Dreamcast Pad Hacks

[Ren Hoek]

I have 2 conflicting reports.

I have read somewhere that the Quantum Fighter Pad (QFP) is quite simple to hack (easy access holes, pretty much no soldering required).  Then on another site, the MadCatz was said to be esiest, and the QFP was listed under "Known Pads that Don't Hack".  Beside the QFP were the words  - "2 extra buttons are programmables".  Is this just saying that the extra 2 buttons are unhackable, but one can merely ignore them and hack the rest of the pad?  Furthermore, does anyone know how many grounds are on the QFP if it is in fact hackable?

Finally, I would like to have 2 "genuine/normal" controllers still attached to teh console for use on some games / and for playing older title ROMS.  Can these just be plugged into ports 3 and 4 and used as layer 1 and/or 2 when need be, or will the ssytem only recommend them as players 3 and 4 or perhaps no at all on some older NES/MS games?  Does this mean I'd have to swap my real controllers with the hacked ones every time I want to play with one or the other?

Thanks.  Answers to these questions will speed up my DC Cabinet (I'm picking up the used cabinet tomorrow and the DC should be in the post next week - ebay purchase).

[TalkingOctopus]

I don't know about the Quantum Fighter Pad, but either the normal Pad or the Madcatz would work fine.  Check out a good guide to hacking a normal dc controller here: http://members.cox.net/joysticks/

About the second question, For most games, I think that you would probably have to plug the normal controls into 1 + 2, swapping them with the hacked controllers.  I have my DC sitting on top of the coinbox so it is very accessible and this swap is not a big deal.  I would think that you would have your dreamcast accesible too so you can switch games easily.

[abrannan]

Heres the site for the quantum fighterpad info:

http://wrongcrowd.com/~arcade/controllers.shtml

They like it, and so do I.