Magnum Joystick

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Durability 7/10

Design 7/10

Value For Money 8/10

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.

Sinclair User

Looks 9.5/10

Strength 7/10

Feel 8/10

Value 8/10

Overall 7/10

Jim Douglas 7/10

LAW OF THE GUN Jim Douglas check out two of the new-style pistol grip joysticks and chooses the top gun. The Magnum, from Mastertronic is a designer joystick if ever there was one. A black body, blue top and red shaft and fire button make it probably the least unpleasant looking joystick around. Literally, magnum means 'big'. A fairly apt description. This is the most bulky joystick we've seen recently. Its fire-button is located towards the back and on a slopey bit and is designed to be thumb-driven. The shaft can be located at the very top of the blue platform, and makes a very satisfying "click". The main problem with the Magnum is that you'd expect to be able to slam away at it with gay abandon. The trouble is the grip is so big that you can't get a strong enough grip to be able to exert any force. Magnum costs £12.50

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Accuracy 8/10

Ergonomics 7/10

Strength 6/10

Overall 8/10

STICKY FINGERS Silence in court. The Joystick Jury has assembled again to sit in judgement on the latest batch of these essential game playing aides. There's been a whole lot of powerful pulverising going on as the joysticks have been subjected to trial by terror and torture. The jury is about to return its verdicts... SPEED KING MACHINES: Spectrum, Spectrum Plus, CBM 64, Vic 20, C16 and Plus 4, Atari, BBC, Electron, Dragon, MSX, Amstrad, Oric MAKER: Konix Computer Products, [redacted] PRICE: £12.99 for most machines, £14.99 for BBC, C16/Plus4 and Dragon. This is the joystick that's hot at the moment. If you believe the makers and PR hype, it's selling faster than the speed of light. It's designed to be hand held. There's no base or suckers so you can't stick it to the table. It fits snuggly into the left hand, forefinger curling under to hit the fire button. The stick itself is operated by the right hand. If you're left-handed, forget it it's almost impossible to hold, and you'll stand no chance in a high speed zap session. The shaft looks fairly fragile but is very responsive and looks a lot tougher than it appears. All in all the Speed King is a nice little performer. But you'd better try it out for size before parting with your hard earned cash. MAGNUM MACHINES: All major home computers, C16 and Plus 4 and Sinclair Plus 2 needs adaptor. MAKER: Mastertronic, [redacted] PRICE: £12.50 The Magnum, Mastertronics first foray into the world of joysticks, is another hand-held model. At least this time its ambidextrous design should present no problems to left-handed players. As the name suggests, this joystick is gun-shaped, with the fire button falling under the thumb and the shaft on top. It fits nicely in hand and a prolonged playing stint produces no really bad side-effects on the hand. Both fire button and shaft perform well, responding instantly to action. The one drawback is that it doesn't feel too sturdy and you get the impression it may not be able to stand up to month after month of zapping. It also comes with six foot of cable. Mastertronic claims this is more than with any other joystick. This, of course, enables you to stand or sit a long way from the computer screen. Which is fine if you have the eyesight of an eagle and can still see what's happening on screen. PRO ACE MACHINES: All major makes. MAKER: Euromax, [redacted] PRICE: £11.95 For some strange reason the Pro Ace is very pleasing to look at. I just happen to like the black matt finish set off by the rather big red (no pun intended) fire button. But that's about all there is really. The whole thing is sturdily built and will no doubt last but was almost immobile, making response time quite slow. The whole thing was also a little uncomfortable to hold in the hand, all angular edges jutting into the palm. A miss with the jury. GUN SHOT MAKER: Vulcan Electronics, [redacted] 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. ELITE MACHINES: Atari, Commodore, Amstrad, MSX and Spectrum, BBC and Electron (with interfaces) MAKER: Euromax, [redacted] PRICE: £15.95 Odd shaped and sturdy looking, the Elite is a disappointment when you get grips with it. The shape makes it very uncomfortable to hold and the auto-fire button has to be held down all the time. We even bound it up with sticky tape to keep it blasting away. It does. however, respond well and has the feel of something lasting a long while. We feel it's a little bit of a let down when you consider the quality of past Euromax joysticks. Overpriced as well.

Christmas is a time of peace, goodwill and joy(sticks) for all arcade players. Others on the market at the moment: Check out Cheetah's 125+ at £8.95. It features two base fire buttons and a third situated at the top of the stick. A fourth fire button is on the front of the stick, lying under the forefinger. Slightly more expensive for Cheetah at £14.95 is the Match I+. It's compatible with all major computer makes. Britannia Software is also marketing a new hand-held stick called the Phasor One. It looks similar to Mastertronic's Magnum stick, vaguely gun-shaped with the shaft on top of a pistol grip. It costs £8.95.

THE RATINGS EXPLAINED In accordance with normal C+VG practice, all the joysticks featured here have been graded on a scale of 1-10. For those of you who insist on percentage marks, just add a zero to the score. The categories investigated are as follows: Accuracy: Does the joystick fire when you want it to or does it have a mind of its own? A vital rating, we think. After all, who wants to move right when you intended to go left? Ergonomics: Never use a simple word when a more obscure one will do. This category looks at design. Does the joystick look and feel right? Strength: Otherwise known as the Big Red wrench test. Is the joystick likely to fall part with the least provocation or melt in your hot, sweaty hands in the white heat of battle? Overall: Is this the biz or not? Does it do its job properly. The Game:To try and introduce some consistent standard to the tests all the joysticks were used on Ikari Warriors. We were going to use Sanxion but we lost our copy of the game.