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Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga Hardware News => Topic started by: Argo on September 27, 2006, 10:34:44 PM

Title: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: Argo on September 27, 2006, 10:34:44 PM
Weertzen, September 2006 – Video game pioneers know it – the COMPETITION PRO for Commodore 64 (C64) and Amiga systems won the hearts of the gaming community in the eighties and soon became the most successful joystick of all times. It's extreme durability and the characteristic clicking of the microswitches ensured its brand recognition.

(http://www.amiga.org/gallery/images/33/1_2800.jpg)It's back now! In cooperation with Individual Computers, SPEED-LINK now re-creates the joystick in its classic form: The Competition Pro with a plug for Commodore, Amiga, Atari, Amstrad/Schneider CPC and MSX Systems.
When the Competition Pro was re-released for normal PCs in 2004, the main target was to be true to the original. The design was 100% adopted and characteristics like microswitches, metal stick and the choice of colours are identical. All these details paid off: The SPEED-LINK Competition Pro USB was a huge success.
As a result of the attention that the re-release of the SPEED-LINK Competition Pro USB has attracted, we received many requests for the original version with a plug for the systems of the eighties. We learned that there are many people who still own the old systems like the Commodore 64.“ says Michael Eisenblätter, CEO of Jöllenbeck GmbH. This led to the idea of reviving the old Competition Pro. The final impulse for putting the project into practice was given by the cooperation with Individual Computers. They have a lot of experience in the field of retro-computing and were of great help in realizing this project.“
Jens Schönfeld of Individual Computers comments: „My personal reason for pushing this project forward is that there's hardly any supply of used Competition Pro joysticks for the C64. Even the best joysticks have to be replaced after 20 years of hard use. Owners of a working Competition Pro would not part with it. More and more people are digging out their C64s and start the old games, that - despite block-graphics - have at least the same fun-factor as today's photo-realistic PC games. As a direct result, prices on eBay reach outrageous numbers. This is a very good base for a successful relaunch of a high-quality product.“

More details:
· A real classic, an icon of Retro-Gaming
· for connection to retro-systems like Amiga, C64, Amstrad/Schneider CPC, Atari, MSX
· six microswitches, two axles, four firebuttons
· upper firebuttons can be switched off
· cable length of two metres (6 ft.)
· Powered by Individual Computers, the experts for retro-hardware

The SPEED-LINK Competition Pro powered by Individual Computers will be available starting midoctober.
The recommended retail price is 12,99 EUR (prices may differ locally due to VAT differencies) Individual Computers is the exclusive distributor for this product.

For more information:
Jöllenbeck GmbH
Kathrin Bachmann
Kreuzberg 2 – 27404 Weertzen
www.speed-link.com

Individual Computers
Jens Schönfeld
Roermonder Str. 228 - 52072 Aachen
www.ami.ga

About Jöllenbeck
Jöllenbeck GmbH is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of office and entertainment peripherals.
Since its formation, Jöllenbeck has positioned itself very successfully in the PC, video gaming console and handheld accessories market. The product portfolio of its own brand SPEED-LINK includes sound systems, headsets, mice, mouse mats, keyboards, gamepads joysticks and various other accessories.
SPEED-LINK products impress with their novel technology combined with design excellence and outstanding functionality. Jöllenbeck can be found with SPEED-LINK in more than 30 countries throughout Europe.

About Individual Computers
Individual Computers was founded 1994 by Jens Schönfeld. The entrepreneur has two employees and specializes in computer systems of the eighties and early nineties. The Catweasel series of controllers
improve the performance of emulators and is also used in professional forensic labs on a regular basis. Hardware products made in Germany for Commodore 64 and Amiga are available through a worldwide reseller network.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: humppa on September 27, 2006, 10:40:13 PM
Oh that's great news! This must have been the "big secret" project that Jens was working on during the last time.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: ajlwalker on September 27, 2006, 11:32:52 PM
This is my favourite joystick.  Great news!
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: kidkoala on September 27, 2006, 11:40:02 PM
"When the Competition Pro was re-released for normal PCs in 2004"

what's a normal pc? amiga is not a normal computer? microsoft is the norm?
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: Argo on September 27, 2006, 11:56:42 PM
Okay, Modern non-retro computers. Aka USB version of this joystick.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: humppa on September 28, 2006, 12:00:52 AM
Quote
microsoft is the norm?


Yes.  8-)
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: amigakit on September 28, 2006, 12:03:52 AM
This product will be available from www.amigakit.com very shortly.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: mr_a500 on September 28, 2006, 01:00:07 AM
This is great news. I was just asking about this exact thing a couple weeks ago.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: LoadWB on September 28, 2006, 05:03:10 AM
You know, I never really caught onto the Comp Pro... I like the Epyx stick better (don't remember the name, but it's out on my 4000 right now) -- it fits my hand so well that I could dominate just about any game.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: hooligan on September 28, 2006, 06:19:29 AM
Hope its better quality than Competition Pro USB... broken now twice. Theres this small fitting in the bottom of the stick which falls off easily and the spring shoots the stick up.

Will be eager to see comments
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: B00tDisk on September 28, 2006, 06:47:57 AM
The Epyx stick was the 500XJ.  I liked 'em when they first came out.  I got a pair for Christmas to use on my C64.

Busted both of 'em in about a year.  Oh well.

My Amiga stick(s) were all various cheap junk.  The XJ's taught me a lesson about spending that much on joysticks...:-/
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: McVenco on September 28, 2006, 08:27:32 AM
I never really liked the Competition Pro. Before I bought my first Amiga I played on an A500 from a friend, and he had a Quickshot Python. I loved this joystick and bought myself 2 of them when I got my first A500.

I have 2 Competition Pro joysticks now which I got with my A1200, but I just don't like them. I've bought a Python again recently, and I'm still looking for a second one...
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: Fransexy_ on September 28, 2006, 11:24:34 AM
Quote
Poster: humppa  Posted: 2006/9/28 1:00:52

Quote:

    microsoft is the norm?



Yes.


No, it´s the SINGULARITY (http://research.microsoft.com/os/singularity/)  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: Tomas on September 28, 2006, 11:32:24 AM
This is indeed excellent news. If these are affordable, then i might get a few myself.

Any plans for yet another stick?  :-P If so, then the zipstick would be a great choice in my opinion. I personally liked the zipstick more than cpro which was mainly due to the buttons being better.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: billchase on September 28, 2006, 01:13:42 PM
Suncom "Slik Stik".  Very good for quick movements.

C Snyder
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: mr_a500 on September 28, 2006, 02:18:46 PM
Quote
Suncom "Slik Stik". Very good for quick movements.


That's the only joystick I ever had with my Amiga. They're pretty good (and were damn cheap) but the little metal clips inside keep getting dislodged. It's extremely annoying to be going for the record, then all of the sudden you can't move in one direction. "UP! I said UP, damn it!".

No matter how many times you clip them back and tighten them, they always get loose again. That's the whole reason I need a replacement. On one a plastic pillar broke (so it won't hold together) and the other keeps screwing up.

Just wondering - how big are those Competiton Pros? They look pretty bulky and that "ledge" looks like it could hurt your hand. Are they comfortable?
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: Fats on September 28, 2006, 08:38:33 PM
Nothing beats "The Arcade".

greets,
Staf.
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: quenthal on September 29, 2006, 09:31:13 AM
No no... there is only one choice and that is Suncom TAC-2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAC-2). No microswitches - I always "hated" those. Just simply precision, small movement - Totally Accurate Controller 2
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: hooligan on September 29, 2006, 02:19:27 PM
Tac-2 was always a great piece of work.. too bad the buttons always died after a year or so. An autofire-switch would have been nice (plus saving those precious buttons from dying ;-))
Title: Re: SPEED-LINK revives a true classic!
Post by: leirbag28 on September 29, 2006, 02:58:59 PM
I just hope these New Versions have Button B and C like the SEAG Pads..so that we can use them with Turrican, ProjectX, LionHeart, and other games that support it............I always hated Single button joysticks for Amiga........even if the Joystick had 2 buttons, it was the same button.  Sucks when your on the sofa in the living room playing....then having to come and press the space bar in Turrican cuz your joystick only has one Button.

I think any SEGA pad beats any Joystick in existence for the Amiga....period.