AIMING TO SPEED THE RESPONSE

Stephen Adams looks at the wide range of joysticks that are now the market.

Joysticks are a favourite weapon against space invaders, pirates and in other fighting games. They are also very useful for flight simulation, maze games like Mazog for the ZX-81 or Escape for the Spectrum. That is because they speed the response to the games by up to 300 percent and if the games have been written to obey joysticks, the response to the keyboard has probably made the game run more slowly.

Most work on one of two principles, the commonest being the switched type like the Atari joystick. The other is the proportional joystick, which instead of just indicating the direction of the joystick also sends back a report on its exact position. It does so by giving an X/Y value for the position of the stick in the vertical and horizontal directions. You can write software for those joysticks but no commercial software uses them.

The Atari joystick set a standard by being the first to be used on a video game and since then the style has changed but the connections to the game have not. The Atari joystick has a 9-pin "D" type socket on the end of it which has five pins at the top and four pins at the bottom. They are numbered from one to nine, starting at the top right-hand side - looking at the plug - and only pins 1-4, 6 and 8 are connected. Those pins are connected to five switches in the joystick, one side of the switch being connected to a numbered socket, and the other being connected to a common point, which is connected to pin on the socket.

Operating the joystick in any of the four directions makes that switch operate, connecting the common pin to the socket pin of that switch. The fifth switch is the fire button. Thus only one switch can be operated at a time, plus the fire button. That kind of switch cannot be used directly in place of the keyboard switches, as all the switches are connected together. Therefore an interface has to be used to connect the joystick to the Spectrum without damaging it.

The interfaces are of various kinds but a standard seems to have been set by Kempston, which contacted software companies before it launched its joystick to pursuade them that there should be a standard way of using a joystick on a Spectrum.

That standard way of working has now been written into some of the software by mos of the big companies as an alternative to using the Sinclair keyboard.

The software is easier to write if you have only one address to look at or to control. It is also not difficult in machine code to take one byte from an address and check that a switch has operated. It is much easier than scanning the entire keyboard for several different keys.

The address the Kempstori uses is very simple; it requires only bit A6 to be low using anIN instruction to operate the chip. Address 31 is used to read the value of the joystick. The joystick switches each operate one bit of the binary data returned from the port and as the Kempston Competition Pro joystick allows you to operate two switches directly instead of one - allowing you to go in diagonal directions as well - it is very useful. Only five of the bits are thus used and all the rest are set to 0. If one of the joystick switches is operated, that bit changes to a binary 1 and the number returned will be greater than zero.

The AGF Interface II allows you to simulate a set of keys on the keyboard but they are fixed to the cursor keys and use 0 for the fire button. It also allows you to use other devices on the back of the joystick and is available in ZX-81 and Spectrum versions.

Unlike the Kempston joystick, which works on both the ZX-81 and Spectrum with the appropriate software, keyboard interfaces for the Spectrum cannot be transferred to the ZX-81 as not only is the edge connector too big - 28 ways instead of the 23 of the ZX-81 - but the expansion port has different connections.

The Protek is also a cursor-type interface but like most of the interfaces reviewed has no PCB edge to which to connect anything else like a sound board.

The Jiles Electronics interface is a three-way, bare-board device which can he made to look like that from Kempston, a cursor-controlled joystick, or to work Psion programs. The selection is via two little pegs and is probably the cheapest solution to fitting joysticks, at £13.95.

The Sinclair joystick port in Interface Two operates either the first five or the last five of the number keys. The only software which works with the system is that from Sinclair or Psion.

Soundboards like the Fuller Box and the ZXM from Timedata also have joystick interfaces but use different addresses for them.

Programmable joystick interfaces have also begun to appear for the Spectrum which allow you to program the positions of the joystick to operate different keys on the keyboard. That allows you to operate it with any software, whether it be designed for the joystick or not.

The simplest to understand is the Pickard controller, a plastic box on which there are 40 sockets, one for each key on the keyboard. Five jack plugs, the same type as the cassette leads, are used to program the five positions of the joystick by plugging them into the appropriate sockets for the game.

At no time is the keyboard disabled. The connection to the joystick is via an Atari socket on the side and the connection to the computer is made by plugging-in plugs to the keyboard sockets inside the case. The power is obtained by plugging the power supply into the unit and then a flying lead is plugged into the computer power socket. It is a very simple and inexpensive way of doing the job and will work for the ZX81 or Spectrum.

The AGF version also programs it manually by using a set of crocodile clips, one for each data line and one for each address line. It now seems a complicated way of doing things, as it is not as easy to understand as the Pickard, but it does not involve entering the computer. A set of cards is provided to mark the positions of the clips for each game, which seems to prove the point. The unit also tends to be unstable and programming it during a game can crash the system.

Cambridge Computing and Stone- chip have employed a different method to program the joystick. They have used 1K of RAM to store the positions of the keys where the joystick should operate. In the Stonechip design you can even have the diagonals operating different keys, giving nine positions.

The Stonechip is also the easiest to operate and has the advantage over the Cambridge in that it will also operate the Microdrive interface, Interface One. To use it all you have to do is push a three-position switch to PROGRAM on the front of the unit and, while holding down the key for that position, operate the joystick. A quick flick is all that is required for each position of the joystick. Then move the switch to NORMAL and LOAD the game.

To use the joystick just switch it to PLAY and the game will respond to the joystick. The review model also disabled the keyboard when in use but the company says a small modification will be done to all the current units to prevent that and will be informing all customers so far as to when to return units for free modification.

The Cambridge unit requires you to LOAD a tape first, which takes you through a menu to program the joystick. If you touch the joystick while LOADing the program, it crashes. It also appears to crash after programming the joystick completely as it NEWs itself to be ready for the next program and that is not mentioned in the instructions - but the joystick still works.

The joystick settings can also be viewed and recorded on tape. The menu program still has to be LOADed first. It has also a rear edge connector so that other things can be plugged-in. The interface is intended to work with the joystick which accompanies it but can still be purchased separately if you want to use an Atari joystick.

The advantage of using your own is that you not only have an eight-position joystick but two independent fire buttons for games at a cheaper price than Atari. Cambridge says it will change software when it can obtain a Microdrive on which to test it.

Electrotech also uses the same system to program its joystick but its interface board is uncased and will work only with its joystick console. The console contains a four-position joystick and three large 1in. fire buttons and looks as if it should belong in an arcade game. It is very robust but costs at least half as much again as the other two.

Joysticks tend to be personal things, so I asked a few friends at a computer club and my children for their options on the range available. The result is clearly for the Kraft joystick, with Cambridge Computing second with its two fire buttons. The Kempston Competition Pro joystick is a good all-rounder with its eight positions.

The others go to show that an increase in price does not always provide easier control. The Jiles Electronic joystick is probably the least helpful, as its stick becomes more like a flexible toy in use. The Atari shows how much joysticks have developed, as it now seems very stiff and unresponsive compared to the newer types.

TAC stands for totally accurate controller.

The stick's extra responsiveness is due to a set of mini sensors built on to the shaft at the stick itself.

The TAC's construction is amongst the most robust of the sticks we tested.

On maze games, the joystick performed excellently. It also proved to be a good alien stomper.

THE VERDICT

This is my work-a-day stick. The one I reach for first when I sit down to review a game for C&VG. Its no-nonsense design with two large well positioned fire buttons makes the TAC II a joy to use. Available from Sumcom of Manchester at £18.95.

PRICE: £18.95
SUPPLIER: Consumer Electronics

Tac-2 is Suncom's luxury joystick. It's bigger and much more robust than either of the two already discussed. It has a long thin stick with a black knob set in a solid plastic base.

Suncom claim it can withstand two million depressions, and I wouldn't like to argue with that figure. Despite its strength it has a good feel and is very responsive. There's also a choice of two fire-buttons.

THE JOY OF STICKS

We've waggled our way through the joystick jungle to bring you the latest on the firepower of ten top joysticks.

If you're a real games addict you'll know how important a good joystick is. Games have moved on a bit since Pacman and Space Invaders where all you had to do was move left and right and blast the fire button every now and again. Then you could use the same joystick for all the seven games on the market.

Nowadays, however, computer games are much more demanding and varied - shoot 'em ups, beat 'em ups, fly 'em ups, waggle 'em ups, steer 'em ups and even fry 'em ups - they all need differing degrees of precision, manoeuvrability and strength. Which is why you need a damn good joystick for the job - and there are plenty to choose from. So there's no excuse for a bad game player to blame his tools!

But which joystick is best for the games you play? Which joystick do you choose? There are thousands. And you've only got twenty quid.

Well, it just so happens that we've got a run-down on 10 of the most popular sticks on the market - read on to find out which one covers your every need.

THE GAMES

A joystick's performance varies considerably from game to game. The precise movements needed in a martial arts game become redundant in an out and out waggle 'em up. And then, the strength and slackness of one stick might not help in a steering game where full control and manoeuvrability is necessary. So, in order to test the joysticks fully, we chose three different titles to strain those sticks to the limit. Target Renegade tests for precision, Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge for strength and Skate Crazy for manoeuvrability. And to make the contest even harder we asked three hot gamesplayers to give us their opinions on which sticks they preferred.

TARGET RENEGADE

A beefy beat 'em up. All that punching and kicking and butting requires a stick with easy access to diagonals and fire buttons, plus the ability to move slightly and quickly in any direction.

SKATE CRAZY

A loose and bouncy roller skate game, needing a combination of ease-of-movement and well positioned fire buttons for that sudden leap. A stick for this game will also need a strong shaft to resist those frantic circular steering motions.

DALEY THOMPSON'S OLYMPIC CHALLENGE

The meanest, the baddest and the toughest waggle 'em up in existence. The constant waggling environment requires a stick with excellent strength and good speed, coupled with a sturdy desk hold and well contoured grip.

THE JURY

Yes, solemn of face, tough of opinion, stingy of money, and ravenous of hunger, here are the three jury members, unswayable by money (or cheeseburger), ready to deliver their verdicts on the guilty sharp sticks.

STEVEN BREWER

Age: 16
Sex: Male
Dist Features: Inane grin
Computers: Speccy, QL
Fave Rave: Gauntlet
Hobbies: Grinning inanely, being enthusiastic about nothing
Fave Music: U2

MILES TUDOR

Age: 16
Sex: Twice a... (Snip. Ed)
Dist Features: Bloodshot, knackered eyes
Computers: I ain't got one, but if anybody's offerin'?
Fave Rave: Target Renegade
Hobbies: Sheep-spotting, train-spotting, spot-picking
Fave Music: Prince

HOWARD KING

Age: 16
Sex: Male
Dist Features: 'boyish good looks' Spluuter!
Computers: Speccy 48K
Fave Rave: Robin O' the Wood
Hobbies: Boasting about his handicap (gold), kicking the dog 'bout a bit'
Fave Music: Queen

SPECTRAVIDEO QUICKSHOT 2

The Quickshot 2 is the father of most joysticks today, but its age does not show in its design. It has a square base, and a wide, sharply contoured handle as well as three fire buttons and an auto fire switch. It's four suckers stick relentlessly to any surface. The shaft is long and loose, which provides a fairly slowish response. The diagonals are difficult to locate in a hurry and it can't handle double movements (such as flying kicks) too well. It excels waggle-wise and the auto-fire switch is easily flicked on by the wrist. But despite all these faults, it works remarkably well in all games.

Steve: 'Its slackness click irritated the hell out of my moody sister.'

Miles: 'One old timer that's still up there with the new ones.'

Howard: 'Ooh I'm a sucker for the suckers!'

A little slow, a little temperamental, a little noisy - but what do you expect from a four year old joystick? Recommended.

SUNCOM TAC 5

Now here's a very striking joystick - its beige and grey colouring is very chic, good-looking and elegant. The bulky square base sits on four studs and its size makes it unmoveably solid on a desk top even during savage waggling. There are three fire buttons. The stick moves with a very distinctive microswitch click that would annoy your parents and dogs.

Movement is pretty good. The diagonals are excellent and there when you want them, although the stick does twist disconcertingly when you move it. It shines in all four departments but the granulated grip is a little too soft.

Steve: 'I felt in full control when using this one. Great stuff.'

Miles: 'Though it looks very "Habitat" I didn't find it very responsive.'

Howard: 'I sweated so much the red directional marks rubbed off and I thought id cut myself!'

Extremely attractive number with solid build, good diagonals and response. Annoying microswitch click, impotent fire button positioning and rub-off-when-wet paint let it down a little. Recommended.

CHEETAH 125+3

The design of this joystick is very authentic, attractive and similar to the Quickshot 2. The base is robust and granulated for extra grip. It has four fire buttons. The stick, however, looks very plasticy and the seams were bluntly evident.

The wide grip and tight throw allow magnificent handling although its size tends to make delicate or slight movements tricky. It responds quickly and smoothly especially in abrupt direction changes, despite the loud groans the stick emits under stress. Precision is perfect but in waggle-'em-ups, the stiffness of the stick prevents a good fast momentum. And it is simply perfect for games requiring manoeuvrability.

Steve: 'The Cheetah 125+3 is the one for me - it's a beauty to handle!'

Miles: 'I found this stick particularly useful in Skate Crazy which requires a lot of direction changes.'

Howard: 'If only it would waggle better!'

Outstanding all round joystick, authentically designed, furiously responsive, unbeatable steering but disappointing waggle-ratio. Recommended.

POWERPLAY CRUISER

The Cruiser is an instantly appealing and very attractive joystick, with its blue curved base, two-deep set white base buttons, and red standard stick. It rests solidly on four suckers on any desk top, but the curved design also suits the hand.

The feature that really makes this joystick is the variable tension feature that allows you to select one of three degrees of tightness. The fire buttons are very well placed and click responsively. Diagonals are easy to find and direction changes are good.

Adjusting the tension to number two helped in games requiring manoeuvrability, and as for waggling, number three seemed the best. The tightest tension (number one) worked best with Renegade. One of the less muscle-bound reviewers observed that the way you changed the tension (lifting then turning the stick) was quite difficult and a weak and feeble gamesplayer may find it a touch difficult.

Steve: 'I'm a wimp so I found changing the tension awkward - I was so tired I couldn't play the game.'

Miles: 'Not a bad little number for the all round gamesplayer. Worth, the money!'

Howard: 'This is my top stick. It caters for everything and looks neat too!'

Noisy but powerful joystick with unique variable tension option and multi-coloured "spaceship" look. Recommended.

RAM DELTA

The RAM Delia's design is very distinctive, futuristic and angular. The base is shaped like the front of a car while the shaft looks like a gear-stick. It's supported on three suckers placed at each corner, but holds just as well in the palm of your hand. Unfortunately it's shortness restricts precision, especially during hectic Renegade combat.

Response is very polished and light, and the microswitches make the direction changes quick and substantial. While waggling, the small throw (the distance the stick moves in any direction) of the stick creates a good rhythm, but excess exertion leads to a sweaty slippery grip. All directional movements are springy, and the clicks of the switches are quiet and unobtrusive, yet loud enough to indicate when you had forced the joystick far enough.

Steve: 'I liked the design but found handling a little awkward.'

Miles: 'This one is definitely my favourite - I've never gripped such a nice stick!'

Howard: 'Control is superb - and I loved those suckers!'

Superb sculptured joystick, dedicated to those who like looks, body and character in their sticks. Recommended.

EUROMAX PRO-ACE

The Pro-Ace is a sturdy-based joystick with a long slender shaft and two fire buttons. The shaft is good and stiff but feels rather flimsy - as if it might break off at any moment. The lack of suckers and a firm base make it rock drunkenly on the desk during any frantic action.

The fire buttons, however, are well placed and responsive. The throw is microscopic and renders waggling virtually useless. Described as emphatically pedestrian (What?? Ed) the Pro-ace steers quite well considering the limited throw, but the diagonals have to be forced and the shaft is too long for the field of Renegade movement.

Steve: 'Not bad, not bad! I've used a better tool though!'

Miles: 'Nice looking stick this - and it handles well too!'

Howard: 'Cor this is rather good. I quite like it.'

A stiff and flimsy affair, which rocks on the table and reacts very slowly. Steers well though.

SUNCOM TAC 2

This small, square based joystick is the most solid on a desk top, and is compact, durable and quite rugged. It has two buttons The stick only moves slightly in each direction but triggers first-rate responses. However this light operation is let down by the overly (or underly) short shaft.

The sensitivity is excellent and made both steering and diagonals a piece of cake. After a bout of waggling though, the handle became quite wet and one of the more sensitive reviewers suffered from a sore thumb after a heavy game of Renegade.

Steve: 'This one was in a class of its own in playing Skate Crazy.'

Miles: 'Not as good as the Suncom Tac 2 I'm afraid.'

Howard: 'Tac is an apt name 'cos it's one of the tackiest objects I've seen.'

Sturdy solid joystick, attractively metal-plated, is not so hot precision-wise but practically boiling in the steering field.

KONIX SPEEDKING

This unusually shaped joystick looks a little like a lost jigsaw piece and half a pelvis. It's very well designed for a hand held grip but so does not sit easily on the desk. The stick is a short red affair in arcade-machine stumpy style and is microswitched.

It slides quickly into diagonal position and the small throw allows very fast direction change. But the same smallness restricts steering and makes the joystick feel disconnected in games like Skate Crazy where it only gives a fair degree of control. The smoothness of response is great for Renegade, and perfect waggle rhythm is a cinch to get going. The disparity of the design is difficult to get used to, and a sweaty session of waggling can make the stick very slippery.

Steve: I just couldn't decide how to hold this one.'

Miles: 'It looks quite natty and is a good all round joystick.'

Howard: 'It's a bit small for my tastes.'

Originally and economically designed, the Speedking is perfect for those who don't have a desk to lean on and don't sweat much while waggling.

TERMINATOR

Believe it or not this strange looking object really is a joystick. Shaped like a hand grenade (for the Rambo addicts?) this joystick is aimed more at the novelty and toy market rather than our serious 'executive' gamesplayer. The metallic fire button is the clip on the side, while the small Meccano stick juts out of the top. It sits well in your hand and is lighter than its explosive counterpart.

As a joystick it's pretty useless, a nightmare to use and makes you want to go "aaarrghhh!". The fire button is awkwardly positioned and is easy to press unintentionally. The stumpy stick is awful for precision and all movements have to be shoved into direction, although the diagonals are easy to obtain. Obviously an excellent novelty and gimic but not very useful as a serious tool.

Steve: 'The slippery stick is hideous and waggling is bleuuuch!'

Miles: 'I really couldn't get to grips with this one.'

Howard: 'I reckon you'd get arrested if you walked into a bank carrying this!'

Excellent 'macho' gimic that looks exactly like a grenade with a piece of Meccano stuck in the top. Absolutely rubbish as a joystick though.

VOLTMACE DELTA 3S

The old fashioned prehistoric design makes the Volt mace Delta an instant turn off, but it's not as bad as it looks. Shaped like a door wedge, the Delta has three fire buttons and a small orbiting stick. It's quite awkward to hold and is happier on a desk top. The three red base buttons are too far away and tiny - rather like TV remote control buttons. The stick is also too small and weedy making small turns and movements virtually impossible - to go anywhere you have to exaggerate the movements.

Changes in the direction and precision are easy because of the movable stick and the wide gap for movement, but the diagonals are spindly. Waggle-wise it performs surprisingly well and with the minimum cramp or restriction.

Steve: 'I wish I could say this is a pleasure to use - but it isn't.'

Miles: 'Urrggh! This one looks like a bar of Dairy Milk - shame you can't eat it!'

Howard: 'If you like waggling, you'll like this!'

Prehistoric design is not too attractive but it sits comfortably on your desk despite spindly diagonals and misplaced fire buttons. Comparatively outstanding at waggling.

VERDICT

It was a close thing with each reviewer snuggling up to their favourite sticks, and beating each other about the head with their not so favourite ones. But in the end the Cheetah 125+ scraped into first place, with the RAM Delta and Powerplay Cruiser coming second and third respectively, closely followed by the Konix Speedking and Quickshot 2.

The overall positioning was:

1. CHEETAH 125+
2. RAM Delta
3. POWERPLAY Cruiser
4. KONIX Speedking
5. SPECTRAV1DEO Quickshot 2
6. SUNCOM TAC 5
7. SUNCOM TAC 2
8. VOLTMACE Delta 3s
9. EUROMAX Pro-Ace
10. TERMINATOR

Now for the votes on the best and worst buys. Here's what the reviewers had to say and they mean that most sincerely folks!

STEVEN

BEST - Cheetah 125+ "Magnificent handling... brilliant fire buttons... a real treat."

WORST- Terminator "Aaarghhhhh... awful... my goldfish steers better than this."

MILES

BEST- RAM Delta 'Looked quite sexy... the knob was really nice... good and springy."

WORST- Terminator "Bleuchhh!... Terrible... Looks too much like a hand grenade and 1 didn't know to hold it."

HOWARD

BEST - Powerplay Cruiser 'Fits well in the hand... stands out... good stuff and the stick variable tension - wow!"

WORST - Terminator "Yicckkk!... a nightmare... it's bad, really, really bad."

1st Place
Supplier: Cheetah Marketing Ltd, Norbury House, Norbury Road, Fairwater, Cardiff CF5 3AS (Tel: 0222 555525)
Price: £12.99
Guarantee: 1 year
Features: A C D E F G