Retro Fighters Game Controllers

retro_fighters_8bit_NES_controller-GBAtemp.jpg

Classic gaming on our retro hardware is more than just fun, it's nostalgic. Thanks to the recent influx of retro Flash Kits, we can now experience more than just commercial releases when we sit down to enjoy an intense retro gaming session. After hours of testing hacks, homebrews, and translations, the comfort of old controllers may come into question.

Retro Fighters is seeking to alleviate the pain our thumbs must endure with new controllers for classic systems. The first up will not only be USB (PC/MAC) compatible, but will also support the NES out-of-the-box. The controller will feature a soft rubberized grip, a modern d-pad, analog sticks, turbo buttons, and shoulder buttons which will be mapped to the A and B buttons. Please note that the current renderings show a mini-USB plug, the finalized production model will feature regular USB and not mini-USB.

There is a whole lot of alternative here to the current influx of cheap knock-off controllers floating among the sea of quality replacements. Like most projects, this concept has come to Kickstarter to seek its funding. The controller buy-in tier is currently at $30. Future plans include SNES, GEN, and N64 releases. For more information, please visit the campaign via the link below.

:arrow: Retro Fighters 8-bit Video Game Controller
 

Another World

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true, but i feel the draw here is that it interfaces with the NES out-of-the-box. PC/MAC is just a selling point, they are really looking to make replacements for retro consoles.

I do have one personal complaint/concern about this design. A lot of platformers (games in general) on the NES require you to rock your thumb from B to A. When the buttons follow a drastic angular design (like using a PSX controller for emulation) it becomes much more difficult and somewhat uncomfortable to do this. I tend to reconfigure my plug-and-play controllers so the angle is downward (IE: Y-B or []-X). If the original NES controller did anything right, it was placing the buttons side-by-side.

I like this idea. I'm glad someone is trying to tackle making something modern for retro systems and attempting to create a brand out of it. I just can't jump at this particular design because I know from past experiences that it will be uncomfortable for me to game with on the NES. Buttons angled more like those found on the GBA SP --- that is doable.

-another world
 

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Looks excellent, but the choice of connector is a bit disappointing. If they made it DB9-compatible, it could be used with a variety of systems - most Atari consoles and computers, Commodore consoles and computers from the C64 and Amiga lines, SEGA Master System, Megadrive, SG-X000 series and probably more. The NES is popular, I guess, but the proprietary controller port is an issue. A DB9 passthrough would be nice.
 

deshayzilla

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The B and A angle kills it for me. I remember trying to play Donkey Kong Country 2 on my DS and Nintendo decided that the GBA buttons the DS had to be dedicated to the B and A buttons, which were had a similar angle. I don't know how I ended up beating that game, but I could never get used to that angle with my thumb. If they would have remapped the Y and B button instead that would have been great.

That angle should never be allowed in controllers designed for only two buttons.
 

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The angle is there for a reason. If you grab something, the reach of your thumb is a quarter-circle. The two buttons have to be angled in order to maximize reach and minimize strain, that's why controllers switched to a diamond button layout.
 

tony_2018

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I guess sega didn't think about that when they brought out the genesis 6 button configuration, the dreamcast had the diamond design though. Looks to be the standard now.
 

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I guess sega didn't think about that when they brought out the genesis 6 button configuration, the dreamcast had the diamond design though. Looks to be the standard now.
The 6-button design was meant to mimic the arcade setup and was optional, the moment the SNES introduced the diamond setup people realized it was more ergonomic and it was quickly adopted by others.
 

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When the buttons follow a drastic angular design (like using a PSX controller for emulation) it becomes much more difficult and somewhat uncomfortable to do this. I tend to reconfigure my plug-and-play controllers so the angle is downward (IE: Y-B or []-X)
That's exactly the point I was going to make..
I also always wanted to be able to play GBA games with the Y-B buttons in my DS, for the same reason :P

I also think that the Turbo buttons being under B-A is a bit worst ergonomically :/

Would be cool if it had 4 Digital shoulder buttons too, so you could use the controller for PS1 games, or N64 even (to emulate the Z button) Edit: oh! they have that ..good.
 
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tony_2018

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The 6-button design was meant to mimic the arcade setup and was optional, the moment the SNES introduced the diamond setup people realized it was more ergonomic and it was quickly adopted by others.

Thanks Nintendo for setting the standards!!!!
 

Osha

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They seriously should've switched the turbo buttons with the normal ones, the way they are right now makes it really uncomfortable to play with.
 
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Walker D

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PSX I don't know where people got the idea to call the Original PlayStation / PS1 as "PSX" which is an actual console of its own. It just bugs me that they misuse the term so much.
They used to call the PS1 like that even before the actual PSX console existed, iirc (PS1 is from 1994, and PSX is from 2003)

it's just a coincidence ...and there's nothing to be bugged about. Ps1 are also know as PSX, and that's a fact to be accepted.




(they shouldn't have called the PS2-media-player-thingy as PSX ...that's the bugger).
 

Another World

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I don't know where people got the idea to call the Original PlayStation / PS1 as "PSX" which is an actual console of its own. It just bugs me that they misuse the term so much.

Sony's North American division, known as Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), originally planned to market the new console under the alternative branding "PSX" following the negative feedback regarding "PlayStation" in focus group studies. Early advertising prior to the console's launch in North America referenced PSX, but the term was scrapped before launch

http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/08/28/history-of-the-playstation
https://web.archive.org/web/2012081...online.com/features/making-playstation?page=5

hopefully we can stay ontopic now.

-another world
 

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Seems pretty pointless considering a lot of enthusiasts like me use an nes to usb converter. I also made a megadrive to usb - which works on any DB9 ports. I don't like to cannibalise good controllers, so I use a converter for all of my controllers. Dreamcast, Saturn as well.

Chances are if you have an nes and a PC, you're using a converter to plug that nes controller into a PC, it just seems very redundant. They want about $25-$30 for one of these controllers too, going by their donation milestones on the page. You can buy a damn adapter for less than half of the price.
 

The Real Jdbye

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When they make a SNES and N64 controller, I'll be interested. It would be nice to have a USB N64 and SNES-style controller that doesn't suck.
There's a company making USB clones of retro game controllers already but the quality's kinda crappy.
 

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Foxi4

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The point is that an actual PSX console exists so to avoid confusion when referring to the PS1 it shouldn't be 'PSX' as that's misleading.

Anyway, Kickstarter backers will fund any god damn shit. Much better controllers already exist.
Where I live the PS1 was always called the PSX, the PS1 name didn't stick until the PSOne was released. Anywho, I actually like this controller and its curvature - it seems flatter on the top, and a flat surface area is welcome for retro gaming. Each to their own, I suppose.
 
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Another World

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The point is that an actual PSX console exists so to avoid confusion when referring to the PS1 it shouldn't be 'PSX' as that's misleading.

the point is, you were wrong.

@Foxi4 I like it too. I think it would be a great addition to my NES and N8. I just wish the button configuration was different.

-another world
 
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