JY-2, JY-3, two fire buttons and the GX4000

[mara]

Hi everyone,

I just git my GX4000 with the sublime C4CPC running---and all is great, except for the joystick button mapping. Using the GX4000 keypad, I get Fire 1 and 2, which allows me to navigate the C4CPC menu.

Yet, when I plug in an original JY-2 or JY-3 from amstrad, both fire buttons come out as Fire 1. That's really annoying, as I have to plug in the keypad to navigate the menu, start gam, unplug keypad, plug in joystick, ... that doesn't seem right. I always thought (that's at least what I've read in the wiki here) that the original Amstrad joysticks hat two distinct fire buttons, with Fire 2 coming out at pin 7. Is that different from the keypadß Is there a way to fix this?

I've searched the forum, but haven't found a solution. In case I've missed it, just point me to the relevant discussion.

Cheers!
   Marius

[pelrun]

The joystick port supports a second fire button, but afaik both buttons on the official Amstrad sticks are wired up to be the same button. 


Most games at the time only needed one fire button, so having two identical buttons is purely for comfort reasons - you use whichever one is under the least sore finger...

[mahlemiut]

Had a friend that had an Amstrad JY-1 (with the second joystick port in the base), and I'm quite certain that the two fire buttons were independant.

[pelrun]

Can't have been a JY-1, those only had the one button 


I'd check mine... oh wait, it broke 30 years ago and got thrown out. Those things were *terrible*.

[gerald]

Hi everyone,

I just git my GX4000 with the sublime C4CPC running---and all is great, except for the joystick button mapping. Using the GX4000 keypad, I get Fire 1 and 2, which allows me to navigate the C4CPC menu.

Yet, when I plug in an original JY-2 or JY-3 from amstrad, both fire buttons come out as Fire 1. That's really annoying, as I have to plug in the keypad to navigate the menu, start gam, unplug keypad, plug in joystick, ... that doesn't seem right. I always thought (that's at least what I've read in the wiki here) that the original Amstrad joysticks hat two distinct fire buttons, with Fire 2 coming out at pin 7. Is that different from the keypadß Is there a way to fix this?

I've searched the forum, but haven't found a solution. In case I've missed it, just point me to the relevant discussion.

Cheers!
   Marius

C4CPC menu can be controlled from both joystick port, just plug the gx4000 pad on port 2.   
But as other stated, most joystick back in time had both buttons wired together. If the game require both, you will have to find a suitable joystick.

[mara]

Hi guys,

thanks for your replies! Just tried it, the menu works with a gamepad. 

Yet, there are many cases that doesn't help much, as nearly all ported CPC games require a second fire button in some way. All the cracked ones, for example, asking if I want infinite lives or to be invulnerable. With a joystick, I can only answer "1", that is, yes. And when I recently played Gauntlet, after dying I would have to press button 2 to respawn, so I was effectively stuck. And playing with a gamepad: That doesn't feel right for arcade games like Bubble Bobble and Bombjack.

Are there joysticks available that have Fire 2 on pin 7, in other words, a solution that doesn't involve diodes, resistors and lots of soldering?  As an alernative, I think I'll grab one of those old switches that are on ebay for a few €, for 9 pin D-Sub, so I could just switch without straining the built-in port.

However, that would be one more thing lying around the TV I would have to explain to my wife. 

Cheers!
   Marius

[Phantomz]

@mara

Yet, there are many cases that doesn't help much, as nearly all ported CPC games require a second fire button in some way. All the cracked ones, for example, asking if I want infinite lives or to be invulnerable. With a joystick, I can only answer "1", that is, yes. And when I recently played Gauntlet, after dying I would have to press button 2 to respawn, so I was effectively stuck. And playing with a gamepad: That doesn't feel right for arcade games like Bubble Bobble and Bombjack.

I could change " Gauntlet " and other games so that you could push up or down instead of button 1 or button 2 to pass the trainer screen, however it made sense to use button 1 or button 2 where we can as these ports are made for the gx4000 with a pad really.

With regards to " Gauntlet " you need a second fire button anyway, because it's used for potions. 

You need to look out for a good two button joystick, I use a quickshot maverick, it's the one with two buttons (not the nes version) or the (three button version for the megadrive), it has a switch on the bottom for Atari/commodore, msx, Amstrad and sega master system.

It's this one, hope it helps. 

[Shaun M. Neary]

@mara

I could change " Gauntlet " and other games so that you could push up or down instead of button 1 or button 2 to pass the trainer screen, however it made sense to use button 1 or button 2 where we can as these ports are made for the gx4000 with a pad really.

With regards to " Gauntlet " you need a second fire button anyway, because it's used for potions. 

You need to look out for a good two button joystick, I use a quickshot maverick, it's the one with two buttons (not the nes version) or the (three button version for the megadrive), it has a switch on the bottom for Atari/commodore, msx, Amstrad and sega master system.

It's this one, hope it helps. 

I actually ordered one of these a couple of days ago as I can't really use the gamepads without cramping my thumb. How do you find it? Are they sturdy, and has your one ever broken down on you at all?

[mara]

Thanks for the hint!  Just ordered one on ebay, I'll give it a try.

Regarding Gauntlet: Now that you mention it, I had vague feeling I was missing something with my ordinary joystick, but I just couldn't remember what was different compared to >25 years ago.

Cheers!
   Marius

[Phantomz]

I actually ordered one of these a couple of days ago as I can't really use the gamepads without cramping my thumb. How do you find it? Are they sturdy, and has your one ever broken down on you at all?

I haven't had it that long so haven't given it a proper go, it feels better than the pad I can tell you that much. 

The buttons are the opposite way around so you need to get used to that, Button 1 is Button A on this and Button 2 is Button B.

The handy thing with this is that is has two cables and you can plug both of them in and flick a switch to change from player 1 or player 2 ( port 1 or port 2 ) handy to use on games where you need pad 2 for menu's. 

Thanks for the hint!  Just ordered one on ebay, I'll give it a try.

Regarding Gauntlet: Now that you mention it, I had vague feeling I was missing something with my ordinary joystick, but I just couldn't remember what was different compared to >25 years ago.

Cheers!
   Marius

Good luck with it, hope you prefer it to the joypad 

It was a bit of a challenge to use joysticks on the Amstrad to play Gauntlet/s back in the day.

You needed to press a key on the keyboard back in the day for potions, however @Urusergi remapped the button to Joypad / Joystick Button 2 for us. 

[Shaun M. Neary]

I haven't had it that long so haven't given it a proper go, it feels better than the pad I can tell you that much. 

The buttons are the opposite way around so you need to get used to that, Button 1 is Button A on this and Button 2 is Button B.

The handy thing with this is that is has two cables and you can plug both of them in and flick a switch to change from player 1 or player 2 ( port 1 or port 2 ) handy to use on games where you need pad 2 for menu's. 

Oh nice. The buttons won't bother me too much, I think I had a similar issue back in the day when I used a Master System controller on a 464. I used to go through joysticks quickly back then, I think the Cruiser was probably the sturdiest joystick I ever had, sadly it also died a death after about two years, and both buttons were mapped to fire 1 too, which was inconvenient.

Cheers for the info. =)

[CraigsBar]

Any mastersystem pad or stick works you just need to make an adaptor to move the fire buttons onto the right pins.

I use mastersystem konix speedking sticks on my gx4000

Sent from my ONEPLUS 3t using Tapatalk

[Gryzor]

You need to look out for a good two button joystick, I use a quickshot maverick, it's the one with two buttons (not the nes version) or the (three button version for the megadrive), it has a switch on the bottom for Atari/commodore, msx, Amstrad and sega master system.

It's this one, hope it helps. 

Is this as good as it looks?

[Shaun M. Neary]

Is this as good as it looks?

My one arrived last week. It was used and the spring was a little worn, so I tightened it up a bit and it's like new.
It's well built. Good response times, almost too fast (it caused Fantasy World Dizzy to crash if fire was clicked too fast to see the inventory). It's up there with the Powerplay Cruiser, only it has two fire buttons. I'd recommend it. =)

[Carnivius]

@mara

I could change " Gauntlet " and other games so that you could push up or down instead of button 1 or button 2 to pass the trainer screen, however it made sense to use button 1 or button 2 where we can as these ports are made for the gx4000 with a pad really.

With regards to " Gauntlet " you need a second fire button anyway, because it's used for potions. 

You need to look out for a good two button joystick, I use a quickshot maverick, it's the one with two buttons (not the nes version) or the (three button version for the megadrive), it has a switch on the bottom for Atari/commodore, msx, Amstrad and sega master system.

It's this one, hope it helps. 

I had that!  Was a big help for games on my Amiga that supported 2 fire buttons such as Turrican 2 and James Pond 3.  No idea what happened to it though.  Was one of my fave joysticks for those purposes. 

[Phantomz]

Is this as good as it looks?

I like it. 

I made a mistake stating the switch is underneath to select which system you're using it on, infact this is on the top, there is however a sticker underneath with the system names so you know what position the switch needs to be in.

I have two of these joysticks, one clicks when you use it, one doesn't.

The one that clicks sounds like it is using micro switches, however I believe both joysticks use leaf switches.

I still prefer to use it over the joypad. 

[Shaun M. Neary]

I like it. 

I made a mistake stating the switch is underneath to select which system you're using it on, infact this is on the top, there is however a sticker underneath with the system names so you know what position the switch needs to be in.

I have two of these joysticks, one clicks when you use it, one doesn't.

The one that clicks sounds like it is using micro switches, however I believe both joysticks use leaf switches.

I still prefer to use it over the joypad. 

Yeah the switch is on top across from the autofire option. Wouldn't make any sense putting it on the bottom. Too easily triggered off. =D
Said it before and i'll say it again, I love my one. I may actually invest in a second...