both joysticks were held with both hands, so it's always been hard / unusual for me to use a more common Atari CX40 (the original Atari controller) or any similar one-hand-only joystick.

Is there any way to use a modern USB joystick, preferably in a gamepad format, to connect to an actual Amstrad CPC 6128?

[Carnivius]

Is there any way to use a modern USB joystick, preferably in a gamepad format, to connect to an actual Amstrad CPC 6128?

Must be. Cos I've certainly seen folk using modern USB wired and wireless mice with an Amiga and that uses the same 9 pin sockets the CPC does.

[mr_lou]

For me, the Wicco joysticks = THE Amstrad joystick.

Solid stuff. Practically unbreakable. Just works.
Never used any other kind of joystick for the CPC.

[gaos74]

The best joystick ever made



fullstop

[VincentGR]

The best joystick ever made



fullstop

Actually it is the best as it is mine   

[Gryzor]

@Gaos beat me to it, I was about to google for a pic of it.


Sadly only available in Greece at the time, but you won't find a Greek recommending anything else. This beast was decades ahead of its time and just wonderful.

[tjohnson]

@Gaos beat me to it, I was about to google for a pic of it.


Sadly only available in Greece at the time, but you won't find a Greek recommending anything else. This beast was decades ahead of its time and just wonderful.

It looks a bit like this one

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[Gryzor]

It looks a bit like this one

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Only prettier [emoji16] (what is this anyhow?)

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[tjohnson]

Only prettier [emoji16] (what is this anyhow?)

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Something i made myself :-) sanwa jlf joystick couple of 28mm buttons in a box

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[Gryzor]

... As I said, decades ahead of its time [emoji14]

(Nicely done, very nice indeed)

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[tjohnson]

... As I said, decades ahead of its time [emoji14]

(Nicely done, very nice indeed)

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Yeah looks a nice joystick that one. I've got a competion pro here and is not all that tbh. Needs quite a heavy hand, could just be the one I've got but doesn't feel like it to me

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[Gryzor]

No, I was talking about your own just then, but I agree [emoji4]

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[tjohnson]

No, I was talking about your own just then, but I agree [emoji4]

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Thanks i havent finished wiring it up yet the box is very nice quality. I cant remember the make off the top of my head but it's a component box made in japan.  The buttons are gold leaf concave.  Will be ace when it's finished

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[Phantomz]

I had a quickshot and cheetah 125+ to start with back in the day, they got the job done, but felt cheap and not very sturdy.

I remember going to " Toys R Us " to get some games for my Birthday, I can't remember what games I got that day, but I do remember seeing a joystick that I liked the look of in one of those glass cabinets that they used.

It was a Cruiser joystick, the blue one with the white buttons and red handle ( ball top ), I believe it was £10.

I found this joystick a lot better than the previous two, it felt sturdy compared to them, I also liked how you could tighten or loosen the handle, came in handy for a lot of games.

The fact it had micro switches was great too, if a direction or fire stopped working it was simple to swop a switch out.

[ComSoft6128]

I found a Cruiser joystick in a cupboard recently. Been there for about 25 years and never used. I will have a look at it tomorrow. It has two connectors on it, having checked the Wikipedia page for this it seems one is for the 16-bits, the other for 8-bits. If I plugged in the wrong connector to a 6128 or 6128 Plus would this cause any damage or just not work?

Cheers,

Peter

[Phantomz]

I found a Cruiser joystick in a cupboard recently. Been there for about 25 years and never used. I will have a look at it tomorrow. It has two connectors on it, having checked the Wikipedia page for this it seems one is for the 16-bits, the other for 8-bits. If I plugged in the wrong connector to a 6128 or 6128 Plus would this cause any damage or just not work?

Cheers,

Peter

I don't know if any damage would be caused if the wrong connector is plugged in.

If it has two connectors, one is probably for the Amstrad / C64 ( black one ), and the other is for the spectrum ( grey one ).

[ComSoft6128]

Edit from Joystick survey in May 89 issue of Amstrad Action, pages 28, 29 and 31:


"The clear Cruiser is the most advanced, yet there still seems little special about it. From the aircraft-style bunch there are three strong contenders: the Quickjoy, the Starprobe and the Quickshot. The best design awards goes to the Starprobe, with fire buttons on the base as well as the handle. It seems, however, less solid than the others. The choice comes down to hand comfort, as they all perform almost identically. The Quickjoy's trigger button is not as contoured as it could be, making prolonged use uncomfortable. The Quickshot's firing mechanisms allow a more relaxed grip, eventually tipping the balance in its favour.

Pick of the sticks: World beater

There are two contenders: the Wico Ergostick and the new Star Cursor from Microleisure. They are the only ones that are not just top of the range versions with added features, but genuine products in their own right. As Steve, a southpaw himself, points out. Both Wico and Konix casually alienate at least 20% of their market by ruling out left-handers. The verdict overall therefore goes to the Star Cursor. It is an excellent joystick, with a flexibility that suits it to just about every kind of game - with the possible exception of simulators, because of the choice of fire buttons and your ability to switch between them."