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Joysticks
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This page was last updated on 09/4/2024. 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 |
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 |