Something I've been wondering about the 2600 controller.

[-SuperYoshi-]

Has there ever been some kind of a left-handed joystick for the system? Being left-handed myself, it's kind of uncomfortable using the joystick with my right hand and pressing the button with my left, so I figured there must've been some kind of controller for lefties out there, but I've never seen one myself. Any ideas?

[Mayhem]

Many of the third party 9 pin joysticks here in the UK (such as Competition Pro and Cruiser Powerplay) had a fire button on each side of the stick so you could hold it in either hand and use the button on the other.

Even though I'm left handed myself, I still use a joystick in my right. On the other hand, console pads come naturally to me also!

[Kid Ice]

Scour Atari Age (the magazine). At some point they wrote up a left-handed joystick mod. I believe Joe scanned all the Atari Ages...it'll be a project, but it's in there somewhere.

Also, I believe there is a joystick out there with one button on each side. Pretty good stick too, I don't recall which one though.

[smork]

I never could stand the original A2600 joystick and always used a 3rd party one. Several of those had dual buttons....

I've known some lefties to cup their hands around the front of the joystick and play that way, which looked awkward but isn't all that bad of a way to hold a joystick for stability's sake...

[NoahsMyBro]

It's actually very, very simple to mod the standard CX-40 to be left-handed. I figured it out for myself when I was about 10 years old. It's probably in the knowledge base for that matter.

Basically, when you open the joystick up by unscrewing the phillips screws in the bottom, you'll see a very simple circuit board. There is a contact underneath the compass points of the stick, as well as a contact for the fire button.

Each contact has a trace that runs to a wire clipped on to the edge of the circuit board. Simply look at the wires attached to each compass direction, and adjust them so that when you rotate the stick 1/4 turn clockwise (to put the button at the top-right instead of top-left), the new "UP" is connected to the "UP" wire, etc....
It's easier to do than to explain.

[Icarus Moonsight]

My favorite 2600 stick was a small one. Fit perfectly into the small of your hand (rounded back for palm comfort). The fire buttons were on both sides of the stick meaning righties and south paws had their way. I liked using my thumb abd middle finger to "rapid-fire" by alternating between the buttons as fast as possible. Dont ask me what it was called... I can't remember. All I know is they were cheap and bought at Kay Bee Toyz in the late 80's but, oh they were mana from heaven IMO. Never had a Wico Command... would like to take one out for a test ride with Yar's though :)

[tom]

Just use a CX78, as it is the Atari Joypad, modelled on Japanese gaming pads (control = left hand, fire button = right hand), as opposed to Western gaming Atari stick (control = right hand, fire = left hand).

Or a CX24 Proline should do the job just fine.