Apple II adapter for using multiple joysticks!?

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Austin_iigs's picture
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Apple II adapter for using multiple joysticks!?

I found [this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1716794783/apple-ii-iigs-adapter-for-using-up-to) on Esty, and it seems pretty cool for use on an Apple IIGS with two Kraft KC 3 Precision Joysticks. What do you guys think?

But the main reason I made this was because I was wondering if it's possible to take joystick in out from both joysticks and make a AppleSoft BASIC game, like Pong, that allows two players to use their own joysticks. Do you think that this is possible?

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It's possible.

EDIT: I wrote all of below before reading the item description. It's not totally clear how it adapts Atari joysticks. Some require special programming, others produce signals that make it appear like a normal Apple II joystick. I suspect it is the latter. Since Atari joysticks normally only handle one button, you would need to keep that in mind. It will certainly limit your ability to play games requiring both buttons.

 

I have no experience with that device but the Apple II supports two joysticks (four axes) if connected properly. You can read them from AppleSoft using the PDL(0), PDL(1), PDL(2), and PDL(3) functions. Legacy Apple II computers only support three pushbuttons and Apple joysticks each have two. Adapters do different things to manage for four pushbuttons of two joysticks. Sometimes the second pushbutton on each joystick activates the third pushbutton input in the Apple II, other times one of the buttons might not function at all. That said, the Apple IIGS added a fourth pushbutton input, so if you are working with an Apple IIGS, you may be able to use all four pushbuttons from both joysticks, assuming the adapter is built for it.

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Any better suggestion?

Makes sense, thanks. Do you have a better recommendation to work with two Kraft KC 3 Precision Joysticks?

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If your handy, you can wire

If your handy, you can wire up a Y cable yourself. There is also a PCB you can order, but I believe you'll still need to purchase DB9 connectors and solder them.

 

My 2c:  There are only like 5 or 6 commercial games that supported 2 joysticks (with 2 of them being basketball games and 2 more being Archon 1 and 2) . Unless you absolutely love one of those games and will constantly be playing them with 2 people, it's probably not worth it. Also important to note, playing a pong like game with a self centering joystick is kind of a pain and makes it that much harder. Even playing some early A2 games that were written in mind for paddles with a self entering joystick is a pain. You lose some accuracy and if you need to stay stationary, you are fighting the centering mechanism.

 

 

But to each their own. 

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I'm not too hardware-ey, I'm

I'm not too hardware-ey, I'm more of a software guy, so I'm not sure I could do this. I do know some basic soldering and stuff like that though. Are there any premade ones?

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Austin_iigs wrote:I'm not too
Austin_iigs wrote:

I'm not too hardware-ey, I'm more of a software guy, so I'm not sure I could do this. I do know some basic soldering and stuff like that though. Are there any premade ones?

There are lots of premade ones around. Here is my entry on the adaptor: https://lukazi.blogspot.com/2023/03/native-two-joystick-gameport-support.html and https://lukazisloot.blogspot.com/

Here is one from Michael of Retro6502:  https://apple2.retro6502.com/products/apple-ii-2-player-adapter

He also now does wireless ones. With this he has compiled a disk containing a number of supported games: https://youtu.be/q91Fk8GcdW0?si=fqd-HE_yBANhXtum

 

 

 

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lukazi wrote:Austin_iigs
lukazi wrote:
Austin_iigs wrote:

I'm not too hardware-ey, I'm more of a software guy, so I'm not sure I could do this. I do know some basic soldering and stuff like that though. Are there any premade ones?

There are lots of premade ones around. Here is my entry on the adaptor: 

 

Intreasting! Thanks for informing me of this, and this one (https://apple2.retro6502.com/products/apple-ii-2-player-adapter) seems pretty cool. Are there any ones with cases that you know of? I could always 3D print one, was just curious.

 

I also notice what looks like to be a fully cased version of some two player joystick adapter. Could I purchase this from anywhere?

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