Alternate Controllers For The Atari VCS (An Atari Ninja Article)

This is less of a review and more of an article about the various alternatives to the standard Atari Joystick for the Video Computer System. There are many options out there and here a few that I personally have had some experience with.

I'm going to start with my personal favorite, it's a third party joystick that I had as a kid, and when I saw it at my local retro game shop, I had to own it again. The Pointmaster was made by Discwasher, a company that was best known for making cleaning supplies for vinyl records, CDs, and VCRs. Considering that my grandfather was a big audiophile and collector of both classical vinyl and later classical CDs too, I am pretty sure I know exactly why I ended up with this particular premium styled joystick when I was a little kid.

It enabled the user to control both the movement and the firing functions in a game with just one hand and I thought it had the feel of a jet-fighter control. It also looked pretty cool too and the grip was far more comfortable than a standard Atari brand joystick.

A similar joystick is the Gemini. I wasn't too familiar with this controller when I picked one up for a few bucks at a local thrift store this past weekend. Interestingly enough, this was the same store that I bought my Atari Video Computer System at too. I tend to visit this place every weekend and I never walk out empty-handed.

The Gemini functions similarly to the Pointmaster, but it has a second fire button on the base, much like the original Atari joystick. It also has a more comfortable grip, just like the Pointmaster too. I could say that it is a step up from the Pointmaster, but for me the Pointmaster earns extra points for sentimental reasons. As regular readers might have noticed, I can be a very sentimental guy. From a purely functional perspective, the Gemini is a real winner. It also has a very nice look to it as well, so it's an aesthetic winner too.

An even odder alternative to the original Atari controller is the Sega Genesis controller. Yes, believe it or not, any Sega Genesis controller can be used with an Atari 2600. And, some people really like using them because they are essentially a far more modern controller than the ones that were actually designed to work with the Atari VCS. That modern feel may very well be why I do not particularly enjoy using them with my 2600, it just kind of takes away from that overall retro-nostalgic look and feel. But, if it sounds good to you, give it a try.

 Also, there is an additional benefit to using a couple of these Sega Genesis controllers. It's one that many people might not even think about. I've noticed that Sega Genesis controllers are far more common in my area than the old Atari controllers. So, they are definitely worth considering for that reason alone, you might just have an easier time finding one.

One controller that I cannot speak of from a practical, or technical perspective, because I've never actually owned one, and I never even had a chance to try one out. But, I really want one, and someday I will obtain it. Because, this is a thing of beauty, and it was brought to us by M Network as a tie-in with one of my all-time favorite movies.

Yes, M Network, the people behind the Intellivision console did make a few games for the Atari VCS, and they made this nifty joystick too. Among those games that they made for both the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision were two Tron games. And, if you bought both games together you could get your hands on this free joystick too. To be absolutely technical, M Network was actually Mattel, a toy company that was better known for Barbie than anything else. But hey, they were also the company behind Masters Of The Universe, and of course the Intellivision too, so that makes them way cooler than just the Barbie company.

-Jay