Joystick Expander Cable

A splitter letting two devices share one nine-pin controller port, from Zircon International.

Why it is needed

• Its games take movement from the stick and their skill level and options from the twelve-key keypad on the hand controller.
• Replacing the controller with a better stick removes half of what a game needs, unless the original stays connected alongside - which is what a splitter is for.

Who Zircon were

• A California company best known for taking over Fairchild's Channel F console in 1979 and continuing it as the Channel F System II - so a video game accessory maker of the period rather than a newcomer.