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Original NES and SNES controllers

007ELmO

007ELmO

Platinum Member
I wish Nintendo would sell original NES and SNES controllers (NEW).

Does anyone use knockoffs that they can't tell the difference with? I could care less about the NES or SNES being used, but would have preferred to use a new NES or SNES controller to game with.
 
I see gamestop sells original NES controllers (used) online, I guess a little cleaning never hurt anyone...
 
I've seen knock offs that have the same overall shell and colors, but are of cheap quality utterly lacking in comparison to durable Nintendo craftsmanship. For NES controllers at least you should have no difficulty find a used one in decent shape. I suggest the dog bone.
 
I use a knock-off SNES USB controller I got off Amazon for $6 (new) to use with emulators.

Honestly though, it doesn't have nearly the weight or substantive feel of a genuine article SNES controller, but for $6 and instant compatibility I can't complain.
 
The better value for emulators is probably getting an authentic Nintendo pad and just buying a controller to usb adapter.
 
I found some "original new OEM NES controllers" on eBay that are from Japan. They are $29 each. I'm wondering how they are actually OEM and new.

I'm thinking of buying a couple and getting a USB adapter like Sonikku mentioned. I would like to set up a small area in the house where myself and others can play classic games, away from all the large theater screens/audio setups. Just be taken back to the blippity/bloopity/throw the controller on the floor because you can't beat Megaman 2 days.

EDIT: I just bought 2 of the OEM "NEW" NES controllers from eBay.
 
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Get the NES Advantage joystick.

It's the only joystick (non-gamepad) controller I've ever been able to play a game with...and I love it.

I can finish even the most brutal NES games with the Advantage. I love using it for Super Mario Bros 3, Ninja Gaiden, and Batman.
 
I don't trust any reproduction controllers. I bought a reproduction dogbone NES controller. Very disappointed.

The cord was way too thin.
The cord wasn't wound correctly through the tension relieving posts inside the controller.
The whole control pad pushes down, allowing you to press all 4 directions at once.
Start/select were hard plastic instead of soft rubber.

It was just junk all around.

I had a reproduction N64 controller from Retrobit that also left a lot to be desired. I'd have to dig it up and try it again (ugh) to recount my specific complaints.
 
I bought a Tomee NES to USB adapter, but the actual controller is OEM NES.

I'm debating using my PC as an emulator vs. the real thing, I'd like to go real thing. Nothing like shoving a game cartridge in and playing like we used to, but emulators graphic filters make retro games look awesome.
 
007ELmO said:
I bought a Tomee NES to USB adapter, but the actual controller is OEM NES.

I'm debating using my PC as an emulator vs. the real thing, I'd like to go real thing. Nothing like shoving a game cartridge in and playing like we used to, but emulators graphic filters make retro games look awesome.
Click to expand...

You can get that experience if you spend some money on mod'ing the original NES or SNES. For the NES, take a look at the Hi-Def NES mod. I do not believe they have started selling the board by itself yet (so that you can perform the mod), but they have been selling finished systems on ebay.

The Hi-Def NES mod adds a HDMI connector to the NES with a built in video scaler (up to 1080p), with multiple scaling modes. All the video and audio is now fully digital from the cart source and processed entirely in the digital domain. This allows stereo audio re-mixing (i.e. putting certain sound channels to left/right or some combination of the two), as well as full support for expansion audio channels/chips.

I plan on getting my NES-101 modded with it once they start allowing customers to send in your own systems. Combined with the Blinking Light Win mod (that I already have), my NES-101 will really be the perfect way to play. That said, I do have an Analoge NT which has the Hi-Def NES board installed in it. Don't get me wrong, I love the system, but I still want my old NES-101 as well.
 
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007ELmO said:
I bought a Tomee NES to USB adapter, but the actual controller is OEM NES.

I'm debating using my PC as an emulator vs. the real thing, I'd like to go real thing. Nothing like shoving a game cartridge in and playing like we used to, but emulators graphic filters make retro games look awesome.
Click to expand...

I got tired of the graphic filters years ago. Now, I want integer scaling only (pixels doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc). I want to see the pixels as they were intended...but as clear as possible.

Playing on a CRT TV, a front-loading "toaster" NES with composite AV looks good enough. It actually looks much better with scanlines at native resolution than it would look on a 1080p LCD. Non-integer digital scaling looks bad because you can't evenly-multiply each line of detail from the original source image. Composite looks much better than the RF output most of us used back in the day.

Unfortunately, the top-loader NES doesn't have composite output and the RF output for nearly all of them has horrible interference lines (much worse than RF on a front-loading "toaster" unit).

For SNES/N64 (without modification), S-video is the best option. The S-video cables from my local game shop were awful. I tried multiple brand-new ones and all had some kind of screen pattern. I made my own S-video cable by extracting and re-positioning pins in an official Nintendo composite AV cable and it worked great. Later, I bought some unbranded S-video cables on eBay that worked great.

I really wish GameTechUS would sell the HDMI "Hi-Def NES" mod and allow self-installs. I can't afford to spend $399 to buy a pre-modified NES on eBay.
 
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Holy CRAP! I didn't know about any of this. This is amazing information. Thanks for the tip about integer scaling/etc. I really want a hi-def NES now. This is awesome. I can't wait to go back to retro gaming, starting with NES. I can see me going to SNES/N64.

My samsung LCD TV has LAG I think though. I need to get a new TV for this setup, with minimal lag. What are you guys using? Is anyone using a CRT?!?

From what I see, GameTechUS only has the burnt up broken NES with the hi-def mod installed ($300). None available on Ebay. I'm guessing he's working on it and will release a kit at some point, but I see no other place to get it - his FAQ says he has no timetable on modding anyone's NES?
 
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I'm enjoying my front-loading NES on a CRT television with a composite AV cable. It's a very good Toshiba CRT that someone set in the hallway of my apartment complex for anyone to claim. The SNES and Super Famicom also look great on it (connected via S-video).

Tried the NES again on my Sony KDL-52XBR2 LCD and it looks absolutely terrible through the TV's image processor. Unless you have an HDMI-modified "Hi-Def NES," native resolution with interlacing and scanlines on a CRT just looks better.
 
I watched a lot of videos last night, comparing the different NES mods out there (RGG/Framemeister/Hi-def NES/etc). I would buy that $300 premodded NES if it wasn't so beat up! 🙁

Looks I'm seriously like 2-3 days late to the game. Looks like he sold like 30 Hi-Def NES on Ebay for $400-800 each. Dude is banking it, and now has nothing left to sell.
 
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007ELmO said:
I watched a lot of videos last night, comparing the different NES mods out there (RGG/Framemeister/Hi-def NES/etc). I would buy that $300 premodded NES if it wasn't so beat up! 🙁

Looks I'm seriously like 2-3 days late to the game. Looks like he sold like 30 Hi-Def NES on Ebay for $400-800 each. Dude is banking it, and now has nothing left to sell.
Click to expand...

Get the beat-up one and put another exterior shell on it. Swap with another NES.
 
In the last several years Nintendo has made replicas that connect to the Wii Remote but they only offered them to Club Nintendo users.
 
007ELmO said:
I bought a Tomee NES to USB adapter, but the actual controller is OEM NES.

I'm debating using my PC as an emulator vs. the real thing, I'd like to go real thing. Nothing like shoving a game cartridge in and playing like we used to, but emulators graphic filters make retro games look awesome.
Click to expand...

save states are a glorious thing.
 
master_shake_ said:
save states are a glorious thing.
Click to expand...
I used to think so until I set up my friend with Donkey Kong Country 2 for a few days in the late '90s on his new Pentium III system.

When he finished it 100% with every Hero Coin I asked him what he thought of "Animal Antics." If you remember, it was a notoriously difficult stage in the Lost World that should have left a serious impression on any recent player. "Which one was that?" *facepalm* I described enough for him to recall and he said "What was so hard about that? *double-facepalm*

Save states ruined the experience of actually 100% completing that game such that he DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE how hard this treacherous marathon level was supposed to be. It's even in an extra world for pro players!

I always mapped states to my game pad before that but swore off it from then on. If I'm going to beat Super Mario Kart on 150cc coming in first on every track in the Special Cup, it's meaningless if I do it with save states.

Screw save states. They should only be used for suspend/resume or experimenting (like tool assisted speed running).
 
CZroe said:
I used to think so until I set up my friend with Donkey Kong Country 2 for a few days in the late '90s on his new Pentium III system.

When he finished it 100% with every Hero Coin I asked him what he thought of "Animal Antics." If you remember, it was a notoriously difficult stage in the Lost World that should have left a serious impression on any recent player. "Which one was that?" *facepalm* I described enough for him to recall and he said "What was so hard about that? *double-facepalm*

Save states ruined the experience of actually 100% completing that game such that he DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE how hard this treacherous marathon level was supposed to be. It's even in an extra world for pro players!

I always mapped states to my game pad before that but swore off it from then on. If I'm going to beat Super Mario Kart on 150cc coming in first on every track in the Special Cup, it's meaningless if I do it with save states.

Screw save states. They should only be used for suspend/resume or experimenting (like tool assisted speed running).
Click to expand...

you're talking about save states to cheat.

i'm talking about save states to continue at a later date.

but yeah i can see what you're saying.
 
master_shake_ said:
you're talking about save states to cheat.

i'm talking about save states to continue at a later date.

but yeah i can see what you're saying.
Click to expand...

Yes, especially on mobile devices where you play with little time allotted, but the convenience is just too easy to abuse. I had to unbind the SNES9x Ex save state keys on my Xperia PLAY 4G because they were too tempting to use, especially when I make a stupid mistake or blame my error on something external. IIRC, there was an option to save a state on exit and auto-load of saved state is present, so I settled with that.

I remember making an awesome run on 1-4 in the GBA version of SMB3 where I destroyed almost every single brick possible to destroy and still survived while pulling off a few stylish tricks while I was at it (that's the first auto-scrolling stage with nothing but bricks and falling platforms). It took me countless attempts to get it perfect. I cherished my saved demo of it before I realized that anyone with a linker could do it in an emulator with save states and write the save to their cartridge. Ugh!
 
The old controllers should be easy to take apart. Clean the plastic with Dawn and warm water, and use some DeOxit for the switch contacts (with Radio Shack basically dead, I have no idea where you'd buy it retail, now). Then, on the PCB part of the switches, some thin dielectric grease should make it feel nice and improve its longevity. If you have none, Super Lube synthetic PTFE (the mineral oil type, not the silicone type), from Harbor Freight, Walmart, or Ace, should do the trick (just a small very thin coating should do, and that tube will likely be a lifetime supply).
 
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