Hardware: Joystick compatibility
There is a bewildering array of joystick and gamepads out there that are intended for the Amiga or Amiga compatible. In a future post, I will talk about a few new options I’ve used but I wanted to take a moment to discuss some of the other retro-kit you can come across and whether it is amiga usable.
As you probably know, the Amiga uses the same 9 pin connector as many other home computers and consoles, notably the Commodore 64 computer and Atari 2600 console. This means that there is a vast amount of stuff out there that you can put into use.
When looking for old joystick, do note that most were made for, and targeted to, C64 and Atari owners. As such, even if the joystick has 2 or more physical buttons, they are usually wired the same way (so every button acts the same). As a result, many Amiga games only use 1 button (since that was the most common setup) which has led a lot of users to conclude it only supports a single button. However, the Amiga supports a 2 button joystick or pad and there were a decent number of games that did support it. If you see a menu option for “gamepad” mode, this usually refers to using a second button for example. Many WHDLoad installs have also added second button functionality, typically jumping in platform games.
When buying old joystick on ebay (or similar) it is hard to tell how they are wired. Usually you just have to try your luck and see what you get. Many modern joystick are wired for Amiga use (or can be ordered that way) so just look around a bit. Do note that when searching on places like ebay, you may want to also look for “Commodore joystick” and “Atari joystick” instead of just “Amiga”.There are tons of Atari stuff readily available online.
Of course buying 30+ year old joystick is a gamble. They were often not well made to begin with and rarely treated very kindly. Try to find stuff from actual enthusiasts or “new old stock” if you can.
A better option may be to pay for a modern joystick. Retro computing and console gaming is well supported with tons of hardware and if you don’t mind spending a few bucks extra, you can get great arcade style joystick.
A number of non-Atari consoles used the same connector, notably the Sega Master System and the Megadrive / Genesis. Master System pads are not especially great in my opinion but they will work just fine on an Amiga. Megadrive controllers have been the cause of some controversy over the years. They are not wired identically to a “proper” Amiga joystick and depending on what resources you read you can find people saying they are dangerous to use and people who say they are fine. There are schematics you find online to make them completely compatible, if you are handy with soldering iron.
As best as I can tell, they are probably safe in the majority of situations and I have used them in the past with no problems. However, I don’t really like to run risks with my equipment so I don’t use Megadrive stuff any longer.
Honorable mention goes to the CD32 controller. This has 4 buttons and 2 shoulder buttons similar to a Super Nintendo controller. It is also widely regarded as a dreadful gamepad, but there are aftermarket controllers that emulate it and a number of WHDLoad installs now include options for CD32 pads so it is worth considering. Original CD32 pads are safe to use in the Amiga but will only work as 2 button inputs unless a game is specifically programmed to take advantage. The Competition Pro CD32 controller, nicknamed the Honeybee, is one of the best gamepads you can get for your Amiga, but they are quite rare and fetch large sums. A decade ago, I paid 50 dollars for a defective model. The prices have only gone up since then.
I hope this helps guide you a bit in terms of what equipment to use, what is safe to use and what to look for.
