Controller Questions

[BladeJunker]

I have few things to ask about but I thought I'd start with whether the Super Action Controller could work on the 7800? Mostly the 4 face buttons interest me but the Keypad and Roller could be used too. Has anyone tested that like with a custom program through a flash cart or something?

[BladeJunker]

I guess it's a cliche by now how us Nintendo era kids complain about pre-NES controllers but I enjoy collecting old controllers more rather than using them lol. Actually saw a nice pair of Super Action Controllers recently I'd like to get just to box with them. ^_^

 

Late 70s early 80s Controller Designer: "You want this device to give you Carpal Tunnel Syndrome right?"

 

Gamer: "No?"

 

I kid, the 7800 controller is actually one of the more comfortable joysticks I've used because the base grip works well and the metal shaft is durable, not liking the buttons though.

 

Was mulling over a 7800 gamepad design with a removable keypad in order to plug in other options.

For the keypad I was thinking about a 2-bit color depth monochrome touch screen as a way to change the layout more dynamically plus you'd never lose an overlay lol, however it seemed like something more appropriate for a Jaguar from an era context. By 1993 it seems more plausible to have a tiny GB/VMU as a gamepad peripheral.

Still like the slot idea, you could swap the keypad for a paddle or something, it's hard to figure a good paddle position in terms of surface real estate anyway when you cram everything on. Same can be said about trackballs, never could find a spot other than on the back lol.

 

I was just going over some of my controller designs and I think I have better chance making an uber-controller for the 2600/5200/7800/Colecovision/Intellivision. Was making them more personalized but in a lot of ways I'm just trying to do a lot of same layouts based on genres of the era EGs. Pinball/Dual Stick Shooter/Paddle.

 

I'm pretty sure the gamepad will have 2 cords coming out of it in order to approximate dual stick setups through using both ports. That was a flaw in my last Colecovision gamepad design, people made the good point that my design didn't really address existing games, only future ones. It should be possible to wire/trace a right position D-pad or Joystick to go through the secondary cord pinout for this purpose.

Some of the dual port use is partially mandatory in the 2600 and 7800 because it's keypad options are all modular peripherals rather than built into the stock controller so they're port 2 by default.

 

A lot of differing pinouts but at least the 2600 and 7800 match. Not too sure if automatic gates or perhaps a mechanical switch gate should be used to toggle for each system.

 

I think I'm just going to avoid the whole shell matter as I'm putting too much emphasis on it rather than schematics, the insides will be extremely critical with the multi-system use. I'll just stick in a box or wrap it in bubble wrap if it gets me closer to making it a reality instead of a theory.

[Shawn]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/247443-super-ninja-controller-pre-order/

[BladeJunker]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/247443-super-ninja-controller-pre-order/

I like that one too, very nice but a little out of my price range for a controller. I think all the controller options are very nice for the various systems but it is "options" where people can pick whatever suits their tastes, I'm just proposing another.

[Lynxpro]

So…basically an ST PowerPad/Jaguar JagPad for the 7800?

[+grips03]

I like that one too, very nice but a little out of my price range for a controller. I think all the controller options are very nice for the various systems but it is "options" where people can pick whatever suits their tastes, I'm just proposing another.

At what price point would you like the controller to be?

Right now I'm still putting all the costs together.

[BladeJunker]

Sobasically an ST PowerPad/Jaguar JagPad for the 7800?

Do you mean the stock controller for the Jaguar, are those the official names? Did that pad have a slotted segment, thinking a D-sub connection for the middle attachment?

 

I definitely copied the Jaguar controller shape, on my Coleco design most people noticed the 360 shape lol.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/220930-modern-colecovision-gamepad-design/

 

Think it might be easier to just use a Y-adapter to join both 9-pin ports into a 15-pin end for the 5200, would also let me reroute the lines as needed.

[BladeJunker]

At what price point would you like the controller to be?

Right now I'm still putting all the costs together.

Do you mean my controller or just controllers in general? I actually think the Super Ninja Controller has a good price point based on what you're getting, some high quality parts there.

 

What are you putting the costs together for? I'm hoping to keep my prototype somewhere around $100 CAD dollars tops, if it goes over I'll just absorb additional costs per month but should have the bulk paid for up front. First step is to sell off a spare SNES first but it needs a PICO fuse, I hope otherwise start money has to come from something else lol.

 

Been going over parts, going to use tact switches because I think it will go more smoothly than me trying replicate a carbon contact from scratch and I don't think I can necessarily cannibalize parts from other controllers. Also can't find anything smaller than a tact switch, probably glue some caps onto them for grip initially.

 

Going to be slow to make since it's going to be hand wired through perfboard, I have to get it working at all before I even think about mass produced circuit boards IE. this is my first rodeo. Going to have to bother my buddy to help me draw the schematic, I just don't know enough to even order parts.

 

It's time though, I've been talking about this for a while now but have put it off for collecting and other hobbies because I've been weary of the costs within my budget. Well let's see if this succeeds or will I have just set my money on fire lol.

 

You got to try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-CSIFoqJD4

Edited January 27, 2016 by BladeJunker

[+grips03]

Do you mean my controller or just controllers in general? I actually think the Super Ninja Controller has a good price point based on what you're getting, some high quality parts there.

 

What are you putting the costs together for? I'm hoping to keep my prototype somewhere around $100 CAD dollars tops, if it goes over I'll just absorb additional costs per month but should have the bulk paid for up front. First step is to sell off a spare SNES first but it needs a PICO fuse, I hope otherwise start money has to come from something else lol.

 

Been going over parts, going to use tact switches because I think it will go more smoothly than me trying replicate a carbon contact from scratch and I don't think I can necessarily cannibalize parts from other controllers. Also can't find anything smaller than a tact switch, probably glue some caps onto them for grip initially.

 

Going to be slow to make since it's going to be hand wired through perfboard, I have to get it working at all before I even think about mass produced circuit boards IE. this is my first rodeo. Going to have to bother my buddy to help me draw the schematic, I just don't know enough to even order parts.

 

It's time though, I've been talking about this for a while now but have put it off for collecting and other hobbies because I've been weary of the costs within my budget. Well let's see if this succeeds or will I have just set my money on fire lol.

 

You got to try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-CSIFoqJD4

 

 

Just trying to get as much feedback as possible. I wish you luck with your project.

[BladeJunker]

 

 

Just trying to get as much feedback as possible. I wish you luck with your project.

Well thanks.

 

Well the 5200 Y adapter seems like it should work, mostly just have to combine and reroute from 18 pins down to 15.

 

I think I should stay away from trackballs and just leave that to the dedicated controllers that already exist. They are just so big, I think they need weighted bases more so than even arcade joysticks do.

 

Potentiometers actually offer a couple of controller options, 2 paddle wheels or analog triggers. I've always liked that ramping of speed with analog triggers, might be good for space and racing games even of this vintage. Not sure about dual paddles, some kind of virtual Etch A Sketch lol.

 

The Colecovision seems similar enough, that 2600 module really put the pinout into a compatible 9 pin pattern but I don't know anything about Quadratures, especially whether that is inside the Colecovision and or its controllers? Extra chips idk? Would be nice to get some Steering Wheel functions into the gamepad for the CV.

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/cvcont.html

 

The Intellivision pinout is odd in that the documentation doesn't read like the other ones, this will take some time to understand and bridge.

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/intvcont.html

[7800fan]

The Colecovision seems similar enough, that 2600 module really put the pinout into a compatible 9 pin pattern but I don't know anything about Quadratures, especially whether that is inside the Colecovision and or its controllers? Extra chips idk? Would be nice to get some Steering Wheel functions into the gamepad for the CV.

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/cvcont.html

 

The Intellivision pinout is odd in that the documentation doesn't read like the other ones, this will take some time to understand and bridge.

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/intvcont.html

 

CV quadratures are basically rotary encoder, like those used in trackball and ball mouse. CV controller had spots for them but they aren't used. They are used in CV trackball controller and can be left out.

 

CV button and switch matrix is odd with lots of diodes. Intellivision doesn't use diode or anything but they do have multiple traces that shorts to ground which can be confusing as well. You would probably need a custom circuit or chip to properly decode it or encode it if you were making custom controller that goes to Intellivision.

[BladeJunker]

 

CV quadratures are basically rotary encoder, like those used in trackball and ball mouse. CV controller had spots for them but they aren't used. They are used in CV trackball controller and can be left out.

 

CV button and switch matrix is odd with lots of diodes. Intellivision doesn't use diode or anything but they do have multiple traces that shorts to ground which can be confusing as well. You would probably need a custom circuit or chip to properly decode it or encode it if you were making custom controller that goes to Intellivision.

Okay makes sense, right the empty spots, I forgot about that. Are you sure I can leave that out, I might include a thumbwheel like the SAC used? I should go buy those SACs I saw, can't get a clear look at that wheel from the inside.

 

Well a custom circuit isn't impossible but a custom chip would likely need a mass production scenario to justify the cost. Need some kind of programmable chip on there somewhere, was thinking about simulating the INTV disc's 16 directions approximately through an analog joystick.

 

Thanks for the info, every bit helps.

[7800fan]

You could include the encoders but how many games really benefit from it? If it is worthwhile to increase the cost, the go ahead but if it was up to me, I'd just use trackball for the few games that uses it.

 

As for Intellivision, I have built an adapter that uses Jaguar controller on Intellivision system that someone originally designed a couple years ago. If you were planning to make your controller work on the Intellivision system, try this one: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/211622-adapting-jaguar-controller-to-use-on-intellivision-for-about-5/ The only drawback is the controller is limited to 8 directions total since Jaguar pad isn't designed like Intellivision. Adding analog stick would work but you'd need to read X and Y value and convert that to code for Intellivision controller. I haven't figured that as of yet since I don't want to hack my good pads.

 

An ATMega328 is about $3 each off sites like Mouser and it'd take only a few minutes to program it. I am not sure yet how it can be used with your project as it is designed to read Jaguar's matrix, which uses 10 pins total in the form like 6x4 button matrix. It may be possible to take the original code from the link above and redo it to work with your controller but if you need more pins or are outputting individual (up, down, left, right, and 15 buttons for 19 lines) Atmega328 may not work. CPLD is the next logical step but I have never used those so dunno.

[BladeJunker]

Adjusted the design a little on the top and back to include a paddle knob and an analog trigger.

 

I found some information on replacement pots for stock paddles which looks good except for being sold out of them lol.

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/cx30_paddle.htm#CX30

Just wondering if I'm going to run into the issue or was this just a matter of finding one that fits into the stock shell?

 

Could be Jaguar support also what with the 6 face buttons and analog joystick included. It is more modern so that works in its favor, 15 pins like the 5200 but different plug shape.

 

Thought about maybe a tilt sensor but probably only as an accessory, if I do keep the middle slot you could just stick in almost anything which could run off its own small internal battery.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceOrb_360

Looked at trackball gamepads one more time, either you get a ball small enough that a thumb can operate or the ball is so big it cuts a huge corner off the gamepad. It really just is too demanding in space requirements but I do see a lot of designs in mods showing they have a fanbase that it stays in the back of my mind some. Problem is I'm not a trackball guy lol.

 

Spinners are relatively small since they can be as small as a mousewheel with one skinnier dimension that they could be positioned in many places on the gamepad at 90 degree rotations. No final word on that but something good for steering as well as page scrolling would be nice.

 

Well my buddy didn't say no to helping on this project and has tools for the ATMega328 so better project stance than before.

[BladeJunker]

Well went back to look at my first design, 4 years ago, time flies lol.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/195839-custom-controller-designs/

 

Still some of that will make it into the Uber Controller, especially Input Concentration for more control layout options. Something that always bugged me about the NES Advantage was it used 2 ports but it only added options to the existing buttons but didn't add anymore face buttons despite quite a few arcade ports having to prune down to 2 buttons on NES and down to 1 on 2600.

 

That Paddle pin/lock still sounds good for switching between Paddle and Driving Controller. Still they are different enough to be a pain, 4 Paddles but only 2 Driving Controllers. Always seemed like overkill to have a driving variation to me, I mean you can spin a real steering wheel a lot but eventually it stops because the steering mechanism can't go any further. It's oddness is reflected somewhat with the small number of titles for the Driving Controller and how it's harder to find them compared to Paddles. Then again it was an odd choice to have 4 Paddles on a system as graphically limited as the 2600 compared to having 2 Fire buttons per player which a lot of 80s arcade games adopted early on. C'est la vie.

 

Figure the Paddle Knob and Analog Trigger will just use the 2 Paddle lines, I'll need to make some kind of spring back for the trigger but the basics are pull the trigger to turn the potentiometer. So together more of a future feature for 2 player racing games IE. Gas Pedal & Steering Wheel, although you could control 2 players (sort of)using existing Paddle games with this controller.

 

Shoulder buttons are going be Left & Right from the joystick as one option to approximate control feel similar to a pinball machine. I only have Midnight Magic, but I assume they all control the same way? I wonder why there wasn't more pinball on the 2600, 5200, or 7800, was it just different tribes back then that didn't talk, why no homebrew pinball?

 

Another basic to get in is being able to move Up on the joystick to a face button for better platforming control, all the rage on C64 these days. ^_^

 

I've warmed up to keypads and see some value in them but you can't tell me there was tons of arcade games that used them, go ahead name one. ^_^ Just look at it from an acreage standpoint, most of the face is covered in keypad on such controllers and they shrink and tuck the Fire buttons away on the side like you aren't constantly using them lol. I think the 2600's approach was more sensible of a keypad as an optional peripheral, I blame George Plimpton for the phenomenon. ^_^

I think it will be handy to have a keypad for the 7800 as an option, could use some more strategy games and generally more home-centric gaming experiences outside of quarter munchers. As peripheral in this design it would be somewhat like a fat credit card. At the very least I can get away from the soft membrane approach to something more durable and clicky for long term usage.

 

Looks like the average is 1-4 face buttons in most mid to late 80s games, and 6-8 face buttons around the Jaguar's time frame when it comes to direct button control. Limited pins but damn did early consoles not want to give players buttons.

 

The average for "Option Buttons" is 2 but the 5200 has 3, idk maybe you hold Pause & Start to activate Reset. For the most part such buttons branch off the keypad circuit as they are only pressed one at a time only.

[BladeJunker]

While I still have the option to just use a standard keypad in the controller that could run off of +5V like standard 2600 keypads I've found the higher tech approach appealing of a touch screen. As mentioned on a screen you could upload bitmap versions of overlays stored on a small amount of internal memory that could be updated with newer overlays.

It would be kind of like the Dreamcast VMU if it didn't suck, better graphics than a first generation flip phone and battery life that doesn't drain like a leaky boat lol. I'm buying off the shelf so it's hard to say how big it will be or whether I can fit small controls on it like the VMU or PocketStation, if it has controls I'd like to aim for some unit rotating options like the Lynx and Wonderswan had.

 

With internal memory it may be possible to save high scores along the same lines as the Atari Vox, the score saves, not the voice. Haven't put much thought into its sound hardware yet other than something cheap, one tiny speaker, and a headphone jack.

 

Touchscreen would be Capacitive as its cheaper and can be applied directly over any kind of small screen relatively. Still aiming for monochrome if it keeps costs down but even limited color might be welcome for approximating printed overlays more accurately. My minimum standard is 2-bit color to get some aliasing or shading in as 1-bit color screens were very crude even for simple text fonts.

 

So far aspect ratio is 4:3 at 320X240 but would like it a little taller except that cheap small screens tend to be too wide than tall, too low res, or both. Mostly getting the screen resolution moderately high is meant to help with overlay graphics replication, if I went lower in resolution the basic keypad shapes could be visualized but I'd need a printed overlay to even come close to the originals IE. SSDD.

 

It wasn't hard to figure out such a touchscreen wasn't going to run on a +5V line so a powercell is mandatory. Took a design feature of the Jaguar cartridge handle and turned it into a housing for a battery. Seen Ben Heck split and rewire them into long tube like shapes.

 

In the grand scheme its a fancy overlay for the older systems but to the Jaguar it could be used as a fully utilized cross platform peripheral much like Sega, Sony, or Nintendo did with such things. Being a modular unit it can be replaced with a cheaper standard keypad for those looking for a cheaper option or those that have no use for its Jaguar functionality.

[7800fan]

Hmmm touchscreen keypad? I may have to steal that idea and reinvent Intellivision controller to have built in overlay. No more managing 75 different overlays and hope they don't wrinkle because of a snag.

[BladeJunker]

Hmmm touchscreen keypad? I may have to steal that idea and reinvent Intellivision controller to have built in overlay. No more managing 75 different overlays and hope they don't wrinkle because of a snag.

Not to stop you but here's hoping I can get this controller to be compatible with the INTV, fingers crossed. ^_^

 

Well here's the thing about overlays, the 5200 cartridges had a handy little slot to store them on the back but people still lost them. The Sega Genesis had durable plastic clam shells with a tab to hold in the instruction manuals but you still have loose carts, no manuals, and trashed shells. We have center holes to grip with in our optical discs and still we scratch them and leave fingerprints where the data is. People are hopeless, can't really blame kids because it is like destructive ownership IE. "Its mine now and I'll abuse the shit out of it." they say while spitting & peeing on their games to mark their property. ^_^

 

The overlay system wasn't without its own faults too like how the keypad could be a soft membrane and the overlay a thin plastic that with heavy use you'd get finger rut gouges, have a few with that issue. A few people have also said that sometimes the keypad can often work better without the overlay in place because it can compound problems with mushy key presses. Lastly it was mostly a remedy on how to fit overlays to the controller when all applicable consoles have differing physical dimensions and tab placement or securing methods for there overlays.

 

I actually love the physical overlay concept as it dressed up the keypad with artwork that can 'harken back to' the silk screened stuff you'd see on the sides of arcade cabinets. The full keyboard ones on the Odyssey2/Videopac for games like the Quest for the Rings were very neat, probably the most extreme example.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/inside-the-magnavox-odyssey2/6/

I've seen homebrewers be quite successful at replicating overlays on controllers, Vectrex screens, however those are a labor of love and often have to be optional or sold separately for the sake of having a few price models.

In some ways I'm afraid to use my overlays if they are in good shape because I like the artwork on them and they can be fragile sometimes from age EG. plastic rot that cracks. If they are messed up I just use them, can't make them any worse than they are.

 

Whether or not any particular game needed an overlay or a keypad for that matter, well that is an entirely different thread.

[BladeJunker]

Was looking over INTV and noticed it didn't have a trackball or much of any common gaming devices. Keyboard, tape deck, synthesizer, and networking but not controllers of different types. Guess it doesn't help that the first model has not controller ports lol. Going to have to mod my INTV to have 9-pin ports to test this. Kind of seems like a system that would have a trackball but I guess they figured the Disc thing covered that aspect.

 

Figured the best way to include a trackball was an optional unit where you pull out the keypad and plug in a trackball. Doesn't effect the 2600 or 7800 much because those devices are separate by port but the 5200 and Colecovision have configurations with keypads and trackball together so hmm.

Maybe if the trackball unit had a pass-through to plug the keypad underneath in a stacking formation like Dreamcast VMUs. Probably the ball will be as big as average trackball mice sizes,not hard to find components of these cheap. Weight could become an issue if I'm not careful or at least balance pitch offsets.

 

Actually the pass-through concept sounds alright as you can combine different input device pairs together. Would be kind of nice to plug in a microphone for some Famicom style voice action like the DS managed, probably easier to take advantage of that more on the Jaguar side. Also good for segmented prices too if not everything and the kitchen sink were included in the base unit price lol.

 

Basically you're gripping with the left hand using your index finger to tap the left shoulder button to fire while you move the trackball with your right hand or thumb. Or you could just place it on a desk directly in front of you too using a non-skid mat as a stay for smooth table surfaces and work it like existing trackball units.

 

Was thinking of calling this controller The Ub maybe? Working title anyway.

[BladeJunker]

Went to the Intellivision section to get some help with how that controller works, very unique the Disc, doesn't approximate well even with analog joysticks. Mechanically it can act in an analog fashion with finger rolling but it is still a digital control electronically.
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/249364-disc-functions/


Keypad Version 2.

Adjusted the 4 color default palette to a more contrasted shift from Black to White. Might change, even 3-bit monochrome is dramatically better than 2-bit in gradient quality.

Changed from 4:3 to 16:10 in aspect ratio to get the title marquee space, I like how the INTV and 5200 overlays had the games name at the top like arcade cabinets. The keypad area itself still remains 4:3 as that seemed to be roughly the shape most keypad overlays took. Might have to physically clip the screen with a facade plate as 4:3 is easier to find in the proposed standards. No final pick on screens yet, mostly have a 30$ CAD budget to stay in.

Added some controls because touch controls are stupid for games played independently on the module, no matter how many times they try it doesn't work to cover the game graphics with your digits just because Apple is too cheap to give you buttons. ^_^
The atmega 328 seems fast enough to run some games like those on the Wonderswan IE. basic monochrome 2D graphics. It is so cheap these days for screens, what you can get now versus back in 2000 is dramatic. Going to need a graphics chip if it will mimic Lynx type scaling and rotation graphics output.

The unit can be played 4 ways including Standard gamepad, Reverse gamepad, Vertical, and Dual D-pad. Took what I liked about the Wonderswan and Lynx and got rid of what I didn't. Also a 2 player Pong style game could work on one unit if the second player didn't mind using a left handed layout.

Action Buttons are undecided between 2 or 4 button clusters because they will be so tiny it might be worth reducing the number to increase there size. Unit scale is not certain but bigger than a Game Boy Micro, smaller than a Nintendo DS Lite. Also a couple Option style buttons.

Trying to work a speaker into the "bottom" of the unit so sound can be heard while plugged into the base.

This unit is pretty much a project in itself lol but I think it will have a lot of versatile uses and with a battery I don't have to worry about console based limits. Should probably have an AC option to plug into wall sockets when the battery is drained.


*In May of last year I was asking about analog joysticks on the Genesis or Mega Drive which actually had one only in Japan, more of a flightstick than general purpose so I made my own design proposal. Same deal though in layout to differing genres that I think I'll just add Ub support for that too since it is another sibling in the D9 family.
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?29815-Genesis-32X-Analog-Joystick

[7800fan]

I've asked around about using analog stick with Intellivision using microprocessor to interpret analog direction and transcode into 16 digital direction. It comes down to advanced math (Trig I believe). Set the center as 0,0 then compute along X and Y axis to find hypotenuse to determine if the stick moved far enough that it is out side "neutral" area (centered) then using known X and Y along with known hypotenuse to find the angle and then using a table to determine what direction the stick should be reading.

 

Each of the 16 direction are divided into 22.5 degree segment so a table would be something like between 348.75 and 11.25 would be North or pin 2 to ground only. If it is between 11.26 and 33.75 degree, it would be north-east-north and ground pin 2 and 9, etc. The pinout and truth table's already available on internet like http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/intvcont.html

 

I've tried making one using ATMega but haven't gotten the complex math done, translating math equation to C isn't easy for me. Keypad and side buttons are pretty easy to implement and I've built adapter that lets me use Jaguar controller on Intellivision.

[BladeJunker]

I've asked around about using analog stick with Intellivision using microprocessor to interpret analog direction and transcode into 16 digital direction. It comes down to advanced math (Trig I believe). Set the center as 0,0 then compute along X and Y axis to find hypotenuse to determine if the stick moved far enough that it is out side "neutral" area (centered) then using known X and Y along with known hypotenuse to find the angle and then using a table to determine what direction the stick should be reading.

 

Each of the 16 direction are divided into 22.5 degree segment so a table would be something like between 348.75 and 11.25 would be North or pin 2 to ground only. If it is between 11.26 and 33.75 degree, it would be north-east-north and ground pin 2 and 9, etc. The pinout and truth table's already available on internet like http://arcarc.xmission.com/Web%20Archives/Deathskull%20(May-2006)/games/tech/intvcont.html

 

I've tried making one using ATMega but haven't gotten the complex math done, translating math equation to C isn't easy for me. Keypad and side buttons are pretty easy to implement and I've built adapter that lets me use Jaguar controller on Intellivision.

Thanks for the basics on the how that could work, it would be nice to have something approximate to the INTV through the analog stick using just the default controller. That would solve the stacking problem with modules at least in one case for those that can live without the Disc or just don't like it.

 

Oh neat Jaguar controller on Intellivision, I could see that being helpful and it has 3 face buttons like the INTV, early keypad controller Fire buttons are not exactly ergonomic, large, or highly visible. With the 7800 I'm actually enjoying the joystick a lot but the "side button" concept doesn't work for me much.

[7800fan]

The original thread about jaguar adapter is at http://atariage.com/forums/topic/211622-adapting-jaguar-controller-to-use-on-intellivision-for-about-5/

 

The Intellivision part works with most games but you'd be limited to 8 direction so some games like Vectron would be hard. I am waiting for a CV system to show up in the mail so I can finish my CV adapter to see what works and what doesn't.

[BladeJunker]

The original thread about jaguar adapter is at http://atariage.com/forums/topic/211622-adapting-jaguar-controller-to-use-on-intellivision-for-about-5/

 

The Intellivision part works with most games but you'd be limited to 8 direction so some games like Vectron would be hard. I am waiting for a CV system to show up in the mail so I can finish my CV adapter to see what works and what doesn't.

Detailed thread, should prove useful. Yeah I was all gung ho for 8-way on INTV initially because I like D-pads but so many games actually make use of all 16 directions and mechanical motions in the Disc. Have you had a CV before? I recommend Ladybug, I'm usually playing that or Donkey Kong most of the time.

 

 

 

Speaking of Jaguar I'm not sure how I'll test on the Jaguar, fairly rare and pricey in lot size here, usually a whole collection rather than entry level price. I think with the 5200 it is just a matter of time, maybe this year.

I think I'll have to simulate some consoles just because I don't have them but also I have been concerned about using some of my consoles for tests, Colecovisions don't grow on trees lol. Some kind of plug board probably with mock signals.

 

At least the Jaguar and 5200 port have a standard shape to there connectors as components are available unlike a lot of console proprietary shapes. I only have 3 to deal with, wouldn't want to have to do them all, parts nightmare unless you can get new/old stock components.

http://blissbox.freeforums.org/first-impressions-t22.html

 

I was thinking about project goals like the initial question of why with other options present, I guess one aim is streamlining and shrinking such a controller which would help those with limited storage space. For example if I removed a shelf I could hold 1 arcade cabinet in my apartment total and even Wii accessories are proving bulky to store in my limited space. I'd love to get a Steel Battalion controller but where would I put it, in my Alamo basement lol?

 

I think the other goal that was always present is generational bridging of retro gamers where more often than not younger players don't go any later than the NES because of the controller divide mid 80s as a factor, with the "standard gamepad" remaining the same basic shape/layout for many years after while 70-80s console controllers are much more eccentric(Don't get mad. ^_^). In this regard I think the 2600 fairs the best, no confusion with that joystick.

I think with a familiar grip more would play and would contribute to the health of every supported platforms following into the future. I just don't think there is enough patience in the world(especially now) to get over the learning curve in pre-NES controller operation. You've probably seen it happen, comparisons to phones, rejection, complaints, bewilderment, if you can get them past graphics and sound then control is usually what makes or breaks continuous playing.

Initially I don't think I payed enough homage to the past in my first designs like removing the keypad entirely on CV lol so it is probably for the best I didn't build one right away. Also I think it was a mistake to address each system individually when it is a struggle for me to build one controller, I can't R&D 8+ differing controllers when much of it is so similar to each other.