tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post7958320325347070893..comments2024-03-27T05:39:24.505-04:00Comments on Nerdly Pleasures: Spin the Knob, Roll the Ball, Drag the Puck : Rotary-Based Video Game ControllersGreat Hierophanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409413307024477304noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-24347300096756602842020-05-07T15:41:52.936-04:002020-05-07T15:41:52.936-04:00The 5200's games were mostly ports from the At...The 5200's games were mostly ports from the Atari 8-bit computers, which it greatly resembled internally. Many of the computer games (e. g. Star Raiders, Defender) used the computer keyboard for various game functions in addition to the game controllers. Since the 5200 had no console keyboard, the 5200 controllers needed keypads to substitute for that.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03404920751035863730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-48276732450278358162016-12-09T11:40:26.866-05:002016-12-09T11:40:26.866-05:00To Raifield:
Many old games use different keys/but...To Raifield:<br />Many old games use different keys/buttons in its gameplay.<br />Some games will come with a film or card in the box.<br />Players could put the card on the keypad, so they do not have to remember what key is for what function in game.<br />Quite a lot of games at that age work like this.John Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04984047807703754968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-48538023512393958052016-12-09T09:31:23.119-05:002016-12-09T09:31:23.119-05:00You are thinking of the Atari 2600's BASIC Pro...You are thinking of the Atari 2600's BASIC Programming cartridge, which did come with keypad controllers. The Atari CX-53 is only for the Atari 5200, not the Atari 2600. Standard Atari 5200, Colecovision and Intellivision controllers all had numeric keypads. I did make a mistake, however. The numeric keypads and the buttons on each side of the ball function identically, Atari just put the extra set there for lefties and righties.<br /><br />Great Hierophanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04409413307024477304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-25190335961305350492016-12-09T08:50:11.282-05:002016-12-09T08:50:11.282-05:00What was the purpose of the numeric keypads on the...What was the purpose of the numeric keypads on the Atari CX-53? Did any games use them? I can only think of Atari BASIC having any use for a keypad, but I think there was a separate controller to use with that. Raifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08478524519453417677noreply@blogger.com