"I'll just watch the first few minutes now and the rest tonight..." next thing I know it's 50 minutes later lol. Great video, guys. Your b-roll is always so well done. I always found the kidney bean controller a bit weird myself. It's still a good stick but like you said, feels cramped compared to the original.
Back in the day when controllers were easy to disassemble I used disassemble my controllers completely about once every six months or so and physically wash the plastic parts of it. Like, washing in the sink kind of cleaning. Xbox controllers have gotten so damn complex now it's hard to take them apart--they've got 2 PCBs, four shaker motors, an internal clamshell, and they're held together by clips.
I deep clean all of mine. Disassemble completely and scrub the plastic parts with soapy paper towels and q-tips, getting into every little corner. Isoprobyl alcohol is also excellent at getting colored scuffs out (some of mine had black/white/red/blue scuffs and marks).
@@davidbrooks2476 I only go as far as loosening the screws, then scraping the gunk out of the crevices & using rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to clean everything out. I've had to do some repairs on a few controllers & ended up ruining a perfectly good PS4 controller because I couldn't get the trigger springs back in place.
Loved the data included in the video, thats why i really like your channel, you do some of the most in-depth content on youtube. You should also do a follow up for handheld controls and button layout. Having good and durable controls for handhelds is arguably more important than having them on home consoles, since they cannont easily be replaced if they broke or if you simply want a better solution. I also think this topic is kind of neglected in youtube, a lot of content creators talk about their favorite controllers, ignoring that handhelds essentially are their own controllers.
Absolutely love your channel!! Stumbled upon it about three years ago it’s become one of my favorites! I grew up with retro games. I was given an NES as a kid still have it till this day! I got my first PlayStation in 90s and love gaming till this day. Your channel is amazing the passion and joy you have for gaming and the quality content is so much fun! Keep up the superb work! :)
I thought i had played all the great games for the Genesis but after seeing this video there is obviously many more gems to discover. I can see why its the Immortal John’s favorite system. It really is highly underrated!!
What a beautiful, beautiful mini-documentary! So wonderfully informative! I watched 31 minutes of it last night, and then stopped because I desperately needed sleep. Came back, and it was just as good as I remember. It's clear you two are passionate about old gaming. Will definitely watch the next part and check you out some more. Fantastic job!
The concave Y and X buttons on the super nintendo controller really was an amazing innovation and it genuinely upsets me that nobody else has yet incorporated it.
@@Dzumeister Or they simply grew up with it like people in the whole PAL region and Japan. In fact, if you take the whole world into account, more people used the SFC/PAL design than the American one. I personally prefer it as well because I'm from Europe and it's what I've been using on the SNES since I was a kid. I also like it for the fact that it's the original design including the traditional 4 SNES colors which were even used in some games. But I can imagine I might have preferred the US version, had I grown up there.
The AES stick button angle was designed for you to rest your thumb on the A button. Then your index button on B, middle on C, and ring on D. Try that and becomes way more natural
They have very limited space. If they have a long wire in a limited space, they might trip over it and the wire would be all over the place. They might have to use rubberband to tie up long wire to shorten it. Even in US, kids and adults still trip on those long wires. Whether the ac unit, rf wire and or controller wire, people still trip on them. I think I trip about 2 times on NES and it froze my gameplay.
@@goatbone you are right on that one. The smallest tv I played NES was 13". It was pretty small. Later on, my mom bought the 19" and it was amazing to see the actual blurry pixel a bit better. Man, kids today got it made. Having a big giant tv in their room while kids of the 70s and 80s have to deal with small ass tv.
"Most Westerners are not used to sitting on the floor, however, in Japan sitting upright on the floor is common in many situations. For example, meals are traditionally held on a tatami floor around a low table."
When I said about the retrobit pads dpad pressing in and not feeling the same everyone thought I was insane. Glad you found it the same also. It's a good pad but not a replacement for the sj6000 as that's so precise its perfection
I tried swapping the dpad over and the rubbers with no success. The mould for the dome is larger it seems. I bought two of the pads as they said it was the same moulds and gave them away
Agreed, the Retro Bit Saturn and Mega Drive/Genesis controllers “look” the part, but the D-pad is all wrong, you can depress all the rubber membranes at once when you push down on the D-pad, making half and quarter circle much less accurate, you simply can’t do this on a genuine original 6 button Genesis/Megadrive it will always depress the direction you are pressing.. it blows my mind how people can’t notice this, but glad to see I’m not the only one
@@garycormack after the sega lord x review on the 2.4 saturn pad I gave them one more chance and ended up returning that due to random inputs I didnt even press. They suck and I'm just waiting on a 8bitdo wireless receiver to use with a DIY kit as they are flawless
kevinwoolford123 I actually went down that route after giving up on these Retro Bit controllers, I bought the DIY kit and now have a USB controller with original controller parts, it supports both direct and X input and is perfect, I’ve tried all sorts to get these retro bit controller D-pads better, tried mashing parts from an original controller onto these but it just seems to make it worse if anything.
kevinwoolford123 I watched the sega lord X review also, and all due respect to him but it quickly became evident to me that like most people that buy the retro bit controllers they simply aren’t partial to the inaccuracies.
Great episode as always. Would love to see an episode along the lines of: Nintendo games that Sega fans will love and vice versa. Maybe it already exists and I just haven’t watched it yet.
@drunkensailor112 @sambo0909 During the early 90's, the Neo Geo AES was definitely $650 for the version of the console that came with two joysticks and Magician Lord. Two relatives of mine use to work for a store called The Wiz during the early 90's which had the Neo Geo AES in stock and it was $650 for that model (as a kid back then, I even saw it myself several times). The Neo Geo AES games were $200 each during this time period. That is not a typo, the GAMES were two HUNDRED dollars each during the early 90's. Keep in mind that mind that during 1991, the Sega Genesis console was $150 and Genesis games, on average, were on average $50. Neo Geo AES was expensive as hell back during the early 90's. Many of it's games are super expensive today if you check ebay (some going for thousands, especially certain later releases for the console).
Oh and one more thing on controllers, you have to add this test to your reviews. “Can you Hadouken reliably?” That should be a dealbreaker for a d-pad !!! Every controller review needs this!
Man I loved the Sega 6 button. I used to hold with my hands reversed. Used my fingers, rather than my thumb, to press buttons more quickly. Miss those days. Recently bought a reproduction controller for fighting games on PC. Love it.
OMG the condition of the controller's rubber pads killed me lmao. Even all the used gameboys I've bought over the years don't have rubber pads that destroyed lmao. That controller was definitely well loved.
It's incredible how in depth you guys get in your videos. i love that attention to detail and throughness. It keeps me coming back! I love your passion for retro gaming and it has inspired my renewed passion as well. Thank you for your awesome content!
I'm late to the party but I have to say this is an excellent video! And kudos for the El Viento music and for showing it off a bit! I really loved that game and I still feel that its control and response speed is some of the best in 2D game history!
@@TheKayliedGamerChannel-RUclips It was still 6502 based lmfao, and being an 8-bit CPU limits the RAM it can access without an MMU of some form but yes it was actually faster than the SNES cpu tbh lmao
3rd and 4th generation of gaming are tops in my book. Was really gaming at its zenith, before it started to become too mainstream and corporate. I actually love the PC Engine controller, feels like a bigger and more comfortable Famicom controller. The Neo-Geo arcade stick is also amazing, I picked up an AES a few months ago, and am surprised at how well it has held up- especially considering the wear it probably got with all the fighting and shooter games on the platform.
There are a few SMS games that won't work with a Genesis controller, like Alien Syndrome and Wonder Boy 2. But I found a hack that works. Get a cheap Genesis controller extension cable, and on the end with the male pins, remove/snap off pin #7 (on the 4-pin row, that's the pin second from the left.) Connect the Genesis controller to the extension cable and voila, those games will work perfectly now. I don't know the technical explanation for how this works, but I'm sure it has to do with a memory register getting confused by extraneous signal or something. Note that this won't have any affect on other SMS games, so once you do the mod, you won't need to swap out controllers ever again. (It WILL cause problems with Genesis games, however.)
Lore like this is great for longtime Sega fans trying to figure out what's compatible! I always loved Alien Sydrome on Master System, but it won't work with Genesis controllers.
The first 2 or 3 generations of consoles were intended to be placed right in front of the players, such as on a coffee table. This is why the controller cords are so short while the power/AV cables are sometimes unusually long. So ideally, you would have a tray of some sort to keep the console/controllers/games on, and keep the tray on a shelf when not playing. Plenty of official and unofficial organizer trays were produced back then. Some doubled as travel cases.
I know it didn't get much more than a mention, but I had no idea that the NES had a disability-friendly controller! Thanks for making this, guys! It's always interesting you hear your takes on games and their associated tech!
I found the Sega Genesis 6 button controller to be awesome. I never knew what the mode button was for growing up. Awesome video and very detailed on the controllers through the different generations of consoles.
By far my favorite Genesis controller is the 3-button version that says "Made in Malaysia" on the back. The D-pad on these is so much better than the stiff originals that say "Made in China."
35:15 is because the pad is in the corner. It needs to move up and probably in; so that your thumb can be in a more economic position (rather than just floating)
Huge NES Max person here. When I first got it I was negative on it, but then my NES Advantage started to go and so picked the Max back up for turbo buttons. Once I got the feel for it, it was my go to...until I got angry one day playing and threw it across the room. Lol
There is no real reason why a third party company can't make as good or better controllers so the rule of first party system controllers in my opinion is based on two factors. 1st is just due to human nature. What i mean is that if you buy a console and play with a certain controller then you get used to that feeling and kind of reject alternatives that feel any different even if it is not necessary worse. So even if a third party controller has the same or better quality it will still be very hard to top the fame of the original one because people will say, "i don't know the d-pad or the buttons just don't feel right", meaning they don't feel like the original controller. 2nd is pricing. The vast majority of third party controller makers try to make their controller cheaper than the original. Because if the price is the same or higher then that will be a big problem for their sales since people will go "well if am gonna pay that much then why don't i just buy the original one". So by trying to go cheaper it means they end up making a worse controller since they use cheaper parts. Add to that how harder is for them to be cheaper since their profits are based on that controller unlike the console maker that makes money from the games and console and you see how hard their position can be. That is why most times the best third party controllers for a system come years later when the system is an old and the original manufacturer stop making controllers for it.
Love this comprehensive video. I actually collect 1st party TG16 and PCE controllers, I'm at 8 unique 1st party controllers right now. Some day I hope to find a Vistar controller, that's the White Whale.
Wow, your master system controller sticks move so much more than mine. Mine were always super tight, like less than a half inch of movement in any direction. I guess mine were always just old and stiff and I never knew it. That's what I grew up on, it was awful. Years later I bought a d-pad style controller, what a difference!
You have a dogbone. Very glad as many people don't even know that controller exists. You did mention the PAL SNES controller - thank you. Colour makes a difference also the buttons were shaped differently too. PAL has a convex hump and NTSC had a concave dip. The convex vs concave is an issue for retro enthusiast - and you most certainly are in that category. Some perfer concave, others prefer convex. You could buy a dogbone separately. I know I owned a separate dogbone back in the day. They came in a nice official looking box too. Also the dogbone is polarising. You do not like it but many do like it. I prefered it to the NES rectangle. I remember with my small hands, the edges of the rectangle dug into my hands. I don't remember if that was only after long play sessions or not, I was young then. But I do remember the dogbone being the controller of the two I liked more. Mostly for the exact same reasons you don't like the dogbone. The spacing between A and B is all muscle memory. You can practice enough to get used to the more spaced buttons. You can't expect to be perfect with the dogbone on day 1 after years using the rectangle. The dogbone is a good controller but it's polarising. Some people love it for legit reasons and others do not like it also for legit reasons. Also another point is how you play NES games. You move the tip of your thumb from A to B. That's not the only way to play NES games. For me I used the controller in a different way. I used the end of my thumb for B just like you did. Thumb bent with the knuckle upwards and tip on B. But for A I didn't move the tip of my thumb to it like you do. I just straightened out my thumb so the middle part of it under the knuckle touched A. The tip of the thumb was just resting on B and not pressing it down. Thus I didn't have the travel time for the tip of my thumb to move from B to A like you do. I only had to move my thumb knuckle downwards to press A. The dogbone is not the best controller based on how you play NES games but for others who play NES games differently, such as my self, the dogbone works really well and that's why I liked it so much. I even know a few people who prefered the Advantage to the rectangle and the dogbone. They were mostly arcade pros though. But still different strokes for different folks as they say. The one thing you must agree to is there is there is a 1st party option for everyone. Rectangle for traditionalists such as yourself, dogbone for those who play NES games differently and have smaller hands, and the Advantage for the joystick/arcade pros. More options is always a good thing. In the end the best controller is one that is relatively reliable, does it's job well and fits well in your hand for your play style. Yes that means there is some subjectivity in which controller is the best. Not a bad thing as everyone has different needs and tastes in controllers. Agreeing to disagree is the perfect answer. No one controller will be universally loved by everyone. We each have our own different styles of playing games and invividual preferences. Personally I am not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying the answer to "what is the best controller" is different for everyone. The rectangle and the dogbone are both the best NES controllers - depending on how you play NES games and what you like. The abomination with the 8 way circle on it, yeah we can all agree that was terrible. Though it was forward thinking in a few aspects as you rightly mentioned in the video. Great video though. I really hope you continue on with this series as getting into the N64, Gamecube Wii and PS controllers would be very interesting. Many people regard the gamecube controller as the best ever. But is it really? A good analysis into this would really help.
The Famicom has short, attached cables because it was meant to sit on the floor between the player and the TV, like older Atari game systems. Meanwhile the NES has longer, detachable cables because it was designed to be used like a VCR.
As someone with a slight controller obsession, this video is all kinds of awesome for me. Looking forward to part two! On a couple of random notes, I never understood having the A & B buttons slant in the exact opposite way your thumb naturally rests, even on the GameBoy. Game Gear had the same issue. The spacing you mentioned on the NES dog bone is what pushes it over the edge for me, as opposed to GameBoy where I can tolerate it. I still have that issue with some newer Nintendo games that want you to use A & B when B & Y would be more natural. I've also found that my six button Genesis controller works great on the Atari 2600, and I can't go back to the original joysticks with the button on the left side.
Another great video. I generally prefer first party controllers, but Micomsoft's range of arcade sticks for Japanese 8 and 16 bit consoles were just sublime. I've managed to collect all of them over the years and the build quality and feature sets are just incredible. The PC Engine stick is my favourite.
The Sega Master System arcade stick, despite having it's stick on the right, feels very comfortable and it's actually easier to play games with the joystick on the right. As someone already pointed out in this thread, the joystick was placed on the left in arcades to makes games harder. Once you get use to playing on a joystick with the stick on the right side (it takes about 10 minutes max to get use to it if you are use to playing with a stick on the left), it makes games easier (assuming you are right handed). Atari 2600 also had it's stick on the right and the button to the left.
Great video! Love the hard work and love you guys put into your work, it blows my mind that this is free content, because it feels very premium. One slight correction though: Zappers DO in fact work on the top loading NES. I know because I use both of mine on an almost daily basis!
[Try4ce] Thank you! Sorry for the confusion, but a few people did miss what I was talking about regarding Zappers. They work on Top-Loading NES, but NOT AV Famicom. I was just making the point that even though you can use American controllers with the Famicom for the first time, the same is not true of the American Zappers.
@@mylifeingaming I apologize for my confusion, thank you for clarifying sir! Enjoyed the video very much, now I'm off to binge watch the rest of your content!
I actually had an old snes controller tucked away in my controller collection I haven’t used because my adapter broke, but when i went to go check and it just so happens to be an engraved version. I just ordered a new adapter and cleaned it, time to set it back up with my wii and give it a go in Super Metroid again
"If you're Left handed, give it a try" As a Lefthander, I can officially tell you that, NO. Left Handers dominated in the arcades because they PURPOSELY put the joystick on the left and buttons on the right to make it more challenging to the majority of gamers. @20:45. Coury, It's even more backwards for Lefthanded people.. lol.
Yes, the Japanese Mega Drive Arcade Power Stick and it's six button successor, the Arcade Power Stick 6B, are both micro-switched, offering a significantly better experience than the variants we received in the West - both are fantastic sticks. They're some still available on eBay, but prices are quite high.
I remember plugging my MegaDrive controller in my Amstrad CPC 6128+ and the Amstrad one in the console to astonishingly see that it worked on both, marvelous 9 pins port!
I'm one of those folks who loved the NES Max controller growing up. The trick was indeed to use the black ring, rather than the central sliding circle. Once you get past that, it's gravy.
When I play fast paced high action and speedrun nes games, i use dedicated fingers per button on a dogbone with a claw grip. Love it. For less precise quick button press games, rectangle is fine.
Managed to score the Japanese Mega Drive version of the Arcade Power Stick about a year ago, and those microswitches make all the difference. Awesome joystick for the plethora of great shooters on Genesis.
I love those ones: PS2's Dualshock X-Box One's Controller Switch and Wii U Pro Controller M30 from 8Bitdo SN30 Pro + from 8Bitdo Brawler 64 from Retro Fighters
@@rastas_4221 Hmm, my Dualshock (PS2) lasted a lot more than the one for PS1 that I had...I think that is my single reason to like PS2's Dualshock more
There's actually a third variant of the Retro-Bit Genesis controllers. Last month LimitedRunGames released clear pink controllers for breast cancer awareness
The SN30 Pro Plus is now my main controller on Switch and PC. Older GTA and similar games using DirectInput and the rest on XInput is an absolute beautiful thing.
Can't wait for them to cover the post-SNES era. Some of those first party controllers are ridiculous. One of my favorites has to be the "Por Que No Los Dos?" Transforming d-pad Microsoft put on their xbox 360 controllers. Did I enjoy fiddling with the d-pad? Yes, but that's because I'm literally autistic.
There is another revision of the 6 button Genesis controller that came packed in with the Genesis 3. It actually is more similar to the OG 3 button in size and shape. Not sure why the variant exists but it's not as common as the smaller one featured in the video.
Great video as always! One controller that comes to mind that you may have missed here is the Genesis 6 button arcade stick. Probably not a big deal as I found the stick to be bit annoying here as well but it is the one I used to play street fighter. I love my genesis 6 button controller, probably because I can't really use the 3 button which makes my thumb joint hurt after a while. Aging gamer problems.
For me, I know it's 3rd party, but the SNES asciipad was the cream of the crop. You can even swap in SNES buttons to retain the concave + convex scheme and colors. You can also use a dongle (or wire splice) to use the SNES asciipad on your NES. I have a SNES asciipad I wired myself to play on the NES, so I get turbo and slowmo functions, along with the more natural layout of using Y + B for games like SMB.
I used to use the Genesis Arcade Stick on my Atari 2600 and 800 XL home computer. The joystick worked flawlessly and the 'B' button was the action button.
I remember seeing those neo geo sticks in my local indie over the years (they only shut down this year). There is something really compelling and nostalgic about it for me even though I never used one.
To be fair, the 6-button clones from Hyperkin GN6, Old Skool, etc use the same mould too, they just didn't get the rights to the Genesis branding like RetroBit did. Pretty sure the reason the Megadrive Mini in Japan had 6-button pads and the rest of the world didn't is because Japan always had slightly smaller versions and Sega no longer had the rights to their original design outside of Japan (sold to the company supplying Hyperkin, RetroBit, Old Skool, etc).
0:30 *Atari 5200 controller left the chat* lolz 6:42 Meh. Only good features are the turbo buttons. 8:46 I love that particular NES controller, prefer it over the rectangular one. Just feels better in my hands... 17:30 I can use either one; I just like the 'dogbone' (lolz) better. 19:04 Yup, always thought that was too much like Atari. 19:50 Up to jump? What is this? This isn't the arcade!! 22:16 Fond memories I have of this and the six-button MD controllers... 25:14 I remember using this once; it made playing Road Rash a lot easier but I had a hard time in other games... 27:14 I absolutely loved this controller. 30:00 Only thing I like about it is having the turbo buttons. Otherwise...pfft... 32:08 I'd like to have one of these, for certain. Would make Sega emulation gaming feel more authentic... Four face buttons in a crux pattern, there's nothing better, really.
Commenting before watching but one of my favourite small changes that I doubt will be mentioned is the upgrade on the Dualshock 4, the front light bar is nice but the invisible change is that when plugged in to the console the newer controller transmits through the cable rather that still going wirelessly and only using the cable for charging, small change but wonderful for twitchy games like shooters, precise platformers and fighting games.
I haven't used an NES Max in over 20 years but, as a kid, I loved it! But, my reasoning was that it was my introduction to a "Turbo" feature and it blew me away. Even as a kid, though, I felt like that red slider d-pad wasn't great and opted to roll my thumb around the black circle, which seemed to get the job done just as well.
For me, the best combo for the NES is the dogbone, the NES Fourscore and the 8bitdo wireless adaptor. The controller is superbly comfortable, the Fourscore lets you turn on turbo fire for each button which gives my hands a bit of a rest when playing Contra and the wireless just gets rid of all the cables.
Those Master System Control Sticks can be easily modded to resemble a more common arcade stick, the PCBs inside can be rotated 180 degrees and the cable just needs a small square opening to match the new orientation.
would have liked to see the NTT Data NES/SNES controllers mentioned in this one. They are for all intents and purposes OEM pads, with the same exact parts as official controllers but with the additions of the numberpads
I feel like the biggest issue I had with the TurboGrafx controller from when I used to play it at my friend's house was that it seemed like the d-pad and buttons were awfully close to the bottom of the controller for my taste. It felt like they should have been a bit higher up, I don't like the feeling of holding a controller by the bottom, it feels like I'm not holding the controller with my hands but between my thumb and forefingers.
I must repeat that someone wrote on previous videos of MLIG - "This is so much better than Netflix"
Agreed. Classic NES controller > Dog Bone. Every time!
I was not expecting a Jeremy Jahns comment on here 😃👍
I think the Dog Bone could have been heavily improved by not angling the face buttons.
"I'll just watch the first few minutes now and the rest tonight..." next thing I know it's 50 minutes later lol. Great video, guys. Your b-roll is always so well done. I always found the kidney bean controller a bit weird myself. It's still a good stick but like you said, feels cramped compared to the original.
Man... the close ups on those controllers reminded me how absolutely filthy controllers can get.
Back in the day when controllers were easy to disassemble I used disassemble my controllers completely about once every six months or so and physically wash the plastic parts of it. Like, washing in the sink kind of cleaning.
Xbox controllers have gotten so damn complex now it's hard to take them apart--they've got 2 PCBs, four shaker motors, an internal clamshell, and they're held together by clips.
I deep clean all of mine. Disassemble completely and scrub the plastic parts with soapy paper towels and q-tips, getting into every little corner. Isoprobyl alcohol is also excellent at getting colored scuffs out (some of mine had black/white/red/blue scuffs and marks).
@@davidbrooks2476 I only go as far as loosening the screws, then scraping the gunk out of the crevices & using rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to clean everything out. I've had to do some repairs on a few controllers & ended up ruining a perfectly good PS4 controller because I couldn't get the trigger springs back in place.
@@davidbrooks2476 Funny I'm taking apart and cleaning my OG Xbox Duke controller as I'm watching this video.
Humans are inherently filthy
remember the ancient wisdom of zen: if the turbos built in, its not cheating.
Loved the data included in the video, thats why i really like your channel, you do some of the most in-depth content on youtube. You should also do a follow up for handheld controls and button layout. Having good and durable controls for handhelds is arguably more important than having them on home consoles, since they cannont easily be replaced if they broke or if you simply want a better solution. I also think this topic is kind of neglected in youtube, a lot of content creators talk about their favorite controllers, ignoring that handhelds essentially are their own controllers.
Absolutely love your channel!! Stumbled upon it about three years ago it’s become one of my favorites! I grew up with retro games. I was given an NES as a kid still have it till this day! I got my first PlayStation in 90s and love gaming till this day. Your channel is amazing the passion and joy you have for gaming and the quality content is so much fun! Keep up the superb work! :)
I thought i had played all the great games for the Genesis but after seeing this video there is obviously many more gems to discover. I can see why its the Immortal John’s favorite system. It really is highly underrated!!
What a beautiful, beautiful mini-documentary! So wonderfully informative!
I watched 31 minutes of it last night, and then stopped because I desperately needed sleep. Came back, and it was just as good as I remember.
It's clear you two are passionate about old gaming. Will definitely watch the next part and check you out some more.
Fantastic job!
The concave Y and X buttons on the super nintendo controller really was an amazing innovation and it genuinely upsets me that nobody else has yet incorporated it.
People who prefer the Super Famicom version have no souls
@@Dzumeister Or they simply grew up with it like people in the whole PAL region and Japan. In fact, if you take the whole world into account, more people used the SFC/PAL design than the American one. I personally prefer it as well because I'm from Europe and it's what I've been using on the SNES since I was a kid. I also like it for the fact that it's the original design including the traditional 4 SNES colors which were even used in some games. But I can imagine I might have preferred the US version, had I grown up there.
The AES stick button angle was designed for you to rest your thumb on the A button. Then your index button on B, middle on C, and ring on D.
Try that and becomes way more natural
Do Japanese people sit on the floor? and maybe have small rooms, that might explain it.[the short cable]
Japanese homes are (or were) typically much smaller so it was probably pretty normal to have TV>Famicom>kids all in very close proximity.
They have very limited space. If they have a long wire in a limited space, they might trip over it and the wire would be all over the place. They might have to use rubberband to tie up long wire to shorten it. Even in US, kids and adults still trip on those long wires. Whether the ac unit, rf wire and or controller wire, people still trip on them. I think I trip about 2 times on NES and it froze my gameplay.
TVs were also much smaller in those days so you could sit right in front of them.
@@goatbone you are right on that one. The smallest tv I played NES was 13". It was pretty small. Later on, my mom bought the 19" and it was amazing to see the actual blurry pixel a bit better.
Man, kids today got it made. Having a big giant tv in their room while kids of the 70s and 80s have to deal with small ass tv.
"Most Westerners are not used to sitting on the floor, however, in Japan sitting upright on the floor is common in many situations. For example, meals are traditionally held on a tatami floor around a low table."
When I said about the retrobit pads dpad pressing in and not feeling the same everyone thought I was insane. Glad you found it the same also. It's a good pad but not a replacement for the sj6000 as that's so precise its perfection
I tried swapping the dpad over and the rubbers with no success. The mould for the dome is larger it seems. I bought two of the pads as they said it was the same moulds and gave them away
Agreed, the Retro Bit Saturn and Mega Drive/Genesis controllers “look” the part, but the D-pad is all wrong, you can depress all the rubber membranes at once when you push down on the D-pad, making half and quarter circle much less accurate, you simply can’t do this on a genuine original 6 button Genesis/Megadrive it will always depress the direction you are pressing.. it blows my mind how people can’t notice this, but glad to see I’m not the only one
@@garycormack after the sega lord x review on the 2.4 saturn pad I gave them one more chance and ended up returning that due to random inputs I didnt even press. They suck and I'm just waiting on a 8bitdo wireless receiver to use with a DIY kit as they are flawless
kevinwoolford123 I actually went down that route after giving up on these Retro Bit controllers, I bought the DIY kit and now have a USB controller with original controller parts, it supports both direct and X input and is perfect, I’ve tried all sorts to get these retro bit controller D-pads better, tried mashing parts from an original controller onto these but it just seems to make it worse if anything.
kevinwoolford123 I watched the sega lord X review also, and all due respect to him but it quickly became evident to me that like most people that buy the retro bit controllers they simply aren’t partial to the inaccuracies.
Great episode as always. Would love to see an episode along the lines of: Nintendo games that Sega fans will love and vice versa. Maybe it already exists and I just haven’t watched it yet.
[Try4ce] This is a fantastic idea, honestly. We would definitely consider it.
"...until the _more budget friendly_ NeoGeo CD arrived in 1994"
You misspelled *LESS EFFING EXPENSIVE*
The neo Geo CD was 400$ in 1994. The aes maybe 500?
@@drunkensailor112 I think the AES was around $750 (adjusted for inflation.) But that was the base model with no pack-in included.
@drunkensailor112 @sambo0909 During the early 90's, the Neo Geo AES was definitely $650 for the version of the console that came with two joysticks and Magician Lord. Two relatives of mine use to work for a store called The Wiz during the early 90's which had the Neo Geo AES in stock and it was $650 for that model (as a kid back then, I even saw it myself several times). The Neo Geo AES games were $200 each during this time period. That is not a typo, the GAMES were two HUNDRED dollars each during the early 90's. Keep in mind that mind that during 1991, the Sega Genesis console was $150 and Genesis games, on average, were on average $50. Neo Geo AES was expensive as hell back during the early 90's. Many of it's games are super expensive today if you check ebay (some going for thousands, especially certain later releases for the console).
You misspelled "pronounced"
I like that you give GI Joe on the NES a lot of love in your videos. One of my favorite NES games, such a great hidden gem
Oh and one more thing on controllers, you have to add this test to your reviews. “Can you Hadouken reliably?” That should be a dealbreaker for a d-pad !!! Every controller review needs this!
Man I loved the Sega 6 button. I used to hold with my hands reversed. Used my fingers, rather than my thumb, to press buttons more quickly. Miss those days. Recently bought a reproduction controller for fighting games on PC. Love it.
OMG the condition of the controller's rubber pads killed me lmao. Even all the used gameboys I've bought over the years don't have rubber pads that destroyed lmao. That controller was definitely well loved.
After all these years I never knew what that "mode" button was for on the Genesis 6 button. Another awesome video!
It's incredible how in depth you guys get in your videos. i love that attention to detail and throughness. It keeps me coming back! I love your passion for retro gaming and it has inspired my renewed passion as well. Thank you for your awesome content!
Does anyone remembers seeing that boomerang PS3 controller when it was revealed for the first time? They wanted to be futuristic..
Indra Chaudhari , yeah it look like something Batman would have for a controller!
I always wondered: How the heck am I supposed to hold that controller?
@@livonium you should be asking about the N64 awful controller.
Never mind that. The worst goes to the Joycon. Quality and ergonomically bad.
@@tr1bes Very pricey as well.
Futuristic as a freaking knife but grabbed by the blade side
As always the quality of your video is INSANE.
Thank you for the great and very informative entertainment.
I'm late to the party but I have to say this is an excellent video! And kudos for the El Viento music and for showing it off a bit! I really loved that game and I still feel that its control and response speed is some of the best in 2D game history!
OMG it felt like forever since the last episode.
Note: cable length on the Japanese SNS-102 is longer than the US SNS-102 (the opposite is true for the original SHVC-005 / SNS-005 controllers).
I love these videos. They're long and go into great detail. Also, both of you have easy to listen to voices which really adds to it.
Man, this is the best show on all of RUclips. Nothing comes remotely close to the joy it brings me.
I can spend hours and hours on playing with my good old original NES controller. And it always feels amazing.
Started jamming to that super puyo puyo 2 music IMMEDIATELY as it came on. I LOVE it when peeps use that soundtrack in their videos :3
Besides of the Controllers, im still blown away how good PCEngine Games looks for a 8Bit Console.
Think about it though, a lot of gamers today suffer with a crap CPU but good graphics card. Same concept back then :P
@@9393zach yeah, but on the PCE then Games also runs smooth :P
@@TheKayliedGamerChannel-RUclips It was still 6502 based lmfao, and being an 8-bit CPU limits the RAM it can access without an MMU of some form
but yes it was actually faster than the SNES cpu tbh lmao
@@UndeadCollector Because you don't need the fastest CPU if you have good, efficient assembly code :)
3rd and 4th generation of gaming are tops in my book. Was really gaming at its zenith, before it started to become too mainstream and corporate. I actually love the PC Engine controller, feels like a bigger and more comfortable Famicom controller. The Neo-Geo arcade stick is also amazing, I picked up an AES a few months ago, and am surprised at how well it has held up- especially considering the wear it probably got with all the fighting and shooter games on the platform.
It retailed for 500$ in 1990 with 100$ games. That mother trucker better have held up!
There are a few SMS games that won't work with a Genesis controller, like Alien Syndrome and Wonder Boy 2. But I found a hack that works. Get a cheap Genesis controller extension cable, and on the end with the male pins, remove/snap off pin #7 (on the 4-pin row, that's the pin second from the left.) Connect the Genesis controller to the extension cable and voila, those games will work perfectly now. I don't know the technical explanation for how this works, but I'm sure it has to do with a memory register getting confused by extraneous signal or something. Note that this won't have any affect on other SMS games, so once you do the mod, you won't need to swap out controllers ever again. (It WILL cause problems with Genesis games, however.)
I don't know how you figured this out but cool!! thanks!
Lore like this is great for longtime Sega fans trying to figure out what's compatible! I always loved Alien Sydrome on Master System, but it won't work with Genesis controllers.
My favorite video ever from you guys was the first controllers video. Seeing this makes me so excited!!!
I wish you'd show the titles of the games you're showing.
Incredibly fascinating! Had no idea of some of these first party variants. Can’t wait for the follow up
Great retrospective it really wants to make me play my NES and Super Nintendo more!
The first 2 or 3 generations of consoles were intended to be placed right in front of the players, such as on a coffee table. This is why the controller cords are so short while the power/AV cables are sometimes unusually long. So ideally, you would have a tray of some sort to keep the console/controllers/games on, and keep the tray on a shelf when not playing. Plenty of official and unofficial organizer trays were produced back then. Some doubled as travel cases.
I know it didn't get much more than a mention, but I had no idea that the NES had a disability-friendly controller!
Thanks for making this, guys! It's always interesting you hear your takes on games and their associated tech!
I found the Sega Genesis 6 button controller to be awesome. I never knew what the mode button was for growing up. Awesome video and very detailed on the controllers through the different generations of consoles.
By far my favorite Genesis controller is the 3-button version that says "Made in Malaysia" on the back. The D-pad on these is so much better than the stiff originals that say "Made in China."
That panning shot of the Super Famicom was beautiful
35:15 is because the pad is in the corner. It needs to move up and probably in; so that your thumb can be in a more economic position (rather than just floating)
Huge NES Max person here. When I first got it I was negative on it, but then my NES Advantage started to go and so picked the Max back up for turbo buttons. Once I got the feel for it, it was my go to...until I got angry one day playing and threw it across the room. Lol
1st party controllers just can't be beat. Most of the time they are just the best controllers that exist.
There is no real reason why a third party company can't make as good or better controllers so the rule of first party system controllers in my opinion is based on two factors.
1st is just due to human nature. What i mean is that if you buy a console and play with a certain controller then you get used to that feeling and kind of reject alternatives that feel any different even if it is not necessary worse. So even if a third party controller has the same or better quality it will still be very hard to top the fame of the original one because people will say, "i don't know the d-pad or the buttons just don't feel right", meaning they don't feel like the original controller.
2nd is pricing. The vast majority of third party controller makers try to make their controller cheaper than the original. Because if the price is the same or higher then that will be a big problem for their sales since people will go "well if am gonna pay that much then why don't i just buy the original one". So by trying to go cheaper it means they end up making a worse controller since they use cheaper parts.
Add to that how harder is for them to be cheaper since their profits are based on that controller unlike the console maker that makes money from the games and console and you see how hard their position can be.
That is why most times the best third party controllers for a system come years later when the system is an old and the original manufacturer stop making controllers for it.
Love this comprehensive video. I actually collect 1st party TG16 and PCE controllers, I'm at 8 unique 1st party controllers right now. Some day I hope to find a Vistar controller, that's the White Whale.
So much put into this video. Great job guys! I didn't even know about the upgraded SNES controller.
Love when new MLIG videos come out! Excellent job as always. Looking forward to the next one!
Wow, your master system controller sticks move so much more than mine. Mine were always super tight, like less than a half inch of movement in any direction. I guess mine were always just old and stiff and I never knew it. That's what I grew up on, it was awful.
Years later I bought a d-pad style controller, what a difference!
The NES Max is still my favorite controller for that system. Made playing Contra a breeze with a Turbo fire Spreadshot.
Man 1st party controllers have always been the best. Great video!
You have a dogbone. Very glad as many people don't even know that controller exists.
You did mention the PAL SNES controller - thank you. Colour makes a difference also the buttons were shaped differently too. PAL has a convex hump and NTSC had a concave dip. The convex vs concave is an issue for retro enthusiast - and you most certainly are in that category. Some perfer concave, others prefer convex.
You could buy a dogbone separately. I know I owned a separate dogbone back in the day. They came in a nice official looking box too.
Also the dogbone is polarising. You do not like it but many do like it. I prefered it to the NES rectangle. I remember with my small hands, the edges of the rectangle dug into my hands. I don't remember if that was only after long play sessions or not, I was young then. But I do remember the dogbone being the controller of the two I liked more. Mostly for the exact same reasons you don't like the dogbone.
The spacing between A and B is all muscle memory. You can practice enough to get used to the more spaced buttons. You can't expect to be perfect with the dogbone on day 1 after years using the rectangle. The dogbone is a good controller but it's polarising. Some people love it for legit reasons and others do not like it also for legit reasons.
Also another point is how you play NES games. You move the tip of your thumb from A to B. That's not the only way to play NES games. For me I used the controller in a different way. I used the end of my thumb for B just like you did. Thumb bent with the knuckle upwards and tip on B. But for A I didn't move the tip of my thumb to it like you do. I just straightened out my thumb so the middle part of it under the knuckle touched A. The tip of the thumb was just resting on B and not pressing it down.
Thus I didn't have the travel time for the tip of my thumb to move from B to A like you do. I only had to move my thumb knuckle downwards to press A.
The dogbone is not the best controller based on how you play NES games but for others who play NES games differently, such as my self, the dogbone works really well and that's why I liked it so much.
I even know a few people who prefered the Advantage to the rectangle and the dogbone. They were mostly arcade pros though. But still different strokes for different folks as they say. The one thing you must agree to is there is there is a 1st party option for everyone. Rectangle for traditionalists such as yourself, dogbone for those who play NES games differently and have smaller hands, and the Advantage for the joystick/arcade pros. More options is always a good thing.
In the end the best controller is one that is relatively reliable, does it's job well and fits well in your hand for your play style. Yes that means there is some subjectivity in which controller is the best. Not a bad thing as everyone has different needs and tastes in controllers.
Agreeing to disagree is the perfect answer. No one controller will be universally loved by everyone. We each have our own different styles of playing games and invividual preferences. Personally I am not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying the answer to "what is the best controller" is different for everyone. The rectangle and the dogbone are both the best NES controllers - depending on how you play NES games and what you like.
The abomination with the 8 way circle on it, yeah we can all agree that was terrible. Though it was forward thinking in a few aspects as you rightly mentioned in the video.
Great video though.
I really hope you continue on with this series as getting into the N64, Gamecube Wii and PS controllers would be very interesting. Many people regard the gamecube controller as the best ever. But is it really? A good analysis into this would really help.
The Famicom has short, attached cables because it was meant to sit on the floor between the player and the TV, like older Atari game systems. Meanwhile the NES has longer, detachable cables because it was designed to be used like a VCR.
Yes a real video from my favorite RUclips channel!
I liked the previous controller episode, so it's great to see this!
As someone with a slight controller obsession, this video is all kinds of awesome for me. Looking forward to part two!
On a couple of random notes, I never understood having the A & B buttons slant in the exact opposite way your thumb naturally rests, even on the GameBoy. Game Gear had the same issue. The spacing you mentioned on the NES dog bone is what pushes it over the edge for me, as opposed to GameBoy where I can tolerate it. I still have that issue with some newer Nintendo games that want you to use A & B when B & Y would be more natural.
I've also found that my six button Genesis controller works great on the Atari 2600, and I can't go back to the original joysticks with the button on the left side.
Another great video. I generally prefer first party controllers, but Micomsoft's range of arcade sticks for Japanese 8 and 16 bit consoles were just sublime. I've managed to collect all of them over the years and the build quality and feature sets are just incredible. The PC Engine stick is my favourite.
Snes, Xbox360 & PS2 controllers felt great in my hands. Great design & quality in my opinion. The nes controller was nice too.
Why do i feel like playing the sega master system arcade stick upside down is easier then having it backwards?
Cross your hands.
It almost feels like they had right and left hand versions but then, for some reason, only sent the left hand version to the US.
Joystick players don't understand you.
Why the joystick was placed on the left side on arcade machines originally was to up the difficulty since the majority was right handed.
The Sega Master System arcade stick, despite having it's stick on the right, feels very comfortable and it's actually easier to play games with the joystick on the right. As someone already pointed out in this thread, the joystick was placed on the left in arcades to makes games harder. Once you get use to playing on a joystick with the stick on the right side (it takes about 10 minutes max to get use to it if you are use to playing with a stick on the left), it makes games easier (assuming you are right handed). Atari 2600 also had it's stick on the right and the button to the left.
As a sucker for original hardware, specially controllers, this video pleases me in ways few can relate. Great content as always! Cheers.
I just wanted to congratulate you on the good selection of shaders on this episode, they look splendid
Great video! Love the hard work and love you guys put into your work, it blows my mind that this is free content, because it feels very premium.
One slight correction though: Zappers DO in fact work on the top loading NES. I know because I use both of mine on an almost daily basis!
[Try4ce] Thank you! Sorry for the confusion, but a few people did miss what I was talking about regarding Zappers. They work on Top-Loading NES, but NOT AV Famicom. I was just making the point that even though you can use American controllers with the Famicom for the first time, the same is not true of the American Zappers.
@@mylifeingaming I apologize for my confusion, thank you for clarifying sir! Enjoyed the video very much, now I'm off to binge watch the rest of your content!
I actually had an old snes controller tucked away in my controller collection I haven’t used because my adapter broke, but when i went to go check and it just so happens to be an engraved version. I just ordered a new adapter and cleaned it, time to set it back up with my wii and give it a go in Super Metroid again
"If you're Left handed, give it a try"
As a Lefthander, I can officially tell you that, NO. Left Handers dominated in the arcades because they PURPOSELY put the joystick on the left and buttons on the right to make it more challenging to the majority of gamers. @20:45.
Coury, It's even more backwards for Lefthanded people.. lol.
"It goes against 35 years of muscle memory." especially for Left Handers.
I took a super favicon controller for the colored buttons and replaced the short cord with the U.S. long cord. It's awesome.
I had never even heard about the Genesis Arcade Power Stick before. Looks really cool.
Yes, the Japanese Mega Drive Arcade Power Stick and it's six button successor, the Arcade Power Stick 6B, are both micro-switched, offering a significantly better experience than the variants we received in the West - both are fantastic sticks. They're some still available on eBay, but prices are quite high.
I remember plugging my MegaDrive controller in my Amstrad CPC 6128+ and the Amstrad one in the console to astonishingly see that it worked on both, marvelous 9 pins port!
Neo Geo had been around since 1990 as a rental unit before becoming available for retail in the USA in 1991.
Great video. Just a side note there's a 6 button version of the Genesis arcade stick as well.
I'm one of those folks who loved the NES Max controller growing up. The trick was indeed to use the black ring, rather than the central sliding circle. Once you get past that, it's gravy.
I like the nes max, it's a great controller and my preferred nes remote. The control pad takes a little while to get used to coming off a d-pad.
When I play fast paced high action and speedrun nes games, i use dedicated fingers per button on a dogbone with a claw grip. Love it. For less precise quick button press games, rectangle is fine.
2:17 have you seen a Japanese apartment?? that cable is obviously way too long
Managed to score the Japanese Mega Drive version of the Arcade Power Stick about a year ago, and those microswitches make all the difference. Awesome joystick for the plethora of great shooters on Genesis.
Found this channel by chance......Im glad. Subscribed 👍🏽👍🏽
I love those ones:
PS2's Dualshock
X-Box One's Controller
Switch and Wii U Pro Controller
M30 from 8Bitdo
SN30 Pro + from 8Bitdo
Brawler 64 from Retro Fighters
Flpstrike The Xbox One Elite Series 2 is my favourite controller.
@@rastas_4221 Hmm, my Dualshock (PS2) lasted a lot more than the one for PS1 that I had...I think that is my single reason to like PS2's Dualshock more
I believe there are DS1s with plastic film on the inside. I still prefer DS1 over DS2 because I'm not a fan of analog face buttons.
I think I have a PlayStation curse. Whenever I use any DualShock prior to the DualShock 4, the analog sticks get stuck in one direction.
There's actually a third variant of the Retro-Bit Genesis controllers. Last month LimitedRunGames released clear pink controllers for breast cancer awareness
The Nintendo Switch is the first console that I've preferred to use a third party controller. I use the SN30 Pro Plus over the Joycon and grip.
The SN30 Pro Plus is now my main controller on Switch and PC. Older GTA and similar games using DirectInput and the rest on XInput is an absolute beautiful thing.
I loved the NES Max as a kid way more than the original controller it allowed for some moves in double dragon 2 i never knew existed.
Just wanna say this video was rad. Love ya'lls channel.
Can't wait for them to cover the post-SNES era. Some of those first party controllers are ridiculous.
One of my favorites has to be the "Por Que No Los Dos?" Transforming d-pad Microsoft put on their xbox 360 controllers. Did I enjoy fiddling with the d-pad? Yes, but that's because I'm literally autistic.
The original NES controller is the king of all, and never topped! My top 3: NES, Atari 2600 mini & PS4....Top notch overview guys!
Quality as always guys. You all put out the best retro gaming content. Happy Holidays.
There is another revision of the 6 button Genesis controller that came packed in with the Genesis 3. It actually is more similar to the OG 3 button in size and shape. Not sure why the variant exists but it's not as common as the smaller one featured in the video.
Great video as always! One controller that comes to mind that you may have missed here is the Genesis 6 button arcade stick. Probably not a big deal as I found the stick to be bit annoying here as well but it is the one I used to play street fighter. I love my genesis 6 button controller, probably because I can't really use the 3 button which makes my thumb joint hurt after a while. Aging gamer problems.
Speedrunners during unskippable cutscenes: 23:40
20:02
The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis controllers kick ass!
For me, I know it's 3rd party, but the SNES asciipad was the cream of the crop. You can even swap in SNES buttons to retain the concave + convex scheme and colors. You can also use a dongle (or wire splice) to use the SNES asciipad on your NES. I have a SNES asciipad I wired myself to play on the NES, so I get turbo and slowmo functions, along with the more natural layout of using Y + B for games like SMB.
I used to use the Genesis Arcade Stick on my Atari 2600 and 800 XL home computer. The joystick worked flawlessly and the 'B' button was the action button.
I remember seeing those neo geo sticks in my local indie over the years (they only shut down this year). There is something really compelling and nostalgic about it for me even though I never used one.
To be fair, the 6-button clones from Hyperkin GN6, Old Skool, etc use the same mould too, they just didn't get the rights to the Genesis branding like RetroBit did. Pretty sure the reason the Megadrive Mini in Japan had 6-button pads and the rest of the world didn't is because Japan always had slightly smaller versions and Sega no longer had the rights to their original design outside of Japan (sold to the company supplying Hyperkin, RetroBit, Old Skool, etc).
0:30 *Atari 5200 controller left the chat* lolz
6:42 Meh. Only good features are the turbo buttons.
8:46 I love that particular NES controller, prefer it over the rectangular one. Just feels better in my hands...
17:30 I can use either one; I just like the 'dogbone' (lolz) better.
19:04 Yup, always thought that was too much like Atari.
19:50 Up to jump? What is this? This isn't the arcade!!
22:16 Fond memories I have of this and the six-button MD controllers...
25:14 I remember using this once; it made playing Road Rash a lot easier but I had a hard time in other games...
27:14 I absolutely loved this controller.
30:00 Only thing I like about it is having the turbo buttons. Otherwise...pfft...
32:08 I'd like to have one of these, for certain. Would make Sega emulation gaming feel more authentic...
Four face buttons in a crux pattern, there's nothing better, really.
Commenting before watching but one of my favourite small changes that I doubt will be mentioned is the upgrade on the Dualshock 4, the front light bar is nice but the invisible change is that when plugged in to the console the newer controller transmits through the cable rather that still going wirelessly and only using the cable for charging, small change but wonderful for twitchy games like shooters, precise platformers and fighting games.
I haven't used an NES Max in over 20 years but, as a kid, I loved it! But, my reasoning was that it was my introduction to a "Turbo" feature and it blew me away. Even as a kid, though, I felt like that red slider d-pad wasn't great and opted to roll my thumb around the black circle, which seemed to get the job done just as well.
For me, the best combo for the NES is the dogbone, the NES Fourscore and the 8bitdo wireless adaptor. The controller is superbly comfortable, the Fourscore lets you turn on turbo fire for each button which gives my hands a bit of a rest when playing Contra and the wireless just gets rid of all the cables.
Those Master System Control Sticks can be easily modded to resemble a more common arcade stick, the PCBs inside can be rotated 180 degrees and the cable just needs a small square opening to match the new orientation.
would have liked to see the NTT Data NES/SNES controllers mentioned in this one. They are for all intents and purposes OEM pads, with the same exact parts as official controllers but with the additions of the numberpads
Awesome video, I live for this kind of stuff! Keep up the amazing content
I feel like the biggest issue I had with the TurboGrafx controller from when I used to play it at my friend's house was that it seemed like the d-pad and buttons were awfully close to the bottom of the controller for my taste. It felt like they should have been a bit higher up, I don't like the feeling of holding a controller by the bottom, it feels like I'm not holding the controller with my hands but between my thumb and forefingers.