Gamepads for Console/Arcade Emulators?

Mortimus asks: "I'm looking for a gamepad that is best suited for arcade and console emulators. The problems I've experienced with a previous gamepad like the Gravis GamePad Pro resides in the directional pad not being precise enough and misinterpreting directions, even with proper calibration, which can be very frustrating. I'm aware of the X-Arcade joystick, but that isn't what I'm looking for. I'm more interested in gamepad like the Logitech Dual Action, Guillemot Thrustmaster Dual Analog Gamepad, and perhaps even an original Sony Playstation gamepad with a USB adapter. What have you all found works best with most emulators (MAME, FBA, ZSNES...) and the most precise without being finicky?"

Comments

USB all the way

[Jukashi]

I bought a dual psx/usb adapter off ebay for like 10 bucks, works perfect. handles ps2 controllers/analog sticks with just the standard usb modules.

Re:USB all the way

[Thedalek]

Or, if you have to have it today instead of waiting a week for delivery, your local Radio Shack has them for the same price.

Just don't as the sales associate for help.

PS Joypad the way to go

[Anonymous Coward]

I got a PlayStation joypad adaptor from RadioShack a while back. It works beautifully. With it I was finally able to clear Snatcher for the SegaCD (using GENS), something my Gravis Gampad Pro couldn't handle. It works great, and the new ones are around $10. Very precise control in ZSNES, SNES9x, GENS, NESticle, FCE Ultra, and Nestopia. Not sure about MAME but I see no reason it shouldn't work there.

You've already listed them

[gmhowell]

Depends on what you are emulating. For emulating arcade games, get the X-Arcade or build something similar. If you are playing on a SNES emulator, get a SNES controller. Just set up your front end to recognize the correct controller for each emulator.

Seriously, none of the original controllers are that expensive, and is going to give you the closest feel to the original. That is what you are after, isn't it?

Xbox controller

[Zork the Almighty]

I really like the Xbox controller, and I'm aware of the hack which allows it to be used as a joystick under Linux. Has anyone actually tried this ? How well does it work ?

Re:Xbox controller

[quinkin]

Yeah I have done it. The only real problem I had was getting a non-standard extension cable with odd cable colours, took a bit of experimentation (and a lot of solder).

It works like a dream, the only problem being that you have to either not use the trigger buttons or set them to digital - no PC games/emulators seem to support analog buttons. Which is a shame as I love driving games...

Q.

Re:Xbox controller

[iainl]

"It works like a dream, the only problem being that you have to either not use the trigger buttons or set them to digital - no PC games/emulators seem to support analog buttons. Which is a shame as I love driving games..."

Really? My Gamecube to USB adaptor (the bizarrely named Joybox 13) maps the analogue L/R buttons to slider axes, and so work as full-analogue accellerator and brake on my PC driving games. Mind you, I've also got my PS2 Logitech Driving Force installed as a force-feedback wheel and pedals, so its a bit pointless.

USB adapter and PS2 controller

[Calmiche]

Seriously, the best purchase I ever made was a USB adaptor for my Playstation controller. It functions perferctly. 99% of the games I've ever played find it perfectly. Both analog sticks work, and you can turn them off and on.

Make sure you get one that is recognised by Windows.

I use something called a Yobo game adapter, but I'm not sure if you can find them still. Mine is about 4 years old.

I can also hook in all kinds of other adapters, including my dance mat. (For dance dance revolutions.)

Calmiche,

Re:USB adapter and PS2 controller

[Xistic]

This one is about perfect. Windows XP even comes with the drivers for it.

I even use my PS2 controllers to play emulated N64 games. I just had to get used to where I moved my Z trigger to.

For games like Street Fighter and the like I recommend using an old PS1 controller as extensive use of the shoulder buttons on the anolog controllers tends to break the hinges making them less responsive.

Re:USB adapter and PS2 controller

[BigJimSlade]

(Aside: sold my HotRod in hopes of getting an X-Arcade soon... having the one stick for most of the systems I have is a big bonus in the wife-doesn't-want-stuff-cluttering-basement dept.)

Besides a real stick, I agree that the PS1/PS2 USB adaptors are the way to go. I've had good luck with the one I have (don't remember the name off the top of my head, but you can find a good list here on the Stepmania site. Those DDR freaks know their PSX adapters!

SNES!

[nidx]

I found some directions somewhere on the net for modifying snes controllers to use the lpt /db-25 / parrelel port. not the most advanced solution but very funn for playing emu games

Resources:

mod instrustions
XP Driver


also psx with usb adapter is very nice ... espically for tony hawk games.

The best gamepad, bar none.

[X-Dopple]

As far as gamepads go, my recommendation is the Saitek P880 Dual Analog pad. It is ergonomically designed, and it comes with programmable software.

It is superior over the Playstation pad for a number of reasons:

• The PSX's D-pad is stiff and rigid, not suitable for fighting games. Diagonal movement is cumbersome to achieve. This gamepad has a fully rotatable D-pad
• 6 right-side buttons on this gamepad, as opposed to 4 on the PSX's. This is handy when you are playing Capcom arcade fighters, or Sega Genesis games that require 6 buttons.

There are a few odd quirks with this pad - the shoulder buttons are far too big; a second set of shoulder buttons could have fit easily. It's a good pad and it's not too expensive ($20). It's also USB-only.

Nostromo by Belkin

[ubrkl]

I have 2 USB Belkin Nostromos... They've been configured for MAME, ZSNES, Visual Boy Advance, and a bunch of others with no problems.

Half the trick I found was with the emulator configuration. Get your controllers working well, then configure the emulators around them. These controllers work natively under XP, and have excellent drivers for 2K. I don't know about *nix support.

Re:Linux Compatibility ?

[EvilSporkMan]

My EMSUSB adapter works fine - it fits two controllers and gets mapped as one huge ass joystick - I just modprobe joydev and I'm good to go with ZSNES.

Gamepad Pro problems

[OgdEnigmaX]

I, as I mentioned, was using the non-USB Gamepad Pro...black controller, four main buttons and what I thought were two other configurable buttons but turned out to be simply autofire for buttons one and two. Completely unconfigurable, in fact...no bundled software or anything, which is odd given the fact that my original Gravis Gamepad at least came with a small sampler floppy with, like, Commander Keen on it :). I assure you that my complaints come not from an error in thumb placement but from no effort at all on my part, in fact; with absolutely no contact between my hand and the controller, it would intermittently output "right" signals. No lie. The damn thing just wouldn't center, let alone stop moving. Might've been a freak accident, sure, but it sure was an ornery bastard of a gamepad...

And yes, gamepad configurability does rock.