¢HARDWARE WAREHOUSE - NOV/DEC 1993¢¢¢ After Alan Hitchen's examination of the Citizen 120D+ printer in the last issue of Futura, we now take a look at today's most popular game controller - the joypad! Kevin Cooke puts the Cheetah Bollistick through its paces...¢¢¢THE CHEETAH BOLLISTICK¢¢Reviewed, Used & Generally Hammered by Kevin Cooke¢¢ Not long after reading the review of the CHEETAH BOLLISTICK in Page 6, I was lucky enough to come across one in a shop. The price was only 5.99, which I considered a big enough reduction from the normal price of 9.99 to warrant a purchase. I needed a new joystick anyway, so I was looking forward to comparing this with the seven or so other joysticks that I have previously worn out.¢¢ The most obvious difference between this and an ordinary joystick is that this is in fact a joypad. If you've ever seen a joypad on one of the many games consoles, you should know what to expect.¢¢ The box lists the Bollistick as being compatible with Atari computers - a big plus in my books! However, the real test of a joystick is the unit itself.¢¢ The actual unit seems to be of a strong make and felt a little lighter than a joystick. It is shaped like an upside down 'V' and is comfortable to hold. It also has two firebuttons, and so allows for damages to occur to one button. Mounted above the two real firebuttons are two fake ones (very tacky!), probably put there to make it look more like it's console counterparts. An autofire switch is also conveniently placed where it can be got at easily without much chance of switching it on accidentally.¢¢ I have been using the Bollistick for about six months now and it is still going strong. Any controller gets a hard life on my system (I play quite a few games) and the Bollistick has stood up well. The fire buttons aren't quite as springy as when I first purchased it, but then nor are any of my other joystick buttons after six months use. The actual direction controls feel just as good as when I first got the unit, earning a high recommendation from me for anyone that needs a new joystick and is not afraid to try something new.¢¢¢The Cheetah Bollistick is available from your local computer dealer, priced at 9.99 pounds (RRP).¢
