Vintage Joysticks: Fun Pieces of Gaming History
Video games are often dedicated to simulating real-life controls, which allow the player to pretend to control a vehicle or aircraft. With this comes the typical challenge of recreating the actual feel of a real control column of a fighter jet or spacecraft. You can see the developments in modern joysticks by collecting vintage pieces from various brands.
What Is a Joystick?
- History: Some of the very first home video game consoles included joysticks to control the in-game character or the aircraft in the simulation. These early controllers could move at the X-axis and the Y-axis and typically have computer ports that use eight pins for the signal input.
- Input Device: As the main input device, the stick pivots on a base and the angle or direction of the stick is communicated to the computer to move the aircraft accordingly. It can be used as a center stick or side-stick depending on your configuration.
- Arcade Sticks: These are modified to be large-format controllers in home consoles and computers. Stick and button configurations are the most common types, and the number of inputs it can detect depend largely on the model.
What Are the Advantages of Using a Joystick?
- Accuracy: Using a mouse and keyboard is possible in simulation games, but optimum accuracy is only possible with a stick and button configuration. You can achieve better accuracy when firing your shots because the stick can detect minute changes in direction, allowing for fine reticle movement essential to lining up a shot perfectly.
- Realism: Augment your stick and button configuration with a throttle and rudder pedal setup for optimum simulation and realism. Pedals can control yaw by moving the virtual rudders like pushing the left pedal will move the rudder left, for instance. The throttle can fine-tune the output of the engine.
- Number of Buttons: Combining a joystick with a throttle controller increases the number of buttons for better control customization. You can map functions to each button. Many vintage joysticks can be modded to function with USB for compatibility with modern systems.
What Are Some Notable Vintage Joystick Models?
- MACH II: This vintage controller can move in the X- and Y-axes and has a center button on the stick. The knobs can tune the resistance of the stick, while the sliders engage the spring mechanism at each axis. You can custom map the two buttons.
- FlightStick Pro: This is a CH Products legacy controller that can also be used with USB. The Flightstick Pro has four mappable buttons and 16 programmable functions configurable through the software.
- F16 FighterStick: The FighterStick has an F-16 handle for better looks and feel as well as dual rotary trim wheels for precise aileron and elevator adjustments. It also has a side throttle wheel along with 128 programmable functions.