genesis 6 button "mode" button

[mailman187666]

I was just thinking about the 6 button controller for genesis and got to thinking, I've never used it for a game where it used the mode button that I can remember. Switching between the control types usually had to be done through a menu in game for whatever I played. What is it actually for? (I know doom 32X uses the mode button for god mode I believe.)

[jb143]

I think a few older games were incompatable with the 6 button controller for one reason or another. I believe the mode button caused it act like a 3 button controller so those games would work. There's a few other newer games that used it as an extra button as well but I can't remember the names of any.

[7th lutz]

I remembered there was problems with forgotten Worlds with the 6 button. I own the game and I recalled problems with the game. I thought the game right away went to 2 player mode without using the mode button.

[xfrumx]

In Fatal Fury 2 you could taunt your opponent with the mode button.

[figment1988]

the mode button was also used to fix control problems in Golden Axe II. it was also used in The Lost Vikings

[MrSparkle]

well actually i invented the mode button for the genesis 6 button shortly after i invented the button you push to cross the street.

[koster]

You can use the mode button for Ms. Pac-Man, although people have said it makes no difference (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84905)...

[strassy]

I remembered there was problems with forgotten Worlds with the 6 button. I thought the game right away went to 2 player mode without using the mode button.

i have forgotten worlds, and the game instantly goes to the "GAME OVER" screen immediately after you hit the start button if you have a 6 button controller plugged in

[Push Upstairs]

It opens a portal to a magical land where unicorns roam.

[Wraith Storm]

Eternal Champions for the Sega CD had a TON of unlockable characters. There were various ways of unlocking each one but the easiest way was to type in a code on the stats screen after a battle. Each of the codes requred the Mode button.

As for practical use during gameplay? I'm not real sure.

[Graham Mitchell]

I don't remember Doom using the mode button--hmm.

Golden Axe II and Todd's Adventure in the Slime Wolrd require that you hold the button upon startup or the controls are all whacked. But I'd never really heard of it used in gameplay before.

[mailman187666]

I don't remember Doom using the mode button--hmm.

Golden Axe II and Todd's Adventure in the Slime Wolrd require that you hold the button upon startup or the controls are all whacked. But I'd never really heard of it used in gameplay before.

I thought the mode button was one of the buttons you had to press to enter the cheat codes for Doom.

[figment1988]

i remember having that problem when i got my copy of forgotten worlds, i was like "wtf?"

[blue lander]

You can use the mode button for Ms. Pac-Man, although people have said it makes no difference (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84905)...

It definitely made a difference on the Sega Nomad, at least the copy I had.

[j_factor]

The Lost Vikings and Battlecorps both used the Mode button as a normal gameplay button.

[TurboGenesis]

So is Forgotten Worlds the only game that use the 'mode' button for its original purpose?

I have not had another game that have issue with the 6 button controller… I am wondering if any other Genesis game will have issue like Forgotten Worlds as Sega had to know that problem could exist and put the mode button there…

[figment1988]

So is Forgotten Worlds the only game that use the 'mode' button for its original purpose?

I have not had another game that have issue with the 6 button controller… I am wondering if any other Genesis game will have issue like Forgotten Worlds as Sega had to know that problem could exist and put the mode button there…

as mentioned before, Golden Axe II's controls make the game unplayable with a 6-button controller unless the mode button is held when the genesis is turned on. same issue with Todd's Adventures in Slime World.

[kedawa]

The mode button switches camera modes in Shadow Squadron. I don't think I've played any other games that use it.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm pretty sure somebody's never used the Search function, either (we've talked about this before, at least once ;)

Forgotten Worlds will skip right to GAME OVAH unless you hold Mode when starting up - I can't actually get the button to do its job consistently on my Nomad, however. :(

[TurboGenesis]

as mentioned before, Golden Axe II's controls make the game unplayable with a 6-button controller unless the mode button is held when the genesis is turned on. same issue with Todd's Adventures in Slime World.


Thank You for reply.
I had Golden Axe II but sold it off in my youth before the 6 button controller come out… and I never play Todd's Adventures.

So as it is, the game that are require mode button:

Forgotten Worlds
Golden Axe II
Todd's Adventures in Slime World

Thank you again for this reference…

[Graham Mitchell]

Thank You for reply.
I had Golden Axe II but sold it off in my youth before the 6 button controller come out… and I never play Todd's Adventures.

So as it is, the game that are require mode button:

Forgotten Worlds
Golden Axe II
Todd's Adventures in Slime World

Thank you again for this reference…

There was a package insert with the original run of 6-button controllers that listed all the games tested that required you to press the mode button before starting. The three I mentioned were on the list, and there was also a list of those that the 6-button controller was completely incompatible with, regardless of the mode button...I think Ms. Pac Man was actually on that list. I could be wrong, though.

[Pezcore343]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I was playing Todd's Adventure in Slime World today with a 6-button controller without being aware of needing the mode button held in. Well I came on here searching for help on the controls in the game (I can't for the life of me figure out how to use items) and I thought that maybe this was the problem. Can anyone help me out?

[Graham Mitchell]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I was playing Todd's Adventure in Slime World today with a 6-button controller without being aware of needing the mode button held in. Well I came on here searching for help on the controls in the game (I can't for the life of me figure out how to use items) and I thought that maybe this was the problem. Can anyone help me out?

Look at my first post in this thread ;)

[Pezcore343]

I understand that, and I held it in at start up, but I still couldn't figure out how to use items. All of the buttons seemed to be for something else.

[MASTERWEEDO]

Mode was a needed button for "God Mode" on Doom 32x

[gdement]

Always thought the problem with Golden Axe II smelled like sloppiness.
It's been a long time, but my memory is I got that game not very long after it came out, and I had a (then new) 3-button controller at the time. I ran into the "mode" issue first time I tried to play the game.
Golden Axe II was too late of a game to excuse this issue. I'm surprised Sega let it be released without testing for that problem, as the 6-button was obviously a known thing and at least near release by then.

Maybe it was an older game from Japan, but in that case Sega of America should have tested it and gotten it fixed before it was released in their territory.

[CDiablo]

I am almost sure that Toejam and Earl required you to hold it down when you started. When you bought one in the original packaging there was a list of about 4-6 games in which you had to hold down the mode button when starting up or the games would crash. So if anyone has a CIB 6 button pad, a lot can be cleared up.

[Graham Mitchell]

I understand that, and I held it in at start up, but I still couldn't figure out how to use items. All of the buttons seemed to be for something else.

To use items, hold A and push left or right to select the item you want to use. To use it, hold A and push "up" on the D-Pad. That should help.

[Rickstilwell1]

Ms. Pac-Man also needs the mode button held in at startup in order for the D-Pad to work correctly

[Pezcore343]

To use items, hold A and push left or right to select the item you want to use. To use it, hold A and push "up" on the D-Pad. That should help.

Thanks! That's just what I needed.

Anyway, about the six button controllers and the mode button, I've never seen them crash a game. Even some of the ones you guys are mentioning. My Todd's Adventures in Slime World works fine without using the mode button and TJ&E Panic on Funktron actually can use the top 3 buttons to use items rather having to pause it for them. I just checked now with both games to make sure I wasn't crazy.

[Baloo]

Ms. Pac-Man also needs the mode button held in at startup in order for the D-Pad to work correctly

Ms. Pac-man is a hit-or-miss with the 6-button. With my copy, I have never had to hold down the mode button, and this has been for years, since at one time I only had a 6-button controller and no 3-buttons. But I've heard of others complaining about having to use the Mode button. Maybe some copies are newer and don't have to go into 3-button compatability mode?

I have found another game that needs the Mode button to work fully: Sunset Riders. The game wont recognize controller 2 at the start screen unless you hold down the mode button. Another game that needs mode is DeCapAttack, and that one wont work with the Nomad for this reason.

[A Black Falcon]

In my EA 4-Way Play, with both games I have that support it (NHL '97 and Gauntlet IV), you have to hold down the Mode button on 6-button controllers plugged into the third controller port for them to work. The other three controller ports are fine and don't require it, but the third one does. I don't know if this is just with mine or if this was common with the things...

And yeah, Sunset Riders is fine in 1-player mode, but to play with two you need to hold Mode on player two.

[MetalFRO]

I think a few older games were incompatable with the 6 button controller for one reason or another. I believe the mode button caused it act like a 3 button controller so those games would work. There's a few other newer games that used it as an extra button as well but I can't remember the names of any.

Yes. Sadly, Decapattack is one of them, and I was never able to get the Mode Button trick to work - had to resort to using my original 3-button controllers instead. It's well worth-it, though, that game is awesome.

[gamesboro]

This is my first post!

I think the problem is that some people don't know you need to hold down the mode button while you are turning on the system. People have said hold it at start up but I think some are confused.

Also, Ms. Pac ABSOLUTELY has to have the mode button held down to play it with the 6 button. I reviewed this at Sega-16 years ago and I had to do this. Once it boots up with the controller in 3 button mode it works just fine.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I am aware of at least 2 different versions of Ms. Pac on Genesis. One of them has yellow letters on top of the cart, the other has pink letters. Don't know if this makes a difference, also don't know if this applies to other regions.

[jb143]

Also, Ms. Pac ABSOLUTELY has to have the mode button held down to play it with the 6 button. I reviewed this at Sega-16 years ago and I had to do this. Once it boots up with the controller in 3 button mode it works just fine.


I didn't know that. No wonder this game was almost impossible to control. I just figured I didn't have the knack for it and put it away to never play it again.

[savageone]

I can add another game that you need to hold the mode button on start up for:

Out of This World (or at least the Sega CD Heart of the Alien version, never tested the Genesis version)

The game is actually pretty playable if you don't hold it on startup, but you will notice the controls are somewhat strange.. It's been a few years so I forget the specifics. I just recall playing maybe about a quarter of the way through the game before I figured out something was truly amiss. heh Maybe I got stuck at a point because I was unable to perform a certain move that was required there IIRC?

OOTW 2 on the very same Heart of the Alien disc does not have the issue, so no mode button required on startup.

[j_factor]

Really? I've never heard of that. That game came out a good 2 years after the 6-button controller, so they really should've been able to test it.