Using joysticks on the NES

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Do you find that using an "Atari-style" handheld Joystick to play NES
games enhances it's "old school" appeal (making it feel like older
systems that used joysticks)?

In any case, these are a MUST for playing games like Pac Man, which are
unplayable with the pad, but play like a DREAM with the joystick, with
control that rivals an atari 2600 joystick.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Robert wrote:

>
> I never really liked 2600-type joysticks. If I want an arcade feel, I
use
> the NES Advantage - which is almost identical to the VS and
Playchoice-10
> arcade controls.

VERY interesting observation Robert.. especially in light of the fact
that those arcade machines are based on NES HARDWARE !!!! The NES
truely was the "Arcade experience at home"...

>
> On a side note, the nes version of pacman always felt odd to me. The
ghosts
> seemed to be a lot smarter than in the arcade version.

HMMM. I never noticed this, and it's funny you say that because I
played NES Pac Man for about an hour today... I put it on "infinite
lives" and played through about 10 keys. The only think that kind of
strikes me is that the PAC MAN himself seems a little bit too big for
the maze corrodors.

 

[Robert]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

"The Space Boss" <drsmith666@aol.com> wrote in
news:1113083323.308154.174820@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

> Do you find that using an "Atari-style" handheld Joystick to play NES
> games enhances it's "old school" appeal (making it feel like older
> systems that used joysticks)?
>
> In any case, these are a MUST for playing games like Pac Man, which are
> unplayable with the pad, but play like a DREAM with the joystick, with
> control that rivals an atari 2600 joystick.
>
>

I never really liked 2600-type joysticks. If I want an arcade feel, I use
the NES Advantage - which is almost identical to the VS and Playchoice-10
arcade controls.

On a side note, the nes version of pacman always felt odd to me. The ghosts
seemed to be a lot smarter than in the arcade version.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

jt august wrote:

>
> So you are claiming that every Cinematronics or Exidy game ever
released
> was on NES hardware? How about Asteroids, Space Duel and Us. Vs.
Them?
>
> Thought so.
>
> jt

I don't know if you are insane or just not paying attention. The
playchoice 10 and VS arcade machines were based on NES hardware. Where
in the HELL does Asteroids or Space duel come into the picture.
Apologize.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

In article <1113088173.156064.44660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"The Space Boss" <drsmith666@aol.com> wrote:

> > I never really liked 2600-type joysticks. If I want an arcade feel, I
> use
> > the NES Advantage - which is almost identical to the VS and
> Playchoice-10
> > arcade controls.
>
> VERY interesting observation Robert.. especially in light of the fact
> that those arcade machines are based on NES HARDWARE !!!! The NES
> truely was the "Arcade experience at home"...

So you are claiming that every Cinematronics or Exidy game ever released
was on NES hardware? How about Asteroids, Space Duel and Us. Vs. Them?

Thought so.

jt

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

In article <1113193076.706084.208740@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"The Space Boss" <drsmith666@aol.com> wrote:

> I don't know if you are insane or just not paying attention. The
> playchoice 10 and VS arcade machines were based on NES hardware. Where
> in the HELL does Asteroids or Space duel come into the picture.
> Apologize.

I went back through the thread, and found I missed a reference - errant
as it is on the part of the Vs. Unisystem machines - to which you
referred. On that, I apologize.

However, having teched several of those machines at Tilt-NW Plaza in St.
Louis back in 1989-1990 (I was an assistant technician in a 40,000
square foot arcade), I can tell you that the Vs. machines were not based
on NES hardware, especially since their design actually predated the
NES. The NES was a scaled down modelling of the Vs. system, with a
different core processor, different sound circuitry, and a different
graphics processor. The ROM banks on the boards were larger than the
capacity of the basic design of the NES cart. While many Vs. games were
very similar to their NES launch counterparts, there were detectable to
even significant differences between the two. And if you think the Vs.
ROMs were in any way compatible with NES hardware, you would see those
games as playable ROMs for NES emu's such as Nesticle. But that hasn't
happened because the two platforms are not directly or indirectly
compatible. The NES is far scaled back from the Vs. Unisystem package.

As to the choice 10, yes, it is a NES upgraded to arcade standards.

jt

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Once I had a Beeshu joystick for the NES which was like those old Atari
sticks that had trigger handles, I mainly bought one because I really
didn't really cared for the shrimpy NES gamepads which are nothing like the
sticks I grew up with. But...after a while they worn down because they
were cheap. And I mean it was grinding dust all the time! So I ditched
those and got those goofy things from Rat Shack that you put your NES pads
to make them joysticks. Very bad idea....

Anyway, NES joysticks are good for classic ports like Pac-Man and such.
But stuff like Mario and Zelda require the finess of a D-pad. This I
really discovered once I got into emulation...

Oh yeah, I even used Sega gamepads on 2600 games and they really work
great. So for "Stick vs. Pad"? I say whatever works for you and the game
you're playing...