Best Gamepad For Two Player Pandora Action Available Again

[quartercast]

The minor catch is that you have to purchase a VIP membership for at least three months from PlaySega which with coupon code "segafans" comes out to about $12. I bought two Sega Plug n'Play controllers with the three month cancel anytime membership and my paypal total was $35.56 which is cheaper than buying the bootlegs on ebay. You can buy up to three of them per VIP.
http://www.playsega.com/info/?action=whatIsPlaySEGAVIP

Thanks for the heads-up, I was one of those people who bought in on the little nasty colecovision/sega handheld, this'll be a step up for me!

I've signed up for my free 10 days and waiting for my activation email... what's the cost breakdown for the controllers + VIP membership? cheers

Edit:

By the way, what's the difference between the latest sega controller and this one Sega 1994 SS USB Controller?

 

[frefol]

The saturn controller would be a good fit. Hell, I guess I could just get an adapter for the SNES controller...

You could go to www.retrousb.com They sell adapters for snes controllers along with usb chips you could solder in yourself. They are all HID adapters. They even have a usb chip to add to the saturn controller if you wanted.

 

[Paradox]

while these controllers look nice, are there any decent "portable" usb controllers out there?

 

[WizardStan]

while these controllers look nice, are there any decent "portable" usb controllers out there?

I have one of these
It's quite portable, inexpensive, and designed to be used on a laptop. Don't let the size fool you, it's very comfortable. The cord is detachable so it can be wrapped up tighter, even comes with a handy carry case with a belt loop, and is inexpensive. I use it with my laptop when I'm on the go. I like it because, not only is it an inexpensive game pad, the driver also allows it to be used as an inexpensive mouse. I've only ever used it on my laptop, however, which runs Windows. I'll give it a try tonight in Linux. At the very least, even if I can't get mouse mode to work, it should at least recognize it as a gamepad.
Did I mention how inexpensive it is?

 

[rmm2131]

Does anyone know of any [simple] controllers that I could get that are similar to, say, a SNES controller. She seems to get along with that one fine.

There are many USB converted SNES-like controllers out there that go by names like Retrolink or Retromotion. They are all of similar build quality(bearable to crappy). If she isn't too picky though they do work and are around $15. If your girlfriend wants to use a real SNES controller then like others said an SNES to USB adapter will work from say Mayflash, Smartjoy, or Retrozone.

The minor catch is that you have to purchase a VIP membership for at least three months from PlaySega which with coupon code "segafans" comes out to about $12. I bought two Sega Plug n'Play controllers with the three month cancel anytime membership and my paypal total was $35.56 which is cheaper than buying the bootlegs on ebay. You can buy up to three of them per VIP.
http://www.playsega.com/info/?action=whatIsPlaySEGAVIP

Thanks for the heads-up, I was one of those people who bought in on the little nasty colecovision/sega handheld, this'll be a step up for me!
I've signed up for my free 10 days and waiting for my activation email... what's the cost breakdown for the controllers + VIP membership? cheers

Edit:
By the way, what's the difference between the latest sega controller and this one Sega 1994 SS USB Controller?

The controller from PlaySega.com was free with the 3-month $14.95 cancel anytime membership which after the "segafans" 15% code came out to $12.71. They do charge shipping for each controller that you get which is $4.95 and each extra controller is $12.95. So the total for me was $12.71 + $12.95 +4.95 + $4.95 which came out to $35.56 for the membership and the two pads.

As for that ebay link, it's another fake Saturn USB gamepad. They are the only ones out there now as everyone who bought a real Sega one from years back probably sleeps with it under their pillow. The one from Playsega is the only genuine one that people can get now. That particular seller on ebay is known for selling Saturn controllers that break quicker than other bootlegs: http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=163343&page=9

while these controllers look nice, are there any decent "portable" usb controllers out there?

I have one of these
It's quite portable, inexpensive, and designed to be used on a laptop. Don't let the size fool you, it's very comfortable. The cord is detachable so it can be wrapped up tighter, even comes with a handy carry case with a belt loop, and is inexpensive. I use it with my laptop when I'm on the go. I like it because, not only is it an inexpensive game pad, the driver also allows it to be used as an inexpensive mouse. I've only ever used it on my laptop, however, which runs Windows. I'll give it a try tonight in Linux. At the very least, even if I can't get mouse mode to work, it should at least recognize it as a gamepad.
Did I mention how inexpensive it is?

This might work in a pinch if you really want something small: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826179017&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-PC+Gaming+Accessories+(Joystick+-+Game+Pad+-+etc.)-_-Genius-_-26179017

or if you can find one this: http://dvice.com/archives/2008/02/usb-mouse-pad-i.php

 

[Paradox]

http://www.vesalia.de/e_pcmciagamepad.htm

I have a couple <console controller> to usb things, will those work on the pandora?

 

[Prometheus]

http://www.vesalia.de/e_pcmciagamepad.htm

That's rather unusual. Since I can't imagine it being usable when plugged into a PCMCIA slot, I take it that it's in that format for easier transportation?

I have a couple <console controller> to usb things, will those work on the pandora?

As long as the USB adapters present the controller as a USB Human Interface Device, then yes.

 

[Paradox]

http://www.vesalia.de/e_pcmciagamepad.htm

That's rather unusual. Since I can't imagine it being usable when plugged into a PCMCIA slot, I take it that it's in that format for easier transportation?

I have a couple <console controller> to usb things, will those work on the pandora?

As long as the USB adapters present the controller as a USB Human Interface Device, then yes.

thanks pretty sure they are, should be fine then, can use my Saturn/PSX/Dreamcast controllers on the pandy ;D

the most comfortable controller i've ever used though is the Xbox360 pad, they have some usb ones but I think they need drivers so I guess they won't work?

 

[Devin.tesla]

Well I'm going to use my ps3 controllers.
I don't have a ps3 they are purely for my Linux box.
Blue Tooth works fine I use "qt-sixa"
website
Works well mostly play n64 with them.

 

[God Ginrai]

http://www.vesalia.de/e_pcmciagamepad.htm

That's rather unusual. Since I can't imagine it being usable when plugged into a PCMCIA slot, I take it that it's in that format for easier transportation?

I have a couple <console controller> to usb things, will those work on the pandora?

As long as the USB adapters present the controller as a USB Human Interface Device, then yes.

thanks pretty sure they are, should be fine then, can use my Saturn/PSX/Dreamcast controllers on the pandy ;D

the most comfortable controller i've ever used though is the Xbox360 pad, they have some usb ones but I think they need drivers so I guess they won't work?

The xpad driver set added support for wired XB360 controllers, IIRC, so it should work on the Pandora. I'm not positive tho' if they've got the XB360 support working fully without bugs, so I can't guarantee that will work.

-God Ginrai

 

[-Tj-]

I have one of these

Says it's switchable from digital to analog, how's the digital controls? I like the form factor, but the control pad itself worries me. I smashed up my Logitech controller because (among other things) the analogs were terrible and the d-pad was barely adequate.

 

[WizardStan]

Says it's switchable from digital to analog, how's the digital controls? I like the form factor, but the control pad itself worries me. I smashed up my Logitech controller because (among other things) the analogs were terrible and the d-pad was barely adequate.

It's a very comfortable analogue pad, I just rest my thumb on it and push. Digital uses the exact same pad, except instead of gradients, once you've pushed it beyond a certain point it just kicks "on" as it were.

 

[-Tj-]

It's a very comfortable analogue pad, I just rest my thumb on it and push. Digital uses the exact same pad, except instead of gradients, once you've pushed it beyond a certain point it just kicks "on" as it were.

Sounds like it's basically the same as every other analog stick, otherwise? Hmm... might have to pass on it then. Never did have much luck with analog in retro games.

 

[WizardStan]

Sounds like it's basically the same as every other analog stick, otherwise? Hmm... might have to pass on it then. Never did have much luck with analog in retro games.

It's not really a stick, per se; more like a ball with a little thumb groove in it and snap-back action. But yeah, it's definitely not a D-pad replacement. The way it just kinda rolls from one point to the next makes it pretty easy to pull of combo moves in Street Fighter type games, but the travel is way too high for sudden movements back and forth, unlike a regular D-pad.

 

[Prometheus]

It looks a little bit like the thumb "ball" on the Sega Saturn analogue pad, and sounds like it from your description, too - assuming you're familiar with that controller, does it feel like that? (I find that the Saturn's analogue pad is second-only to that of the N64 in how it handles, but the pad itself is way too large and unwieldy for me. :lol: )

 

[Kerozine]

Thx for the tip!!
Grabbed 3 miself.