New Alternate Controllers

[outlier]

Is anyone out there making improved controllers for the Colecovision? I know there's the action replay and some third party ones that have been made over the years but is anything being made now?

 

I'd love to have a wide Genesis controller with a number pad in the middle.

[AtariBrian]

I would hope for that also as the stock controllers suck in my opinion even when working , especially that pop tick that they do . But I dont want to be paying almost 200 dollars for one either .

[AtariLeaf]

A modded Genesis controller works just fine.

[outlier]

A modded Genesis controller works just fine.

 

Are any companies selling those? I mean can I just order it on Amazon? Or would I have to mod a Genesis controller myself?

[AtariBrian]

With a modded controller for I think (most) games you still need a keypad ?

[AtariLeaf]

I don't know of anyone that sells them. Mine was modded for me.

 

@ Ataribrian - yes you still need the keypad plugged into the other controller port (I can't remember if its keypad in 1 and genesis pad in 2 or viceversa) but that's just for selecting the game, level, speed, etc. At least for the games I play. There very well may be some CV games that need the keypad for actual gameplay.

[Manoau2002]

Yurkie sells a modified colecovision controller with a ball knob stick. They are awesome. Other controllers only work so-so because of the keypad.

[+grips03]

cheapest option is to hack a Genesis pad and standard Coleco controller together. You wire the Genesis switches (up, down, left, right, a,b,c) into the contacts on the Coleco controller. This works really well.

 

I made a arcade controller pcb for $23 shipped, but you need to provide the parts.

 

The complete controller I use to make costs too much (around 200) and hence I sold so few and no longer make them, something like the pic below.

 

Collectorvision I think might be making more of their Arcade Quality Controller

Edited January 15, 2014 by grips03

[outlier]

cheapest option is to hack a Genesis pad and standard Coleco controller together. You wire the Genesis switches (up, down, left, right, a,b,c) into the contacts on the Coleco controller. This works really well.

 

I made a arcade controller pcb for $23 shipped, but you need to provide the parts.

 

The complete controller I use to make costs too much (around 200) and hence I sold so few and no longer make them, something like the pic below.

 

Collectorvision I think might be making more of their Arcade Quality Controller

 

Wow that arcade pad looks awesome.

[AtariBrian]

The collectorvision one with shipping is right around 200 or more also .

[+grips03]

 

Wow that arcade pad looks awesome.

 

thanks, it works really well for Mecha8 and other shooters in 8-way form. I also made a 4-way restrictor gate for games like PMC and Princess Quest.

[outlier]

The collectorvision one with shipping is right around 200 or more also .

I could imagine paying up to $50 for the one I described wanting. You can get a new reproduction Genesis controller for $15 I can't imagine it would cost a ton more to have a small keypad in the center.

[retroillucid]

The collectorvision one with shipping is right around 200 or more also .

 

Yeah, those are not cheap to make you know

 

CollectorVision is planing a new CV hand controller (with keypad)

But having the mold made will take some time though

[AtariBrian]

Yeah, those are not cheap to make you know

 

CollectorVision is planing a new CV hand controller (with keypad)

But having the mold made will take some time though

Yes I know and they looked very nice . If I seen one in person I would probably buy one .

[retroillucid]

Yes I know and they looked very nice . If I seen one in person I would probably buy one .

 

The problem with those controller is the price and I'm the first to admit it

But, like I said those are not cheap to make, .... Sadly

 

To have a good price controller, we would need a mold to "mass" produce them

Then we would have a good price per controller

 

I'm thinking to go kickstarter but I'm just not sure yet

[+adamchevy]

$250 isn't that expensive for a high quality arcade controller. Especially custom made for the colecovision. Ill be the first one on the list retroillucid .

[AtariBrian]

$250 isn't that expensive for a high quality arcade controller. Especially custom made for the colecovision. Ill be the first one on the list retroillucid .

Arent you the one that also bought a Ghost and zombie for 600 ?

[+adamchevy]

That's true, go and find a copy for less than that. The cheapest on eBay that has sold in the last year sold for $500. Have you ever priced a custom arcade controller before? They go way above $250.

[Pixelboy]

Is anyone out there making improved controllers for the Colecovision? I know there's the action replay and some third party ones that have been made over the years but is anything being made now?

 

I'd love to have a wide Genesis controller with a number pad in the middle.

From past discussions on these forums, I'd say there are two distinct audiences for an "improved controller for ColecoVision": The first audience wants something with a D-Pad (like NES or Genesis) while the other audience believes putting a D-Pad on a ColecoVision controller is a sacrilege. So you can't please everybody.

 

My point of view on the subject is that it's not a controller that is really needed, it's a simple adaptor. Something small that the player plugs into the joystick port of the CV console, and lets him use a Genesis or NES controller on a CV without having to take the controller apart and rewire it for proper compatibility. Once you have that adaptor, you can just track down a functionnal Genesis/NES/whatever controller, and if that controller breaks one day, you can just try to find another one and use it with the adaptor.

 

It's hard to evaluate the final pricetag of such a Genesis-to-CV or NES-to-CV adaptor, but it would probably be a more reliable piece of hardware than a dedicated joypad/joystick.

[+grips03]

when I made a NeoGeo to CV adapter I sold zero of them. But perhaps I would have sold more if input controller was Sega Genesis, who knows.

[NIAD]

That's true, go and find a copy for less than that. The cheapest on eBay that has sold in the last year sold for $500. Have you ever priced a custom arcade controller before? They go way above $250.

More importantly... How do you like the game? Is it everything you thought it would be?

 

Most importantly... When can I buy it back?

[+adamchevy]

Im liking it a lot. It made me want to go back and play ghost n goblins on the nes. I forgot how hard that game was. Im thinking about selling it in a week or two. Don't worry I'll let you know when I do. I have kept it wrapped in bubble wrap, and up on a high shelf. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to play this amazing game!

[Pixelboy]

 

when I made a NeoGeo to CV adapter I sold zero of them. But perhaps I would have sold more if input controller was Sega Genesis, who knows.

Yeah, NeoGeo controllers aren't exactly a dime a dozen. An adaptor for Genesis or NES would likely sell much better.

[outlier]

From past discussions on these forums, I'd say there are two distinct audiences for an "improved controller for ColecoVision": The first audience wants something with a D-Pad (like NES or Genesis) while the other audience believes putting a D-Pad on a ColecoVision controller is a sacrilege. So you can't please everybody.

 

My point of view on the subject is that it's not a controller that is really needed, it's a simple adaptor. Something small that the player plugs into the joystick port of the CV console, and lets him use a Genesis or NES controller on a CV without having to take the controller apart and rewire it for proper compatibility. Once you have that adaptor, you can just track down a functionnal Genesis/NES/whatever controller, and if that controller breaks one day, you can just try to find another one and use it with the adaptor.

 

It's hard to evaluate the final pricetag of such a Genesis-to-CV or NES-to-CV adaptor, but it would probably be a more reliable piece of hardware than a dedicated joypad/joystick.

 

I think I have to agree with you. I'm in the genesis controller mindset you were talking about. If there were just a cord that plugs into the CV with a little adapter box a few inches away that you can plug any genesis controller into that would do what I want perfectly. I didn't know collectorvision was already working on a controller though. I would get one of those for sure if they put them up.

[+GoldenWheels]

I just got my first Coleco and every controller I got in the lot (4!) was absolute shite. So I am using a genesis controller. Do you really need a keypad to start the games? The d pad for thesega pad seems to read up and down as 2 player modes, and left and right as one player modes....any chance diagonals are the other 4 options? No one has mapped this out yet?

 

Also, I got a pack of games from Mumbai the other day (in mint shape!) and while Gorf works fine, Time Pilot crashes to a black screen with music (which loops) within seconds of starting the game. Could this possibly be because I am using the Sega pad?

 

And when People say the Sega pad has to be rewired for functionality, why is that? Are there two button games (aside from using keypad I mean)? I assumed both left and right buttons on the coleco controller were the same button....but since none of mine work I can't test that!