| Main > Main Forum |
| NES Retrolink Controller vs Classic USB NES Controller |
| (1/3) > >> |
| allroy1975:
so I bought Classic USB NES Controller from Amazon a few weeks ago. it's great and I love it. then a few days ago I was at a store called Five Below and they had a very similar product for only $5. The Retrolink USB NES controller that ThinkGeek sells for $30! I thought it was an awesome price and super cool that I found a local shop (close to me, I think it's a national chain) that had something so nerdy and cheap so I picked it up! the Retrolink is VERY iffy in the d-pad department. I played some Legend of Zelda, link moved kinda....oddly...I didn't think he could move diagonally but his movement was....spastic...is the best workd I can think of to describe it. So I thought I'd play a more simple game and fired up Super Mario Bros. Everything was going ok until I tried to make Mario slide under some bricks. Then occasionally I'd have trouble making him go left. I've since read a lot of reviews saying the d-pad sucks, but no one really discussing WHY it sucks. I looked in Windows Devices and under properties where you can test the D-pad and stuff, it seems to be working pretty well. the only problem is pure "down" is hard to achieve. it turns out that when I'm running in SMB I'm not usually pushing pure right, I'm pushing up and to the right, but the emulator takes care of it and makes Mario run. but if I push down to the right, he stops. if I push down, the controller (USUALLY) thinks I'm pushing down and either left or right, and it turns out that when I'm trying to move left it thinks i'm pushing DOWN and left. if I push up and left, the emulator works fine and moves him left. I can see all this from Windows. The Amazon controller looks identical to the Retrolink controller (except for the sticker....but I'm pretty sure the sticker isn't making the controller behave erratically) so I took them apart. they're SOOOO much the same thing, which doesn't make sense to me you can't see it very well here, but the circuit boards are the same model number.... The rubber bits that get pushed by the Dpad to make contact with the PCB look and feel identical: here is the only difference I can find between the 2 controllers: they both have 2 caps on the back side of the board...the one that works well (LEFT) has a 25v 47uF cap and the Retrolink (right) has a 16v 47uF cap. is it POSSIBLE, that the voltage difference in the caps makes a difference? this turned into a pretty long post for such a simple question....sorry. TLDR: 2 controllers, one sucks one doesn't, only difference I can find is a cap, could that really affect gameplay? |
| CoryBee:
Grab a soldering iron and switch the caps. Then let us know. :) |
| allroy1975:
yeah, I might do that. I was more looking for an initial reaction to the idea. because I'm not great at electronics, I have no idea if this could even possibly be the issue. it seems INSANE to me. but....who knows. I'll switch them out tonight. |
| allroy1975:
god i hate myself sometimes.....I over complicate things... :banghead: of course that wasn't the problem...I didn't look at the plastic closely enough. So I swap out that cap, and test.....still sucks...then take it all apart again...wait....wtf...I'm hitting diagonals too easily? hmmmm i wonder if THIS could be the problem: well NO CRAP that's the problem!!! so I swap that part around and now the retrolink works like a champ....so I'm left with 2 options... try to find a way to re-build those pillars of plastic which china so kindly knocked off, OR return it and swap it out for another one that I hope is better. as a DIYer I'd rather fix it myself. suggestions on how? my first thought as a lazy DIYer is hot glue gun little nubes there. seems like it would work for a while, but not really permanant..... |
| DaveMMR:
This might be the jerky answer but from experience I have learned that "Real NES controller" > those USB knockoffs. Reassemble them, pop them on eBay and pick up the real mccoy and one of these. In reality, those things are for people who don't know any better. Since you actually notice game play differences, you'll probably be more satisfied in the long run. |
| Navigation |
| Message Index |
| Next page |