Powerplay Cruiser

The Powerplay Cruiser was a joystick released in 1986, during the time that the Commodore 64 and Commodore Amiga were both popular home computers. It was compatible with many 8-bit and 16-bit machines, and boasted many features that were considered high end at the time:

• Fully microswitch-based operation (clicking with every move or shot)
• 8-directional control
• Ambidextrous design (symmetrical with two fire buttons positioned at the front end, away from the joystick shaft)
• Adjustable torque control (a 3-position rotating collar at the base of the shaft, giving manual resistance)
• Rugged plastic body & sturdy, long-lasting design (working examples appear for auction on eBay and similar sites to this day)
• Available in a range of colours/models (all with black cable):
• All Black
• Blue body, red stick, white fire buttons
• Pastel green body, with pastel yellow fire buttons, pastel pink joystick shaft and pastel blue torque controller
• Transparent body, black stick and buttons
• The black and red Cruiser Turbo, featuring an autofire facility<br>(the pastel version was arguably the most popular, matching the fashions of the era, followed by the sleek black model)

Other features included a cable that was longer than that used by many other joysticks, and four strong suction cups to attach the unit to a flat surface, for general stability or to enable control of rare (at the time) games that used the keyboard and other input devices to control play, such as...
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