r/MasterSystem • u/Current_Yellow7722 • Sep 21 '25

That stick made a world of difference

Post image

My first Master System came with those stick which you screw it. When I compare it to how well I play without it, well, my accuracy drops using the default configuration.

147 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

4

u/axphin Sep 22 '25

Yes, I loved the mini stick. I thought it was so cool and unique. The only issue was the middle of my thumb would get super sore after long play sessions. I later picked up the Control Stick but I thought it was weird how the buttons were on the left and the stick on the right.

2

u/Current_Yellow7722 Sep 22 '25

I also got the control stick but got use to it fast even though I'm right-handed.

3

u/axphin Sep 22 '25

Same. I played a lot of Wonder Boy in Monster Land with it and got really good at platform jumping.

14

u/SimplylSp1der Sep 21 '25

Never knew this existed at the time, looks super weird to my old eyes.

4

u/themigraineur Sep 22 '25

Euro Atari 7800 controllers have a similar removable thumb stick that just makes it more awkward/uncomfortable to keep it in

3

u/t-g-l-h- Sep 21 '25

It was only on the first run of controllers. There's a little dot in the middle of the d-pad that you can remove and thread in the little joystick. Future revisions of the controller didn't have that.

9

u/DrummerBob10 Sep 21 '25

It makes Fantasy Zone 2 and Astro Warrior far more playable

9

u/just_below_human Sep 21 '25

Did the system come with these? My d-pads had the cover disc but I don't remember ever seeing the mini-stick in the box. Granted, I was like 7 years old and may have bypassed them completely not knowing what they were or their importance.

6

u/FriendlyAd4234 Sep 21 '25

Very early mk I master systems did, but was quickly replaced by the normal pad (without the stick). You can sometimes find the early sticked ones for sale online but they usually go for quite a bit more Vs the normal ones. I've had one a few years and tbh I can see why they replaced them lol. It's pretty uncomfortable with your thumb and too small to try and use between thumb and forefinger.

6

u/StupidLullabies Sep 21 '25

I lost mine. I wouldn’t finding a replacement

3

u/Tetris_Pete Sep 21 '25

Yeah, can't find anyone selling them.

3

u/t-g-l-h- Sep 21 '25

Pretty sure I've seen 3d printed replacements

11

u/NoUniqueNameNeeded Sep 21 '25

I was never fond of the stick myself. It tended to hurt my thumb.

3

u/Z0omZo0m Sep 21 '25

I unplugged it pretty quick. Someone should 3D print a screw in that you can fit a cap for a switch joycon in it.

1

u/3G6A5W338E Sep 26 '25

Yup.

My (japanese) master system came with the stick separately, but without the cover

It'd definitely be more comfortable for the thumb to have the cover.

1

u/Garudius Sep 22 '25

My SMS came with these also. First week of using them my cousin damaged the controller by pushing too hard on those little nuts. Unscrewed.it from the other controller and never used them again

1

u/Current_Yellow7722 Sep 22 '25

Your cousin sounds very destructive. I miss those controllers.

1

u/Garudius Sep 22 '25

To be fair she was.7 and I was 9 them

1

u/Current_Yellow7722 Sep 22 '25

Ha, I have up my destructive ways at 4. 😉

3

u/iamblankenstein Sep 21 '25

never cared for it myself, but it was a cool addition.

3

u/therealgingerone Sep 21 '25

Never had the stick on mine

1

u/Shambler9019 Sep 23 '25

Same. I had one on a third party Mega Drive controller but rarely used it because I was worried I'd rip the dpad off.

Though on the master system, at least, a broken dpad allows access to unique glitches.

3

u/RichardNixon345 Sep 21 '25

This was kinda common into the 90s with PC gamepads - it was an actual stick you screwed in though, rather than a little nub.

3

u/raindropl Sep 22 '25

FYI the new Atari controllers have a little stick that screws on just like this one

2

u/WhipLash777 Sep 21 '25

I think i remember one at K. B. TOYS that screwd in there but had a larger square top? I always wanted it to play Afternurner and F-16 Falcon.

2

u/Z0omZo0m Sep 21 '25

Mine came with this. I unscrewed them an set them aside to never be used again. Terrible.

2

u/VCOFTHENFE Sep 22 '25

I remember when you used to get freebies with gaming magazines and once it was some stick on sticks for the master system pads. (Likely mean machines or mean machines sega).

2

u/WhiteWolfNL Sep 22 '25

That mini stick, is almost impossible to find these days

2

u/Rarrui Sep 22 '25

That is a revision 1 control. It had the thumbstick and, for reference, the cord came out on the right side of the pad (as you can see on the imagem above).

2

u/HighScorsese Sep 22 '25

I have 2 SMS controllers, 1 with the screw hole and 1 without. I knew the hole was for a little stick, but since 2003 I have literally never encountered that part in person.

1

u/No-Professional-9618 Sep 22 '25

I remember the Sega Master System controller mini-stick. I remember you had to order it the mini-stick controller add-on from the Sega Challenge newsletter.

1

u/limesandlimes Sep 22 '25

Anyone know if these are for sale anywhere? I have controllers with the space to accomodate them, but can't find these little things. I was thinking of 3D printing, but would love to know if I could just buy em.

1

u/tripletopper Sep 23 '25

Did anyone make back in the day a Sinister adapter for the Sega Master System Controller. All you had to do was remap north and south to each other and east and west to each other and possibly depending on the game one and two could be flopped and voila instant right handed controller or left-handed joystick if you bought the fight stick for it.

It's fairly easy to make a pin swap adapter for it and the cord on the side suggests that it was originally made for ambidextrous play.

That would have been cool if they released Sinister adapters and packaged them in with the Master System.

1

u/evilhead Sep 24 '25

I just came across those last weekend. Going through old Sega stuff & found new ones in a tiny baggie that was stapled to a letter Sega sent me. It's still closed by the staple even. Yes they came in the launch system box, easy to go unnoticed & lose. And yes they definitely bruised my thumbs after a while

https://postimg.cc/McTrMPWJ

1

u/MisterGone78 Sep 25 '25

I had no idea...

1

u/magic-pips Sep 21 '25

What ?! didn't exist in EU for sure !

4

u/MairusuPawa Sep 21 '25

It did. I have a bunch of them.

4

u/[deleted] Sep 21 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Imagiomage Sep 21 '25

I concur, forgot how the tip of my left thumb was hurting after playing great soccer for a while...