Arcade 9-pin Joysticks
Monday, May 04, 2026
In the early days of the information age, computers seemed to have souls. To a young kid, they were more than machines—they were companions for play and discovery. My first computer — a Commodore 64— opened the path to programming, electronics, and a lifelong love of computers beginning in 1982. It set the course for my life in electrical engineering. It also introduced me to a community of friends who shared the same excitement and love to learn, tinker, and play.
Decades later, that passion never faded. I rebuilt my childhood C64 using a original unit along with the Raspberry Pi 'Fazination C64' project. When Commodore was revived in June 2025, I jumped at the chance to own their C64 Ultimate — a faithful, fully compatible successor to the original hardware.
No matter if using a Commodore, Amiga, Atari, or other retro system - finding good joysticks today isn’t easy, so I decided to design and build my own*. They use a Sanwa microswitch joystick for reliability, are very configurable, and include a custom low‑power CMOS autofire circuit that is designed to protect the 6526 & 8520 Complex Interface Adapter (CIA) chips in the original Commodore hardware. I’ve enjoyed them so much that I want to share them with the community that shaped me.
*This product reflects an independent design and engineering process. Any similarities to other products are purely coincidental.
It's a mini-me!
Thursday, June 04, 2026
As I’ve mentioned before, the new Commodore 64U FPGA board is an impressive piece of engineering. It brings modern features to a classic design while staying over 99% compatible with original hardware. One of those modern touches is the USB 2.0 port on the back.
While wandering down nostalgia lane with the C64U, I decided to model a tiny flash drive after the iconic Commodore. This little “mini‑me” drive looks fantastic and adds a perfect touch of classic Commodore charm to your setup. It’s small, fun, and fits the aesthetic beautifully.
They’re available now — check them out in the shop today!
Utility Button Module
Monday, June 08, 2026
It’s been several months since I received my Commodore 64 Ultimate, and the family and I have been having a blast revisiting the games I grew up with — pure memory‑lane nostalgia. The FPGA board in the C64U is an impressive piece of engineering, and one of its features is the ability to connect external inputs for Reset, Menu, and even a cartridge‑style button (for those who don’t have the physical cart).
“Utility button” modules have been popping up online, but most of them make it difficult to see the buttons or distinguish between them. The side panels are using push buttons that show the mounting hardware and don't seem to match the asthetic of the C64 and are more expensive than I wanted.
So I designed my own.
The rear button module is a small module that fits directly into the back of the C64U case with no modifications at all. Just open the unit, drop it into the rear groove, plug it in, and you’re done. It’s simple, clean, and avoids extra wear on the multi‑function rocker switch. Plus the buttons are visible while you're typing and working! I’ve found it genuinely useful during everyday use.
The side module uses the same high quality tactile buttons, but with all custom buttons so they not only are distinguishable, but the C64U Founder's Edition can rock gold buttons! Addtionally the side panel allows you to optionally move the microSD card to the side of the unit.
They’re now available in the shop — check them out!
