Help identifying Atari 2600 Wico unit.

[Flack]

I got this small item in an Atari 2600 lot and was wondering what it is. Can you help?

It's a small black box. On the top it says "Wico Command Control". On the front there are two male Atari 2600 joystick jacks. On the back is a joystick cable that would plug into an Atari 2600.

All I could come up with was this is either a box for a special game that used two controllers in the same port, or it was a box to allow you to keep your paddles and joystick plugged in at the same time.

So, what is this thing?

[Balloon Fight]

Im not 100% sure if this is it, but here is what I found in the DP guide:

Joystick, Wico Wico $3/R1
Extra-long arcade-style bat handle grip. #15-9708

Another one is:

Joystick, Wico Deluxe Wico $3/R1
Extra-long arcade-style bat handle grip, deluxe oversize heavy duty plastic base that slopes toward the player. #15-9708

Those may not be what you have, but its a start.

[christianscott27]

heh,

i've got one of these boxes too and i've never found out what its used for, come somebody...

[video_game_addict]

Sounds like a TI-99/4a adapter by the way you're describing it.

The TI-99/4a used a standard DB-9 connector, but only had one controller port. Original TI sticks are sort of like 2600 paddle controllers, two joysticks & one plug. Wico as well as Champ, maybe others too, made adapters that allowed you to use 2600 & compatible sticks on a TI-99. These are useful as the standard TI sticks are junk! The Champ adapter is a solid mass 1 in & 1 out. It would only allow 1 controller to be used. No two player action. Wico's version allowed two controllers to be used, so there are 2 male plugs that accept the 2600 sticks, and one female side that goes to the TI-99/4a.

Wico also made adapters for Apple computers as well, I'm not sure what they look like thou. I'd bet what you found is for the TI thou. Rarity & value I'd guestimate at around R6/$12 although it's not listed in DP7

If you can take pics of it, I'm sure someone could confirm what you have.

[Flack]

Video Game Addict, that certainly sounds like what it is. Here's a pic.

http://members.cox.net/robohara/wico.jpg

I had an Apple II and the joysticks (or at least back then) had a ribbon on them and hooked to a set of pins, nothing like an Atari one. Definitely sounds like the TI/99 one. I had no idea the TI used Atari style pinouts for its sticks.

[TNTPLUST]

Yep that definently is a TI-994/A joystick converter. :D

The TI-994/a Pinouts are slightly different than the 2600. Hence atari joysticks can't be plugged in directly. The odd thing is that Denali also made a 2600 joystick adapter but it was Much smaller. I could never understand why Wico made theres into a box

[Flack]

Cool, thanks for the info guys.

Anyone want to own a rare, R6 piece of Ti-99/4A gaming history? :)

[video_game_addict]

LOL I'd bet anyone still stuck with the factory TI sticks would love the chance to be able to plug in 2600 & compatible sticks in their place. I got rid of my TI collection long ago, or I would probably be interested. I was only guessing with a rarity above, the Denali is an R4 in the guide. The Champ isn't listed either, but I honestly don't think any of them are so rare, it's just that when people see them, they probably don't really know what they are or what they go to. So alot are probably passed by at thrifts and places like that.

I've seen the Wico adapter once or twice on ebay mixed in with a larger system lot, never noticed it by itself to see a selling price. TI stuff doesn't really go for alot thou, there's just not as many people collecting for it, compared to other classic consoles & computers.

The champ adapter I got from a dude on rgvc a few years back, it was still in the package, sealed on a card, no box, but that was probably why he picked it up in the first place as it was marked what it was, :P I think PDF has my Champ adapter now. It's kind of a sucky one thou, as it's more or less just a single adapter for one joystick play.

[Flack]

If I got $12 for this thing it would be $12 more than I got for my TI-99/4A a few months ago. After advertising it here for free + shipping and getting no responses, the TI-99/4A, complete in its (admittidly poor condition) box with three games went in the trash. It was one of those things that I got 5 years ago at a yard sale or something that I had no interest in then and less now.

[rbudrick]

Hey, if VCS joysticks work on this, then Genesis pads would too!

-Rob