I just spotted this on Ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRAVIS-MOUSESTICK-II-Vintage-Joystick-Apple-Mac-Macintosh-ADB-port-NEW-in-BOX-/221607200767?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item3398d187ff
I am wondering if this would work on a IIGS, does adb devices need drivers or is it more or less plug and play.
I need to look up the adb buss standards I suppose. (more fun research)
On another note I found a gravis 3 button joystick with the cord missing after opening it up and having a look ,it became obvious that the cord was somehow riped out of the mechanisim I can take pictures if any one is interested.
The good news is that other then the wires being cut and torn away nothing looks broken (all the plastic bits and pieces are fine).
I intend to repair this stick for eventual use on either a IIe or II+ or possibly the IIgs if I don't have to interface it to the adb buss.
The plan is to bring out all the signals to a M/F d9 connecter and make adapter cables for the various apple computer systems.
simple answer is no. the iigs has a 9pin connector for joysticks.
that being said, if you can find a adb to 9pin adapter then yes it will work. I myself have a 15 pin IBM joystick from gravis which i love, but i had to make an adapter for it.
Less simple answer is yes and no. Without modification, it may work, but not as you expect.
Theoretically, as an ADB device, the Gravis Mousestick should be physically compatible with the ADB port on the GS.
On the Mac, it typically plugged in between the mouse and keyboard, and was interpreted like a mouse, hence the name. Special drivers allowed software and games to access it as a joystick. (This is because the Mac did not have a dedicated joystick port, and the only input device that could produce similar analog readings at the time was the ADB mouse.)
On the Apple II, It will not function as a joystick because software and games written for it expect to find the joystick on the joystick port (technically "game port" because it was originally intended for 'breakout' paddles). But it should (in theory) still function like a mouse on the GS, so one could maybe write software that supported it somehow.
That is unless you perhaps convert it as suggested by Mr. Fix? On that I have no idea if it will work the same as a PC joystick. Curious though, isn't it?
The key here is whether or not this joystick has potentiometers which have the proper value for an Apple ii.
Being an ADB device, this will plug in to the ADB port on the IIgs and will function like a mouse or a trackball would. That is to say, it will move the cursor on the screen, and you can press the button to click.
In other words, it will not be understood as a classical Apple II game paddle/joystick.