23 replies to this topic

[Henry Lee]

I recently got from Ebay two New Boxed Controllers with white protective film on. The Box says © 1987 Atari Corp Made in Taiwan.
The Controllers Stick is slighly higher from a usual A5200 Controller, you can see part of the sticks metal, It centers much better.
Its body is grayer than dark black and its buttons have rounded corners.
It brand new and works.
Is this a typical 1987 Atari controller, is it common or rare?
I have many rebuilt A5200 controllers and it is the first time I come across these slighly different ones?

See the pictures and tell me what you think?

Attached Thumbnails

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[DEBRO]

Could this be a self centering joystick?

[Henry Lee]

I guess, I have to open one up to see, but I am always septic of opening A5200 Controller, you never know what could go wrong!
By the way the button's color has a less flashy some how dark orange and it is less smuggy... I let you know...

[Tempest]

I have one of those 1987 joysticks. It's the one I use for gameplaying because as you mentioned it seems to center much much better (although I wouldn't call it self centering).

Tempest

[Henry Lee]

Tempest said:

I have one of those 1987 joysticks.  It's the one I use for gameplaying because as you mentioned it seems to center much much better (although I wouldn't call it self centering).  

Tempest

It actually make a diffrence!
There are many kept secrets in the Atari 5200 world that we discover once it actually comes in are own hands.


I did open it and it is not the rev 2 controller, it is the old X/Y but IT IS somehow better. I confirm the circuit board to be revision 9 and everything inside was mint clean.

[MrRetroGamer]

Chances are that the reason you feel it centers better is probably because of the boot. The is the only part that can actually make a difference. If you say it was still boxed and probably not used, the boot is most likely still stiff and adds a small amount of "self-centering" action to the stick. As the boot wears, it gets thinner and loses its elasticity until, and as many people have noticed, it tears and rips.

[Henry Lee]

I know what you mean, I have a old controller but with a more stiff boot... how about a revised more elastic kind of a rubber boot? I am ignorant about the technologies of the rubber materiel but probably Atari used a different kind of rubber for its second generation of controllers to overcome the problem.

[Jess Ragan]

Holy crap! I didn't realize that Atari even supported the 5200 after 1984. They had a lot of other systems they were selling at the time, including the 2600, 7800, and (later on) the XEGS.

JR

[ApolloBoy]

Jess Ragan said:

Holy crap!  I didn't realize that Atari even supported the 5200 after 1984.  They had a lot of other systems they were selling at the time, including the 2600, 7800, and (later on) the XEGS.

JR

Did you know that Atari released some games in 1986 (Ballblazer, Rescue On Fractalus, Gremlins, and Choplifter)?

[Curt Vendel]

That was one of the final revision improvements to the 5200 joystick, these improvements were done to the joysticks in 84' They were left over stock Atari Corp packaged into Atari (Corp)'d vs. Atari, Inc. rebranded boxes and sold...

The boots are thicker and help the stick go back to center a little better then previous sticks, the buttons were rounded to lessen them sticking in the pushed down position and the flex circuit inside is slightly improved to reduce oxidation and loss of continuity.



Curt

[ApolloBoy]

Curt Vendel said:

That was one of the final revision improvements to the 5200 joystick, these improvements were done to the joysticks in 84'   They were left over stock Atari Corp packaged into Atari (Corp)'d vs. Atari, Inc. rebranded boxes and sold...

The boots are thicker and help the stick go back to center a little better then previous sticks, the buttons were rounded to lessen them sticking in the pushed down position and the flex circuit inside is slightly improved to reduce oxidation and loss of continuity.



Curt

Cool, I gotta find me some 1987 controllers...

[Ferris]

How about some pictures of the joystick's boxes? I'd love to see the packaging.

[Jerseydevil1953]

Buy a new set from best electronics, their way better then any atari upgrade

[Curt Vendel]

Jerseydevil1953 said:

Buy a new set from best electronics, their way better then any atari upgrade

That is true, I got a set of Brads upgrade buttons and I'll tell you, my 5200 controllers have never worked better, see if he has any of the thicker later rev joystick boots and the shorter stick, change all that stuff and you're controller will be great.


Curt

[video game addict]

Ferris said:

How about some pictures of the joystick's boxes? I'd love to see the packaging.

Here's a scan Warning it's over 300K front & back of the '87 box. I have three different dates in my collection, '82, '85, & the '87


Really the only difference in them is in the address on back & the copyright info. '82 was Atari, INC & mine has a "Made in Mexico" sticker on box. I have a couple '85's now Atari Corp @ different PO box & zip, with Made in Taiwan, then the '87 still Atari Corp dropped the PO box, added the "printed in Taiwan" line on back. Rest of box is virtually the same.

[Ferris]

Thanks for the scans. That's really interesting. I had no idea Atari was still supporting the 5200 in any way after '85.

[Henry Lee]

Just got back to town, sorry ferris I guess video gamer addict scanned it my place ! where the '82 boxes like the first version of the A5200 system boxes (darker blue with better ink quality)?

[Official Ninja]

I have many of these "low" boot, made in taiwan 5200 controllers. I'm not a big fan of them at all.

I much prefer the "high" boot, made in mexico controllers.

Charlie

[Lendorien]

Ack. Necro revived this thread by mistake!

Beware Zombies.

Arg!

Edited by Lendorien, Fri Sep 9, 2011 12:22 PM.

[Vic George 2K3]

I don't mind the thread being resurrected. I just think it's kind of interesting to hear.

[Official Ninja]

Wow 2004 was my previous reply in this thread....

Although Ive rebuilt and have played with many of these last revision controllers over the last few years, I still think the sticks with the taller rubber boot and are made in USA or MEXICO are better.

My wife is right! I'll never change!

[5200 Collector Dude]

Man,I just posted a question how Gremlins for 5200 was released in 1986......how long did they actually support this?(ps I gotta get one of those 1987 joysticks!)

[peedenmark7]

Curt Vendel, on Sat Jul 31, 2004 10:21 AM, said:

That was one of the final revision improvements to the 5200 joystick, these improvements were done to the joysticks in 84' They were left over stock Atari Corp packaged into Atari (Corp)'d vs. Atari, Inc. rebranded boxes and sold...

The boots are thicker and help the stick go back to center a little better then previous sticks, the buttons were rounded to lessen them sticking in the pushed down position and the flex circuit inside is slightly improved to reduce oxidation and loss of continuity.



Curt

Curt,
These '87 controllers also NO longer carry the panasonic pots, correct ?
The 2 that I purchased [likely from same seller] are as the thread starter described.

The 2 NOS '87's that I purchased were non functional right out of the box, so I replaced the crummy pots with panasonic and added the Best elec. Gold flex and buttons.
I love the heavier boot. No date codes or country of origin stamped on the underside. They work great now.

I recently scored 2 boxed [slightly used] '85 box dated controllers. One works great the other nno functional. I opened the bad one up and found panasonic pots, the white rev9 flex circuit and the darker red/harder rubber fire buttons. Heavier boot as the '87's but the stick is not as tall as the later offering.

I cleaned the circuit and buttons and it now functions just fine. I prefer the hard fire buttons to the mushy early ones.

[Curt Vendel]

I find its a mixed bag, some had newer parts, other old, some were a mixture... it came down to the fact that the company was sitting on an inventory of components and used what was there to produce product and generate revenue to fund R&D of newer products... the 5200 was a dead system well before the Tramiels set foot within Atari, so just the fact that any "new" 5200 accessories, parts or games were trickling out into stores was a blessing.