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hi all noob, here
Donkbaca:
I really like the Xbox controllers, they are wireless and set up super easy with windows, since they are MS. The thing is I HATE the N64 controller, the analog sticks always fail, and they are uncomfortable. For most games you dont need the 4 C buttons, on the face, they are usually used for moving the camera around, so i just mapped them to the second analog stick. For the few games that use all 6 face buttons though, its annoying.
EVEGames:
--- Quote from: Donkbaca on February 10, 2011, 03:53:50 pm ---The thing is I HATE the N64 controller, the analog sticks always fail, and they are uncomfortable. For most games you dont need the 4 C buttons, on the face, they are usually used for moving the camera around, so i just mapped them to the second analog stick. For the few games that use all 6 face buttons though, its annoying.
--- End quote ---
All a matter of taste of course, but for me, if I could choose only 1 set of retro ports to add to my arcade cabinet, and I wanted maximum versatility across all consoles and arcade games... no contest whatsoever... N64. For my money, absolutely the most versatile of all console controllers, FOR EMULATION PURPOSES, when coupled with a program like JoyToKey. Allow me to convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt... ;D
1) Seamless mapping to standard arcade control panel. Button A, B, and the 4 yellow buttons line up just like a standard 6-button control panel, and the D-pad maps to your 8-way joystick. Why would you want to replicate a control panel on a controller? I see two reasons - first, some (younger) players generally prefer the D-pad over the joystick, and this allows them to play classic arcade games with a controller they can relate to, and second...
2) Allows for simultaneous 4-player arcade action on your 2-player cabinet. Alternate controller mappings can be loaded into JoyToKey via batch files, which can be launched from most front-ends. One such mapping could assign the default MAME Player 3 and Player 4 keyset to your N64 controllers... now you have two players on the control panel (Player 1 and 2), and one on either side using N64 controllers (Player 3 and 4). Think NBA Jam, Gauntlet, Simpsons, etc. etc. I have your attention now, don't I :o
3) Focusing on console games, each N64 controller provides a total of 10 buttons, one D-pad and one analog joystick. True, this does not cover dual-analog systems such as Playstation, but it covers all the classic consoles pretty well (unless you're a big Atari2600 or C64 fan... that calls for another set of retro ports). And if you're a fan, as a bonus, you get to play N64 games with authentic controls.
4) Flexibility... coupled with JoyToKey or similar software, the analog stick and button Z (trigger) can function very nicely as a mouse and left-click button while in the front-end, playing PC games, or simply navigating in Windows. Also, with 10 buttons per controller and very few systems requiring them all, you can set up one of these buttons to function as the "Shift" key, which when held down, remaps all buttons to an alternate keyset. Use this in the same way you use your keyboard encoder's Shift function, to give yourself access to Pause, TAB, Enter, Tilde, the Function keys for your computer emus, etc.
EVEGames:
Forgot to mention the obvious downside... OEM N64 controllers are very hard to find these days. They can still be had on Ebay, but you won't find them in the 'used' section of your local GameStop anymore, so you should inquire about the state of the analog joystick before buying.. they do wear out. There are new 3rd party N64 knock-off controllers readily available, though I cannot vouch for their quality.
Donkbaca:
The six buttons on the face of the controller are cool, but there are really very few games outside of fighters where you would want six buttons in a row like that. Plus the fact that the buttons are all different sizes makes it a little akward.
The other benefits aren't unique to the n64 controllers, the xbox controllers share the same benefit, plus they are wireless and they have the benefit of two analog sticks that are actually durable.
You don't need joy to key, you can just map MAME controls straight to the joysticks.
Downsides: the controllers are ugly, horribly laid out, not comfortable to use. Plus they wear out ridiculously fast.
Upside: it makes playing N64 games easier.
I would recommend xbox controllers to most people, unless authentic N64 controls are a must for you
EVEGames:
--- Quote from: Donkbaca on February 11, 2011, 12:01:50 am ---The six buttons on the face of the controller are cool, but there are really very few games outside of fighters where you would want six buttons in a row like that. Plus the fact that the buttons are all different sizes makes it a little akward.
. . .
You don't need joy to key, you can just map MAME controls straight to the joysticks.
--- End quote ---
I'd estimate no less than 75% of everyone's control panel on this forum has exactly that layout - 6 buttons per player, 3 x 3. This way your controller layout mirrors your control panel - no confusion about what button does what. To me, that's a big plus.
. . .
Sure you can just tweak MAME, and most other emulators, to accept the joystick's input directly. But to get the most out of a retro port, be it N64, XBox or any other controller, people should consider some software like JoytoKey, for reasons mentioned above. But do you have enough dedicated buttons to hit Pause, Tab, Enter, ESC, Insert Coin, etc right there in your hand... a shift function is handy for that. The ability to switch from a Player 1/2 keyset to a Player 3/4 keyset to me is a VERY cool and useful option, and requires JoytoKey or similar.
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