In the box experience: This thing looks fragile.
Out of the box experience: This thing feels fragile, the joystick feels very mushy, and the joystick gets stuck easily on diagonals. The games inside of the joystick are OK, but not authentic. The button on the rear does not invoke a menu like it does on the paddle, and merely does the equivalent of select. The only appearent way to get back to the game select menu is to reset the joystick or flick the switch off and back on on the battery box.
Inside the joystick experience: Interesting... Gloptop, crystal and capacitors on the underside of the board. On the top the joystick assembly actuates a rubber pad, like that found under d-pads. This is one of two things holding the joystick up, the other is the rubber protector around the joystick. No wonder this thing feels mushy. Underneath the rubber pad are the clearly labeled pads for the directions. The contacts seem to have a common ground, and easy to tap through holes for each nearby. Pending there is no masking or ghosting issues with the inbuilt chip, or you break the contacts going to the chip on the other side, it should be fairly easy to use it as a joystick. I'm not sure I'd want it as a joystick, as is though. A new circuit board with nice switches and way to support the joystick better would help the feel greatly.
Flickr of the insides:
http://flickr.com/search/?q=atari%20joy ... 8399%40N00
Atari keychain joystick review
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