Berzerk BAT stick base opinions

cnlmoore

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I've done my homework and could easily reproduce the BAT stick handle that was originally used on Berzerk. Obviously it would need an updated base unit. I've been researching and only two stick out as viable options IMHO. The Happ Perfect 360 or the Happ optical joystick. Neither joystick is cheap and that's before buying the repro BAT handle.

http://www.happ.com/joysticks/joysticks_amusement.htm

I'm leaning towards the perfect 360 simply for reliability, but I'm open to suggestions. I'm sure some of the resellers (lizard lick) could offer the group a better deal if we pick one and do a small bulk buy deal. I wouldn't be supplying the bases, just the handles and I'm not sure if the handles could be made to work in both. I don't have the bases on hand...

Let me know what you think.

Chris
 
I've done my homework and could easily reproduce the BAT stick handle that was originally used on Berzerk. Obviously it would need an updated base unit. I've been researching and only two stick out as viable options IMHO. The Happ Perfect 360 or the Happ optical joystick. Neither joystick is cheap and that's before buying the repro BAT handle.

http://www.happ.com/joysticks/joysticks_amusement.htm

I'm leaning towards the perfect 360 simply for reliability, but I'm open to suggestions. I'm sure some of the resellers (lizard lick) could offer the group a better deal if we pick one and do a small bulk buy deal. I wouldn't be supplying the bases, just the handles and I'm not sure if the handles could be made to work in both. I don't have the bases on hand...

Let me know what you think.

Chris

Seriously, I would just love a bat stick repro handle that would work with a standard Wico base. I just want it to look right. I was just talking with Russ about this. I first played this game so long ago, I really can't remember what stick it had on it. I am fine with a Wico 8 way leaf, just get me a handle that looks right.
 
Berzerk only needs an 8-way leaf joystick to work perfectly correctly.

The factory replacements for the PITA Monroe black-bat-top opticals was the standard Monroe red-ball-top 8-way leaf joysticks - exactly the same as the Monroe red-ball-top 8-way leaf joystick in my Scramble (for example).

I would think reproing (is that a word?) the Black-bat-top on a shaft drop-in compatible with the Wico 8-way leaf joystick base would be a no-brainer.

There are about a billion of those around, they are classic favorites for a reason.

Of course, I would love someone to simply manufacture exact duplicates of the entire Wico leaf joysticks, but there it is.

RM
 
I guess I hadn't thought of that. If everyone would be happy with that solution, that's pretty easy. I believe I have a couple wico leaf bases layin' around.
 
Sounds like a great idea. As long as it looks right it fine by me. It is more important that the joystick works properly and is reliable. I don't think I ever played Berzerk with the bat joystick even back in the day.
 
I wondered about the BAT stick in a leaf base, if it would be too much. I'll have to make a prototype and test it out. Of course I'd have to make adapter plates so the original panels wouldn't need to be hacked.
 
FYI, if you repro the BAT for the Wico base then it would also fit the Perfect 360. The handles are interchangeable on the 2, Wico originally sold the Perfect 360. Also, I'm not familar with the Berzerk BAT but Wico used a BAT style stick before.
 
I don't think the extra material in the bat handle would be a problem for the Wico base.

I mean, what's the material made out of? Depleted uranium?

RM
 
I believe the issue will both be the weight of the material, as well as the _length_ of the BAT handle which will incur additional force about the pivot point
 
I believe the issue will both be the weight of the material, as well as the _length_ of the BAT handle which will incur additional force about the pivot point

Why couldn't you make the handle from a lighter material? Something porous but hard that can be dyed the right color. There must be a product like resin that can be cast with enough tiny uniform air bubbles inside to lighten the weight. Oh, and if you shortened it an inch, I wouldn't know the difference.
 
This project is dead. After spending some time developing a handle and modified shaft that would work with wico and other joystick bases, I sent the drawings to a fellow collector with a bit more engineering background. He ran some calculations and the forces created by that oversized BAT would bend the crap out of the shaft, there was just no way around it.

The next idea was to allow Dave at RAM controls to run with it as he had started on it and had stock for the handles. There was a debate about the handle material, wood or plastic. The game designer told me (via chat on COSP) it was a flush handle from a commercial catalog and plastic, though, there are some wood ones floating around.

Since that idea won't work and the only way to properly execute the repro is a complete (yet improved) base and shaft, the project is dead. I've got another year before I'll have the time needed to invest in that kind of a project.

If someone else wants to tackle the job, go for it. Otherwise get back to me in about a year :)
 
Mmm, I see most Berzerk owners that don't have the original stick swap in other joysticks anyway. Since Stern did it themselves as well, it's hardly "politically incorrect"...

Also, although mine does have the original bat stick and opto stuff, it's still not the best stick around. I think a good wico stick will definitely give players a better hi-score.

I had to play around with the opto stuff (position of the reflective disc) to get mine working without problems (esp. the diagonals are a challenge).

Anyway, I think the market would be relatively small for this for those reasons...

Thanks for trying though, even though I wouldn't have needed one....
 
This project is dead. After spending some time developing a handle and modified shaft that would work with wico and other joystick bases, I sent the drawings to a fellow collector with a bit more engineering background. He ran some calculations and the forces created by that oversized BAT would bend the crap out of the shaft, there was just no way around it.

The next idea was to allow Dave at RAM controls to run with it as he had started on it and had stock for the handles. There was a debate about the handle material, wood or plastic. The game designer told me (via chat on COSP) it was a flush handle from a commercial catalog and plastic, though, there are some wood ones floating around.

Since that idea won't work and the only way to properly execute the repro is a complete (yet improved) base and shaft, the project is dead. I've got another year before I'll have the time needed to invest in that kind of a project.

If someone else wants to tackle the job, go for it. Otherwise get back to me in about a year :)

Yes I'm reviving a dead thread and I know you are working on the new repo control panels, any chance about revisiting this as well? You did say a year, I'm just 20 days early :cool:
 
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