everett (11/10/82)
#N:hp-pcd:14600002:000:1726 hp-pcd!everett Nov 10 11:50:00 1982 I bought a Wico brand joystick for the Atari VCS about a week and a half ago at the local department store (in Albany, Oregon) for $29.95. It had been reviewed quite complimentarily (?) in a recent issue of Electronic Games magazine. It is indeed a high quality joystick! Besides the normal 'fire' button set in the base of the unit, it also has a fire button on top of the stick. There is a switch that selects which of the fire buttons is the currently active one (only one at a time can be). The switches inside the unit are 'leaf' type rather than the snap-disk types that are in the Atari sticks. The stick is plastic with a steel shaft in the center. It is very solid, heavy, sturdy. The one real difference other than the quality of the switches and construction, is that the stick is longer and has a greater 'throw' distance. In other words, you have to move the stick a larger distance to make the switches close than you do with the Atari stick. This takes some getting use to, but is then no hindrance on most games, though it might be on some. All in all, I'm very happy with it and don't expect to ever have to replace it. (Better not have to for the price!) I have seen another Atari joystick replacement made by some other company for about $16. It was also advertised in the same issue of Electronic Games. I had an opportunity to use one for a couple of minutes at a store in Salem, Oregon (JAFCO) and it had a much cheaper feel to it than does the WICO. It did, however, have the fire button on top of the stick. The stick looked more like a control handle, whereas the WICO stick was more cylindrical, like an upside down candle, fatter at the top than at the bottom. Everett Kaser Albany, Or