Worst joystick you've ever encountered

[protek]

So what's the worst joystick that you have ever crossed paths with, ergonomically or otherwise? Let's leave the PC joysticks and console pads outside and concentrate on sticks and controllers that could be connected to your favorite 8 or 16-bit computer.

For me it has to be the Commodore 1311. Luckily never owned the thing myself but have played with it on a few occasions. Stiff and the triangle shaped stick just drills into your palm. Quickshots and such may not have been the most durable sticks but at least they were pleasant to use.

[diablothe2nd]

Definitely the two hand held joysticks that came with my A600... I still have them, and I still HATE them.

basically you need two hands all the time to hold it. its not designed to stick on a surface. it's basically got a pistol grip handle, with the fire button designed for your thumb (? why not a trigger?) and the joystick itself on top.

in the end i ended up having to hold the unit with my thighs so i could get more precision on the stick.

I can't for the life of me remember the brand, and they're boxed up at the bottom of a pile of stuff... I've no intention of hunting for them to figure out what they are but i'm looking online to grab a pic.

Had to be the worst design ever.

EDIT, found it! piccies attached. It's called a Mastertronic Magnum

[johnim]

yea i had the c64 version of this terminator one totally too big and flimsy i snapped mine first day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VksrSg5Y_qs

[moijk]

Originally Posted by protek

So what's the worst joystick that you have ever crossed paths with, ergonomically or otherwise? Let's leave the PC joysticks and console pads outside and concentrate on sticks and controllers that could be connected to your favorite 8 or 16-bit computer.

For me it has to be the Commodore 1311. Luckily never owned the thing myself but have played with it on a few occasions. Stiff and the triangle shaped stick just drills into your palm. Quickshots and such may not have been the most durable sticks but at least they were pleasant to use.

It is however wonderful compared to the Commodore 1342

which is the worst i've used. well, my atari joystick that came with the 2600 is probably worse, but that is partly broken :P

[robinsonb5]

Originally Posted by diablothe2nd

Had to be the worst design ever.

EDIT, found it! piccies attached. It's called a Mastertronic Magnum

Looks like a bad copy of the Konix Navigator - which despite requiring two hands and possibly being the *noisiest* joystick ever was actually pretty good!

[zipper]

Atari 2600 sticks - boy they didn't last too many days before snapping apart. Had to fix with Lexan sheet + contact glue so many times...

[diablothe2nd]

That Konix Navigator looks like a strange alien-esque type device

I think though it may have been more inspired by this:

[deicidal]

Cool idea shit to use

[JuvUK]

N64 pads, cheap, nasty and plop to boot! (IMPO)

[Gouldin]

Original X-Box controller - AKA The Duke was horrible. Not to be confused with the Controller S, which was ace.

Pretty much any 3rd party controller for any games console. Particuarly Mad Catz stuff, buttons just don't feel right.

Though I will admit that the GeoTech for my PS3 is as good as the official pad, if not slightly better, due to having a 360 layout

[Zetr0]

Originally Posted by diablothe2nd

....
in the end i ended up having to hold the unit with my thighs so i could get more precision on the stick......

OMG!

I have coffee everywhere!



@thread

there are some really corkers for title of worst Joystick, that Konix really looks the winner - but I will put up another candidate

Ladies and gentlemen I present

The Cheetah 125+


Now, you might be thinking...well that don't look half bad.... atleast it looks like a joystick compared to the Konix and MasterCHronic from earlier posts...

but this Joystick is like trying to thread a needle with a boxing gloves on... theres absolutely no return and if it wasnt for the thermo plastic, edges, the unit would rip-right through itself before it moved in any direction.

The fire buttons are no better - its the very worst implementation of the lowest form of joystick technology (leaf connectors - no springs - no microswitches).

It truly is a wolf in sheeps clothing... even the Mighty Super Streetfighter gaming legend that is Fitzsteve would not be able to pull off a Ha-do-Ken!

This joystick is an afront to all other claiments - pertaining to be a joystick ... in fact its an afront to mankind in general!

[diablothe2nd]

Originally Posted by Zetr0

OMG!

I have coffee everywhere!!

[FOL]

Competition Pro.
I cant stand that joystick.

[Paul_s]

Blimey Zetro, the Cheetah brings back some memories! Truly horrific joystick.

The Competition Pro (highly raved about) sucks as well! Too rigid and just annoying to use! The PS2/XBox 360 pads are just as annoying with their weird layouts and more buttons than the cockpit of a 747

The only ones I've ever got along with are the Quickjoy QS-138F (i use one of these atm) and the original Sega Master System Joypads.

[MrCheese]

The konix speedking was for me the worst joystick ever. Couldn't even work out how to hold the damn thing properly never mind use it. My brother thought it was the best joystick ever.

[deicidal]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

The PS2/XBox 360 pads are just as annoying with their weird layouts and more buttons than the cockpit of a 747

I actually really like the 360 controller.

The Cheater mentioned above brings back some memories, yep you had to proper shove it around to get some response out of it.

The N64 controller was also pretty horrid.

Another contender for the apple pippin

[Christian]

Gentlemen, I give you the Amstrad Official JY1/2 for the CPC range.

http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/a/ac/Jy2.jpg

Bloody terrible thing. Just about the cheapest plastic ever (typical Amstrad) but the real kicker was that the second joystick port was on the JY1, so until adaptors came out, you were stuck with one of the horrible things

[kipper2k]

Hands down, the worst is having to use the Wii controller and the nunchuk, it really p$%@# me off. (now ask me how i really feel

[Zetr0]

let it out kipps..... dont hold back....

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

The only ones I've ever got along with are the Quickjoy QS-138F (i use one of these atm) and the original Sega Master System Joypads.

I agree 100%.

[protek]

Hate to nitpick but as I pointed in my first post, let's stick to 8-bit and 16-bit computer joysticks. Let's leave the consoles and PC out.

[magnetic]

Well I never used this stick but saw a pic of it in a UK amiga mag..

The "Bart Simpson" joystick. It was in the shape of bart simpson. How dumb is that?

I too dislike the comp pro. I think my fav joystick is the epyx 500xj.

[brett71]

Originally Posted by magnetic

I too dislike the comp pro. I think my fav joystick is the epyx 500xj.

Just as proof that opinions are like assholes (everybody has one), my least favorite joystick I've ever used is the epyx 500xj. I got two of them recently with a used A3000D I bought and for any shoot-em-ups, I just can't use it because my index finger almost immediately cramps up. Too much first-person-shooter action, I suppose.

On the other hand, my favorite joysticks to use back in the day were the original Atari 2600 ones. Those things rocked and the ones I had held up to all sorts of punishment.

[robinsonb5]

Originally Posted by brett71

my least favorite joystick I've ever used is the epyx 500xj.

Which is a rebadged Konix Speedking which MrCheese nominated a few posts back.

I wouldn't mind getting hold of one of those one of these days actually - just for old times' sake - I did have one with a Vic 20 in the dim and distant past. (I've just got hold of a Konix Navigator for the same reason - I quite like those.)

[protek]

Originally Posted by robinsonb5

Which is a rebadged Konix Speedking which MrCheese nominated a few posts back.

I wouldn't mind getting hold of one of those one of these days actually - just for old times' sake - I did have one with a Vic 20 in the dim and distant past. (I've just got hold of a Konix Navigator for the same reason - I quite like those.)

I used to have the Speed King back in the good old days. Nothing wrong with the accuracy and feel but couldn't ever figure whose arm had been used as the model, when they designed it. At least I didn't feel comfortable having my fingers in the appointed grooves. Especially the thumb was in an unnatural position.

I do too like the Navigator and I now have two of those. The cardinal directions could be better, though.

[ubermick]

The Konix Speedking was a weird one - I had one and loved it, but it ended up dying a death. So I went out and bought another one... and hated it. Switched to my trusty black and yellow Zipstick, and that was it until I sold up. (Ironically, I see everyone knocking Competition Pros, I had one as well and quite liked it.)

The worst of the worst however, has already been mentioned, and Zetr0 has it.



The Cheetah 125+ was in stock EVERYWHERE on the cheap, and I think everyone I knew had one as their "backup" stick. (In otherwords, they bought one or got one as a pressie, hated it like everyone else, and flung it in a drawer.) It was always the default stick given to anyone who showed up for a Kick Off match, but didn't bring their own. Everything about it just felt cheap and flimsy. Absolutely horrendous, and absolutely the undisputed king of lame joysticks.

Wasn't the Quickshot II that was basically identical to this?

[lesta_smsc]

Haha - I recall having some of these... don't recall them lasting though! Quickshot all the way

[protek]

I had both Quickshot I and Quickshot II. Played them to death. Never had the Quickshot II Turbo, which was equipped with micro switches. The Quickshot II does bear a striking resemblance to the Cheetah but there are differences too. QS II didn't have buttons on the base.

[desiv]

It was weird. I remembered having a Pointmaster growing up, and I thought it was great.
Used it on my C64 and Amiga, until I went to the Arcade parts store and bought and built a real joystick..

So, after I got Amiga's recently, I was really happy to see a Pointmaster in the thrift shop.

Got it, and started playing...
It moved OK, but..
OW...

I ended up with this curved groove in my palm where the circular ridge was digging in as I held it..

Apparently, my smaller hands didn't have this problem, but I can't use that joystick now.. ;-(

desiv

[Christian]

Originally Posted by protek

I had both Quickshot I and Quickshot II. Played them to death. Never had the Quickshot II Turbo, which was equipped with micro switches. The Quickshot II does bear a striking resemblance to the Cheetah but there are differences too. QS II didn't have buttons on the base.

Urgh - I had a couple of Quickshot IIs and you're right re the Cheetah. Bloody terrible things though. Too big, too much travel, crappy leaf-spring type setup inside from memory. Just bad

[moijk]

Originally Posted by Christian

Urgh - I had a couple of Quickshot IIs and you're right re the Cheetah. Bloody terrible things though. Too big, too much travel, crappy leaf-spring type setup inside from memory. Just bad

I had a couple of QuickShot IIs, the long shaft made them great with sports games on the c64, their terrible leaf springs made them pretty disposeable when used with sports games on the c64. Not a surprise their lifespan were pretty limited.

So good to use, didn't last long.

[Christian]

Hehe, I actually found the Konix Speedking pretty good for sports games (assume you mean Track & Field clones?)

Don't jiggle me joystick so much these days... lol

[Photon]

Ha ha ha, just got a flashback... I think I have you all beat, even though I agree with Competition Pro and the pistol grip horrors.

TI-99/4A joysticks, may they burn in hell:



The sticks use rings of rubber with conductive parts, you need to exert great power to tilt the whole stick+cross package hard enough to press the rubber down. Your right hand will cramp up after 5 minutes.

But because they're rounded at the bottom, your left hand holding the joystick has to exert great power to counter the hard tilt, so your other hand will also cramp up in 5 minutes.

As if that wasn't enough, the fire buttons worked the same way (push plastic which pushes thick rubber onto a PCB) - but you also had to press the center of the button - which meant that shooting more than 1 shot per second was nigh impossible. You could use no other finger than your left thumb to shoot, and if you steered at the same time, your thumb was needed to stop the joystick from tilting, which meant that you couldn't shoot and steer at the same time.

So if a game required shooting, your left thumb as well as both your hands/underarms would cramp up in 5 minutes.


They were to industrial strength, though. They could easily be thrown into the walls and stomped on without so much as a scratch. And you'd do that a lot, I promise


I think TI is one of the companies that deserved commercial failure in the computer market. They're whole lineup of equipment were a long string of non-standard and bad design decisions.

[Christian]

Hahaha, they look shit! You win

[tomcat666]

ADS Joystick, made in ex-Yugoslavia... commercially sold. Mechanics were WORSE than Quickshot 2 - aluminum leafs as "switches".

and YES - that is a handle from an actual ski pole ! Your eyes do not deceive you!



Was the first joystick I had on my ZX Spectrum. When I got to C64 we changed to QuickShot II and the Turbo version... one would think we traded up... ;-)

[Emu Amiga]

Originally Posted by protek

So what's the worst joystick that you have ever crossed paths with, ergonomically or otherwise? Let's leave the PC joysticks and console pads outside and concentrate on sticks and controllers that could be connected to your favorite 8 or 16-bit computer.

For me it has to be the Commodore 1311. Luckily never owned the thing myself but have played with it on a few occasions. Stiff and the triangle shaped stick just drills into your palm. Quickshots and such may not have been the most durable sticks but at least they were pleasant to use.

Some may disagree, but the crappiest Joystick i've used was the original Atari 2600 joystick. Back in '77 as in 1977, i actually managed to break a few of these. They were never designed for pre-teen angst lol. For a game pad, that honor goes to the Gravis game pad for Windows 3.1. What a piece of shite. Off topic, the best PC controller for the money imho is the Xbox 360 wired controller. Cool thread +1

[rampartsagain]

well i think like 90 percent of them are arcade based joysticks some with crazy ideas about practical use at those days nobody cared about ergonomic design all they want was PLAY

[john1979]

Zetro has already said it but the Cheetah 125+ was really cheaply made.

Whenever we ran out of joysticks my mum would pick up 2 from poundland and we'd destroy em in a week flat.

My favourite joystick ever was the zipstik, super robust, I rate it above the competition pro.

[magnetic]

Originally Posted by Christian

Hehe, I actually found the Konix Speedking pretty good for sports games (assume you mean Track & Field clones?)

Don't jiggle me joystick so much these days... lol

Well for something like track and field a good joystick to have is another one of my favs and my backup stick a TAC 2. The shaft is metal and very well consructed. But i'm not thrilled with the buttons..

[s2325]

My 3 worst joysticks:

Elite:



Quickjoy 120:



Colani Highscreen: