Best Modern Joystick for Classic Gaming?

[vysethebold]

Hey guys, I've been looking around for a USB joystick that I can use to play the likes of older starfighter games such as the Wing Commander series and X-Wing series. Most of the ones are way too full-featured and designed for modern realistic flight sims and I just don't need that. Of course an old one would due but I don't have the older joystick ports on my PC. Any suggestions?

[Weasel]

My weapon of choice is a Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner, which I found at a goodwill store for eight dollars. It has a throttle and rudder system which can be either directly attached to the joystick or tethered by its cable, or else removed entirely. It's not as ridiculously overdone as some of the expensive HOTAS systems that you might find these days, but it might still be a bit much to buy one new. I think they make a PS3 version of the stick that should work on a PC like the Gran turismo wheels do, but don't quote me on that.

[NamelessFragger]

How basic are we talking? Is even a cheap, bare-essentials stick like the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro too much for you? (I have a like-new one on hand that could use a new owner, one who doesn't already have several superior flight sticks to use.)

Personally, even for those old titles, I'd want nothing less than the old Thrustmaster FCS/WCS/RCS combo, or the competing CH Products Flightstick Pro/Throttle/Pedals combo of the time. Even the likes of Wing Commander and X-Wing have too many binds that I'd normally have to reach to the keyboard for, and those older HOTAS setups are far, far simpler than the stuff we have now.

[kyouki]

Very timely thread!

I just got some of the Wing Commander games during the GOG sale, and playing them with a keyboard/mouse (or even analog gamepad) is just no fun. I really don't want to spend more than 50 USD on a stick, but don't want a piece of garbage. It would be fun to have a dedicated throttle, but I know that would push the price to 100 USD or more. Gonna check out the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, as well as Thrustmaster's similarly priced stick. Thanks!

[Weasel]

Oh, not sure if this came across so well in my previous post, but check your local secondhand stores frequently! At least in my area (Oregon), people seem to get rid of their old computer controllers on a frequent basis, and that's how I managed to score most of my joysticks (which I later sold on due to not having space to keep them around). Logitech and Microsoft sticks tend to hold up best in that sort of circumstance.

[NamelessFragger]

May 7, 2013 22:41:35 GMT -5 Weasel said:

Oh, not sure if this came across so well in my previous post, but check your local secondhand stores frequently! At least in my area (Oregon), people seem to get rid of their old computer controllers on a frequent basis, and that's how I managed to score most of my joysticks (which I later sold on due to not having space to keep them around). Logitech and Microsoft sticks tend to hold up best in that sort of circumstance.

I thoroughly second this.

I managed to score a Logitech WingMan Interceptor for dirt cheap that way (arguably the best stick they ever made, lack of twist rudder and a digital gameport interface dooming compatibility with modern computers aside), along with the aforementioned Logitech Extreme 3D Pro.

Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro sticks are also common finds in thrift stores, and while relatively bare-bones, have optical sensors not prone to spiking like potentiometers. They have a strange digital gameport interface that can also function in analog mode (emulating either a Thrustmaster FCS or CH Flightstick Pro, the two most prevalent sticks of the day), but for use with a modern computer, you'll want a 3DP-Vert USB adapter for full functionality.

Also, going back to the sort of games we're discussing, I just have to say that while Wing Commander's use of the 2nd joystick button (which acts as a throttle/roll shifter when held, missile launch if pressed together with button 1, AND the afterburner toggle if double-clicked) is pretty innovative to get around the limitations of most simple PC joysticks in the day, I can't help but find it quite limiting when I have dedicated throttle and rudder controls at hand. It doesn't help that my space "sim" experience started with the much more modern Freespace...