NES / SNES / Genesis USB Adapters?

[AGarv]

The family and I are huge on nostalgia, and being able to use the exact controllers that we literally had in our hands 20 years ago would be incredible.

I have seen USB single adapters for one NES, one SNES, or one Genesis controller. Does anyone know of USB adapters that support two players? Or, are there "combo" adapters that handle 2 or more of these systems?  Thanks!

[yaksplat]

i bought a two player SNES adapter off of ebay.  I've only found single units for the NES.

[g_block247]

http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=d1aeceac2ec9216410aa02a2ba80aa51

Problem solved

Edit: oops, sorry didn't see the "two player" requirement my bad, lol 

[Howard_Casto]

Eventually I'm going to have to finish coding that universal console adaptor.  I stopped because it's cost-prohibative to buy all the physical connectors needed.  I would sure like to know where these people are getting the sockets so cheaply!

[nitz]

I found 2 player SNES and Nintendo 64 contoller to USB adapters here. I love 'em!

http://www.racketboy.com/store/

Doesn't look like they have NES or Genesis ones unfortunately...though I personally feel the SNES controller is much more comfortable for playing NES games anyway, as I always found those rectangular NES controllers uncomfortable in long sessions.

[SavannahLion]

Just swap the connector or make an adapter for the 2 player SNES to use NES pads. They both use the same IC's.

[Howard_Casto]

Just swap the connector or make an adapter for the 2 player SNES to use NES pads. They both use the same IC's.

That would work, but your button numbering is going to be completely off (I think nes A and B is snes X and Y and there are a few others) and probably all of your extra buttons are going to be stuck in the "on" position with a nes pad plugged in. 

It's worth a shot though... you can buy nes sockets for as little as 2 bucks... they seem to be the only retro connector readily available.

[SavannahLion]

Just swap the connector or make an adapter for the 2 player SNES to use NES pads. They both use the same IC's.

That would work, but your button numbering is going to be completely off (I think nes A and B is snes X and Y and there are a few others) and probably all of your extra buttons are going to be stuck in the "on" position with a nes pad plugged in.  

It's worth a shot though... you can buy nes sockets for as little as 2 bucks... they seem to be the only retro connector readily available.

You make it sound like a big deal

IIRC A becomes B, Y becomes A, the rest of the button mapping is identical, which is what counts.

As for "extra" buttons being "pressed," so what? Any decent emulator that will easily let you to remap a controller will also easily ignore those buttons.  

If you're really anal about that, might as well crack open the controller, cut the ground to pin 11 and add a pull-up. But if you do that, you can swap the cables from a dead SNES controller.

TBH, I see only two things you need to worry about. Whether the adapter has some sort of internal functionality associated with those bits and whether the emulator is unable to remap buttons in order to reverse the AB layout.

[Howard_Casto]

Well if it's an emulator/game with a text-based config file sure, it's no big deal for the buttons to be held down, but if it isn't when you go to remap the controller Those buttons are constantly held down, so you can't. 

For that matter you can't have the thing plugged in any time you a remapping any emulator or pc game, even if you currently aren't using the controllers.

So it's more of a big deal than you think it is.

[SavannahLion]

Well if it's an emulator/game with a text-based config file sure, it's no big deal for the buttons to be held down, but if it isn't when you go to remap the controller Those buttons are constantly held down, so you can't. 

For that matter you can't have the thing plugged in any time you a remapping any emulator or pc game, even if you currently aren't using the controllers.

So it's more of a big deal than you think it is.

As usual, you don't really read my posts through.

Let's try again shall we?

If you're really anal about that, might as well crack open the controller, cut the ground to pin 11 and add a pull-up. But if you do that, you can swap the cables from a dead SNES controller.

Looks like that base is covered. 

[Howard_Casto]

Well if it's an emulator/game with a text-based config file sure, it's no big deal for the buttons to be held down, but if it isn't when you go to remap the controller Those buttons are constantly held down, so you can't. 

For that matter you can't have the thing plugged in any time you a remapping any emulator or pc game, even if you currently aren't using the controllers.

So it's more of a big deal than you think it is.

As usual, you don't really read my posts through.

Let's try again shall we?

If you're really anal about that, might as well crack open the controller, cut the ground to pin 11 and add a pull-up. But if you do that, you can swap the cables from a dead SNES controller.

Looks like that base is covered. 

Nope I read it, apparently either you didn't read mine or you just can't understand it.  Absolutely nowhere in your post do you address the fact that having the buttons constantly held down is going to interfere with remapping.  You just state that any emulator is going to let you remap things, and I said no, you can't remap emulators that do it in-game because the buttons are held down and those will interfere.


Why in the world would you want a usb adaptor that you can't leave plugged in for fear of it interacting with other programs?


I'm sorry... hacking a vintage gamepad is never a viable solution. 

[SavannahLion]

Sure Howard. 

All the classic controllers gutted for DB15 mods, cable swaps, even those bastardized modded consoles are a no-no? Wireless controllers, not acceptable?

As far as I'm concerned, that statement has zero credibility amongst all the butchered cabs and modifications that go on here. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, who has the mindset and skills to adapt an NES controller to a SNES USB adapter certainly has the skills to figure out how to get it work. There are about a dozen ways to do this, you haven't offered any.

You want to help? Tell you what, figure out your snazzy project and this entire conversation will be null and void because you'll be that knight in white armor, eh?