Retro-Link Innex Classic Console USB Controllers Atari
Having recently reviewed the Cirka A77 Premium Joystick Controller, I thought it would be a good idea to also review the Retro-Link Innex Classic Controller which is also available for Purchase on Amazon.com How does it compare to the Cirka A77, and which one should you spend your hard-earned money on? More on that later.
The Retro-Link Innex Classic Controller is essentially a modern Atari CX40 replacement, a 4 directional stick with a button. The controller comes with a six-foot-long USB cable hookup.
Just holding the joystick in my hands, it feels pretty solid. Moving the joystick around I noticed it produces quite audible clicks when pushed in any direction or even when the button is pressed.
In my testing, I was able to confirm it works in Emulation via emulators such as Stella for the Atari and Vice for the Commodore 64. With Stella Emulator, I had to go into the menus and re-map the directions and buttons in order for it to work properly. The Vice emulator required no settings changes in order for it to work. I thought this would be a good time to also confirm the Retro-Link Controller also works with Raspberry Pi or in theory any devices that have a USB port, such as this one, the C64 Mini. I decided to give it a spin on the C64 Mini, and it worked great on the few games I tried. Although you still need the stock controller nearby to pull off the more advanced functions of the unit.
Comparing the Retro-Link Controller to the Cirka A77, I noticed the two devices have exactly the same dimensions. They could possibly share the same Chinese manufacturer, but I am not sure about that. The button on the Cirka A77 is Red while it is black on the Retro-Link controller. Comparing them audibly, pressing the controller in all directions, including button pressing, the Cirka A77 is much quieter. Now I have broken in the Cirka A77 during the last couple of weeks, playing a lot of Space Cactus Canyon and Super Cobra Arcade for the Atari 2600, and have not had any issues. You be the judge, listen to them both here:
The main differentiator between these two controllers is the connectors. The Cirka A77 has a DB9 serial connection meaning it can plug directly into the old Console while the Retro-Link Classic Controller must be used on more modern devices that support a USB interface.
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Overall I like the Retro-Link Classic Controller and will be using it while playing in emulation, going forward. It is quite noisy, but I kind of like it, so for now it does not bother me.
The decision on which retro joystick replacement to purchase for me comes down to the type of device you are plugging it into. For emulation, the Retro-Link Classic Controller works well plugging into a free USB slot. The Cirka A77 is geared more for playing directly on the original Atari console or Commodore computer system.
It is available over on Amazon.com for about $15.00, which is really not a bad price. There are many reports on Amazon stating this joystick is poorly made and will break under normal playing conditions. Nearly 50% of the reviews are 1 star. which is pretty bad. So far I have not experienced these issues but I will report back should the device fail on me in the near future. For now, I am giving the controller a slightly nervous thumbs up. I’m curious if any of you have purchased either of these joysticks and what your thoughts are on them, hit me up in the comments.
From <https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M188I0X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1>
Youtube Description:
In this video I review the Retro-Link classic controller as well as compare it to the Cirka A77 controller.
Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/Innex-Retro-Classic-Console-Controllers/dp/B00J6DCV90/
My Cirka A77 Review:
https://youtu.be/0jXiPbIOSmw
Youtube Original Post Date: 06/09/2018
