When Emulation Isn't Enough

oldskoolar writes "For those of you who find emulation of your favorite Nintendo games disconcerting with a keyboard interface, Joystiq may have just the project you've been looking for. For those of you with more time than most people have ambition; why not couple this hack with an older mod."

Comments

Dualshock

[Ignignot]

Personally I bought a dualshock controller (I don't even own a playstation) and an adapter for use with older games. The controller is perfect for super nintendo because it has basically the same layout, and it works in a pinch for any other game as well. I use it with battlefield 1942 and racing games. The adapter was only 4 bucks, and as I may eventually buy a PS/2 to play dvd's and video games, the controller was a good buy as well (but it was expensive).

Powerglove...

[ImaLamer]

I wish I still had the book, there was source code with it (maybe it's around here somewhere)...

This type of thing has already been done with the Nintendo Powerglove. In fact to the point where serial interfaces are available for purchase.

Another link:
Wireless Glove Project

Re:My keyboard isn't broken, why fix it?

[nvivo]

I don`t think so. Personally, i love to play these kind of games with the keyboard. It`s just so much simpler... just need to get used to it. Specially king of fighters. Mortal Kombat is perfect, because all of the fatalities are so much simpler to make with separate keys... Nowadays I can`t even get a joystick to play something, it never has the keys in the position i like.

I have nothing to back this up

[TheRealMindChild]

... but I remember back when Nesticle was first released, and I was an aspiring programmer, still in high school, hanging out in #emu on EFnet... someone had taken apart an NES controller, wired it up to the game port and it just worked. No resistors. No chips.

Going through my really tore up CD-r that is approaching EONS old, I see that in some cases you would need to sauder a single resistor between two points, but you only did this if it didnt work for you for some odd reason. There was only one person in the channel that needed to do this.

Re:I have nothing to back this up

[TheRealMindChild]

I have the controller I modified, the experience using it to tell you it worked great, and the original MS Paint made schematics.

Re:My keyboard isn't broken, why fix it?

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

You've never tried to do Geese's Raising Storm have you? It's a PITA even on a joystick.

Been there, done that, kinda

[joemck]

Over the summer I took two N64 controllers and two PS2 controllers and used the parts to make two N64 controllers that hook up to a PS2. Now, I don't have a PS2 but I do have four PSX-to-USB adaptors from RatShack ($11.50 each). This way I can play emulated N64 games with real N64 controllers. Also good for GameBoy, SNES and NES emulation. I'm planning on writing a how-to webpage. (Note: There'll be no "kit." I don't use any custom parts other than what you get in the N64 and PS2 controllers.)

Re:Sigh

[rincebrain]

Just find A) a broken cheap NES on eBay or locally, or B) a cheap NES extension cord.

Hack it apart, pull out the NES controller in port.

Throw the USB device on the end.