Usb joystick/gamepad with Vice?

You need an actual VIC.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
ldxstx
Vic 20 Dabbler
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:09 pm
Location: VICenza - Italy

Usb joystick/gamepad with Vice?

Post by ldxstx »

Hi, when I play the games with Vice or other emulators I usually use an iBuffalo gamepad, a replica of the SNES controller; I find it a nice and cheap controller, but maybe there are good alternatives out there. What do you use and how do you rate your gaming experience?
Thanks, have a good day
:)
User avatar
ral-clan
plays wooden flutes
Posts: 3702
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:01 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Usb joystick/gamepad with Vice?

Post by ral-clan »

I cannot stand gamepads. I guess that's because I grew up in the era of proper joysticks. It doesn't feel right to play any game from the joystick era on a gamepad to me (and I can't use them well).

So I bought a cheap USB gamepad, opened it up and soldered a DB-9 connector to its control contact points. Now I can use any regular classic era joystick with my computer by plugging it into this connector. The emulator on the computer thinks I'm using the gamepad, but really I'm bypassing the gamepad's physical controls and using my wico/atari/suncom/slikstik/etc....joysticks.

Works with emulators for any system and with modern games. The only catch is that, of course, the old joysticks only have one fire button. Not a big deal since almost all these old games only require one button.

I got my old USB pad from a Thrift store (so less than $3) but if you don't want to go to the trouble and don't mind spending more, there are USB to DB-9 adapters available commercially.
Image Music I've made with 1980s electronics, synths and other retro-instruments: http://theovoids.bandcamp.com
User avatar
ldxstx
Vic 20 Dabbler
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:09 pm
Location: VICenza - Italy

Re: Usb joystick/gamepad with Vice?

Post by ldxstx »

ral-clan wrote:I cannot stand gamepads. I guess that's because I grew up in the era of proper joysticks. It doesn't feel right to play any game from the joystick era on a gamepad to me (and I can't use them well).

So I bought a cheap USB gamepad, opened it up and soldered a DB-9 connector to its control contact points. Now I can use any regular classic era joystick with my computer by plugging it into this connector. The emulator on the computer thinks I'm using the gamepad, but really I'm bypassing the gamepad's physical controls and using my wico/atari/suncom/slikstik/etc....joysticks.

Works with emulators for any system and with modern games. The only catch is that, of course, the old joysticks only have one fire button. Not a big deal since almost all these old games only require one button.

I got my old USB pad from a Thrift store (so less than $3) but if you don't want to go to the trouble and don't mind spending more, there are USB to DB-9 adapters available commercially.
I also played many years with joysticks, since '81 (Vic20, C64, Amiga 500); my preferred one was the Slik Stik: indestructible :)

So I agree with you that soldering one of them (or using an adapter) brings back the original gaming experience; anyway without soldering or the adapter are there any other "modern" controllers that someone likes as an alternative?
Post Reply