Euromax Professional 9000 Joystick

Crash

Response 3/5

Feel 3/5

Look 4/5

Overall 3/5

Nick Roberts 3/5

IT'S A STICK-UP Whatever happened to the days of all joysticks being a small base with a stick in the middle and a fire button that never worked? Today they look more like something from the control panel of an F-16 and get bigger and sillier all the while. Nick Roberts and Mark Caswell delve into the CRASH joystick bin to discover whether the joystick really is a gamesplayer's best friend... QUICKJOY III Spectravideo £10.95 MARK: I'm not fond of Quickshot joysticks. I owned a Quickshot II many moons ago and that busted within a couple of months. This looks a first glance just like it, but its trendy red body sets it out from the crowd. Again two buttons are present and each gives a solid click with each depression, though one problem is the uncomfortable hand grip. With a fairly long shaft the Quickjoy III works best on a table top, but with my shovel-sized hands I found holding the stick quite easy. A relatively cheap stick that should be given serious consideration. Pro 9000 Euromax £14.95 NICK: This joystick has a classic design that has been copied so many times. The rectangular based with its two fire buttons on the end is comfortable to use both on a table and in the hand. The handle is quite short and has a ball at the top. The two fire buttons are not too good though as they're not microswitched and this lets the stick down. Not bad. QUICKJOY JET FIGHTER Spectravideo £14.95 MARK: Sadly the Jet Fighter costs too much for what it delivers. At first glance the stick is so impressive with its moulded shaft and very solid looking base. But the major problem here is the length of the travel: you have to move the stick so far to get a response that quick movements are near impossible! Diagonals are as elusive, though the fire buttons again answer with a responsive click when pressed. Steer well clear of this one: to quote The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy - it looks like a fish, it moves like a fish, but steers like a cow! QUICKJOY V - SUPERBOARD Spectravideo £19.95 MARK: It looks like this stick contains everything but the kitchen sink!! With six fire buttons (four on the base, two on the shaft), top or base fire button selector and a digital timer (what for, I've no idea) it's a big mutha! On the table is the only practical way to use the Superboard. Travel is fairly short and thus responsive. A tough stick that should up to punishment pretty well, but twenty quid is serious dosh. WICO COMMAND CONTROL Suncom £24.99 NICK: The Command Control has a classic joystick design - a sturdy base with a long stick coming from the centre and fire buttons on both the base and the top of the stick. Unfortunately the size and shape of the base make it very uncomfortable to hold in your hand. A good feature is the inclusion of three interchangeable grips that slide onto the stick to suit all gamesplayers. There are some bad faults though. The grips do not come far enough down the stick, thus leaving a gap at the bottom. This can easily pinch a chunk our of your hand while you're playing, making the baddy who's torturing you on screen seem more realistic! The top fire button is also annoying as it needs a hard push to make it work. SURESHOT COMMAND MODULE Sonmax £17.95 MARK: If you want to know what big means, you should see the Command Module! With two large microswitched buttons you don't need to move your hand far to fire that laser, though I'm not overly fond of the gaudy sticker on the base. Stick travel is short making the Command Module very responsive, and so are the microswitched fire buttons. I'd advise you to wear sunglasses when using this joystick (due to the sticker) but it's a good all rounder. TURBO PEDAL Euromax £24.95 NICK: You've got to be joking! This is so rubbish I couldn't stand using it for more than one game! You put your foot down on the pedal and all you hear is a bang - the sound of the plastic pedal against the plastic base. Eventually you do get some response from it (after a few more bangs). I found that my feet and legs began to ache soon after starting to use the Turbo Pedal, making playing a long racing game an agonising experience. A few suckers on the base wouldn't have gone amiss as the thing keeps sliding away from your foot! ZIPSTICK SUPER PRO Sonmax £13.95 Standard Autofire £14.95 MARK: I'm afraid I'm a bit biased towards this stick, I've owned one of these for four years or so and it's still going strong! The sleek black shape and trendy yellow fire buttons and collar look good, and the stick itself feels 'worn in' even when first used. Button pushes and stick movement are rewarded by solid clicks, and both pixel perfect and wild waggling movements are easily achieved. Check the Super Pro out for yourself, I reckon this and the Cruiser are the two best sticks around. THE ARCADE Euromax £17.95 Standard Turbo £19.95 NICK: With a triangular base, a fire button on the end and a short handle this joystick is very comfortable to use. Euromax claim it's been the best selling joystick for nine years. The turbo version of the stick comes with an autofire and a Pro 9000 type handle to support a fire button. The fire buttons are not too hot though. Using a single leaf switch they need a bit of prodding to get then to work. ULTIMATE RAPID FIRE Euromax £22.95 NICK: This is one BIG joystick! The Ultimate Rapid Fire is probably the closes you're going to get to an arcade stick with its large base and two fire buttons either side the short ball handle. A dial-a-speed rapid fire button sits on the top of the base and can be turned to vary the speed of fire or to turn it off. With this stick being the size it is you can easily rest it on your lap to pay a game but there are also suction cups on the base to secure it to a table top. This is definitely the best of the big sticks and a personal favourite. COMPETITION PRO Dynamics £14.95 MARK: The Competition Pro is another distinctive stick with its red shaft and fire button. The ball shaped handle is comfortable to hold, though table top use is hampered by the lack of suckered feet. The medium travel of the stick makes it responsive, but I find the use of leaf-switches in the fire buttons very silly. Overall a rugged, comfortable stick that should be considered. CRUISER Powerplay £12.99 MARK: Now here's my idea of a perfect stick: the comfortable rounded handle along with the sensibly placed microswitched fire button make this a definite winner. It comes in several colours: blue, black, clear and an eye warping multi-coloured best. All have the innovative "pull and twist" collar ring that adjusts the stick tension. Like the Super Pro the Cruiser's ruggedness is legendary - we CRASH louts have been abusing Cruiser sticks for years without complaint. Unreservedly recommended. QUICKJOY JUNIOR Spectravideo £5.95 MARK: This is a cheap stick, and unfortunately it shows. The fire buttons are placed sensibly enough on the base and under the index finger, but sadly a lot of bashing is needed to gain response. The stick is small so young hands will find it easy to hold, and table top players are well catered for with four strong suckers. With such a short 'stick', response is fairly good, I found diagonals easy to obtain and the Junior is almost silent when the stick is moved (no metal grinding on metal sounds here, matey!) At six quid the Quickjoy Junior is okay as a first buy, but I'd personally save my pennies. SINCLAIR STICK Amstrad Free With Speccy NICK: This is one of the easiest joysticks to break! I've lost count of how many I've destroyed over the years! It responds quite well, although you feel as if you're hitting against plastic all the time instead of a nice micro switch. The main problem is the shape of the base. The rectangular box design has rounded-off corners but can still be very painful if you lean on them. Supplied with all +2, +2A and +3 computers there can't be many people haven't seen one of these sticks. Not the best in the galaxy, but how can you complain when it's free? CHALLENGER REMOTE CONTROL Euromax £29.95 MARK: Let's face it, remote control sticks are a very expensive gimmicks that serve little purpose. Although this one works pretty well there seems to be a slight delay between you pressing the button and on-screen response. The stick is a rather natty grey colour with two fire buttons both on the shaft, though the handle isn't moulded and I found that prolonged use cramped my hand. There are plenty of cheaper 'normal' sticks on the market, and in my opinion the Challenger will only be bought by people interested in gimmicks. SPEEDKING Konix £9.99 Standard £10.99 Autofire NICK: The Speedking is one of the better joysticks when it come to the left/right waggle. You can get very high speeds on sports games using it. The only problem is that it creates a giant strain on the hands and arms. You can't use it vigorously for long, you have to take a break. For normal use the hand moulded stick sits comfortably in your left palm and the position of the fire button on the right is perfect. To my knowledge the Speedking is only available n a version for right handed players, cutting out a large segment of the joystick market. Overall a good stick but playing Daley's Olympic Challenge can be hell! WICO ERGOSTICK Suncom £18.99 NICK: This is a real winner with me. It's similar in size, shape and design to the Konix Speedking but has one important difference: instead of being made from hard plastic, the Ergostick has a rubber covering which makes it much easier on your hands. The rubber also stops the stick slipping and sliding about. The only problem is a knobbly bit on the end, it really begins to hurt after a long playing session! An excellent joystick I would recommend to all byte bandits out there! NAVIGATOR Konix £14.99 MARK: Beam me up Scotty! The Navigator is somewhat akin to a Star Trek phaser. Due to the handle, table top use is impossible (or at least improbable), and prolonged use can lead to hand cramping. The stick is physically very short (no more than an inch or so high) so people with big hands will find holding the handle very difficult. Response is fairly good due to the short travel, but I must say this is none of my least favourite sticks. Right, there you have it: the professionals' view of the joystick world. Choose your stick carefully - it can make or break your Speccy gaming fun!

The 9000 Deluxes has a classic design and performs well.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Durability 9/10

Design 8/10

Value For Money 10/10

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.

Euromax Pro - smooth.