Favourite Joystick from good old days.

[n-ary]

 [color=FF0000]WICO command control three-way deluxe[/color] -- can take basically any hardship apart from a nuclear blast :-)
Got one somewhere late eighties and it still works perfectly (i broke a TAC-2 in 2 months).

[SilvrDrgn]

Slik Stik is my favorite.  Very good for maze type games like Pac Man and shoot-em-ups.  Unfortunately, they were also very easy to break.  Simply accidentally dropping it on the floor would be enough to put it out of commission.

[Revener]

TAC-2 and those Black and Red ones from WICO, Arcade? two button funconality.

[PMC]

That would be my Competition Pro 5000 (in transparent if you please).  A great stick, that mysteriously stopped working a few years ago.  The Competition Pro was seemingly indesructible and was great for shoot em ups, beat em ups and driving games.  The fact that you could override the autofire with the fire button made Turrican a doddle too.

Much missed.

[Ilwrath]

@amigamad-
Wow... Looks like the Epyx500XJ was marketed outside North America as the Konix Speedking.  I never knew.  But the US Epyx500XJ is identical down to the decal stripes.  It just has an Epyx logo on the back slanted face.

@n-ary-
YES!  The Wico Command Control 3-way!   That was the joystick I was meaning.  :-)

The TAC-2 wasn't too bad, but I, too, broke a couple.  And the TAC-3 was so awful I never bought another joystick by them.  Easily the worst stick I've ever owned.  Lasted about 2 days.

[mongo]

Mindscape PowerPlayer.

[peroxidechicken]

Well, I've got to go with the TAC2 as being my favourite - nice size and robust.  I also liked the larger BOSS, it was grey and black with a single white button on the actual stick.  I used to have quite a few joysticks but now I've only got one of those red and black WICO sticks mentioned above - it's really good for playing R-type as that game uses the second button.  

[HAK]

[iamaboringperson]

you guys are wimps!

the 'Star Cursor' was by far the best joystick!!! :-P
made by an australian company that made arcade sticks/buttons etc...

[iamaboringperson]

hows that for a joystick!!

[Mike_Amiga]

The Quickshot Maverick (with micro-springs) was my weapon of choice. ;-)

The Quickshot Python was excellent for filight sims but rubish for platformers.

[whabang]

The TAC-2 sucks heavily, I don't understand why it got such a cult status .. did people start hyping it because the case said "tested to 5 million moves and it didn't break"?

Blasphemy!!! :-o  :-o  :-o
Burn him! BURN HIM!!!! :-x  :-x  :-x

[Ferry]

Of course, Telemach Pro, it seems directly took from a PacMan arcade machine: wooden box, magnet centered metallic stick with plastic handle, microswitches -the kind you can replace, even in the two buttons- Simply IMPOSSIBLE to break, heavy and comfortable. Will post a photo, I've been unable to find any in the web...

Saluditos,

Ferrán.

[Blomberg]

Yet another vote for ... you guessed it ... The Arcade:



My favourite joystick ever, they have a reputation of being quite sturdy too, but i've broken a few of them over the years  :-D
You've gotta love the Dutch  :-)

[Mike_Amiga]

Come to think of it, here's mine with my miggy!

[Jope]

whabang wrote:
Blasphemy!!! :-o  :-o  :-o
Burn him! BURN HIM!!!! :-x  :-x  :-x

TAC-2: Pro/Con-list

+ robust (I have seen many where the contact ball has broken off after a decathlon session, however)
+ fits in your hand nicely

- firebuttons that either make contact or not. firebuttons must work EVERY TIME, not "if you press them right". This is also a problem with the ZipStick, you need to press at the very center of the button, else they jam before making contact.
- some versions go loose (I mean loose as in 0 resistance and no centering)
- flimsy rubber pads that disintegrate

Hmm what more, I think that about covers it.

I'll keep my Comp Pro, thanks. :-) I still don't understand what makes the TAC-2 excel above others.