Legacy Entertainment's Atari-style joystick isn't as old as it looks

There are plenty of reasons to return to the classics: maybe they're better than the currents, maybe it's an ironic move (like listening to Kajagoogoo and wearing giant eyeglasses), or maybe you're just aged and yearning for old-timey days. Regardless, Legacy Entertainment's classic controller looks exactly like an Atari joystick, but it's Windows / OS X / Linux compatible, and connects via USB. The company assures us that it runs with "nearly any emulator," so you and your friends should be 80's-style partying in no time, if that's what you're into. $14.99 and it's yours -- if you have any moola left after you buy that tubular car-phone-looking Bluetooth handsfree.

[Thanks, Silver Serpent]

[Flaystus @ Nov 14th 2008 11:26AM]

I used to chew on the end when I was a wee lad. I don't think I'd do that now... probably...

[Ellianth @ Nov 14th 2008 11:44AM]

Yes, you've moved on to other things *wink*

[Reid Sorenson @ Nov 14th 2008 2:02PM]

Aha! You said "used to"--I knew I wasn't crazy looking at that ad. The ad says "use to".

[linuxamp @ Nov 16th 2008 11:19PM]

Me too. I actually gnawed the end completely off one side. White plastic stick underneath the chewy black rubber. Ah the good 'ol days.

[rock99rock @ Nov 14th 2008 11:29AM]

Wiggle it. Just a little bit.

[OneLove @ Nov 14th 2008 11:42AM]

I would wiggle it for laura june.

[iKurt @ Nov 14th 2008 11:50AM]

That's what she said.

[EmoChicksAreHot.....Seriously @ Nov 14th 2008 12:08PM]

I let you play my game if you play with my joystiq.

[Larry @ Nov 14th 2008 11:31AM]

If I was smoken what I did in the 70/80's I might buy one...

[Einhanderkiller @ Nov 14th 2008 11:35AM]

Penis.

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 14th 2008 11:39AM]

HAHAHAHAHA.
Oh wow.

[Bob S. @ Nov 14th 2008 11:35AM]

"like you use to"? Wow.

[Zak @ Nov 14th 2008 12:14PM]

Seconded. When you can't spell a four letter word correctly on your own ad, you need to go back to grade school and pay attention this time.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 14th 2008 12:30PM]

Actually, the last word is what they spelled incorrectly.

It should read, "Wiggle it like you use two!"

[steve @ Nov 14th 2008 11:35AM]

that's what she said

[Chin @ Nov 14th 2008 11:39AM]

Perhaps the editors of the marketing team need to go back to grade school? Free tip: "like you used to."

[vudean @ Nov 14th 2008 1:07PM]

pathetic market dept

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 14th 2008 11:41AM]

What made this story for me was the first comment...

[oz_pointp_1019 @ Nov 14th 2008 11:53AM]

hmm good old times.

[NHAnimator @ Nov 14th 2008 11:53AM]

What is the break-in period before you begin hearing that old "crunching" sound?

[eddib @ Nov 14th 2008 11:55AM]

i just opened up an old atari joystick, emptied it and put a usb mouse in it, works like a charm!
next: enter the whole PC in the console...

[Enduro @ Nov 14th 2008 11:58AM]

I think I might be down for a couple just for old time's sake... Now where is the double paddle controller so I can play arcade Warlords on my MAME machine on the cheap?!

[Pwnge @ Nov 14th 2008 11:59AM]

Don't you just love the headline?
Wiggle it like you used to...
THAT'S WAAAT SHEEE SAIIIIID!

[dreamitallaway @ Nov 14th 2008 2:03PM]

Hahahaha....I've been saying that way too many times.

[Richy @ Nov 14th 2008 12:08PM]

This is okay, but quite a few years ago now, someone was selling these for about 20 quid (that's about $200, at the moment) that had a built in Atari emulator and 10 or so games (Breakout, what'sisnames Revenge, Asteroid, etc.) that you plugged straight into your television for that blurry 80's effect (woo hoo composite video!).

This just seems to be overcomplicating things...

Paris, 'cos... oh wait, wrong comment board.

[Zoinks @ Nov 14th 2008 3:09PM]

20 British pounds = 29.62800 U.S. dollars

That's the current exchange rate according to Google. Am I missing something?

[LloydChiro @ Nov 14th 2008 5:00PM]

You are missing understanding the understated British exaggeration.

[u9135026 @ Nov 14th 2008 12:14PM]

atari is awesome

[JakeB @ Nov 14th 2008 12:31PM]

Can I get a Woot Woot!

I still have 4 of the originals for the Atari computer system. I have over 200 games on 8.5 inch floppy disks, but no monitor to hook the system up to anymore :(

[reisa @ Nov 14th 2008 12:34PM]

Like you USED to.

[Joseph @ Nov 14th 2008 1:42PM]

RTFC

[16-bit @ Nov 14th 2008 12:37PM]

First the "Wiggle it" and then there's an ad under the advertisement banner from AT&T - "Rollover for the BJ II in Pink and Blue."

Engadget is full of innuendos today.

[cheechio @ Nov 14th 2008 12:38PM]

Great!

[Eddie W @ Nov 14th 2008 12:39PM]

I grew up with Atari, but I don't miss those joysticks (or how often they needed to be replaced!) I'd rather have a usb nintendo controller (or a snes would do) - I'd buy a few of those.

[Enduro @ Nov 14th 2008 3:11PM]

The best was the Epyx or the Ergo Stick (I forget the name of the company). They were similar sticks that fit the palm of your hand. You used your index finger to press the trigger. Those were the best for racking up a high score on a single button game.

[crow610 @ Nov 14th 2008 12:46PM]

you mean the joystick you mother lay out for you?

[Ori Matalon @ Nov 14th 2008 12:46PM]

I used it as a child on commodore 64 - what days! amazing games loaded from a cassette to a 64KB machine...

[ND @ Nov 14th 2008 1:13PM]

Two points.

1. "Use to" is, in fact, a closer (dare I say 'more rigid'?) approximation of spoken language. In standard speech, the d and the t are assimilated due to their being phonologically the same basic sound. As such, many writers (even some legitimate ones) omit the d without realizing that it's even supposed to be there.

2. If you wiggle it more than three times, that counts as playing with it.

[mr_hankey @ Nov 14th 2008 6:49PM]

That dosnt meen it isnt rong.

[Benson @ Nov 14th 2008 1:47PM]

Legitimate != literate, though...

And "used oo", "use do", and "useda" are all closer than "use to" if we were really going for phonetic capture. At least around here.

[ND @ Nov 14th 2008 2:06PM]

"Cats leeps" was going to my ambiguous example. You're right. We could come up with all sorts of fun examples.

Your other examples are good, as well, but they don't have precedent. Writing, for all my talk, is only tenuously related to phonology, especially in English. It's all about precedent, of which "use to" has some, albeit colloquial and borderline offensive to some (obviously).

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 14th 2008 4:22PM]

By assimilated, I think you mean elided.

This argument doesn't make "use to" any more correct.

And don't get me started on using "bias" as an adjective.

[ND @ Nov 14th 2008 5:10PM]

No, I meant assimilated. Elided probably makes more immediate sense, though.

I'm just being contrary for the sake of conversation, I swear.

[Shevonne @ Nov 14th 2008 1:40PM]

Oh Atari, my first obsession as a child.

[Reid Sorenson @ Nov 14th 2008 2:00PM]

Is it embarrassing that I still have a couple of the originals?

[LauraJune @ Nov 14th 2008 2:41PM]

nope!

[John @ Nov 14th 2008 2:56PM]

They need to send the ad back to the editor for a grammar check. It should say, "Wiggle it just like you used to!" -- "use" should be "used".

[A1 @ Nov 14th 2008 2:59PM]

LOL they spent too wrong

[brianspencer-ebay @ Nov 14th 2008 4:49PM]

Oh good, the grammar police got to the scene before I did!

[Zak @ Nov 14th 2008 6:09PM]

No, the grammar is fine. It's the spelling that needs a smack in its smart mouth.