A good low-price joystick?

[CFran]

I was thinking about buying a good joystick for christmas, not too
expensive (less than 50 € - $60).

I have no idea what to choose, I used to have a Gravis Blackhawk back
in '97 and I loved it but it's only for old ADB Macs and even with an
adapter it'll only be recognized as a HID mouse. I thought I would have
liked to have a Gravis joystick but it seems that they ain't makin none
anymore.

So any ideas on what could be good?

In case it matters i'd use it mostly for such things as flight
simulators (mostly X-Plane and flight parts of BF1942) and arcade games
(mostly MAME)

 

[Jimmy S.]

Hi CFran,

Since you play both Flight Sims as well as MAME you would probably
enjoy the ThrustMaster Afterburner USB Joystick with detachabel throttle.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Visit my MSN Zone.com and Gaming Help Site: http://mvps.org/nibblesnbits
MS Games Help and Support Center: http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

CFran Wrote:
=================
| I was thinking about buying a good joystick for christmas, not too
| expensive (less than 50 ? - $60).
|
| I have no idea what to choose, I used to have a Gravis Blackhawk back
| in '97 and I loved it but it's only for old ADB Macs and even with an
| adapter it'll only be recognized as a HID mouse. I thought I would have
| liked to have a Gravis joystick but it seems that they ain't makin none
| anymore.
|
| So any ideas on what could be good?
|
| In case it matters i'd use it mostly for such things as flight
| simulators (mostly X-Plane and flight parts of BF1942) and arcade games
| (mostly MAME)

 

[pjp]

If you want one that lasts (and I've used many) buy a Playstation to USB
converter and a "real" Playstation Controller. All 12 buttons and both axis
work, force feedback etc. just like any other. Difference is those suckers
will take punishment like no other I've found to date.

I was thinking about buying a good joystick for christmas, not too
expensive (less than 50 ? - $60).

I have no idea what to choose, I used to have a Gravis Blackhawk back
in '97 and I loved it but it's only for old ADB Macs and even with an
adapter it'll only be recognized as a HID mouse. I thought I would have
liked to have a Gravis joystick but it seems that they ain't makin none
anymore.

So any ideas on what could be good?

In case it matters i'd use it mostly for such things as flight
simulators (mostly X-Plane and flight parts of BF1942) and arcade games
(mostly MAME)

 

[CFran]

If you want one that lasts (and I've used many) buy a Playstation to USB
converter and a "real" Playstation Controller. All 12 buttons and both axis
work, force feedback etc. just like any other. Difference is those suckers
will take punishment like no other I've found to date.

Interesting, althought I'm rather looking for a real joystick. Are
those PS gamepads well recognized by windows and games?

 

[Jimmy S.]

Hi CFran,

Since you play both Flight Sims as well as MAME you would probably
enjoy the ThrustMaster Afterburner USB Joystick with detachabel throttle.

--
Cheers, * Windows XP MVP Shell / User*
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Visit my MSN Zone.com and Gaming Help Site: http://mvps.org/nibblesnbits
MS Games Help and Support Center: http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=gms
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________

CFran Wrote:
=================
| pjp wrote:
|| If you want one that lasts (and I've used many) buy a Playstation to USB
|| converter and a "real" Playstation Controller. All 12 buttons and both axis
|| work, force feedback etc. just like any other. Difference is those suckers
|| will take punishment like no other I've found to date.
|
| Interesting, althought I'm rather looking for a real joystick. Are
| those PS gamepads well recognized by windows and games?

 

[CFran]

Hi CFran,

Since you play both Flight Sims as well as MAME you would probably
enjoy the ThrustMaster Afterburner USB Joystick with detachabel throttle.

umm.. you just said the same thing twice..

 

[Jimmy S.]

Hi CFran,

Thanks for the acknowledgement.

Jimmy.

CFran Wrote:
=================
| Jimmy S. wrote:
|| Hi CFran,
||
|| Since you play both Flight Sims as well as MAME you would probably
|| enjoy the ThrustMaster Afterburner USB Joystick with detachabel throttle.
|
| umm.. you just said the same thing twice..

 

[pjp]

In function, it works equally as smoothly as my Logitech Rumblepads and my
three different models of Logitech wheels as well as various MS and Act-Labs
etc. products I've tried. It acts exactly as if it was designed for the pc
in the first place. The model I have is for one joystick only, "box" plugs
into USB, joystick into "box". Standard driver install, shows in CP applet
etc. just like every other one. In fact, I personally didn't even know PS
controllers had two buttons on the joysticks themselves when pressed down
until I saw the CP applet saying 12 and I could only count 10 D-Pad
works, ff effects control etc. I've got it installed on both a 98SE box and
an XP Pro box and it functions identically under either, recognized just
like any other etc. etc.

I've used it in Mame a fair amount, in a PS1 and N64 emu a lot more. In fact
it's my "preferred" joystick device for all "arcade" type games as like I
said "it'll take punishment like no others I've tried, buttons don't start
sticking, axis wearing out or drifting etc. etc". I use my Rumblepad(s) for
flying as I like the sliding throttle control the PS1 controllers don't have
and that's about all I use them for anymore. Racing of course isn't racing
without a wheel .

 

[CFran]

In function, it works equally as smoothly as my Logitech Rumblepads and my
three different models of Logitech wheels as well as various MS and Act-Labs
etc. products I've tried. It acts exactly as if it was designed for the pc
in the first place. The model I have is for one joystick only, "box" plugs
into USB, joystick into "box". Standard driver install, shows in CP applet
etc. just like every other one. In fact, I personally didn't even know PS
controllers had two buttons on the joysticks themselves when pressed down
until I saw the CP applet saying 12 and I could only count 10 D-Pad
works, ff effects control etc. I've got it installed on both a 98SE box and
an XP Pro box and it functions identically under either, recognized just
like any other etc. etc.

I've used it in Mame a fair amount, in a PS1 and N64 emu a lot more. In fact
it's my "preferred" joystick device for all "arcade" type games as like I
said "it'll take punishment like no others I've tried, buttons don't start
sticking, axis wearing out or drifting etc. etc". I use my Rumblepad(s) for
flying as I like the sliding throttle control the PS1 controllers don't have
and that's about all I use them for anymore. Racing of course isn't racing
without a wheel .

Interesting post. You got me considering taking one of these, or maybe
a Rumblepad instead of a normal joystick. You know flying is the main
reason why I'm looking for one so I might rather take one with a
throttle control. I never tried flying with one of those anyways, is it
all good? Can you do such things as shooting as precisely from a plane
with one of these as you can with a regular joystick?

 

[CFran]

In function, it works equally as smoothly as my Logitech Rumblepads and my
three different models of Logitech wheels as well as various MS and Act-Labs
etc. products I've tried. It acts exactly as if it was designed for the pc
in the first place. The model I have is for one joystick only, "box" plugs
into USB, joystick into "box". Standard driver install, shows in CP applet
etc. just like every other one. In fact, I personally didn't even know PS
controllers had two buttons on the joysticks themselves when pressed down
until I saw the CP applet saying 12 and I could only count 10 D-Pad
works, ff effects control etc. I've got it installed on both a 98SE box and
an XP Pro box and it functions identically under either, recognized just
like any other etc. etc.

I've used it in Mame a fair amount, in a PS1 and N64 emu a lot more. In fact
it's my "preferred" joystick device for all "arcade" type games as like I
said "it'll take punishment like no others I've tried, buttons don't start
sticking, axis wearing out or drifting etc. etc". I use my Rumblepad(s) for
flying as I like the sliding throttle control the PS1 controllers don't have
and that's about all I use them for anymore. Racing of course isn't racing
without a wheel .

PS : If I buy a Rumblepad it'll be a Rumblepad 2, looks better than 1