Euromax Micro Ace Joystick

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Durability 7/10

Design 5/10

Value For Money 7/10

Ian Machin

Tony Takoushi

ANOTHER ONE TO CHECK OUT, BRAINS! Joysticks, as everybody knows, are seriously crucial to playing computer games. C+VG's Ian "Brains" Machin and Tony Takoushi look at new joysticks for the Sega and Nintendo Means machines. This is it! Another arm-aching, palm-sweating, finger-cracking, wrist-wrecking, cramp-creating, muscle-mangling, joint-jumping joystick round up. And in general we've got a great crop of Value for Money joysticks out at the moment. Right, first joysticks up for the heavy-handed C+VG zip and zap test are from Dynamics. COMPETITION PRO EXTRA The Comp Pro extra has been designed around the same specifications as the original Comp Pro 5000 joystick, except that it's translucent and incorporates an auto-fire and slow motion option. There are also a pair of micro switch fire buttons which give a greatly increased position. Handling the joystick is easy and simple. It fits neatly between both hands, but may take some time until you become accustomed, and eventually comfortable with it. To toggle between auto-fire, normal and slow motion, there is a small switch, which is located at the rear of the joystick base it can be operated quickly and easily during gameplay. The Competition Pro Standard is still the best, and now that it includes both auto-fire and slow motion, it's a sure winner! Price: £16.95 Ian Says: Excellent COMPETITION PRO 5000 This was the joystick that started it all. Yep, that's right! The Pro 5000 has been the forefather of what all joysticks should be, sturdy, well-built, fully microswitched, highly responsive and extremely reliable. The 5000 was the prototype for the Pro Extra and as its counterpart, is of the same design, but is red and black in colour. It is fully microswitched apart from the fire buttons, and has the same performance qualities and characteristics as the Pro Extra and there is also a clear version too. Another joystick which has just come to my attention, which looks identical to the Pro 5000, is actually a Taiwanese import and is constructed in such a way it can only be described as cheap! It can easily be recognised by looking at the of the joystick, there you will seen the words Micro Pro. As well as this, when moving the stick, it gives a stiff and rugged feel. This joystick should be avoided at all costs! Price: £14.95 (Standard model)/£15.95 (Clear model). Ian Says: Excellent EUROMAX MICO HANDLER The Micro Handler is, I can only describe as, as an all purpose joystick, due to the fact, that it consists of a variety of joystick gadgets which include two paddles, an autofire switch, a couple of buttons and of course the joystick handle itself. All of these are contained within a sturdy rectangular metal box, with four suction cups at it's base. It is easily positioned neatly and comfortably upon the lap, or can be placed on a table top and held steady, via the suction cups. The joystick handle is a real beaut, with only one finger, it is possible to sway ail eight directions. To go with the auto-fire switch, is an auto-fire speed controller. which can speed up or slow down the pulse rate of the auto-fire mechanism. The fire buttons are just that little bit dodgy. When using them in a rapid motion, they often become stuck, if pressed at an angle. The only way round this is, of course, to press them carefully. Overall, the Micro Handler is a must for all dedicated gamesters and is worthy of adding to your joystick collection. Price: £24.95 Ian Says: Excellent EUROMAX PROFESSIONAL The Euromax Pro is probably the nearest thing, when it comes to quality and design, to the Competition Pro 5000. Design of the joystick is identical, apart from a few embossed decorative and structured extras. The fire buttons are square, instead of round and is yellow and black in colour. Joystick manoeuvrability is just great! Smooth, quick and incredibly simple. The fire buttons give superb response and all microswitches give a loud noticeable click, which I feel is very important, as it gives a much better reaction from your ear to your finger. There are two versions the same joystick, one of these has an auto-fire option and the other one, you've guessed it, doesn't. The Professional has definitely got to be one of the best joysticks on the market, let's hope it stays that way! Price: £15.95/£18.95 (Auto-fire) Ian Says: Excellent EUROMAX ELITE The Elite is quite a neat little joystick, and is one of the joysticks in Euromax's cheaper range and is worth every penny. It uses long lasting microswitches and sits quite well between both hands. The Elite would suit people with small hands and at £11.95 should be within the financial reach of the average game player. It is red and black in colour and the fire button is positioned to the front of the joystick. The response quality from the Elite is not really up to the Professional's standard, but it's acceptable. As you may already know, C+VG has its own joystick with our neat little logo embossed on it. Well, our joystick is really the Elite, cleverly in disguise! It's yellow and blue in colour. There is also an auto-fire and non-auto-fire versions of the Elite, but the C+VG joystick is a non auto-fire only. Price: £11.95/£15.95 (Auto-fire) Ian Says: Average EUROMAX PRO ACE MICRO ACE Both the Pro Ace and Micro Ace look exactly the same. The only difference is that the Pro is leaf switch operated and the Micro Ace uses microswitches. Both look like mini pyramids and have a wide fire button at the front. The Micro Ace gives a relatively good feel and is quite accurate. The Pro Ace, because it uses leaf switches, requires excessive movements to create any response at all. The price for the Pro Ace seems fair, although having to pay £12.95 for the Micro Ace, I'd rather save a quid and buy the Elite instead! Price: £8.95 (Pro-Ace)/£12.95 (Micro-Ace) Ian Says: Average MASTERTRONIC MAGNUM The Magnum is the ideal joystick for younger gamesters and can easily be held steady by small hands. It looks rather like a gun, except that there is no barrel. The trigger is on a slant and the stick is placed on top just beyond the trigger. It is fully microswitched and responds well to sudden movements. The fire button is nice and large. The Magnum is ideal for a whole host of games, ranging from arcade adventures to super fast shoot 'em ups. Mastertronic have now reduced the price of their magnum to compete against the Speed Kings price cuts. Price: £12.50 Ian Says: Good KONIX SPEEDKING The Speedking comes in three versions for computers and games consoles. The Speedking is probably the only joystick which has been designed, solely to fit perfectly into the hand, that is, into a big hand. It's design and size suggests that it can be held in the palm of a large hand. Therefore it is ideal for an adult, and may be found awkward for a child. The stick is easily manoeuvrable, responds well and can handle a considerable amount of frequent pounding. It uses microswitches as does the fire button, which is situated to the right hand side of the grip. There are also two other versions of the Speedking for the Sega and Nintendo, each has all the features of the original Speedking, but include the necessary connections and triggers to make them compatible. At £11.99. plus the game Thing Bounces Back, the Speedking is even more value for money! Price: £11.99/£12.99 (Auto-fire) Ian Says: Good SEGA AND NINTENDO If you are the proud owner of either a Nintendo or a Sega console you will probably have felt quite a bit of frustration on using the controller pads that come with the units, writes Tony Takoushi. This isn't to say they are no good, on some games they are ideal but GENERALLY they leave a lot to be desired. I went hunting around to see if there are any alternative joysticks that are compatible with the consoles. I found that Sega have released a new joystick (to be reviewed when I am sent one!) as well as a special trackball controller, I have yet to hear of Nintendo doing the same. Other companies have seen the gap and have stepped in. Wico is well known for its arcade and home computer joysticks and now it has produced the Command Control for the Nintendo. A UK company, Konix has also released a contender in the Nintendo and Sega stakes with its specially fitted Speed King Joysticks. The standard Sega and Nintendo Joysticks are very similar in design and function. They both have A + B buttons and the joystick section is simply a press down pad that is thumb size. The Sega has a screw-in knob which gives the press down pad that is about a better feel but still remains fiddly and unbalanced in the hand. Problems tend to occur on games where you need a fine control of diagonal position. For a game which require straight up/down/left/right the controller is OK. As I said above the Nintendo has two alternatives, Wico or Konix. The Wico weighs in at a hefty 16 pounds (sterling!) and is not cheap. But you do get what you pay for. It is very rugged and is clearly built to last. As you can see from the picture the SELECT and START buttons are on top of the base unit with the fire button on the joystick handle, the B button is on either side of the base of the stick (good news for the left or right handers among you). It has a four foot cord and the unit slips easily into your hand. The response is fast and smooth, and clearly Wico has employed the same design and quality thinking in this stick as in its other arcade and computer joysticks. The Konix Speed King has been around for home computers and the console version retails for £12.99 - which is quite a bit less than the Wico. It has a four foot cord, is designed to fit in the palm of your hand and boasts a shorter faster throw (stick movement), the fire button is well placed by your index finger. Indeed, the joystick is well designed for your hand and has a fast feedback. The START and SELECT buttons are placed on top of the base unit and there is an auto-fire option on the rear end of the unit. I quite enjoyed playing with the Speed King BUT real problems occurred when I had to use the B button in a game. This was because it was placed and it was very distracting trying to alternate between buttons. I also found the stability of the stick to be uneven and it tended to rock back and forth when I was in tight corners.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Accuracy 6/10

Ergonomics 5/10

Strength 7/10

Overall 6/10

Jim Douglas 6/10

JIM'S JOYSTICK JURY! "PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING JOYSTICK ARTICLE... IN THE WORLD!!" For most games players, the most important piece of extra equipment they will buy for their micro will be a joystick. In his search for the ultimate joysticks, C+VG's JIM DOUGLAS locked himself in a small, dark room with Uridium and Winter Games. This is his story... KEMPSTON PRO 5000 The Kempston has reigned as the top games-players' joystick since it first emerged from Coin Controls Limited all those years ago. Despite various gimmicks employed by other firms to make their sticks seem superior, the 5000 seems to have fought off all competition without much bother. Evdn with few alterations over its relatively long life span the Kempston still remains a favourite with most gamers. Performance on Uridium: It performed almost perfectly! The rapid fire needed in the game was admirably supported by the twin fire buttons, neither of which "stuck" or missed a shot. Although there is no definite "switch"ing sound when changing from one direction to another, no problems with accuracy arose at all, Performance on Winter Games: Owing to the lack of audible switching some events became more difficult. In the figure and free skating for example, it is necessary to make a move with extreme precision. The "click" which some sticks produce makes this easier; although it's very easy to correct an error with the Pro 5000. It's also very easy to make a slip. EUROMAX PRO ACE The Pro Ace looks utterly tremendous - all black, with a bright red fire button and direction indicators - but it's awkward to hold, unresponsive and a rather poor show overall! Performance on Uridium: I skimmed over the first Dreadnought's surface, unsuccessfully struggling to hold the blasted thing without partially paralyzing my hand. Firing is very hard work. You've got to push the button firmly home before you get any response. It's very strong - but that's really all I could say for it. Performance on Winter Games: This stick seems to perform best when only minor accuracy is required. On the long events. such as speed skating, it works quite well, although hard work, owing to the power of the sell-centring mechanism. The fire-button was barely adequate. EUROMAX MICRO ACE Doesn't this look frightfully similar to the Pro Ace? Hang on! This has got a RED handle, and WHITE directional arrows! It has also got micro switches, which make life a whole lot easier. Performance on Uridium: It's still a hit of a nightmare to hold, but is better than the Pro Ace. The switches make play more accurate, end less tiring. Firing is still pretty awful, causing terminal cramp in the reviewer's thumb! Performance on Winter Games: Well, it's a bit of an improvement! Movement is easier, and more precise. The firing lets the stick down. On long events, the shape causes considerable discomfort. VULCAN ELECTRONICS' GUNSHOT 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. EUROMAX WIZ CARD "Pah", thinks the standard reviewer as this little monstrosity falls from the packet. Well, yah-boo sucks to "standard" reviewers, 'cos this is one of the best "sticks" in the entire universe. So there! It's around the size of an individual Fruit 'n' Nut choc-bar, allowing - obviously - some extra size for the two fire buttons and directional thingy on lop. Performance on Uridium: It's wonderfully accurate, and easy to operate. The only problem with using the Wiz Card (so-called because it's a bit like a card, and a "wiz" to use - geddit?) is if you've got used to a standard joystick. Once you've got the hang of the movement, it's a dream to use. You don't need to exert any force to change direction, and it fits easily into the hand. It's really quite good. Performance on Winter Games: Wonderful! This one worked with hardly any problems at all. Firing was responsive and trouble-free. Direction changes were precise, too. The only problem arose on long events, where continual direction changes are necessary, it was quite hard to get a comfortable grip. You can't really use one thumb, as you've got to press on different areas of the pivoting button. Using the digits though, is rather awkward! QUICKSHOT 1 Many regard the Quickshot 1 as the turning point in joystick manufacture. It's cheap, simple to use and versatile. Unfortunately it's also a pretty awful joystick. Performance on Uridium: Direction changes are ghastly. Firing is cumbersome and stiff. To get any response you need to use a good deal of force. Quite unbearable. Ugh! Take it away! Performance on Winter Games: You can hardly call it "performance". It's horrible. QUICKSHOT 2 Umpteen games players still swear by the Quickshot 2. It's lightweight and efficient. It fits well into the hand, and is comfortable for long-term use. Performance on Uridium: This is a bit of an improvement! It's a lot better than the Q.Shot 1. The autofire works well, giving a nice, healthy stream of bullets. Movement is still a little on the unresponsive side, causing the user to exert more force than is actually necessary on the stick. Its possible to be accurate enough to achieve a reasonable score. Performance on Winter Games: It's certainly of a higher quality than the Quickshot 1. It's easier to use, and the firing is more accurate. Movement isn't much cop, and when you need speed and precision you may as well forget it. CHEETAH 125 Yet another Quickshot clone! It's black, with red buttons, rubber feet and a rather dodgy switch system. This stick has got fire buttons all over it! There are two on the base, a trigger, one on the very top of the shaft and an autofire. It's reasonably strong, but is very Light, and feels as if it's suffering under the strain of multi-directional zapping! Performance on Uridium: Urgh! These base-mounted buttons are dreadful! Let's try the trigger; not much use either. Now about autofire? Oh. That doesn't work either. Not doing very well so far, is it, folks? Playing a passive game of Uridium isn't the easiest - or most sensible thing in the world. Still, the movement is pretty good. There isn't much resistance to direction-changes, and it's not too hard to avoid the dreadnought's static defences. Performance on Winter Games: Still rather awful. The firing was slow and inaccurate, and movement followed suit. It felt strong, though, and held up reasonably well under prolonged play. QUICKSHOT 7 "THE JOYCARD" Yah! Right on! This is the business! Not only do you get a dead swish black card-like object, with an immensely smooth direction-disc in the middle and two fire buttons. BUT... Da-daa! Two red lights to show you when you're firing! More of these little wonders are appearing on the market all the time, and if this one is anything to go by, they could soon be taking business away from conventional sticks. Performance on Uridium: You can hold the button down for autofire, or set it as a normal button. And just watch those red bights go! Movement takes a while to get used to, but is responsive, slick and requires minimal user strength! The design means you con use it with one hand, leaving the other free for slurping coffee etc.

THE RATINGS EXPLAINED The sticks featured here have all been graded on a scale of 1-10 in the following categories: Ergonomics: Design to you, stupid! Does the stick stay firmly in your hand, or does it wrench itself from your grip at the first sign of an approaching nasty? Do those buttons take the superhuman hammering dealt out when you're dealing with a squadron of Uridium fighters? Strength: At the end of your record-breaking effort, is the machinery still in working order? Accuracy: A pretty vital rating this. The last thing you want to happen as you try to match the rotation of the Elite space-stations is for your joystick to decide it only wants to turn one way, and fire at will! Overall: Does the stick do the job?