codyw1996 wrote:

The laptop only has a 9-pin serial and a parallel port, no game port.

Hi, there once were these Atari controller-to-parallel adapters or more precisely, schematics for them.
I believe such devices were supported by games like CHAMP Kong and a few emulators (there was a SNES controller-to-parallel cable).

codyw1996 wrote:

It does have 2 pcmcia slots, but even if a game port pcmcia card exists, I doubt it'll work in DOS.

PCMCIA was originally based off ISA, so perhaps there were such such things like a game port card.
But even if your slots were PCI-based, it should still have been possible (PCI sound cards had game ports, too).

The only 9-pin game pad of my knowledge is the Gravis Stinger Serial Laptop Game Pad.
This one is Windows 95&98 only. You could make use of this game pad, however there is no genuine DOS support, so you would have to implement the Windows Joystick support. This has been done with various Windows 95-versions of games rereleased to add Win95 and Win95-joystick/gamepad support.

Examples are Descent2 (Win95 version supports gamepads/joysticks), and of course XWing95 and TieFighter95 (Windows95 joystick/gamepad not only supported, but required)

If you would make your (DOS-)game compatible to be run under Windows 95 as well (shoudln't be a problem) you could implement Windows joystick support, which would let you use this game pad, (again, to my knowledge the only serial game pad that ever existed)

There are PCMCIA game port adapters. There is also a gamepad called "PowerRamp MITE" that plugs directly into a PS/2 port and acts like a keyboard. The buttons default to CTRL/ALT/SPACE/ENTER but can be reprogrammed.

Yes there are a few PCMCIA joystick controllers such as the NewMedia Basics Gameport and Mobile Gamer,
IO DATA PCJOY and PCJOY2, all those work in DOS.
Microsoft made Sidewinder pads with the 15pin connector, Gravis too, and probably some other brands as well.