Will Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick work with Star Wars?

[WaverBoy]

The Star Wars Arcade Game just can't be played with a gamepad, or a digital joystick; has anyone had success playing it with the Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick?  I'm assuming it's analog, correct?  Is there any other control to recommend?  Yes, I know, I could build my own Twisty-Grip, but I'm not quite feeling up to that yet...by the way, Hello All, as I'm quite new here.  Fabulous web site.

[paigeoliver]

Best solutions for Star Wars is either a trackball, which works fine, but you will never get that good with it, or an analogue stick of some sort. I just use the trackball myself, having no room to add an analouge stick to my panel.

[rampy]

Hey there... and welcome...

Sidewinder gamepad is a poor choice.  A Sidewinder analog joystick/flightstick might work "OK"... It's hard to get that same feeling without the original yoke...  I prefer analog stick to trackball play if that's all that's available.

several people (and myself shortly) bought real star wars yokes and wired them up to microsofts dual-strike pads... (1up's sw yoke hack is a great reference)

If you can't go that route (or twisty grip route)... playing Star Wars with just a stock m$ dual strike is pretty darn close approximation and you can get them pretty cheap (15 beans plus shipping frequently) on ebay.

Good luck!

Rampy

[WaverBoy]

Thanks guys!  I just bought a Dual Strike off eBay...looks like it should work ok.  Has anyone used a CH FlightSim yoke?

http://www.joy-stick.net/reviews/other/usbyoke.htm

Looks pretty cool...maybe worth hunting down?  Or howzabout the PFC Cirrus Yoke?

http://www.avshop.com/catalog/product.html?productid=1579&categoryid=191

Perhaps a good candidate for incorporation within a control panel?  Anyone ever used one of these?

[rampy]

I tried a crappy flight yoke and it didn't feel right at all (IMHO)... the pushing in and out for yaw (?) doesn't really fit the manic nature of the gameplay...

Well that was my experience anyways that a flight yoke didn't play very well for me for SW but was OK for spy hunter kinda... =P

Good luck with the dual strike... it's not perfect sw yoke replacement  but it's a very playable approximation IMHO.

rampy

[Lilwolf]

flight yokes go up and down by pushing in and out... not twisting up and down.

So it wouldn't be the same... and I bet you couldn't do it fast enough... they are designed for flight sims that you move ever 10 minutes... not 10 times a second

[Lilwolf]

oh yeah... and buying a real nice starwars yoke on ebay and do any of the hacks (1ups starwars hack is probably the easiest... or replacing the pots) will cost you about 150 bucks or so...

those yokes where 500.... so go original instead

[WaverBoy]

Thanks again!  I did a search for the original yoke on eBay, and all I came up with was a replacement gear for it.    But, I'll keep looking.  I'd definitely pay $150 for one.  Until then, I'm sure the Dual Strike will do fine.  Why doesn't Microsoft sell them anymore, I wonder?  All reviews I read of it were glowing.

[CitznFish]

I have a microsoft sidewinder 3D Pro and it works pretty damn good for star wars. it doesn't feel like the star wars yoke, but the game play is good.

[paigeoliver]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3223822237&category=13718

Sometimes you have to search different phrases.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3223822240&category=13718

First link is a complete panel. Other one is just the controller.

Also. You may want to check out the broken Stun Runner sitdown. That is probably gonna go for the opening bid, and with a slight yoke modification would make a great Star Wars, ESB, Jedi, Stun Runner, Afterburner, etc mame machine.

[WaverBoy]

STUN RUNNER!!!!!!!!!!  That's the name of the game I've been trying to remember!  I just found the Mame rom and downloaded it!  Thanks!!!  And thanks for the eBay tip on the yoke...  Hopefully the bidding won't get too out of control...as I'm not too awfully rich.    Might have to end up making do with the old Dual Strike...

[paigeoliver]

Stun Runner is in Mame under the name S.T.U.N. Runner. It takes a killer computer to run it though, AND analog controls to control it..

[WaverBoy]

Yep, I found it, and my computer appears to be fast enough to run it with no problems.  But, as you say, it's gotta be analog for this one.  And, damn, I bid $120 for the Star Wars yoke and DIDN'T GET IT!  Oh well, there'll be others (I hope!).  I'm sure the Dual Strike will work fine with S.T.U.N. Runner.

[paigeoliver]

A few other Atari games used the same yoke, or a nearly identical one. The Stun Runner yoke only goes up. But I imagine it could be modified to do both.

Hydra uses what seems to be the same yoke as Star Wars, but with different graphics on it. I would assume a Hydra yoke would go much cheaper because then you wouldn't be bidding against Star Wars collectors and classic game restoration guys (just against smart Mamers, and someone who might actually own a Hydra).

[JODY]

Better luck next time.  I saw the yoke only go above the price of the panel + yoke so I bid on the panel + yoke in the last few seconds and wound up getting it for less than the yoke only.

Star Wars was my favorite in the arcade in college and without the yoke it just isn't the same.  

[WaverBoy]

You're lucky I was at work at the time...I would've have made you fight a little harder for it!