Custom game cube controller

[GimpMan]

well thats just it! i am a c5/c6 quadriplegic embarking on a dangerous quest to create some sort of game cube controller. the main aim being to once again play Smash Brothers Melee, a game i love so very very much.

ill have friends as my hands, but i'd like to be educated on whats going on so i can help instruct them on what to do. and thats where i need this forums help! as i have never done anything remotely related to this at all.

first let me introduce you to my first go at what i want designed, assuming i got the picture to attach right... all the circles represent joysticks. because i can manage a joystick quite well (i have no use of my fingers though) the dimensions in the top are 14" wide because from one arm rest on my power chair to the other is about 14.5". and  i'd want the box 3.75" or so high because thats the distance from my lap to the level of my arm rests, and it'd be hard to manage the joysticks below that level, above would be fine to a point.



the idea behind the positioning of the joysticks is so i could use them without bumping the others. but really all i would need to play smash brothers is the front 2 joysticks.

anyway i wrote a few places asking what they think. and one recommended this...

"I would imagine that someone that is good with woodwork could build this fairly easily for you. You'd need a Quasicon 1P controller with supplied GameCube adapters: http://www.quasimoto.com/quasicon.php -  and two additional digital joysticks, such as those available from HAPP: http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/joysticks_amusement.htm to replace the push buttons for Start, X, Y. Z - and A, B, L, R

If your D.I.Y. helper could pull out the guts of this controller and place the useful bits in a new tailor-built box - wiring up arcade joysticks and buttons would be the easy part (they have push on / pull off blade connectors - no soldering is necessary)."

i went to the second link and decided on http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/competition_joy.htm

my questions for you are, does this sound like a good/do-able plan for a bunch of newbies? are there any changes you'd recommend to the above plan? and are there any suggestions or tips you have?

any feedback would be great! thanks for reading!

-Corby Campbell

[SavannahLion]

It sounds like a doable plan. I have no direct experience with Quasicon so I can''t vouch for them. A comparable product is probably the X-Arcade, however their controller don't have any analog inputs. X-Arcade also has a less than stellar reputation amongst purists.

I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what you need... to be honest, all I know about C5/C6 is what I learn on Google. So I'm just offering the following information to try and broaden your options.

Forget about ordering directly from Happs. I've been told that unless you're a reseller or a vendor, you'll be treated like garbage. Instead go to our B/S/T forum and send a private message to Ponyboy or Divemaster. They and a couple of others deal directly with Happs, have better prices, and ship much faster. Many members here order direct from them. Alternatively, Ultimarc and Groovy Game Gear have a different selection of products that might suit your needs. Be sure to refer back to this thread or explain what you're looking for.

[GimpMan]

yeah ive since decided to go with this joystick...
http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/super_joy.htm
since it can switch between being a 4 way and an 8 way, and it only costs another dollar.

as far as my mobility goes, to simplify it, i cant move anything below my armpits, or my fingers. and i have no triceps in my arms, which is the muscle used to straighten your arms. although i can still do so with gravity. but that means i cant push down reliably, and thus buttons arent great. however with just the motion from my shoulders i can operate a joystick reliably, thus wanting to have everything accessable as a joystick.

could still use any tips on pulling apart this quasi thing once i get it!

[ChadTower]

Does he need the analog stick for this game?  That will be the only real challenge.

[GimpMan]

p.s. the person who will be using the controller is me .

but yes ill need the analog stick. any tips on how to tackle said challenge?

[ChadTower]

Hrm.  I've never opened a gamecube controller.  Does anyone know if the analog stick is a standard two pot setup?  I can't see xarcade.com from here - does the xarcade have an analog stick on it?  That would make this a LOT easier.

The real question isn't "do you need the analog stick", I think, it is "do you need the analog stick to be real analog or can you get away with a digital stick in its place".

Does Smash Brothers Melee make use of the analog functionality of the GameCube controller or is it reading it in a digital manner?  Or do you need a general purpose GC controller that can be used for other games as well?

[SavannahLion]

but that means i cant push down reliably, and thus buttons arent great. however with just the motion from my shoulders i can operate a joystick reliably, thus wanting to have everything accessable as a joystick.

So if I'm understanding you right, you're going to forgo buttons entirely, have double joys and treat one as a four-way button? In other words, one joystick would activate buttons A, B, X & Y? Do you need or intend to access the R1, R2 and Z buttons?

Hrm.  I've never opened a gamecube controller.  Does anyone know if the analog stick is a standard two pot setup?

It's something, but not two distinct pots. From the numerous pictures I've seen, it's a single housed part, like a miniature joystick. As far as I know, no one ever really paid much attention to that component so there doesn't seem to be very many close ups of it. I'm not sure where my GCN controllers are, otherwise I'd take them apart to see for myself.

I did read somewhere that the GCN analog controls are functionally the same as the N64's analog control stick. If that's true, they're not pots, they're optical wheels (according to How Stuff Works).

[ChadTower]

So if I'm understanding you right, you're going to forgo buttons entirely, have double joys and treat one as a four-way button? In other words, one joystick would activate buttons A, B, X & Y?

That is how it looks.  Unfortunately it severely limits simultaneous button presses.  You could only use diagonals to do that - meaning you'd only be able to press two buttons at once and even then only four different combos.  If you had A=up and B=down, for instance, you could never do an A+B combo, only A+X, A+Y, B+X, and B+Y.  No X+Y either.

Do you need or intend to access the R1, R2 and Z buttons?

Aren't R1 and R2 analog too?  He'd need to decide if he can get away with digital there or else maybe use some type of pot based CP element like a slider.

It's something, but not two distinct pots. From the numerous pictures I've seen, it's a single housed part, like a miniature joystick.

If you open that housing, though, I wouldn't be surprised to see two little pots.    Could be optical wheels, though, as you've suggested, which would make this even harder up front since I don't know of any arcade sized optical wheeled joysticks.

[SavannahLion]

Do you need or intend to access the R1, R2 and Z buttons?

Aren't R1 and R2 analog too?  He'd need to decide if he can get away with digital there or else maybe use some type of pot based CP element like a slider.

They are. You gradually push down for analog and there will be a "pop" indicating you've pushed all the way in.

I don't recall any games that really take advantage of the analog R1/R2 feature though. I didn't even know they were analog until I asked about the popping buttons.

[ChadTower]

Hrm... I know I have at least one that uses them but I can't for the life of me remember what game that is... Mario Kart DD maybe?

[GimpMan]

hey! yeah id have joysticks for every button. which i realize would prevent certain button combinations. but my main focus is just a controller that i could play smash brothers on, everything from there is just a bonus. and the only 2 thing combos needed in smash bros is a direction and a or b. or L + A. which would be doable with the 8 way joystick. so thats all good

the L and R buttons are analog on a game cube controller. but i could get by with digital functionality,m so its no biggie.

the control stick however would need to be analog. as i understand it though, the aforementioned quasicon controller has an analog stick. i wrote the guy about the X arcade pad, and he had this to say...

"The X-Arcade has a single joystick. If you want to use one of the analogue sticks, you need to press a combination of two-buttons to switch function (D-pad, simulated left stick, simulated right stick). This means certain games just won't be playable. The Quasicon is certainly a much better controller for your design and has true analogue controls."

if im understanding this right, theres a analog stick with game cube functionality on the quasicon already. and i could salvage it. sound right?

[ChadTower]

At Quasimoto.com:

Handicap Friendly!
The Quasicon has received praise from the disabled community. People suffering fine motor disorders, such as those suffering from cerebral palsy find new life with the Quasicon's large buttons and joysticks. We have a history of customizing arcade controls for people with such conditions and are happy to be of assistance. Here's a recent testimonial from an individual with cerebral palsy:

"The controller is great. I'm now able to play games that were completely unplayable before I found your company. Good examples would be Max Payne and Fight Night. It is hands-down the best controller I have ever used. I hope that you market more toward the disability community!" - Jason Price

Maybe you won't have to build it yourself.  Give them a shout and see what they have to say.

[GimpMan]

yeah ive already talked to them. essentially this just means ill have an analog joystick. but they still have the buttons as buttons, and ill want a joystick for those. the plan is to rewire their buttons to my joysticks though.

[SavannahLion]

i wrote the guy about the X arcade pad, and he had this to say...

"The X-Arcade has a single joystick. If you want to use one of the analogue sticks, you need to press a combination of two-buttons to switch function (D-pad, simulated left stick, simulated right stick). This means certain games just won't be playable. The Quasicon is certainly a much better controller for your design and has true analogue controls."

if im understanding this right, theres a analog stick with game cube functionality on the quasicon already. and i could salvage it. sound right?

I didn't know X-ARcade had that kind of functionality. 

In any case, sounds like it to me. Leveraging Quasicon's pre-existing analog stick would make things a lot simpler since it seems to work with the GCN already.

One word of note. When gutting the Quasicon, try to minimize any damage to the components or box. You're probably going to build a new box anyways, right? Should a warranty issue come up, I don't know how kindly they might take to your modifications. 

[ChadTower]

So they have the statement on their website that they will do custom work for the handicapped but they wouldn't replace a few buttons with a couple of sticks?

That's weak.

[GimpMan]

so i got the controller. and it works great! ive been able to play nearly to full capacity without even modifying it! however i do miss buttons more than id like. so i still want to go forward with modifying the thing. my little brother played around with the wiring a little and figured out how to change it. so the only thing we really need to do is take off the top of the quasicon. and make our own.

any recommendations on what type/size of wood might be good for such a thing?