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Which Classic 9 pin joystick is best across most platforms?

VERAULT

VERAULT

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I would like to buy a classic joystick (or modern remake) that I can use on multiple platforms (with or without adapters) Apple II, C64, Vic-20, Atari.

Can someone give me some ideas on which is the best for these purposes without breaking the bank?
 
I would say the Atari 2600 ones back when there were millions of them around or the Wico bat type ones common with Commodore/Amiga machines.

No idea what prices are for any of this stuff since I got all my joysticks a decade or more ago.
 
Also, you want a d-pad for some games a Genesis/Megadrive controller works great for this.
 
I have the Atari trackball and it is nice for games like centipede (2600, Atari 800, ST etc.).
 
Apple II uses an analog joystick with a different connector than the C64 and VIC-20 which both follow the Atari standard.

For Atari / C-64 / VIC-20 you can't go wrong with a Wico joystick. They're built to last, unlike the Atari joysticks which wear out quickly.

For Apple II I'm not sure what the best option is. For a while when the PC was relatively new you could get combo joysticks that worked on both the PC and the Apple II (2 connectors on the end, one 9-pin for Apple and one 15-pin for PC). Kraft joysticks were pretty good quality but I don't know if they can be easily found these days.
 
I bought an Atari joystick at a local game store that sells everything from the Atari 2600 to Xbox One/PS4/Switch for my Commodore 64 (no games yet as I don't trust used diskette drives, datasettes, and so on, plus, prices are higher than the stock market today), which luckily, is compatible.
 
5.25" floppy disks are very reliable if they are not moldy (more so then 3.5" disks). My Commodore drives seem to still function ok (last time I checked).
 
kgober said:
Apple II uses an analog joystick with a different connector than the C64 and VIC-20 which both follow the Atari standard.

For Atari / C-64 / VIC-20 you can't go wrong with a Wico joystick. They're built to last, unlike the Atari joysticks which wear out quickly.

For Apple II I'm not sure what the best option is. For a while when the PC was relatively new you could get combo joysticks that worked on both the PC and the Apple II (2 connectors on the end, one 9-pin for Apple and one 15-pin for PC). Kraft joysticks were pretty good quality but I don't know if they can be easily found these days.
Click to expand...

They make an adapter for std 9 pin joysticks to work with apple II, (has to be analog is what you are saying?)
 
VERAULT said:
I hear the sega megadrive controller doesnt work for either commodore or atari, the voltage pinout is different or something along those lines.
Click to expand...
No, the pinouts are close enough for it to work:

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (select = +5V):
1. Up
2. Down
3. Left
4. Right
5. +5 VDC
6. Button B
7. Select
8. Ground
9. Button C

Atari 2600/etc.:
1. Up
2. Down
3. Left
4. Right
5. B paddle input
6. Fire button
7. +5 VDC
8. Ground
9. A paddle input
 
vwestlife said:
No, the pinouts are close enough for it to work:

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (select = +5V):
1. Up
2. Down
3. Left
4. Right
5. +5 VDC
6. Button B
7. Select
8. Ground
9. Button C

Atari 2600/etc.:
1. Up
2. Down
3. Left
4. Right
5. B paddle input
6. Fire button
7. +5 VDC
8. Ground
9. A paddle input
Click to expand...

so you are saying using one will result in no damage on atari, Commodore, and apple II (with adapter)?
 
VERAULT said:
so you are saying using one will result in no damage on atari, Commodore, and apple II (with adapter)?
Click to expand...
Yes, it will work with an Atari or Commodore... but not an Apple II, as it uses an analog joystick which is a completely different design.
 
vwestlife said:
Yes, it will work with an Atari or Commodore... but not an Apple II, as it uses an analog joystick which is a completely different design.
Click to expand...

Still new to apple II as I just got mine working a few weeks back. does anyone know anything about apple II joysticks or adapters? If so a recommendation would be appreciated for that as well.
 
VERAULT said:
They make an adapter for std 9 pin joysticks to work with apple II, (has to be analog is what you are saying?)
Click to expand...

The Apple II uses analog joysticks just like the PC. Internally it's 2 potentiometers, one that measures the X position of the stick and another that measures the Y position of the stick. Electrically an Apple II joystick is the same thing as a pair of paddle controllers. On the 2600 (and the systems that followed that were compatible) the paddle pins are distinct from the joystick direction pins. For the 2600 joystick, up/down/left/right are simply on/off buttons.

I suppose it would be possible to build an adapter to allow a 9-pin 'digital' joystick to work on an Apple II, it would have to be set up to report min/max resistance on one 'paddle' pin for left/right, and min/max resistance on the other 'paddle' pin for up/down. And you would of course have only one button (real Apple II joysticks had 2 buttons, because each paddle controller had 1 button but a 2600 joystick only has the one button).
 
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