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2020-05-17: If a page gives you an error about some revision not being found, just EDIT the page and the old page should appear in the editor. If it does, just SAVE that and the page should be restored. OS-9 Al (talk) 12:22, 17 May 2020 (CDT)
Joysticks
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This page was last updated on 09/19/2024. Total Pages: 744. Total Files: 994.
CoCo users used two main joystick types: CoCo-native joysticks and (via adapters) joysticks intended for Atari and other machines that used Atari-compatible joystick ports. The market for Atari-compatible joysticks (and the adapters to use them) was significant among CoCo owners because of the perceived shortcomings of the original standard CoCo joystick - the "Black Beauty".
CoCo-native joysticks came in two generations: those that had 5-pin DIN connectors (and thus could support only one fire button), and those that had six-pin DIN connectors (and could support two fire buttons). As a way to ease the transition it wanted CoCo owners to make to its line of "IBM-Compatible" MS-DOS computers, and as a way to create an exclusive accessory market for itself, Tandy made its 1000-series PCs have CoCo-style joystick ports and able to use CoCo joysticks. But because those joysticks were not specifically labeled as such, many Tandy 1000 owners who picked up a joystick for their PC at their local Radio Shack were no doubt oblivious to the fact that they had just bought CoCo joysticks!
| Name | Cat. No.* | Brand | Buttons | Stick Type | First Ad | Year | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joystick | 26-3008 | Radio Shack | 1 | Loose. Metal, then plastic | "Black Beauty", sold in pairs | |||
| Joystick | 26-3008 | Tandy | 1 | Loose. Plastic | "Black Beauty", sold in pairs | |||
| Joystick | 10-1200 | TDP | 1 | Loose. Plastic | "Black Beauty", sold in pairs | |||
| Deluxe Joystick | 26-3012 | TRS-80 | 1 | Springback/Switchable | ||||
| Deluxe Joystick | 26-3012 | Tandy | 2 | Springback/Switchable | ||||
| Pistol Grip Joystick | 26-3123 | Tandy | 2* | Springback | *2 on stick, 2 on base | |||
| CoCo-150 Flight Sim Yoke | Alban Scientific | Rainbow Apr 85 | 1985 | 49.95 | ||||
| ComMander Deluxe | Comrex | 2* | 1988 | 29.95 | *2 on right, 2 on left | |||
| Altai Joystick | DR-2B | Altai | ||||||
| Mach II | Hayes | |||||||
| Spectrum Stick | Spectrum Projects | Rainbow Sept 82 | 1982 | 39.95 | ||||
| MAXX Flight Control Yoke | 900-2176 | MAXX | 2 | 1991 Software Buyers Guide p. 71 | 1991 | 99.95 | ||
| Mark VI Competition Joystick | 900-2380 | Advanced Gravis | Rainbow March 89 | 1989 | 59.95 | |||
| Endicott Joystick | Endicott | Rainbow Oct 82 | 1982 | 18.95 | ||||
| JARB Dual Joystick Unit | JARB | |||||||
| PBH Joystick | PBH | 1 | HOT CoCo Jun 84 | 1984 | 49.95 | "Only the fire button moves!" | ||
| PBH Cordless Joystick | PBH | HOT CoCo Jun 84 | 1984 | 99.95 | "Coming Soon!" | |||
| 270-9207 | Archer | 2 | Springback/Switchable | Tandy/IBM ports, switch select | ||||
| TechDungeon | 2 | Ball on springback short stick | TechDungeon Etsy store Archive | 2024 | 49.50 | New/current, Sanwa-style, red or black | ||
| BT RetroMods | 2 | Ball on springback short stick | Etsy store | 2024 | 79.95 | Many button/ball color options |
Feature Articles
| Title | Device / Program | Author | Magazine | Y | M | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Your Own Joystick | DIY | Lalo Martinez | HOT CoCo | 85 | 02 | 26 |
| The Joystick Fix-It | Radio Shack Joystick, Stik Fix | John G. Williams | The Rainbow | 85 | 08 | 226 |
| The Old Switcheroo | DIY Joystick Switchbox | Mark Haverstock | The Rainbow | 86 | 08 | 108 |
| The Quick Joystick Fix | Deluxe Joystick | Bruce W. Goshorn | The Rainbow | 86 | 08 | 116 |
| Joy for Joysticks | Joystick Check-Out | Richard S. Ellis | The Rainbow | 87 | 08 | 91 |
| The Old Switcheroo II | High-Res Joystick Interface, DIY Joystick Switchbox | Mark Haverstock | The Rainbow | 88 | 08 | 120 |
| Are Your Joysticks Dead or Alive? | Joystick Checker | Trevor Boehm | The Rainbow | 93 | 03 | 01 |
Reviews
| Title | Joystick(s) | Author | Magazine | Y | M | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This Joystick Package is First Rate | JARB Dual Joystick Unit | The Rainbow | 82 | 08 | 25 | |
| Two New Joysticks Are Big Improvement | Spectrum Stick, Endicott Joystick | Jim Reed | The Rainbow | 82 | 10 | 112 |
| Spectrum Stick: Color Computer Joystick | Spectrum Stick | David H. Ahl | Creative Computing | 83 | 02 | 127 |
| Review | Kraft, Radio Shack, Wico, Spectrum, Endicott, JARB | Carlos Calle | 80 Micro | 83 | 03 | 53 |
| Jockeying to be the First in the Joystick Race | Dragon Data, Radio Shack, Microdeal/Midwich/Clare, Talon, Dragon Dungeon, Cascom | Clive Gifford | Dragon User | 83 | 06 | 17 |
| Hayes Mach II Joystick Is A First-Class Performer | Mach II | Ed Ellers | The Rainbow | 83 | 11 | 244 |
| A2D Deluxe Joystick: What More Could You Ask? | Cinsoft A2D Deluxe Joystick | Stanley Townsend | The Rainbow | 86 | 08 | 150 |