Awkward but Adorable: A Special Feature on Eccentric MSX Joysticks Part 2

Last time, we featured the joysticks of the early days and their evolution. Honestly, many of them were difficult to use, but I think that was just part of the process of refining them through ideas and trial and error.
Since many manufacturers entered the MSX market early on, each company released its own unique joysticks. Among them, I have carefully selected the most insane ones to present to you😁

1. The Most Monstrous Joy-Handle in the MSX World

It's huuuuuge! No explanation needed!! It's about four times as thick as the MSX2 FS-A1mkII sitting on top of it. You can't even program with this thing.
The one item I absolutely had to include this time is the Panasonic FS-JH1, commonly known as the Joy-Handle. Released in March 1988, many MSX users from that time know it as 'Oh, that thing,' but it's like a cryptid—virtually no one actually bought one.
I played with a demo unit at a computer shop in Akihabara, but even as an MSX devotee, I couldn't bring myself to buy it. It was marketed as being compatible with 'A1 Spirit,' a modified version of F-1 Spirit, but there wasn't much benefit to playing a 2D racing game with a steering wheel.

The connector on the back is labeled for Trigger A and B inputs, which might have been intended to support optional accelerator and brake pedals. Of course, it seems those were never released.

It seems development and production were handled by HORI, a company still well-known for selling joysticks today. The shape is very similar to the steering wheel controllers for Famicom and Sega that Hori released later. They likely manufactured a compact, improved version for Panasonic first, and then for Sega. Hori really knows how to do business.

Of course, it didn't catch on at all, but Panasonic, perhaps unwisely, made it compatible with the launch title for the MSX2+, F1 Spirit 3D Special, which was released at the end of 1988. It seems it was a grand plan to connect two MSX2+ units with a dedicated cable and play using two Joy Handles, but I wonder if anyone actually played it that way.

I apologize for making so much fun of it, but the mastermind behind this Joy Handle was actually Kazuaki Hiraga from Panasonic, the person who planned the FM Pack. It seems he was also in charge of MSX event planning at the time, so I might have met him somewhere.
Mr. Hiraga also apparently planned things like bicycles and body sonics to connect to the MSX. It might seem reckless at first glance, but when you consider that these kinds of challenges led to the lineage of products like Nintendo's Wii, I don't think it was a waste. The expandability of the MSX gave birth to numerous peripherals. Perhaps this Joy Handle was the pinnacle of those eccentric monsters.

A hero overseas uploaded an explanatory video. In addition to F1 Spirit, they also tried it out with OutRun. However, I laughed at the description: 'Virtual Racing setups are a hot topic, but what about poor MSX owners?'

② The E.T. of the MSX world: Sony JS-55

The JS-55, released by Sony in 1984 during the very early days of the MSX. My MSX mentor owned one, so I have used it, and it is the most difficult stick to use in my long history of gaming.
MSX Magazine wrote that it had a unique design reminiscent of E.T., and it certainly is a cute shape. There were even comrades who went out of their way to modify it for use.

③ An amazing wireless device from 1984: JS-75

Once again, Sony's JS-75. Believe it or not, this is a stick that achieved wireless functionality in 1984! It is a product that was even listed in Sony's 1986 official catalog as 'groundbreaking wireless.' The sensor and the main unit were sold separately, and it was possible to play with two units simultaneously. However, the price was 16,800 yen, which is enough to buy a Famicom.

An overseas MSX user reported this to me.

4. Konami's serious effort! Hyper Shot JE-502

To everyone who thought, "Oh, you mean that flat thing for Hyper Olympic," Ka-ka-ka-ka! You're naive. I've been saving my special hold just for a time like this! 😁
Actually, two types of Hyper Shot were sold. One is the plastic version familiar from the Famicom and other systems, but that is the budget version called the JE-503. The real deal is the JE-502 with its metal case, a product with plenty of heft. The MSX version of Hyper Olympic was very popular at the time and tournaments were often held, and this was the model used for them. You could even hit this thing with a steel ruler and it would be fine!
It's a bit hard to see, but this is the type the mother is using in this Hyper Olympic commercial.

5. The red one from Fujitsu General: PCJ-50

The PCJ-50 was released by Fujitsu General in 1984. It is a vertical type operated with the right hand. The buttons are arranged vertically, so it looks difficult to press. The reason it became so vertically long is actually because of its design, which allows it to be stored inside the main unit.
General's MSX was a rare type integrated with a TV, and I remember using it because it was often used for in-store demonstrations at department stores.

6. The assassin from HAL Laboratory: The blue Joyball

When it comes to eccentric sticks, you can't leave out HAL Laboratory!! Introducing the 'Joyball'!
HAL Laboratory was obsessed with eccentric pads. Trackballs were one thing, but the Joyball was...
😡😾🤪'Do you really think it has great operability?'
That's what all the Famicom folks complained about, too. I played 'Eager's Counterattack' with this and died. That's a fond memory now, though.

⑦ The Poor Man's Choice: Sony JS-33

Once again, the Sony JS-33. I bought this in 1986 and had a terrible time with it. Does it look like a normal game pad at first glance? Take a close look,it uses an early-era layout where the controls are on the right and the buttons are on the left.The Famicom users who came to my house complained endlessly because the controls were the opposite of a Famicom pad.
The diamond shape is hard to hold, andon top of that, the button layout is reversed from the standard.That's way too innovative, Sony!
At the time, it was the cheapest option at 2,000 yen, and MSX Magazine even reviewed it by saying, 'For those of you who are broke.' I believe the actual street price was around 1,000 yen, and it was often included as a freebie with HiTBiT MSX units.
Actually, I got mine as a freebie from the shopkeeper when I bought a game, so I couldn't even complain.

⑧ An MSX version of Family Trainer? 🏃‍♂️

Actually, the Konami Action Mat was a peripheral designed for the MSX game 'Jogging Mate'.
A prototype equipped with four directional keys and two button pads was reportedly demonstrated at the Electronics Show in December 1984. Unfortunately, it was never released, but I'd love to try it now to combat my lack of exercise!

If it had been released and become a hit,the ancestor of Dance Dance Revolution might have been an SCC-compatible MSX version.🤣

⑨ Could it be from the Middle East? The sorrowful light gun: Terminator Laser

The term 'light gun' already sounds so nostalgic, doesn't it? The dedicated Famicom light gun series, including Wild Gunman, was released in 1984, but it wasn't much of a hit in Japan and just faded away. However, it suddenly appeared in the official MSX Magazine in January 1990, stunning MSX users. Honestly, the vibe was 'A light gun at this late stage?', but looking into it, it seems it was released after a rather complicated process.

Light guns for home consoles didn't hit it big in Japan, but they were incredibly popular overseas, especially in the United States. It seems this ASCII Plus-X Terminator Laser was adapted from a light gun for the US NES.

Light guns require dedicated software. The game bundled with this Terminator Laser was called Dungeon Hunter, and it's an MSX1 game in the 1990 MSXturboR era. According to MSX Magazine, it's surprising because it was first released in the Middle East, such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and was well-received.

Dungeon Hunter is certainly a game with a very Western feel, a horror-themed gun shooter. It looks incredibly fun, but it's amazing that the first light gun-compatible software was a fantasy game. Moreover, the release was eventually pushed back to January 1991. The price was 12,800 yen. When I checked on tagoo, it seems it was the last MSX1-compatible ROM game. By the way, light guns can only be used with CRT TVs, so it's quite difficult to play them nowadays. Someone uploaded a video of it, but there are many flashes, so it seems difficult to reissue it today.

⑩ Shout Match, which made my mother snap

My bad friend Sanyo-kun was a collector of games that were famous among MSX fans as trash games, or rather, games with unique personalities. In 1987, he jumped at Shout Match, released by Victor Musical Industries. It's a small but quite interesting action RPG, but its biggest feature is that it comes with a microphone controller. The specification is that if you shout
“Wah!!” into this microphone, the protagonist will also fire a shockwave in sync. It won't react unless you shout quite loudly. The manual contains detailed illustrations on how to make a microphone stand. When I borrowed it from Sanyo-kun and was having fun playing it, my mother said,
“😡 You're noisy! Get out!”
and kicked me out of the house. I had the same experience later with Super Rambo Special. By the way, you can fire the same shockwave by pressing the space key. But I want to shout! 🤣

11. Same old thing in different colors: manufacturer-genuine joysticks. Plus Casio as a bonus.

The first MSX standard machines were released by major Japanese manufacturers at the end of 1983, and genuine joysticks from each company were produced to match. However, except for the top two, Sony and Matsushita, they were almost all the same type in different colors. Rather than explaining it one by one, it's faster to look at the Kochikame parody that Mr. Hiroyuki Maeda made 😁

This type seems to have been produced in quite large quantities, so I'm sure many of you have used it. It was used by Canon, Hitachi, Sanyo, Pioneer, Victor, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and even overseas manufacturers.
However, the durability is mediocre, and I have witnessed the base snap clean off 😁 My bad friend X1-kun, who broke it, complained, 'MSX joysticks(too)are so cheap.' Mind your own business! 🤣

Since I had a request from a Casio fan, I'll also introduce the similar Casio TJ-7. According to the documentation, it seems to have been released around the same time as the PV-7, which was released on October 15, 1984. According to Casio, 'It sold better than the console itself' 😁 It seems it was also sold as a set with the MX-101 released in November 1986, so it had quite a long lifespan.
I have one too, and it's a typical control-stick style joystick; if you try to play something like 'Koneko no Daibouken' (a Super Mario knock-off) with this, you'll have a miserable time. However, when playing Casio games, you have to use this stick to get in the mood!

12. The crazy specs of the Pasopia 7

As an extra, it's not an MSX, but I'll introduce it because it was interesting. Toshiba's ill-fated masterpiece, the Pasopia 7. It's a capable machine with the potential to compete with the 8-bit Big Three. However, this pamphlet says'By using an expansion unit, you can connect up to 14 joysticks.'What a mysterious feature 🤣 Were there ever any games released that supported this?

13. Eccentrics overseas

Since the MSX was the world's first unified standard PC,naturally, a wide variety of joysticks were released overseas as well. Finally, I will deliver a digest of rare items from across the sea.

⑭ May the companions of gaming boys live forever

Well, I started this casually, but as usual, it ended up being a massive amount of content. Sorry for the difficulty in reading it 😅
While writing this, I fondly remembered complaining and grumbling about how difficult they were to use with my gaming friends. Why are gaming boys so attracted to such strange joysticks? Perhaps it's because our boyish instincts were tickled by their charm as "toys" rather than as practical tools.
This was a two-part grand special on joysticks, but actually, I cut about half of the manuscript even with this. Yes! I'm talking about the orthodox arcade-style ones and the many familiar joypads. I hope to post about those on another occasion.
Thank you for sticking with me through this long post again 🙇