If I were you I'd go for one of those Atari 9 pin->USB converter thingies, lets you use your own old trusty joysticks =).
I think the thingies you're referring to is the
Stelladaptor by Pixels Past and sold by AtariAge. They were out of stock for the longest time which was a real bummer and they're once again available. As much as I like my Speedlink Competition Pro USB, I think the Stelladaptor is better. The Competition Pro USB seems to have a slight lag that I don't get with the Stelladaptor and I prefer being able to use the classic joystick of my choosing depending on what game I'm playing. One other advantage, as odd as it may sound, is that you can use whatever length USB cable you want with the Stelladaptor so I can sit on my sofa and play games on my TV which is a good 12' away.
The fact is though, both will improve the retro gaming experience and it sure is nice to have a choice. I'll be hanging on to both.
