NES/SNES to Gamecube

[Great Hierophant]

For not a few games, the Gamecube controller doesn't cut it.  Either the buttons are too weirdly shaped, the triggers require too much of a depression to work, or the D-Pad is too small.  I am not a huge fan of the large A button and small B button when I prefer to use the B button to attack and the A button to jump or do something else.  The triggers work well in analogue mode, but when you need a fast press for digital action, they don't work well.  Certain games control better with a D-pad than an analogue stick, but not the controller's tiny thing.  I am considering buying an import Hori D-Pad, but before I do, I want to know whether there is a converter available that will allow a NES or SNES pad to be connected to the Gamecube.  Even an N64 pad will work well for most games.  How difficult would it be to construct such a device?

 

[Vertigo]

Hori pads cost about 5 quid. Buy one.

[HeartBurn Kid]

Get yourself a PS2-to-GC adapter.  I own two, and it's the best $15 I ever spent.

[matt]

You can convert a NES or SNES pad to the GC by using techniques readily available on the Gamesx website.

But, Hori pads are cheap and you don't need to d oany work, so there's not much point.

[NFG]

Also the Hori pads are f**king great, more comfortable than the SNES pads they mimic.  Highly recommended.

[Vertigo]

Also the Hori pads are f**king great, more comfortable than the SNES pads they mimic.  Highly recommended.

Yeh, the pad is almost as thumbingly-gorgeous as a Saturn one   They're a pleasure to use for extended periods.

[HeartBurn Kid]

The problem with the Hori pads is, while the d-pad and triggers are a big improvement, the button layout still mimics the standard GC layout, which really sucks for a lot of games.  And the placement for Z absolutely bites.

I'm telling you right now, this is what you need.  I was able to find 2 used at my local Gamestop, but I'm betting that was a rare find (they didn't even know what they were; they had them mislabeled as "GC-to-GBA cables"), so you're probably going to have to buy new ones.

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

personally, I find the layout of the buttons on the face of the gamecube to be quite comfortable.

[HeartBurn Kid]

Don't get me wrong, I like the GC's layout, but it simply doesn't work for all games (for example, fighting games).  And, since Great Heirophant had pointed out that he had problems with the GC button layout, the Hori pad wouldn't help him there.

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

ahhh ic, yeah for fighting games I whip out the mighty x-arcade stick... though I wish I had the knowledge I do now when I bought that thing... could have saved a lot by making one prolly lol.

[Vertigo]

Soul Calibur stick for fighters

[phreak97]

for the gba player, you can actually use a gba as the controller..
otherwise there is always the crude method of getting a cheapo gcn controller and a snes con and going to work with wire, a soldering iron and a sharp knife.. it works if its your last resort.. tho youll need cables coming out of the snes con (13 wires) then going into either the gcn con or a box with the gcn con guts in it.
or i guess you might be good enough to just pull the chip off the gcn con pcb and somehow wire it into the snes con.. its all possible.. possibly.

[SpoDaddy]

I'm in the same boat, I want a top notch pad for my Cube with a more traditional layout than the Hori Pad.  My top choices would be either NES (just because it'd rule), SNES, Genesis, or Saturn pads.  I figure the NES pad would be easiest since it's only 2 buttons, how would I get an NES pad working on Cube?

[Guest]

I want to know how to do this with Genesis controllers.  Any ideas?

[NFG]

As seen in the controller primers (one and two) and the Saturn USB mod the concept of a controller hack is really simple.  If you can't figure these out then you should probably read more about electrical theory 'cause what we're talking about here - replacing one switch with another - is about as easy as it gets.

And remember: if we showed you how to do it with a specific controller the info would be useless when you wanted to do it with a different pad.  The pages above should include everything you need to know to create your own mod.  

If you have specific questions about a mod you're trying to do, please ask and we will help.  If your question is "where's the common?" or anything similarly ridiculous you'll be righteously derided.