STICK FOR TOUGH GUYS

Arcade freaks who wear out joysticks at a rate of knots and are looking for a cheap replacement should look at the new Gunshot from Vulcan. Unlike most low cost joysticks, such as the Quickshot, it uses leaf spring switches and so should last a little longer.

It has the standard features of two fire buttons, one on the stick and the other on the base, rubber suckers to hold it on the table and a moulded grip.

The feel of a joystick is a matter of personal taste. You have to move the Gunshot stick a long way before it registers and some might prefer a more delicate touch.

With the joystick Vulcan is marketing a Kempston compatible interface, priced £11.50. The Gunshot, priced £8.95, is available from high street stores.

The Gunshot looks like yet another variation on Spectravideo's Quickshot range. It has the same design style, with one fire button positioned on the base, and another on the shaft. Here, though, the latter sits on top of the handle. Although it offers an effective autofire option, the stick feels a little top-heavy and the rubber feet aren't any real use.

Performance on Uridium:

The autofire option really comes into its own in the game! it will produce a continual stream of fire while you deal with the tricky aspect of steering. Unfortunately, the stick doesn't really have the necessary accuracy to avoid all the meteor shields.

Performance on Winter Games:

The grip is very comfortable, especially when working your way through the tough Biathlon event. The firing wasn't particularly sensitive. It has smooth movement, though, making the long-distance events such as speed-skating quite easy. I'm not ease how much it would stand, before the switches became bent away from their contacts.

MAKER: Vulcan Electronics, 200 Brent Street, Hendon, London.
PRICE: £8.95

Pretty much a standard looking joystick, with four suckered feet for firm anchoring to the table for all those important moments.

It has two fire buttons, one on top of the stalk and the other on the base. It also has autofire option if you really want your enemies to bite on a stream of bullets.

The stalk is smooth, so if your hands tend to become a little sticky then there's a chance it could slip.

Overall, the joystick performs well and has the mark of durability about it.

GIVING IT SOME STICK

A good joystick is key to success in many shoot-'em-up type games. Anthony Thompson reviews some top models from Vulcan.

Joysticks are the first line of defence in the game-players' battle to outwit the computer. The joystick used can seriously affect the way the game is played and many joysticks are available for various types of game. For quick action shoot-em-up games, a large robust stick with a conveniently-placed firing button is a good choice. For arcade games requiring a softer touch, a microswitch joystick which has greater sensitivity should be considered.

AUTO GUNSHOTS

Vulcan manufactures the popular Gunshot 1 and 2 joysticks. They feature sturdy designs with four suction cups attached to the base, permitting you to fix the stick on a firm base for one-handed control. Unless you have sufficient room on your table or desk to accommodate both keyboard and this space-consuming peripheral, however, it is scarcely a feature worth buying.

Both joysticks have two firing buttons, one on the left-hand side of the base and the other on top of the pistol grip. Both buttons have a slight tendency to stick as they are pressed, which could slow you in games which demand rapid bursts of gunfire. The second fire button is designed to allow the joystick to be held in the hand if no space is available to mount it. When it is used in that way the four suction cups make it slightly uncomfortable.

The Gunshot 2 model is identical to the Gunshot 1 but it has the additional feature of an auto-fire button. That can be useful in some games where you have to shoot aliens while flying round obstacles but it can be a real disadvantage. Most games allow bullets to be fired only at set intervals and that is the rate dispersed in the auto-fire mode. If you miss a shot through concentrating on your movement, you may lose a life waiting to fire again. The Gunshot 1 costs £7.95 and the Gunshot 2 with auto-fire £9.95.

From Vulcan Electronics comes a sturdy pistol grip style joystick. Joysticks tend to be a matter of personal preference but if you like this type which essentially needs a fair bit of wrist action then you could do worse than look at this one.

It has a nice solid feel, even though it appears to be made of ABS plastic, and movement is firm and positive. There are two fire buttons, one on the base and one on the top of the pistol grip stick. These fire quickly and with a definite "click" which I liked. A set of rubber suction caps are fitted to the base, so it can be stuck to a table or desk for added control.

I tried it with a selection of games and found it made a noticeable improvement in my playing, on Moon Cresta my score went from four figures to five on the first play and I even beat the built in high score! I found that after about an hour playing (don't we suffer in our efforts to review for you!) that my wrist and thumb ached, but I suppose with constant use this would cease to be a problem, anyway there is an auto fire feature on the next model up in the range.

Priced at £8.95 it is one of the best of its type, but I wouldn't like to play Decathlon with it (or any other joystick for that matter).

[ZXSR NOTE: The overall scores are an average of the marks given individually by the three reviewers over the three games tested (Daley Thompson's Supertest, Wanted: Monty Mole and The Way of The Exploding Fist). The actual reviewer scores are included in the review text.]

IT'S A STICK UP!

Are you still scraping by using a keyboard on the latest arcade games - and scraping the skin off the ends of your fingers into the bargain? What you need's a 'stick to bring the joy back to your gamesplaying. To help you choose the right one for the job, we asked three YS readers to take a grip of themselves and review the top ten. Peter Shaw joined them and came in for some stick!

How d'you go about choosing a joystick? We're all guilty of believing that a joystick is a joystick is a joystick - so why not plump for the cheapest. After all, they all work in the same way, don't they? No, they jolly well don't. Even leaving aside an obvious novelty like the Suncom Joysensor, you'll find that each 'stick has its own feel, almost its own personality. (What is yours called? Ed). There are big 'uns and little 'uns, some with flexible shafts, others stiff. You'll come across some real neat ones and some that are just plain ugly.

And, to make things even more complicated, you'll soon suss out that a joystick that hits the heights on one game is of no earthly use on another. In an ideal world, you'd have a different joystick for every game in your collection - but then in an ideal world we'd be picking pound notes off the pavement! So, if you play more than one game, you're now faced with a very tricky bit of decision making. Do you pick a joystick that'll allow you to excel on your fave rave but only lets you plod along with pedestrian scores on the rest - or do you choose an all-rounder that'll give you better than average scores on a variety of games? But then you'll have to resign yourself to the fact that you may never receive the ultimate accolade of being chosen as one of Hex's Heroes.

Of course, for most of us, our minds are made up by the weight of our wallets. (What's a wallet? Ed). But whichever way you want to choose a joystick, you'll find all the information you need in our comprehensive review of the top ten. Each 'stick; has been thoroughly put through its paces by three great games players who've been hand picked from Hex's Heroes. And then they did the rough stuff on three very different types of game - a platform, Monty On The Run, a hand-to-hand combat, Way Of The Exploding Fist and a joystick waggler, Daley Thompson's Supertest.

So, if you're in the market for a new 'stick, turn the page and get stuck into the full reviews from our team of joyriders.

HIT & MISS STICKS

DALEY THOMPSON'S SUPERTEST - OCEAN

This is the ultimate game that'll push any joystick to its limits. If a 'stick can cope with a day's pounding from DT then you can be sure it's tough. And it's not just the shaft - The fire buttons need to be good too - easily accessible and very responsive for that last minute press before taking a penalty or diving from the spring board.

Quickshot II

Martin: I like the reactions with this one an' it's got some of the best positioned fire buttons of all the sticks.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: I don't think this joystick wanted to co-operate and building up speed was tricky.
On The Stickometer: 2/10
MISS

Noel: The length of the shaft tires your arm out too quickly with all that waggling. Not keen on this one at all.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Gunshot 1

Martin: Quite a good design but not as good as most joysticks. I don't think the omission of rapid fire matters.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
HIT

Darren: Not exactly a special joystick - very standard 8-directional. Still I did get some good scores with it.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

Noel: Looks too much like the Quickshot for my liking, and I don't reckon it'll take the strain of Supertest
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Formula 1

Martin: A good joystick with a good reaction time. The fire buttons are also well positioned. Where can I find fault?
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Darren: It's a good joystick - what else can I say? The colour's a bit garish but that doesn't bother me.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: Oh dear, this one's deafening me! The reaction's
OK, but the size of the shaft made my arm ache.
On The Stickometer: /810
HIT

Formula II

Martin: Wonderful design job and a really good response to back it up. This has it all apart for big buttons.
On The Stickometer: 8/
HIT10

Darren: Great stick. Well designed, good response and above all, the fire buttons are in the right place!
On The Stickometer: 9/10

Noel: This one's too flimsy. I prefer a good stiff stem, and this joystick definitely hasn't got what it takes.
On The Stickometer: 3/10
MISS

Kraft

Martin: Don't think much of this one. The design's too fragile and it just ain't good with Supertest.
On The Stickometer: 3/10
MISS

Darren: I reckon it's good. I prefer the small 'sticks as long as the control's still in there.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: This joystick is just right for Supertest. A short shaft means less work for me and it's tough enough.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Micro Stick

Martin: Not much cop for this sort of game. The rotation of the shaft makes it pretty awkward to use.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Darren: Don't really like this one - the fire button is much too stiff to be of any use in this game.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
MISS

Noel: Well it's very nice but it tires your arm out after only a few waggles of the shaft.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

The Champion

Martin: It's got nice fire buttons and a good reaction but it doesn't seem to work with Supertest too well.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Darren: Well it's easy to grip and easy to fire. I quite like the stylish design too.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

Noel: It's got very quick reactions and an excellent grip. I'll go for this one any day.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Le Stick

Martin: Oh it's so easy to win on Supertest - you only have to shake the joystick vigorously!
On The Stickometer: 10/10
HIT

Darren: Excellent joystick to use with Supertest - I've got my best score ever on nearly all the games.
On The Stickometer: 10/10
HIT

Noel: Ideal for this game, you only need to wiggle the joystick - it's that simple!
On The Stickometer: 10/10
HIT

Command Control

Martin: Well it's a good joystick and it's got a decent sized base to grab hold of. Bigger is better, eh?
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: I don't think the vigorous action of Supertest is going to do this one any favours!
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Noel: Brilliant joystick to use with Supertest - very sturdy and reactions are fast.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Suncom Joysensor

Martin: Ugh. It's terrible. Too much like using a ZX81 keyboard. There's no real control at all.
On The Stickometer: 1/10
MISS

Darren: It's really useless for this game - how can you do left/right quickly on a membrane?
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

Noel: It reacted well but took the skin off the end of me finger while rubbing.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

MONTY ON THE RUN - GREMLIN GRAPHICS

For a platform game like this, a joystick's gonna need pinpoint accuracy so you can get as close to the edge as possible. And as you'll expect to spend a fair dew hours meeting Monty's goal, you don;t want a grip that'll leave you with sweaty palms and a slippery shaft. And the button had better be big so a thumb can easily be dumped on it for those long jumps.

Quickshot II

Martin: This joystick definitely works well with platform games. It's nice and accurate with a well-designed shaft.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Darren: This is the one I've got at home, and I'm used to the action but that's not to say it's the best there is.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: OK, so it's not bad at coping with platform games, but I still reckon that the shaft is too flimsy.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Gunshot 1

Martin: Quite a good joystick to use on the old platforms - everything seems easy to control.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: It's got an average response and all-in-all it's a pretty average joystick. Nothing to write home about.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: Stem seems to spindly and the grip gets as sweaty as Bumpry's armpit. Not for me this one.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Formula 1

Martin: Very easy to get used to. I like the design and its accuracy overwhelmed me. I'll take one!
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: Nice shaft though it could be longer and the reaction is OK. The overall effect is good.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
HIT

Noel: This one went very well with Monty. Its reaction is very fast - not bad at all.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

Formula II

Martin:Very good. The fire buttons react very well. Overall, perfect for this kind of game.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Darren: It's very similar to the Gunshot. I like it, the design's very hi-tech and the reaction's fast.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: It's still too flimsy for my liking but it works well with Monty though.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Kraft

Martin: I don't rate this joystick at all. the response is OK but I find it too fragile for the game.
On The Stickometer: 2/10
MISS

Darren: It's a good joystick. I like this design more than most and the shaft's very comfortable.
On The Stickometer: 10/10
HIT

Noel: Oh, it's horrible - Monty, just doesn't work with it. I'd get more response from a garden gnome.
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

Micro Stick

Martin: It's too stiffm very slow and unresponsive. But the design is quite good so I'll be gentle.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Darren: Better in this game, possibly because everything doesn't go so fast. Still not impressed.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
MISS

Noel: It's quite good. It's got fast action and a good grip design. I like it even if they don't.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

The Champion

Martin: It's very pretty but I don't think much of the overall effect. The controls seem a bit dodgy.
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

Darren: It's a smooth joystick, but I don't reckon it works to well with this game.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Noel: It's the best desiigned joystick of the pack and to top that the reaction speed is fast too.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Le Stick

Martin: It's a lot of hard work stopping Monty running into things when you haven't got a leg to stand on.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Darren: It's much too awkward to use in this game - you really can't control what's happening.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Noel: Ooops - no good for Monty as he keeps running off the end of all the platforms.
On The Stickometer: 3/10
MISS

Command Control

Martin: Directional control on this joystick is quite good. Unfortunately the top button lets it down.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
HIT

Darren: The shaft's the right size, it's the right shape and offers good control. Just right for platforms.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: Well apart from getting a little too sweaty in my paw, this one works really well.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Suncom Joysensor

Martin: Even worse than with Supertest. The movement control is absolutely tosh. Double ugh!
On The Stickometer: 1/10
MISS

Darren: It's not quite right for platforms somehow, but it was great fun trying!
On The Stickometer: 6/10
HIT

Noel: It's useless with platforms as you can't change direction accurately enough.
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

WAY OF THE EXPLODING FIST - MELBOURNE HOUSE

If you're ready to face the karate challenge, your joystick will need the combined powers of both shaft and button. If the shaft won't react quickly enough, or its directional flexibility is dodgy, then a joystick can be considered worthless with a game like this. Plus you'll need a fire button that's easily accessible and very responsive - or it's the chop for you, matey!

Quickshot II

Martin: Hmmm, it;s realy easy to use with Fist, The reaction is good and the buttons are just right.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: Can't say I like this combination. Maybe it's me but it sure seems a bit unresponsive.
On The Stickometer: 3.5/10
MISS

Noel: It's got a well designed grip and fire button positioning, but the movement feels too limp and flimsy.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Gunshot 1

Martin: Nothing special, but the reactions are fast enough to keep up with Fist and fire buttons are OK.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Darren: Well I like it. I found it very co-operative an' I'd be quite happy having one on my Speccy. So there!
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: The shaft's too spindly and I reckon it'll break if you sneeze on it. Please take it away!
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Formula 1

Martin: Not so good for use with Fist. The size of the shaft seems a disadvantage. Fire buttons are nice though.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Darren: I think it gives you a lot of control. The fire buttons are in exactly the right position and they're BIG!
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: Reacts quite well and the size of the fire buttons are a big plus in this joystick's favour.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Formula II

Martin: This one seems made for Fist, the reaction time is good - control is easy and the fire buttons are fab.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Darren: It's great. The case design is very smart and the reaction time is good too - I'm tempted to get one.
On The Stickometer: 10/10
HIT

Noel: It's really too flimsy. I know I keep going on about it but I rather hold a piece of raw liver than this joystick.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
MISS

Kraft

Martin: Reactions are quick enough but the shaft's too small. You won't find me buying one.
On The Stickometer: 3/10
MISS

Darren: Pretty good - it responds well with this game. I like the four-way, eight-way feature.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: Shock, horror - it reacts quite well with Fist. You wouldn't think it was the same joystick.
On The Stickometer: 6/10
HIT

Micro Stick

Martin: Don't like it a great deal, it's a bit too stiff. You get massacred using this one for Fist.
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

Darren: Oh dear... maybe the fire button has actually packed up. Not a good mark in my book.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
MISS

Noel: Quite a good joystick (The fire button must still have been working! Ed). Good response.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

The Champion

Martin: It''s a pretty design but being left handed I find it quite awkward to use.
On The Stickometer: 5/10
HIT

Darren: Another one of the joysticks has packed up on me this time the directional controls are up the spout!
On The Stickometer: 3/10
MISS

Noel: It's got quite good reactions and responsive diagonal controls. Good joystick.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Le Stick

Martin: Terrible! Very hard to judge where it is and diagonals are nigh-on impossible to achieve.
On The Stickometer: 2/10
MISS

Darren: I think it's quite good but if you get too excited then you might lose track of where you are.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: Very slow reacting - I reckon it's a miss for Fist. (More, Adrian Mole poetry huh? Ed.)
On The Stickometer: 4/10
MISS

Command Control

Martin: A good stick with an easy-to-handle shaft but the choice of etierh top or bottom fire button is naff.
On The Stickometer: 7/10
HIT

Darren: The buttons are good although I'd have preferred to use both. Works well with Fist though.
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Noel: You can really kick the proverbial out of the other player with this stick. Very responsive!
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

Suncom Joysensor

Martin: It's not really very practical. As joysticks go, this one's more of a novelty than anything.
On The Stickometer: 2/10
MISS

Darren: Seems to work better with Fist than with any of the other games. Quite a good sore with this one.
On The Stickometer: 8/10
HIT

Noel: Reacts really well. I've just beaten my all-time high score. I might even buy one!
On The Stickometer: 9/10
HIT

GUNLAW - THE GREATEST GUNSHOT IN THE WEST

VULCAN, who have been distributing amongst other things the SPECTRA VIDEO QUICKSHOT 1 and QUICKSHOT 2, have now released the GUNSHOT joystick, which seems to be a synthesis between the two QUICKSHOTS. The marked difference lies in the cream and grey colour of the unit, which is either to distinguish it from the other two offerings or to give it a MSX or Commodore family resemblance. Eenie, meenie, minie mo, which one to choose from?

CONSTRUCTION

GUNSHOT seems at first to come out of the same moulds as the QUICKSHOT 1, but there are quite a few differences. On the inside can be found the usual star contact arrangement which is activated by the plastic actuator ring integral to the plastic shaft. A marked difference lies in the fact that the ring is not made to flex as usual with this type of design, so a more solid feel should be noted on actuation. The plastic shaft is suspended by a spherical support in the top moulding and by a stiff spring protruding from the lever shaft which acts as a flexible bearing shaft, all very similar to the QUICKSHOT 2. The common star makes contact with four nickel-plated screwheads, which are mounted on turrets and hold the solder tags fitted to the wire ends of the cable. The lever handle incorporates a moulded grip and looks like an inverted QUICKSHOT 1 lever. A round thumb-activated fire button is positioned in such a way that the palm of the hand comes to rest on the joystick enclosure, stabilising the joystick for one-hand operation. A further round fire button is available at 10 o'clock in the main body of the unit and is for right-handers only. Both fire buttons actuate dome switches mounted on small pcb's. The body-mounted fire button pcb has provision for an AUTOFIRE option, but the review model (CL-123)did not have this feature and the switch opening is covered by the manufacturer's label. The cable is the usual unit incorporating an integrally molded D connector (ATARI-compatible pinout) and retaining grommet. Four large suction cups provide stability for one hand operation (provided there are no crumbs on the table!).

IN ACTION

The stick action is what one has come to expect with this type of construction. There is a fairly short and loose travel with poor centering action, but this allows on the other hand for pretty fast 'edging' on some games. With the combination of short throw and poor centering it is quite easy to do diagonal moves by mistake. The GUNSHOT isn't ideal for handheld use due to its great width but it comes into its own when 'suctioned to the table. The unit is solidly constructed and withstands the usual vandalism when playing DECATHLON type games.

CONCLUSION

GUNSHOT fits into the lowest price category of joysticks and feels like an improved and certainly more rugged version of the QUICKSHOT 1 joystick. It does not have the trigger fire action of the QUICKSHOT 2 and obviously does not include the AUTOFIRE facility as standard.

The familiarity of the design is apparent and given the kind of technique used the quality of action is pretty much the same compared to its competition. At £7.95 this is obviously a good first buy.

ONE JOYSTICK'S THE SAME AS ANOTHER ISN'T IT? NO. WHY? BECAUSE GRAHAM TAYLOR SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT IS!

Well you just yank it don' you, I mean sometimes you stab it wiv your fumb as well but das about it reely. Is there such a thing as a cool joystick? What particular piece of plastic will most perfectly set off your Georgio Armani lime green California casuals. If Crockett and Tubbs bust aliens instead of cars what would be the piece of plastic for them?

When it comes to joysticks there are as many opinions as there are frazzled aliens. Ain't nobody gonna be damn fool enough to pretend that it's possible to do some sort of definitive/objective analysis. So what we have here is a mixture of fact and faction. Actually reading between the lines will probably reveal some deep-seated and dodgy details about the reviewer.

THE RATING SYSTEM

KILL FACTOR: A general purpose term implying how responsive the joystick is to your slightest movement. Responsive equals alien deaths.

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS: Can the thing take the strain? Is it going to fall apart in five minutes if the going gets rough?

LOOKS CAM KILL: Is it stylish? Is it easy to grip? If it were a car would it be Ferrari Daytona or a dumper truck? This section is almost totally biased.

OVERALL COOL: The lot totalled up, fiddled with, adjusted and generally mutated to give a definitive overall impression of the total joystick concept.

GUN SHOT 2

Two fire buttons, standard joystick with sucker feet and a fire button option. Lever style.

KILL FACTOR
Good response times surprisingly and an autofire that lets out a never-ending stream of bullets (photon torpedoes or whatever).

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS
Yeah well, its leaf-switched innit, which is not too great. On the other hand it's rigidly constructed, so I'd give it medium durability points.

LOOKS CAN KILL
Black and red, dull and boring. Smooth handgrip makes your hand slip, no bonus points here.

OVERALL COOL
Responsive, quite strong. Boring to look at and the grip is naff.

PRICE: £8.95