CHALLENGER REMOTE CONTROL

Euromax £29.95

Remote control joysticks have never really taken off. Cheetah tried it a few years back with the RAT joypad but it didn't work that well.

The remote receiver (which resembles a mouse) plugs into the joystick port. The actual stick is, as you would expect, totally free from external cables but needs to be pointed at the receiver to work. The travel of the stick is short and microswitches makes it responsive.

There is a very slight delay while the signal went from the stick is interpreted by the receiver - which if very off-putting on games that require quick and precise movement. The actual stick itself looks fine but, due to the position of the fire button, is difficult to hold for any time.

CHEETAH 125+
£8.99
Your Sinclair Best Buy

A fairly large, black plastic joystick modelled firmly along aircraft lines. It's nicely designed, with a comfortable handgrip, four well-placed fire buttons, autofire, twin leads (black for 48/128K with suitable interface, grey for +2 and +3) and even a non-slip effect around the base for extra grip. Unfortunately, this is slightly marred by the overall plasticy feel of the thing. That having been said, it proved to be one of the nicest to use and good value to boot! It comes with a 12 month warranty too so you should be okay. Recommended.

Jackie: Sticks well to the desk, but the shaft is a bit wibbly and loose. I like the grip effect and it's got loads of lovely fire buttons all over the place which means you can swop which ones you use and rest your hand.

David: Very light on the controls and quite responsive. Comes off the desk quite easily though because the base is a bit narrow. I'm slightly scared of the durability - it feels quite fragile.

Matt: I like the light touch - it's a lot less tiring if you're having a long session with a game. Very precise for shoot 'em ups, but not easy to waggle (none of these aircraft-style ones are). I found it stuck to the table okay, but it's got a very small base compared to how tall it is, so I could see a problem with leverage (ie it might pull off). I like it a lot, it's excellent value, but I'm concerned about how long it would last.

QUICKJOY V SUPERBOARD
£19.95

Ber-limey! Now this ain't just a joystick, it's an, erm, goodness knows what it is! It's gigantic for a start with a whopping base absolutely loaded up with gimmicks. In fact, all those buttons and switches only amount to an autofire option (with two speeds for the settings - the first one too slow to be of any use) and a stopwatch! What a disappointment. There's another massive things about it, of course. That's right - the price!

David: Now this is weird. I dunno, I like the feel of this stick - not too light like the Cheetah ones, but not too heavy either. The autofire doesn't seem to work... Oops, yes it does, I was just doing it wrong! (What a clot. Ed) Now let's try holding in my hand - lummey, it'd be easier holding a cello! But I suppose it's not designed for that, so it's a bit unfair to criticise. Autofire slow is a dead loss - you'd only ever use autofire fast so it's a waste of time. I'd never get one - it's just ridiculous!

Jackie: What do all these buttons do? (Nothing really. Ed) The point of having lots of fire buttons is that when your fingers get tired you can swop hands and use different ones, but here you can't because you have to choose which ones will be functional before you start playing! If you choose the ones on the stick, none of the others will function! Otherwise response is slow - and it pulls off the desk easily. Quite comfortable though.

Matt: It looks good but basically it's crap. It's ludicrously big, won't stay stuck to the desk and most of the gimmicks are useless. Why do you have to use a separate button to switch between the controls at the top of the stick and the ones at the bottom? And, as for the timer, well, have I boiled an egg yet?

QUICKJOY 2
£8.95

Another black and red job trying to look as much like part of an F-16 as possible. The Quickjoy 2 has two fire buttons mounted at the top of the stick (none on the base) and an autofire option. Reasonably priced, but a very average stick.

Jackie: Blimey! Steering's not very good! For some reason when I fire (She was playing Dragon Spirit, a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up when she wrote this. Ed) the dragon goes left automatically! Fire again and it goes left a bit more! Totally unplayable. When I try to go forward I go left too! Otherwise, it sits firmly on the desk and is comfortable to hold - I quite like it. I can only assume this is a faulty stick.

Matt: Not too bad to hold or have on the desk (sticks quite well) but the fact this one made the dragon go left all the time made it impossible to assess. I can only hope it isn't because the build quality is diabolical.

David: Very stiff trigger. Not very responsive - the shaft doesn't seem to move too well, even if it isn't doing that going left business. Nicer grip than the Superboard thing though.

QUICKJOY 2 TURBO
£10.95

Basically the same stick as the Quick joy 2, but this time with a stylish red base. The difference seems to be that this model operates with microswitches. Still, where Quickjoy does well is in getting the balance between stiffness and accuracy right. Despite the fact that the casing seems to be the same as the Quickjoy 2, this stick has a nice feel.

Jackie: This one goes forward and to the right when you push forward! What's going on?? I quite liked this at first but after a while my trigger finger got a bit hurt. I found the fire button on top of the stick hard to use. Generally slow response.

David: Unusually for Quickjoy this one feels really light and the fire buttons aren't as stiff as the normal Quickjoy 2. The grip on it isn't too bad either - for some reason it feels a lot better than the normal 2, though it looks just the same. A good, basic stick, and the best of the Quickjoys.

Matt: Feels a bit vague all round, and is ALMOST comfortable, but not quite - there isn't enough space given to your little finger. Probably my favourite of the Quickjoys though.

QUICKJOY 3 SUPERCHARGER
£12.99

A very swoopy, futuristic-looking joystick moulded in black and red. This one boasts exactly the same features as the Quickjoy 2 Turbo (auto fire, two fire buttons, 'ergonomic design', six microswitches and whatnot) so it's hard to see the point, especially when the handgrip proves to be far from comfortable. At £12.95 it's hard to see the appeal.

Jackie: It's a bit too chunky for me. I reach the trigger or fire buttons on the top - the shaft is just too big and fat. It's not very good at staying on the desk - the suckers slip. This is the third Quickjoy that's got some funny steering quirk. One this one when I pull backwards the dragon starts going left! (She's still playing Dragon Spirit. Ed) What's going on? Is it something to do with the Amstrad CPC 464 option-switch??

David: This is a bit of a bulky one. All the people at Quickjoy must have very big hands! It makes a horrible crunch sound when I move it - I don't think this'll have a very long life expectancy. I think the Quickjoys have the balance between lightness and resistance just right, but it's too fat for my hands as well.

Matt: Nope, far too fat. When I pull to the left or right the base of my hand hits the casing, and the fire buttons at the top aren't too easy to use either. I think David's right about the weighting though - the shaft inside feels good but the casing is terrible.

KONIX MEGABLASTER
£8.99

A conventionally designed but tiny little stick from Konix, featuring microswitch precision at quite a low price. It has a medium sized shaft with a fear leveer-like knob at the top, two fire buttons on the base and, erm, that's it...

David: Not really a desktop stick since it won't stick down, but I found it a bit awkward for hand use because it has little legs underneath that get in the way. Cheap and well built, but I don't really like it.

Jackie: Stick easily controlled with fingertips, but stiff fire buttons and it won't stay on the table (no suckers). Response of stick too slow. Easy to hold in either hand, but, again, it's all a bit stiff.

Matt: Easy to hold in either hand, but a bit too small all round I felt. Could do without the strange nobbles moulded into the base for no particular reason which make it really weird to hold. I didn't like the fire buttons much either.

POWERPLAY CRUISER
Black, Blue, Multi-coloured: £9.99
Clear (with autofire): £12.99
Your Sinclair Best Buy

This one's been around for ages, and is now in a choice of blue, natty black, clear and even multi-coloured models. The coloured one is sort of pastel green with a pink shaft, blue base and yellow buttons! All models have four good suckers spread wide apart on the bottom so it sticks to the desk very well, but you can hold it in your hand if you prefer quite easily. One of the stick's main selling points is that you can adjust the tension of the shaft to one of three degrees of tightness. You can set it to extra sensitivity, normal use or firm control (for waggling). The ease with which you can do this seemed to vary from stick to stick, but it's a useful feature. Recommended.

Matt: I'm amazed at how much I like this one. It's very old fashioned looking - even ugly - but it seems quite durable and does everything at least passably well. It's fairly precise for shoot 'em ups, it's possible to get a good waggle rhythm going and you can hold it for long periods without getting too uncomfortable. It sticks well to the desk too.

David: Actually, the reason it plays well when it's stuck to the desk is because of the large, flat base - it means the suckers are spread well apart for more grip. It's a dead loss to hold though - it's too big. having said that I like the Cruiser, even though it looks so horrible.

Jackie: It's good for shoot 'em ups because it sticks well to the desk, you can change hands easily when you're tired and the actual stick responds well. The green one is lovely and I'd have it as pride of place in my bedroom. Not so much a joystick, more a work of art(!).

QUICKSHIT WHIZZMASTER GAME CONTROLLER
£11.95

Excluding the Superboard, this was the only novelty stick we could get hold of. In fact it's quite a serious proposition. Basically, it's small, grey and flat, like a bloated version of the joypads you find attached to Japanese games consoles, but offering you a number of control options. For a start you can use it like a joypad, manipulating direction pad with your left hand thumb while you jab fire with your right. This may sound weird, but once you get used to it it can give more control than an ordinary stick.

Your other two options involve screwing short sticks of varying sizes into the pad - a tiny stumpy one for the thumb only (which we promptly lost) and a large (but still quite small) stick for fingertip manipulation. You also have the option of holding it or sticking it firmly to the desk, so at the very least you'd have hours of fun going through the various permutations. Comes with autofire and a one year warranty.

David: I was quite excited to see this because I like the keypad on the PC Engine, but unfortunately it's a bit bulky to grip. Hold it with your right hand and it wibbles about all over. The little plug-in joystick is useless. THis is the opposite extreme of a massive stick and a tiny base - a big base with a miniature stick and the fire button too far over on the other side.

Matt: This is quite hopeless when it's stuck to the desk, or with either of the pathetic little stick things in place, but holding it in both hands like a Nintendo keypad is a different story. It's a bit too bulky for that but I really like pad controls and this is the only one available for the Speccy. These things take some getting used to but for most games I think they're in fact better than joysticks.

Jackie: I totally disagree. if it's on the desk you have have the joystick on or your finger slips all over the place. With the autofire button on, the joystick in and the thing stuck firmly to the desk I like it. I don't like the pad - it gets too slippy and the but where a stick screws in hurts your thumb, but with the joystick it's very light and easy to control. You need autofire though because the fire buttons are too far from the stick.

KONIX SPEEDKING
Standard: £11.99
Autofire: £12.99

This unusual little one's been around for ages but some people still can't seem to work out how to hold it! in fact, nestling in the palm of the left hand with your index finger on the fire button underneath and your right hand operating the stick itself, you've got a neat (if sweaty) little device.

Matt: There's only really one way to hold it so you can't swop from hand to hand when you're getting tired. I quite like it, but the Navigator is a loot more comfortable for prolonged playing and worth considering splashing out the extra dosh for if you're a firm hand-held fan.

Jackie: The shaft's easy to move and you can change direction well, but because of the big chunky grip and awkwardly positioned fire button it makes your hand really ache. The design makes it impossible to change to the other hand, so it's no good at all for left handers.

CHEETAH CHALLENGER
£4.99

A small, conventionally styled bottom of the range model from Cheetah, with one fire button on the base and another on the top of the shaft. For all that it's a new design we thought it looked very plasticy and old fashioned. You can't carp though when it's only £4.99 - ludicrously cheap compared to some other sticks, and it does come with a one year warranty.

Jackie: Urgh! It's like something you'd buy off a market stall! It sticks well to the desk but the fire buttons are awkwardly placed and a bit stiff for a weak wibbly female like me. Seems quite strong though, and 'the price is right' after all.

David: It's not the Cheetah Challenger, it's the Cheetah Crap! It sounds awful, it looks awful, it won't go a long way. Hmm. It's basically a desk top job, but it doesn't stick as well as the Cruiser. The fire buttons are weird - there;'s one on the top instead of a nice trigger - and it's terrible to hand-hold. Cheap though.

Matt: Sticks well to the desk, but looks and feels horrible. The fire buttons are tacky and clicky, and the shaft feels stiff and unresponsive. A very awkward shape to hold. If this were a bit less tacky and a bit more comfortable it'd be a Best Buy.

CHEETAH STAR ROBE
£14.99

Another black, aeroplane-style stick with four red fire buttons and an autofire facility. It comes with a one year warranty and a dual head lead like all the bigger Cheetah sticks, but again feels a bit plasticy in construction. Try as we might though, we can't see how they can justify the fact that it's more costly than the (superior) 125+

Jackie: Another one of the Cheetahs that looks quite cheap. Fire buttons are well placed, apart from the trigger one that makes my finger ache, and the one at the top's a bit odd as well. Hmm. Perhaps they're not so well placed after all. It looks like it will split apart any second. It sticks decently to the desk and directional steering is quite good with very light controls again, but it's too big to hand-hold.

Matt: The look quite big and macho but I wonder about the durability of these Cheetah ones - the sticker's already peeling off and I've only just taken it out of the box! It's got quite a nice light feel again, and the fire buttons are good, except for the trigger which I found a bit too curved to be comfortable for my finger.

David: Not a bad stick, but not one I'd choose myself. I'm a bit heavy handed so I like something fairly sturdy. This is a bit too big and light for me.

CHEETAH MACH 1
£10.99

Blimey! Another joystick from Cheetah moulded in black and red with a metal shaft, autofire, four microswitch fire buttons and a one year warranty. Just like the 125+ and the Star Probe in fact! In general, the Cheetahs have very light controls, well placed fire buttons and feel like they might be very strong inside but they're let down by cheap outer casings. And this one's no exception! Why do they make so many similar sticks?

Jackie: Sits firmly on the desk, but the shaft slopes forward which is a bit disorientating. Pulling back and left and right is fine, but when you push forward it seems to go a long way before you get any effect which is weird. Fire buttons well placed for the right hand, but less so for the left.

Matt: Hmm. Sticks down quite well, and the autofire is good, but the placement of the other fire buttons is a bit weird. The normally-quite-useful trigger one is so small as to be almost useless! Good for flight sims though 'cos it's like a real aeroplane stick.

David A very popular stick - it's not too expensive and there are always loads for sale in input Output so lots of people have got them. To use the top fire button you have to take your thumb off the stick which loosens your grip, and the trigger one is far too small. A bit wide to hold, but it's light so it doesn't work too badly.

POWERPLAY CRYSTAL STANDARD
£14.99
Autofire: £16.99

A stylish transparent microswitched joystick with a large clear base and neat red handle. We tried the basic Crystal model, but it also comes in autofire form and in solid colours (red or green) for a couple of pounds less. It's probably the best looking of the clear sticks.

Jackie: It looks like my telephone! (Jack's got a transparent telephone at home, fact fans. Ed) The stick's a bit wibbly and loose on the base, the switches are quite stiff but it moves well. A bit small though and your fingers get tired after a while.

Matt: It looks really nice but I think the grippy handle is too small (and I don't even have very big hands)! The fire buttons feel funny to me too - they're stiff and tend to stick a bit after a while. All in all a good looking device, but to me it looks better than it plays and it's quite expensive.

David: This is weird. The way I hold it my thumb is on the fire button but the base of my hand gets in the way of the full joystick movement. I think it's a bit of a dodgy design - at least it isn't comfortable for the way I like to use a stick. I think it might break quite easily too.

COMPETITION PRO 5000
Black: £14.95
Clear: £15.95
Extra Clear with Autofire: £16.49

These three Competition Pros are basically the same stick, the Extra being a souped-up version of the standard thing with rapid fire and slow motion features. Each has a steel shaft with a large car-like gear knob on the top and two large microswitched fire buttons on the base. Although it can be used as a desk-mounted stick it lacks suckers, so it's probably best to hold it in your lap. For once it's a stick that feels as sturdy as it says it is on the packet. Good but pricey.

David: This is the one I've always played with at home, so I'm a bit biased but I find it very accurate and it has lasted for five years no trouble. My sister got a Quickshot 2 at the same time as me and it broke ages ago. What else can I say - it's a bit old fashioned, expensive and feels stiff when you first buy one, but I wouldn't play R-Type on any other joystick.

Jackie: This is David's favourite?? You can't have it on the desk 'cos there are no suckers and the shaft's too stiff to move easily. It's alright to hold with my right hand, but I can't grip it properly with my left and there's a big knob on the top that I don't know what to do with.

Matt: I find it a bit stiff, but David assures me it loosens up with age. It's definitely best hand-held - useless on a desk 'cos there are no suckers - and it feels like perhaps the most solid stick here.

KONIX NAVIGATOR
£14.99

A rather oddly shaped joystick to be held in the hand - some people likened it to a Star Trek phaser, others to a stumpy racing yacht complete with keel! Ideal for those without a desk to lean on or who simply like to sit away from the screen. The grip does have a tendency to get a bit wet if

a) you're a big fan of waggling games or
b) you suffer from sweaty hands.

Best of the sticks designed for hand use only, but ridiculously expensive for what it is.

Matt: This is one of my personal favourites because I like to hold a stick in my hand away from the desk and most of the larger ones are a bit awkward. We've had one in the office for ages and it's not broken yet! Definitely an advance over the Speedking which I was never quite sure how to hold, but isn't it a bit expensive for what it is?

David: it's obviously designed for you to hold in your hand (very tightly) but I find it's too bulky for that and it makes my mitts ache. The shaft's so small you're using your fingertips all the time.

Jackie: I really like it. It's small, light and you don't have to sit close to the screen to use it. Ideal if you've got small hands.