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Author Topic: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter  (Read 6241 times)

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alfonzotan

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New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« on: July 09, 2012, 06:45:56 pm »
I stumbled across this on Amazon last week.  It's a two-port Atari 2600 (and related) controller to USB adapter:

http://www.amazon.com/Atari-PC-USB-Cable-RETROLINK-2600/dp/B007ZS35CU/ref=sr_1_11?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1341873193&sr=1-11



Not sure how long this product has been around.  There are several vendors on eBay and Amazon offering it.  I couldn't find a website for the manufacturer (Retrolink).  But it was cheap ($8 + shipping, or just under $13 shipped from the Amazon vendor), so I took a gamble.

Initial results were not encouraging.  The Asrock board in my cabinet didn't recognize the adapter, either in XP (showed up as a USB device requiring a driver) or in OS X.  No drivers or documentation were included (not even the box seen in the photo), and no website could be found.  I was about to toss it, then figured I might as well try it on a different computer.  Plugged it into my main machine (Gigabyte i7 board), and it popped right up.  Worked in Stella with no configuration at all.  So I scrounged up an old USB PCI card, installed that in the cab, and bang:  Atari goodness.

The Retrolink adapter (assuming your motherboard recognizes it) works out of the box with Stella, no configuration required.  My 30-year-old Atari joystick plays perfectly.  Ditto for the (also) 30-year-old Colecovision controller, although that emulator does have to be configured in Preferences (Mugrat) before playing.  I still need to dig out a set of Atari paddles and see how it works with those.

So: Assuming it works with your mobo, we have a new champ as far as cheap hookups for Atari 9-pin controllers.  At $13 shipped, it's just over a third of the cost of a Stelladaptor, and about $10 (shipped) cheaper a single Legacy Engineer USB knockoff stick.   :applaud:
« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 09:10:13 pm by alfonzotan »

matsadona

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2012, 07:26:01 pm »
Hm, neat little device. Does it support the paddles also, or just (digital) joysticks?
Building, collecting and playing arcade machines :)

PL1

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2012, 07:34:39 pm »
I still need to dig out a set of Atari paddles and see how it works with those.

Don't forget to check the driving controller, too.

we have a new champ as far as cheap hookups for Atari 9-pin controllers.  At $13 shipped, it's just over a third of the cost of a Stelladaptor
The retrolink has 2 ports, instead of the Stelladaptor's one.


For a two player joystick setup it's around 1/6th the price.


Scott

alfonzotan

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2012, 05:19:27 pm »
Update:  it does not appear to work with Stella + paddles (certainly does not work "out of the box"). 

I don't have a driving controller to test with.

DaveMMR

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2012, 11:40:00 pm »
Do they work with Sega Master System/Genesis controllers (including 6 button)? 

alfonzotan

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2012, 07:23:40 am »
Do they work with Sega Master System/Genesis controllers (including 6 button)? 

Dunno, don't have any.

Mysterioii

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Re: New product quick review: Retrolink Atari USB adapter
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2012, 09:33:47 am »
Do they work with Sega Master System/Genesis controllers (including 6 button)? 

Looks like the same company makes a Genesis version, but for all I know it's the same product just using blue plastic instead of red...   ;D

http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-PC-USB-Cable-RETROLINK-Sega/dp/B0080RAT42/ref=pd_luc_sim_01_01_t_lh