Classic consoles such ad the Atari 2600 and the Mattel Intellivision seemingly will not die. Fans will not let go of these, and other, classic consoles. That is great news for fans as we continue to see new games and pieces of hardware come out for these consoles. One fan is working on a paddle controller for the Mattel Intellivision for instance.

While on the surface a paddle controller may not sound all that interesting but keep this in mind. With new hardware like this we can see new games released that can take advantage of it. I don’t know about you but for me, new hardware and new games are interesting prospects.

Paddle controllers open up the prospects of seeing new games such as Breakout clones or driving games. Both of which are perfectly serviceable with a digital controller but oh so much nicer with a paddle which can provide much more precise control.

Imagine if someone were to create new games that took advantage of paddle controllers for the Intellivision. While it may be a slow progression considering adoption rates and such, I still think there would be enough interest in those new games. Maybe we could see paddle controller and one game combos from the various stores that carry homebrew, just to help bolster the adoption rate.

The video above is not all that great but it gets the point across, and how precise paddle controllers can be. While I wish that video was clearer, it would not really matter all that much – it is a controller after all. We can see the results on the television so the point is clear, even if the video is not.

In the comments on his YouTube video, Charles Dysert mentions that this is not an analog-to-digital solution. He also mentions that the design is changing regularly but if he finds success with a design he will order some PCBs to test. After that, it is time for 3D printing of the casing.

We will be keeping an eye on this one. Let us know in the comments – do you want to see a paddle controller for the Intellivision console?