| Price | Etsy |
| Release | Circa April 2024 |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Dimensions | 10″ x 8″ x 4″ |
| Weight | ~3 lbs |
| Cable | 2.4 m |
Introduction
On Etsy, retro arcade sticks are a dime a dozen, but SuperBox64 has some of the best. Todd from SuperBox64 has even been on eBay since 2003!
Todd makes the arcade sticks himself. In other words, they’re handmade. In this article, we’d like to focus specifically on the Atari Fire Controller.
Unboxing
It’s tough to guarantee exactly what your own Atari Fire Controller will come with, but it’s safe to say that it should come with replacement parts and modding tools. Luckily, this arcade stick is easy to mod (if needed).
Performance
What you basically get with the Atari Fire Controller is this 4-in-1 package:
- Joystick
- Trackball
- Spinner
- Buttons
The Atari Fire Controller’s flexible joystick is in the Japanese ball-top style, and the buttons are probably SJ@JX ones with microswitches that have a higher-than-usual actuation force and pronounced sound. These buttons have a unique 28 mm size, and they’re also concave.
You basically have 13 buttons at your disposal. Let’s look at the Atari Fire Controller from a top-down view to then describe where its buttons sit:
- Select and start buttons at the top
- Four more buttons to the right
- Three more buttons at the bottom
Additionally, the Atari Fire Controller has four pinball buttons—two on each side. Otherwise, you may be happy to know that the layout is customizable! Just tell Todd what you want, and he’ll try to accommodate you.
Hardware
The Atari Fire Controller is 3D printed by SuperBox64 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The parts are usually sourced from China—and sometimes from the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.
Moving on, the Atari Fire Controller is made of PLA, which is a quality plastic commonly used for arcade sticks. It’s rigid and pretty much odor-free.
Todd designed the Atari Fire Controller using software called Logos InkPen, and impressively, the arcade stick runs on his own SuperBox64OS. There’s an Atari DB9 port up front, USB-B port in the back, and rubber feet at the bottom.
Appearance
SuperBox64 arcade sticks are pretty colorful. In this case, the Atari Fire Controller has:
- Red joystick dust-washer
- Red joystick ball-top
- Yellow trackball
- Silver spinner
- Black cable
- Black rubber feet
- Black carbon-fiber pattern top panel
- Black, orange, yellow, and white sides
- Orange, yellow, white, and red buttons
The result is a bit of a citrusy vibe, no? In any case, you should be able to customize your own Atari Fire Controller’s colors when you order it.
Conclusion
It’s easy to recommend SuperBox64 as a source of retro arcade sticks with all four of a joystick, trackball, spinner, and buttons, such as the 4-in-1 Atari Fire Controller.
- 13 concave buttons
- Trackball & spinner
- Japanese joystick
- Couple of ports
- Custom colors
- Custom layout
- SuperBox64OS
- Quality 3D print
- Bottom rubber feet
- Assembled by hand
- Around since 2003
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐