Best 3rd party NES contoller question?

[Dtshifter]

I was having trouble with an old original NES controller and picked up a Tomee dogbone NES controller and I really like it a lot. Has anyone here tried multiple brands of controllers and formed an opinion of which 3rd party NES controllers are good, better or best? Has anyone tried the Tomee standard shaped controller and does it function as well as the dogbone?

 

Dtshifter

[Itchy Koala]

This may or may not be your ideal answer, but I would suggest picking up the NES advantage controller. They're extremely cheap and they're made with quality

[tz101]

Not so sure I remember many 3rd party NES controllers. As mentioned the Advantage (Nintendo product) is good for arcade shooters and fighters. I don't recommend it for games like SMB and Zelda.

 

As for game pads, the NES Maxx was another unusual Nintendo branded controller that used a rotating disc in place of the d-pad. Kind of unusual, but good for certain games.

 

Another that is different from the norm is the Quickshot Joypad. Has a controller disc similar to Intellivision controllers.

 

[Tr3vor]

I don't know how common this is, but the only place I've heard of it is here at home.

 

the "Joycard sansui SSS" from hudson. Its awesome. its got turbo switches and a headphone jack on the bottom. near the plug, there is a red composite extension thing that plugs into the side of the console.

[Rex Dart]

We had the Camerica wireless stick (rad), black Quickshot gamepad (trash), a few official standard gamepads (great), and a Turbo Touch 360 (better than a Quickshot). My main requirement for a controller is that it lets me play River City Ransom smoothly. Any controller that messes up RCR is no good. Buttons too far apart, d-pad too small/mushy/sticky, and I won't touch it.

 

I remember eyeing all those neon Beeshu gamepads & sticks in the backs of magazines as a kid, but never tried one. I haven't even tried the dogbone-style pad, but I imagine it's pretty great.

 

Certainly try some sort of arcade-style joystick, I used our Camerica for so long that I had trouble playing at friends' houses on their standard pads.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Rex Dart

[+wood_jl]

As on other systems, there's no one controller that's entirely suitable for all games.

 

For "shooter" games (Galaga, etc.) I like the NES Advantage, because you can "slap" the fire button like the old arcade days.

 

 

 

For "Pac-man" type control, I like the Epyx 500XJ. This is going to be a love/hate thing, as this controller was first on the Atari Computers/2600, and it was polarizing back then. For heavy shooting, the trigger finger will tire. But for games where there's not tons of firing, this is great.

 

For general use, you can't beat the original "dogbone" but I don't know about the imitations; I hope they're as good.

 

[Dtshifter]

Thanks River Patroller but I must differ on Galaga, that requires an Atari 2600 joystick on a 7800 with the 7800 cartridge for kick butt performance! For Pac man on Atari I have never found the right controller myself so I must be the problem. Now that I have an NES I will have to try those versions of Pac Man. Like I said earlier I picked up a dogbone controller last night made by Tomee and Super Mario Bros was easier than ever and I had been playing that on Atari 7800 and Wii up until now. By the way I picked the Wii super mario bros all stars over the weekend and it is actually better on the NES than the Wii. Thanks for the pictures and the suggestions on controllers, I am new to NES as I just cleaned up a very used front loader. I have been playing Atari since the late 70's

[DickNixonArisen]

how's about this beast?

 

i put the 45 in there for scale. It's uniform of youth b/w broken wings by mr. mister. I know you needed to know that.

Edited March 18, 2011 by DickNixonArisen

[Rex Dart]

Is that a full trackball, or just a giant 8-way rocker?

[tz101]

^

Its a rocker-switch based controller.

[DickNixonArisen]

Yeah, it's a rocker. Feels like leaf switches, but not necessarily good ones. Presumably for one-handed use, maybe for the disabled?

 

I thought it was a trackball when I first saw it and got really excited, but really, what game would even work with a trackball on the NES?

[NightSprinter]

Well, I know in Japan a few games on the Famicom actually used a trackball for sports games (like one or two soccer games).

[NinjaWarrior]

Get a NES advantage

[Dtshifter]

I just picked up an Epyx controller today, so far I give it a mixed review. It was OK in most games but a total failure for NES Flintstones as poor fred could not climb anything. The Jump and up don't seem to work together in that game with this controller. I could use that combo in Donkey Kong JR. I will have to pick up the NES advantage or just practice a lot to beat the Flintstone's game, sheesh is it tough!

[Ryanw]

I'm surprised I will be the first one to suggest the U-Force and Power glove.

 

Kidding aside, the EPYX controller I'm not a big fan of, perhaps the one I had was just old and didn't work right, but I second the "dogbone" controller. I have an original that works great and another that came with my Yobo system. I'm not a big fan of the Yobo controller, but it has the turbo buttons or whatever you call them and everyone else who uses it prefers it over my other controllers so maybe those are worth a try.

[0078265317]

I have 1 dogbone works great. 1 camerica freedom wireless stick. Not bad either. ANd my stocks work great. Oh and also have the camerica freedom connection that makes any nes joystick wireless.

[BrianC]

Well, I know in Japan a few games on the Famicom actually used a trackball for sports games (like one or two soccer games).

 

The JP versions of Super Spike V'Ball (US Championship V'Ball), Goal! (Moero Pro Soccer), Putt Putt Golf FDS and Operation Wolf use it. As far as I know, these are the only games that use it.

[NightSprinter]

I know there was the Hudson-made Sansui Joycard. It looked more like a gray&gold Famicom controller that also had a headphone jack (controller cord also had a plug to go into the audio jack with pass-thru). Turbo fire and one could listen to the games they played in private. Novel idea for the time.

[DickNixonArisen]

Love the epyx xj500 for atari but the model just ain't right for the NES - nor are ANY joysticks, really, unless you're playing shooters and other select titles... ALL of the PC flight-grip style joysticks are failures on the NES.

[Galeforcerm]

My favorite is the beeshu zipper. Has a super long cord and turbo. Looks like a.famicom pad. It's the most precise nes controller I have ever used. Its also bigger than a nintendo pad so it doesn't cramp my big hands as quickly.