Hyperkin "Trooper" Premium Controller for Atari 2600/ RetroN 77 (Color May Vary)

One of the best feeling controllers I've ever used!

While I prefer microswitch joysticks for most of my Atari/C64 retro gaming, there are some games that are better with an Atari style "rubber" joystick - I got RetroN 77 for those games.Playing something like River Raid feels very similar to how I remember playing it back in the day with the original Atari joystick. Maybe it's just rose tinted glasses and nostalgia, but in my mind it feels alright. It has now lasted me couple years of occasional use (but I was never one to break joysticks, even in the 80s/90s).

I bought these to replace ancient original 2600 joysticks. I have a vivid recollection of The originals being responsive enough but when I took them out after decades they seem to have degraded. These new replacements are after trying on several games far more responsive. People have said that they are a little mushy but I have no problem with that. They have made it so I can actually play some of the ill so I intend to keep them. Fire button is responsive as well. The sheared off lower corners of the joystick make it far more comfortable than the old ones. My young hands used to have no problem with that but my 58-year-old hands cramp up more easily so these flattened off corners make a huge difference.

If you read the other reviews, they say "nice controller, just like the old ones I had" but slightly mention the fact that this controller has dual fire buttons. Are you a lefty or a righty? The fire buttons allow left or right hand control. The buttons come in handy with pinball games, being able to use either fire button. For the buttons, the price and that they work with Atari computers - I bought it.

So I open the package and the box has a return sticker on it that was half ripped off. The box it was in was damaged also. When I opened the box, the entire device reeked of cigarette smoke and it was clearly repackaged. So someone sent this back to Amazon and Amazon put it back on the shelf as new and I got it. So they want me to drive for 30 mins to drop this off and wait 30 minutes in line to return an item they KNOWINGLY sent me a return! I asked if they would pick it up but of course not as that would cost too much but apparently it's ok for me to waste my time. They screwed up and not I'm stuck. As for the device itself, it's pretty nice if I could breathe while near it.

I needed a new stick for my 2600 and this was a little cheaper than ones for sale at my local retro game store so I decided to take a chance on it despite some of the negative reviews. So far, I've not been disappointed with its performance. It definitely feels looser than an original stick, which I thought might bother me, but for many games, I find I prefer it to my original CX-40. I love the look of it and the blunted corners are awesome. When I challenged my son to a game of Combat, he picked this stick over the CX-40 based solely on feel. Plus, the longer cord lets me sit on the couch. As far a durability goes, I definitely think I could snap this in two easier than a CX-40, but I'm also a lot nicer to my controllers now than I was when I was 10.

This came with the Retron 77 console and after using this Hyperkin Trooper joystick controller to play Atari 2600 games I can't go back to using the original controllers. What makes this controller great is that it is just like the original joystick in every way except... 1) It's more comfortable with the rear edges cut out so they don't dig into the palms of your hands. 2) It has a button for left handed players. 3) The responsiveness is much better than the original Atari spring based joysticks. 4) It feels smoother than original internal plastic rocker Atari joysticks that replaced the spring based controllers. 5) The cord is longer than the original Atari joystick controller.Those first original internal spring joysticks tended to break and were later replaced with an internal plastic rocker design which was more durable but had a less tactful and clunky feeling. This Trooper controller by Hyperkin seems to capture the perfect balance of the smoothness of the original internal spring joystick controller with a more tactful precision than the original replacement that Atari used. This is the best Atari style joystick design I've tried so far and after using it for a month any other Atari style controller I try feels inferior in comparison.The main thing going for the internal plastic rocker design was that it was extremely durable. I'm hoping this Trooper controller also has similar durability of the original Atari brand replacement joysticks which are still working. It would be nice if Hyperkin would also release a set of their own paddle controllers.