Atari 5200 not too shabby after all

[congobongo]

When I finally got a working 5200 I was so put off by the controllers that I almost didn't give it a chance. In an act of desperation, I took the controllers apart, blew the dust out and put them back together. This seemed to greatly improve their performance. They're still, and probably never will be, perfect but they are at least usable. Though I only own about 10 or so titles, so far I'm really impressed. Solid arcade ports of Frogger and Q*Bert keep me coming back for more. I have officially changed my stance on this system and would recommend it to anyone that has yet to discover its strengths.

[Tempest]

If the controller is still giving you trouble you may want to take a pencil eraser and rub it over the fire button contacts and the Start/Pause/Reset contacts. This is usually the biggest problem with 5200 sticks.

Incidentally I can't stant the 5200 versions of Frogger and Q*Bert because you have to push the fire button when you jump. The 400/800 versions are exactly the same, only without this annoying feature (because of the 400/800's self centering stick).

Tempest

[congobongo]

Incidentally I can't stant the 5200 versions of Frogger and Q*Bert because you have to push the fire button when you jump.

I've found simply holding down the fire button in Q*Bert works well. It is a little annoying in Frogger but once you get the hang of it it's not too bad. (better than keypad mode :-))

[Gunstarhero]

Yeah man, the 5200 is superb for arcade ports of the period. I don't know if you've seen Defender on 5200, but man I still get blown away by the graphics and sound fx of that game, it truly is a visual treat (relatively).

I kind of like the controllers, the only thing is I wish they would have made the fire buttons the same style as the fire buttons on the 5200 Trackball. Those 'click' and I've never had a problem with my trackball buttons.

[Keir]

<== is SOOOOOOO glad he has a Masterplay Interface!

[congobongo]

If the controller is still giving you trouble you may want to take a pencil eraser and rub it over the fire button contacts and the Start/Pause/Reset contacts. This is usually the biggest problem with 5200 sticks.

Tempest

Wow! That worked like a charm. Major improvement in response from the fire buttons. Couldn't believe how much crap the eraser actually picked up.

[Captain Wrong]

Only bad thing I've found is if you're using the 5200 a lot, you'll be back in there with the eraser. If you're really into the 5200 (and you should be, it's a great system) you can buy upgraded pads with better contacts and contacts. Consult the 5200 FAQ for more info, it's a pretty easy fix.

Everyone crabs on the controllers, but really you can get used to them. I much more despize the mushy fire buttons on the sides then the non-centering analogue stick.

[Gunstarhero]

Everyone crabs on the controllers, but really you can get used to them. I much more despize the mushy fire buttons on the sides then the non-centering analogue stick.

I've always liked the standard 5200 sticks. I think they look very sharp, and my favorite feature of them are the 'Start Pause Reset' buttons. It's taken for granted now, but Pause AND Reset on the controller back then was a phenomenol achievement IMO.

Reset on the controller wasn't even duplicated after that. Every system I can think of other than the 5200 has the Reset button on the system itself. I think there's a way to reset the game on the CD systems with the controller, but I don't remember how.

I've got two sticks with the upgraded flex circuits that I changed about 5 years ago, and I've had no problems with the buttons since then. Has anyone had problems with the upgraded flex circuits? I mean, I expected them to eventually give me problems, but apparently, at least for now, they seem to be immune to the corrosion that the original flex circuits attained.

[Aswald]

The Atari 5200 had some really good games- Berserk and Qix being my favorites.

[Captain Wrong]

Yeah, I have the "rev 9" flex circuits in one of my controllers. No problems either. It just hurts my hands to use them too much.