Hardware
| Catalogue ID | CVH-0345 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | RetroGameBoyz LLC |
| Region | United States |
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Controller (Input) |
| Platform | ColecoVision and ADAM |
| Status | Released |
| Manufacturer site | https://retrogameboyz.com/ |
The ColecoVision Arcade Stick is a modern arcade-style controller manufactured by RetroGameBoyz LLC specifically for the original ColecoVision video game system.
Designed as an alternative to the original ColecoVision hand controller, the Arcade Stick combines full-size arcade-style controls with the complete 12-key keypad required by many ColecoVision games.
The controller features an 8-way Sanwa-style joystick with a white ball-top handle and two arcade-style fire buttons.
The joystick can be configured on either the left or right side of the controller, providing options for different player preferences.
Internally, the controller uses RetroGameBoyz's custom “Sammy Board,” named in tribute to the manufacturer's father. A separate custom printed circuit board provides the ColecoVision keypad interface.
Unlike generic Atari-compatible arcade sticks, the RetroGameBoyz controller includes the complete 12-key ColecoVision keypad.
This allows games requiring numeric selections, difficulty settings or keypad overlays to be operated directly from the Arcade Stick without requiring a second original ColecoVision controller.
Two arcade-style fire buttons reproduce the primary action-button functions of the standard ColecoVision hand controller.
The Arcade Stick uses a black base, custom wiring harness and connectors, rubber feet and an approximately five-foot controller cable.
Several components are 3D printed, and individual units may exhibit minor differences in surface texture or logo appearance as a result of the manufacturing process.
RetroGameBoyz documents an unusual compatibility consideration involving Defender.
With substantially longer controller cables or extension cables, increased resistance can occasionally cause Defender's Smart Bomb function to activate when the normal laser fire button is pressed. The manufacturer identifies Defender as the only game currently known to exhibit this behavior.
In addition to direct use with original ColecoVision hardware, the Arcade Stick can be connected to a computer using a compatible USB Vision-Daptor.
When used in this configuration, controller functions can be mapped through compatible emulation software on systems such as a PC or RetroPie.
The RetroGameBoyz ColecoVision Arcade Stick represents a modern reinterpretation of the original ColecoVision controller that retains its system-specific functions while replacing its unconventional hand-held design with arcade-style controls.
The inclusion of the complete ColecoVision keypad is particularly significant. Rather than functioning as a generic joystick that happens to be electrically compatible with the console, the Arcade Stick was designed around the ColecoVision's unique controller requirements.
The standard two-button model closely reproduces the functional capabilities of the original ColecoVision hand controller while providing a substantially different physical control arrangement.
Product: ColecoVision Arcade Stick
Manufacturer: RetroGameBoyz LLC
Type: Arcade Stick / Controller
Platform: ColecoVision
Directional Control: 8-way joystick
Action Buttons: Two
Keypad: Full 12-key ColecoVision keypad
Controller Interface: RetroGameBoyz “Sammy Board”
Joystick Position: Left or Right
Cable Length: Approximately 5 feet
Vision-Daptor Compatibility: Yes
Installation: External / plug-and-play
Status: Modern aftermarket ColecoVision hardware