Great moments in euphemistically masturbatory gadget grammar: Atari 2600 USB Joystick

Posted by John Brownlee, November 14, 2008 10:46 AM | permalink

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Discussion

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#1 posted by pereubu , November 14, 2008 11:36 AM

Isn't a basic command of English grammar a job requirement for a copy writer? An editor?

"Wiggle it just like you USED to" if you're going to that sentence at all.

Yeeesh...

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#2 posted by dculberson , November 14, 2008 11:49 AM

It's definitely an iconic design, but the joystick was my most hated thing about the 2600. Uncomfortable, impossible to move quickly, squeaky... hopefully they updated it with microswitches in addition to the USB.

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#3 posted by CraziestGadgetsdotcom , November 14, 2008 12:51 PM

so it's not a reference to the classic 90's song: "wiggle it"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT6h7Sfn4bc

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#4 posted by caipirina

, November 14, 2008 1:18 PM

I was thinking the very same thing #1 .. but ever since 'think different' .. I accepted that grammar has left the building ...

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#5 posted by reflex , November 14, 2008 3:25 PM

Curt Vendel is the brilliant engineer behind this stick and the Atari Flashback 2.0 retro console released in 2005.

Vendel designed this stick so you could remove the PC Board (which offers 10 extra fire button contacts) and use it as a dirt cheap USB controller interface for a MAME cabinet.

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#6 posted by dimmer

, November 14, 2008 6:35 PM

The photo isn't much cup either: at first sight it looks like the thing is about 4x taller at the base than it is. Pretty much anything else would be better than this icky "try to make it look like it's shooting into space!" concept.

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#7 posted by wrybread , November 14, 2008 6:53 PM

Now you've done it, you put that "wiggle it" song in my head. Bistids.

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#8 posted by RikF , November 14, 2008 8:47 PM

I did my time on the 2600 joystick (turning over the score on pacman left me with hands that wouldn't uncurl from the shape of the base) but if you want to give me classics which represent true greatness give me a Competition Pro 5000 or a Powerplay Cruiser. Now *those* were joysticks!

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#9 posted by Anonymous , November 15, 2008 4:58 AM

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#10 posted by Will_Tingle , November 15, 2008 7:04 AM

This would have been a nice add-on for the plug-n-play version; plug it into your TV and it has built in games, or add a usb lead and plug it into your PC...

Damn, no I wish someone made that...

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#11 posted by Doujoux , November 15, 2008 5:58 PM

#8: You'll want to be visiting http://www.vesalia.de/e_competitionusb.htm perhaps.

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#12 posted by ChuckyG

, November 15, 2008 7:01 PM

Excellent... now they just need to make a replacement Atari 5200 joystick...

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#13 posted by jccalhoun

, November 15, 2008 9:02 PM

There was someone making usb adapters so that you could plug 2600 joysticks (or presumably any joystick that used that plug) into a usb port but they seem to have disappeared.

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#14 posted by Branfeast , November 17, 2008 1:51 PM

I've been deliberating whether to buy a Competition Pro for months now. These comments have just made me cave in and order one from Amazon and it took all of 5 seconds. The internet is bad.