The celebration of the 50 years pong, and by extension Atari, is off to a good start: in addition to the planned celebrations, the commemorative anthology of classic games will be released on all systems. Still, Xbox gamers are at a certain disadvantage: PS4, PS5, and Switch controllers have touch options to play Pong, and PC gamers can use the mouse. Fortunately, Digital Eclipse gives them a superb solution: an adapter specifically designed for the legendary Microsoft controller.
The invention does not have too much mystery regarding its use, but it isu mechanism is really ingenious: This is a wheel that attaches to the Xbox controller and fits into the crosshead, so turning it has the same effect as the original arcade cabinet, with the added bonus that no need to drop coins.
Many of Atari’s games used this wheel system to function, such as the game itself. Pong or the simple but addictive Breakout, with which its use gives an additional value to the collection Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. And despite the fact that, a priori, it is not included with the copies of the game, if we have access to a 3D printer we can build them and enjoy them: Digital Eclipse itself has shared and provided the designs for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X controls / Yes, so all fans can have it at home.
Now, among the files there is an additional gift: a third adapter model created to dock the Joy Con of Nintendo Switch. All a detail for a console to which the classics have always been wonderful.
An additional note. The designs of each adapter are the creation of Brent “Pixel2“Scott on Xbox One and Manabu’s Case”manabun” Suzuki’s in the case of the grip for the Joy Con with additional adjustments by Jordan Tritell, both based on the legendary control systems of a company that made history.
50 years of Pong, and counting
In November 1972, Allan Alcorn y Nolan Bushnell They installed what we can consider the first video game arcade machine. The chosen place was Andy Capp ‘s Tavern and that was just a probe that would measure the success of Pong. After a week, the machine broke down. Or rather, it stopped working.
The funny thing is that it wasn’t a problem with the game or programming, and the regulars of the Californian place wouldn’t have done anything strange either: the origin of the problem is that the coin drawer was completely full. Neither Alcorn nor Bushnell anticipated that possibility. The rest is history.
Atari took off and became the first titan of the emerging video game industry. He brought the Martians to homes through interchangeable cartridge consoles through which they paraded Pac-Man, Pitfall, los Space Invaders or the very same Mario y Luigi. Today, Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox take over. And even though it’s been decades since Atari retired into the background, we’re still playing its classics on today’s systems. And we will continue to do so in those to come.
Of course, if you are going to play Breakout, the same thing is that you do it with the classic little wheel. And in this aspect it is necessary to admit that Atari and Digital Eclipse cannot make it easier.
