The Arcade is a
joystick
A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...
that was produced by
Suzo International, usually marked as S.T.C. Rotterdam (Suzo Trading Company), for the European market. It distinguished itself from the competition because of its
robust
Robustness is the property of being strong and healthy in constitution. When it is transposed into a system, it refers to the ability of tolerating perturbations that might affect the system’s functional body. In the same line ''robustness'' ca ...
construction as the stick had a reinforced inside made of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
and used
microswitch
A miniature snap-action switch, also trademarked and frequently known as a micro switch, is an electric switch that is actuated by very little physical force, through the use of a tipping-point mechanism, sometimes called an "over-center" mechan ...
es for the
controls (but not the fire buttons, which used leaf springs).
It was a home version of the joystick used by the professional
video game industry
The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide.
The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstream. , ...
in many
video arcade halls across the world.
The Arcade appeared in several variations:
* The Arcade Classic, without a fire button
* The Arcade, with just one fire button (at the front centre of the base)
* The Arcade Turbo, with two fire buttons (one on the base and one on the top of the stick, and a switch underneath the base to select button A/B)
* Prof Competition, with two fire buttons (one each on the front corners of the base)
* Prof Competition 9000, with three fire buttons (one each on the front corners of the base; one on top of the stick)
* Prof Competition 9000 de luxe, with three fire buttons (one each on the front corners of the base; one on top of the stick; and an adjustable rapid-fire switch)
The digital joystick was suitable for most 8 bit and 16-bit
home computer systems such as
MSX,
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
,
Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
,
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...
and
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
.
References
External links
Images of ''The Arcade''Suzo Official international website
Joysticks
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