Thoughts/Review of Funnyplaying's GBA button sets?

[Hanafuda]

If you have tried them or are using them, thoughts?


Edit: my OEM buttons cleaned up nice enough, so I'm sticking with them. Might try funnyplaying's buttons if I do another GBA sometime, so anyone with an experience please do tell us about it.

 

[patters]

In my experience the repros are never quite right, especially dpads.

Even quite badly scuffed original buttons clean up beautifully by working through the grains of wet & dry sandpaper and finally polishing with PolyWatch acrylic polish and a rag, with some pressure. A small sample of various wet & dry papers and the PolyWatch polish can be found on eBay for very little money.

 

[duwen]

There's not a great deal of difference between any of the buttons I've had via AliExpress (FunnyPlaying and 'generic'), as long as you avoid the super cheap options. I find they're pretty close to OEM in terms of 'feel'.

Button membranes are a slightly different story though... where possible always reuse the OEM ones. Funnyplaying's are pretty close though, so if you need coloured membranes go with theirs. Definitely avoid 'generic' membranes.

 

[Hanafuda]

Thanks for the replies, was starting to wonder if there would be any. From the reading I've done, customer reviews and etc, I agree with @duwen above that the OEM membranes are more important than the buttons. But I see all kinds reviews on buttons (not just FP but also RetroSix "Prestige" and etc), from "trash" to "perfect." And you're left wondering if some "reviews" are just paid shills.

It's not that expensive to experiment I guess, but even if they're bland looking you know you won't go wrong with the real ones.

 

[duwen]

Thanks for the replies, was starting to wonder if there would be any. From the reading I've done, customer reviews and etc, I agree with @duwen above that the OEM membranes are more important than the buttons. But I see all kinds reviews on buttons (not just FP but also RetroSix "Prestige" and etc), from "trash" to "perfect." And you're left wondering if some "reviews" are just paid shills.

It's not that expensive to experiment I guess, but even if they're bland looking you know you won't go wrong with the real ones.

Pleased to have helped.

Here's a pic of my two most recent modded systems;

The top one has 'generic'/FP 'style' buttons with OEM membranes, and the bottom one has FP buttons and membranes - there's no discernible difference between the two.

 

[Hanafuda]

Pleased to have helped.

Here's a pic of my two most recent modded systems;

View attachment 407729


The top one has 'generic'/FP 'style' buttons with OEM membranes, and the bottom one has FP buttons and membranes - there's no discernible difference between the two.

Both very nice. The traditional screen installation on the top one looks fine but wow once you see the laminated screen on the bottom one it's all over, huh. Kinda sucks how they trickle these upgrades out, makes ya wonder if there might be still yet more to come. In another thread I posted a pic I found on Reddit that shows the FP ITA kit will connect to and run the DSi XL screen just as well as it does the regular DSi screen. Imagine if a new case design comes out that somehow accommodates that. And then, a couple years later, the laminated version of course lol.

My wife and daughter (20yo) are going to Japan to visit family next summer. I'm giving my daughter instructions on buying me maybe 3 or 4 more GBA's while she's there, so I'll be doing more of this stuff in the future. I do appreciate your help.

 

[anotherthing]

Here's a pic of my two most recent modded systems

I think I have the exact same buttons as your top picture there. I can say that the buttons feel very solid. They're smooth, but not slick. It doesn't feel like there's any dimensions that are off on them. The d-pad, buttons, and bumpers all have the same throw as the original ones as far as I can tell.