Bold claim upfront: The QuickShot II proves how far we’ve come, but it also reminds us that nostalgia isn’t a substitute for modern design. And this is the part most people miss: the past informs our expectations, yet today’s controllers set a higher bar for comfort, precision, and versatility.
Back in the 1980s, I wasn’t yet a devoted console kid. I first explored games on my dad’s Atari ST, after growing up with the humble Game & Watch. The visuals and gameplay were mesmerizing, yet the controls often held me back. Using a mouse felt revolutionary, and games like Dungeon Master became immersive experiences on that interface. But for arcade-style action, the control options were lacking and frustrating.
The joypad, which I wouldn’t encounter until I got a Mega Drive in 1990, felt almost alien. The market offered a patchwork of joysticks that didn’t quite meet my needs, especially with only a single fire button available—an awkward concession compared with contemporaneous coin-ops.
Ultimately, two sticks stood out in my memory: the famous Competition Pro, a tank-tough device that seemed built to survive anything, and the QuickShot II, a flashier option that gave you the feeling of piloting a Top Gun jet. Both have become legendary enough to deserve modern USB revivals, with Retro Games Ltd (the team behind recent micro-consoles for the C64, Spectrum, and Amiga) doing the heavy lifting this time around.
The revived QuickShot II, priced around £30, lands with a look that instantly summons late-’80s and early-’90s nostalgia. Its flight-stick silhouette, bold red triggers, and those handy base suckers—designed for desk-bound play—explain why so many fans chose it back in the day. Yet, even with Retro Games Ltd’s improvements, the QuickShot II still shows its age in several crucial areas.
One notable drawback is the long shaft. In fast-turning games, that extended length doesn’t lend itself to rapid directional changes. Although the micro-switch upgrade makes the stick feel noticeably more responsive than the original, its length becomes awkward if you’re not seated at a desk. That limitation helps explain why joypads became the standard in the 1990s and why many players never looked back.
On the upside, the redesigned model offers six fire buttons instead of a single input. The A and B buttons, mounted on the stick itself, are pleasantly clicky and require a definite amount of pressure to register. The controller also smartly auto-maps when used with Retro Games Ltd’s own A500 Mini, making setup smoother for that ecosystem. With other systems, you’ll do a bit more tinkering, but I found it generally compatible across a broad test slate. A rapid-fire switch is a practical touch for certain genres.
Bottom line: the QuickShot II provides a satisfying nostalgia hit for players who cut their teeth during the home computer wars. It’s enjoyable, but in 2026 its limitations—notably the long shaft and the desk-bound usability—highlight how far controller design has advanced over the past three decades. If you’re chasing a pure retro experience, it’s a charming piece to own; if you want every modern convenience, there are more versatile options available today.
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