Trickstick

Sinclair User

TRICKY STICK TO MASTER The long-awaited Trickstick from East London Robotics has been released. It is a 7in. long black plastic cylinder with six touch-sensitive pads which simulate the four usual joystick movements plus two fire buttons. It is complete with an interface which plugs into the back of the Spectrum. Up to eight can be plugged in at any time and there is an option to give proportional movement on specially-written games. Normally it simulates the Kempston joystick, so there are many games readily available on which it can be used. The touch pads are drawing pins which use your body as an aerial to pick up mains hum. That is convened by the electronics to simulate the keypress. As some people are better 'aerials' than others, the sensitivity of the stick can be altered by a small screw near the top. The stick was tried on a number of games, including the trainer tape supplied, and worked well. It takes some time to get used to it, unlike a joystick but, once mastered, was just as useful. The only difficulty is that you need two hands to use it, so for games where you have to use the keyboard as well as a joystick, you have to keep removing one hand. If you are looking for a joystick, the Trickstick is worth considering. As it has no moving parts it should withstand a good deal of use and, provided you can spend time getting used to it, it is quicker than most joysticks. Trickstick is available by mail order for £34.50 from East London Robotics Ltd, [redacted] £16.

Personal Computer Games

Strength 8/10

Responsiveness 9/10

Ease Of Use 6/10

Value For Money 6/10

Peter Connor

THE JOYSTICK OPTION Peter Connor takes today's joysticks through their paces. It's when you've just been playing a version of Defender and you have to ask your mum to come and untie the knots in your scrambled fingers that you finally realize it might be a good idea to get yourself a joystick. But which one? How can you choose from the thousands of ads in the computer magazines, each claiming that their particular peripheral is the best? Money, of course, will be an important factor, especially when you notice that the more luxurious models can cost two or three times as much as something more modest. But after you've smashed the piggy-bank and decided what you can afford there are still some tricky decisions to be made. You will have to consider the kind of games you like to play and also the kind of games-player you are. Are you on of those hunched desperadoes who grips his stick with both hands and wildly wrenches it all over the place? Or are you the more refined type, calmly zooming out of trouble with the gentlest of pressure on the controls? Depending on which of these two descriptions fits you best you will want something either big and strong or smaller and more sensitive. It might even be necessary for you to consider such factors as the behavior of pets and parents. There isn't much point buying a joystick with a spongy grip if Fido likes nothing better than chewing on something rubbery and bone-like in his playful moments. And what's the use of a small sensitive stick if your ham-fisted Dad is in the habit of having a good mega-zap when you're tucked up in bed? Before you buy you must do some serious thinking about your family and yourself, and then most important of all read the PCG guide on how to get real joy from your stick. Suncom's Joy Sensor is one of the more unusual sticks around. In fact, it isn't a stick at all, it consists of a circular, flat plastic pad on which the player presses to produce movement on the screen. Above the circular pad is a smaller, rectangular one which is the firing pad. This has rapid or single fire options. The Joy Sensor's controls are very sensitive and the rapid-firing option is welcome, but somehow it just doesn't seem right. Pressing hard or quickly on the direction pad is likely to give you nasty friction burns on your thumb. And the shape of the contraption - like a pocket calculator - makes it rather uncomfortable to hold. The manufacturers make a selling point of the fact that there is 'no stick to move, no resistance to movement', but don't games-players want at least something to grasp and at least some resistance? Suncom's other products Starfighter, Slik Stik and Tac-2 - are more traditional, all being versions of the stick-in-base formula. The Slik Stik's thin steel handle is set in a light but sturdy plastic base. The handle is topped by a bright orange knob to stop your hand slipping. The stick is quite stiff in the base but is still very responsive. It does, though, seem a little small for an adult's hand and is probably better suited to the younger player. The Starfighter has a similar base but the handle is smoother, thicker and minus the knob: it is also quite short. Control is of similar quality to the Slik Stik but the handle can get a bit slippery and the whole thing seems less robust; you might be afraid of breaking it if you get too excited. 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. Wico also produce a range of four sticks, one of which is a curiosity. This is Le Stick, a joystick without a base works by means of mercury switches in the grip. Movement is produced by tilting it at least 20 degrees in the desired direction. Le Stick is made of springy black rubber and has the fire button on top, it's very comfortable and a lot less tiring than the normal type of stick. It does, though, feel very strange at first and takes some getting used to. The lack of a base and the lack of resistance could mean that some will never come to terms with it. It's quite easy to confuse directions on games such as Defender and seems more suited to lateral movement games such as Galaxians. Wico's range of more conventional sticks starts with The Boss. The comable black handle has moulded finger-grips and is set in a solid base providing good resistance. The Boss gives good control but the fire-button, at the top of the handle, is a little slack and has a slow response time. A step up from this is the Command Control 'built on a solid steel shaft mounted in Wico's ultra smooth arcade diaphragm module.' You get a red grip and a snazzy red and black base. Firing is interchangeable between base and grip. This is a very solid stick with a nice feel and good response. Top of the Wico range is the 3 Way Command Control. This is essentially the same thing as the ordinary Command Control but has three different grips 'ergonomically designed to fit your hand and mind.' Not bad, eh? The choice is between a grip with finger mouldings, a narrow smooth one and a thin smooth one. You should be able to accommodate just about everybody with this range. As well as this choice of grips the 3 Way also has the edge over the ordinary Command Control in responsiveness and robustness. Emax Computing's Arcade Professional comes with a truly awesome warning: 'This panel,' you are told, 'is a professional module. It is not a toy.' Well, if it isn't a toy it isn't going to sell very well, because the number of people I know who make a living playing arcade games is pretty small. The Arcade Professional is an enormous module, as befits its price. The base measures about a foot across, dwarfing the stick itself. The 'non-slip foam base' doesn't prevent the module from roaming around the table when you get excited. Control is very disappointing; the steel stick is too loose in the base and, consequently, response time is slow. What is worse is that the stick is in the ideal position for left-handers. I have nothing against these people, but I do believe that the right-handed are in the majority, even among the arcade professionals. The Spectravideo Quickshot is, I think, a toy; but it's still a good joystick. It has a large grip with finger-mouldings set firmly in a sturdy base. There is a choice of fire-buttons on grip and base and there are also suction pads to stick it down to the table. It's very comfortable and gives good response. If you like a really big handle, then Triga Command 2 could suit you. The grip is curved away from the player and has tough plastic on the sides with the fire-button at the top front. The stick is fixed quite loosely in the base and does not feel very strong, but it is responsive. Lighter and smaller, but just as sensitive, is the Pro-Ace. The shaft here is small and smooth and set firmly in the base; only the slightest pressure is required to get movement on the screen. Unfortunately, the fire-button at the top of the stick seems a little loose and makes a clanking noise every time you shoot. Another one for those who like something firm and sensitive is the Competition-Pro. This has a very stout base in which two fire-buttons are set - there's no button on the stick itself. The large knob and short stick mean that this is one to hold in the palm and direct with short, sharp movements. There's not a great choice of joystick for Dragon owners. Dragon Data themselves produce one, but it is far from satisfactory. It's designed to be held in one hand while the stick is manipulated with the other. Unfortunately the stick is very small and very weak; over-enthusiastic use can lead to an early retirement. But the worst thing about this stick is that it isn't self-centring. As a result you go all over the place and movement takes a long time. A much better version of the same thing is the Computer Joystick which is self-centring and is therefore much more responsive. It's also rather more robust. Useful gadgets for the Spectrum are clip-on mechancial sticks for games using cursor-key control. EEC's stick is sturdy and has a nice large handle. This is quite stiff in the base and would suit players who appreciate some resistance. Grant Design's stick is smaller and has a looser feel; less pressure is required to produce movement. That old favourite, the Atari joystick, shouldn't be forgotten. Most games-players must by now be familiar with this sturdy peripheral. Its simple design has withstood many a mega-zap from the roughest of players. It has a straight stick with the fire-button on the base. There is quite a lot of resistance and control is good. Despite the flashly new styles around the Atari is still a contender. The Trickstick is a remarkable new idea which you will either love or hate. It is quite different from any other joystick I've encountered. The stick is basically a slim cylinder with six buttons: two on the top face, two on the upper part and two on the lower part. You hold it in two hands and are supposed to press lightly on the buttons. These you have already adjusted by turning the sensitivity knob; different people it seems require different degrees of resistance. The Trickstick is much more comfortable than the normal kind of joystick, but really does take some mental adjustment from the player. You have to restrain yourself from wrenching the thing all over the place as with the usual thing. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes exceptionally responsive and saves a lot of wear and tear on the thumbs. Of course, old-fashioned megazappers might never adjust. But the Trickstick is the shape of things to come. LINKING UP YOUR SPECTRUM OR ORIC One of the problems that games players suffer with machines such as the Spectrum and Oric is that no provision is made for a joystick, the only remedy to this is to buy an interface costing anything from £10 upwards. There are two main types of interface: dedicated and programmable. The dedicated type usually plugs into the edge connector of your micro. It suffers from the fact that only software written specifically for it can be used with it. However, the most popular interface of the dedicated type, the Kempston joystick interface for the Spectrum, can be used with a large number of games. Sinclair have recently launched their own joystick/cartridge interface, the Interface 2 and this will probably become the favourite with both software houses and users. But as yet not a great number of games are compatible. The latest addition to the joystick interface market are the programmable type. These allow you to make each position of the joystick equivalent to any key you choose. This means that the joystick can be used with any game. The AGF interface is one example.

Background: Mechanical Stick Foreground: Spectrum Stick