Super Nintendo "original" controllers: How many kinds?

[Anotherfluke]

I was going through my parents' storage and found some boxes from my days at Nintendo. Inside I found some SNES controllers. Most had the familiar "Super Nintendo" text printed on the front, like so:

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/snes.jpg

But some have the Nintendo logo engraved on the controller, like this:

http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/systems/snescontroller.jpg

(both are hotlinks, forgive me internet gods)

So what's the difference? I notice that on the engraved version, it actually has the super famicom logo on the back next to the SNES logo, and has the model no. SNS-102, whereas the more common version has model number SNS-005.

Any thoughts?

[PacmanPlush]

Yo, 'sup homeboy? :pimp:

The SNS-102 came with the Model 2 SNES, the smaller one. :eek 2:

The fact that it has several logos on the back was just a cost-cutting measure, so the same mold could be used in all regions.

This is why the front of the controller only says "Nintendo" instead of having the whole Super Nintendo logo like the original SNS-005. :monkey:

[CosmicMonkey]

Does anyone actually know why it's only the American pads that have concave X and Y buttons?

[PacmanPlush]

Does anyone actually know why it's only the American pads that have concave X and Y buttons?

The same reason why they're the only ones with purple buttons. :pimp:

In North America, the SNES came out several months after its release in Japan, giving time for the redesigned controller. Ergonomics and all that.

Why this change wasn't kept for the even later European release, or why the controllers weren't similarly redesigned for Japan, I don't think anyone really knows. Probably a lack of communication between NOA, NOJ, and NOE, or it would've been an inconvenience- the multicolored buttons used on the J/EU controllers might have something to do with it. :bigmac:

[Anotherfluke]

Thanks, I suspected as much, but the SFC logo on the back threw me.

[skaar]

I like the multicoloured, my first SNES was a Super Fami and I was sad when it was all purple when it came out here.

One of the reasons why I used my ASCII pad more than any other controller. My Super Fami controllers had like a footlong cord I swear.

[otoko]

Could that mean my SNES controllers with the embossed logo could not be fakes? I remember seeming a thread that was saying some where bootlegs.

Their boxes look like the one in this pic. The sticker around the buttons seemed to have yellowed a bit.

http://atariace.com/images/atariace.com/nintendo-snes/systems/images/snes-mini-starter.png

[PSony]

They could be fakes. I have a Sega Saturn USB controller from ebay and you cannot tell that it's a fake by the packaging because it looks and feels genuine.

[otoko]

Yea, I'll probably ask again when I get home sometime in the next few weeks.

[FantasiaWHT]

"Super Nintendo "original" controllers: How many kinds?"

1, duh. After any change it's no longer the original controller!

[Mimi Nakamura]

The same reason why they're the only ones with purple buttons. :pimp:

In North America, the SNES came out several months after its release in Japan, giving time for the redesigned controller. Ergonomics and all that.

Why this change wasn't kept for the even later European release, or why the controllers weren't similarly redesigned for Japan, I don't think anyone really knows. Probably a lack of communication between NOA, NOJ, and NOE, or it would've been an inconvenience- the multicolored buttons used on the J/EU controllers might have something to do with it. :bigmac:

Legend has it that NOA fucked up their button order and didn't have time to fix it for the release....

I have no idea if that's true though!

[endingman]

DESIGN DIFFERENCES
Nintendojo interview with NOA designer Lance Barr
http://www.nintendojo.com/interviews/view_item.php?1130801472

This will give a little insight to the decisions that were made with different console localizations. Lance designed the Original Model 1 North American NES and SNES, among other things.

I don't know who actually designed the SNES controllers, perhaps Gunpei Yokoi. They definitely match the color scheme and aesthetic to Lance's design.

CONVEX & CONCAVE
I can assume based on my experience with design and also with common sense that the buttons vary in concave and convex so that the user can locate the correct button in the heat of the action without looking down at the buttons. This is a common thing on cell phone and keyboard number pads, with the number 5 having a small nub as orientation for the user.

You have to remember that prior to the snes, most consoles had either two buttons next to each other, or the Sega had three, next to each other, with the 6-button coming out after the SNES controller as retaliation and as a logical response to SFII/MK madness. So, most users were probably not used to a second row of buttons that were not offset in some way. They most likely found this out during testing, so they decied to make a convex/concave tactile identity to the keys that was not irritating, but natural to use for subliminal finger movements.

Sony used the same arrangement of buttons on their PSX pads, no doubt because Sony and Nintendo worked together in some SNES/Play Station dev. However, I found myself sometimes losing orientation on a frantic PSX game because all the buttons are convex!

FAKE CONTROLLERS
I f***ing hate bootleg controllers because the quality is garbage and the fleaBay sellers use devious tactics to con a sale. I never fell for it *ever*. Some friends did though.

THIS IS A REAL SNES CONTROLLER, SEALED
http://www.warpzonevideogames.com/ebay/snescontrollersealed_a.jpg
http://www.warpzonevideogames.com/ebay/snescontrollersealed_b.jpg

Note the horizontal seam that is only done by Official Nintendo packaging. If anyone claims that is a sealed SNES controller and it's official, but there's no H-seam, its a damned fake. The fake controller box shown a few posts above look similar too, as if scanned from the original. The visual difference I can see in the graphic is ink retention, color crush, tone-pattern, gloss-sheen and the difference in the shade of green on the little box on the front, left-center.

I hope I've helped a little.

[badinsults]

The one with the engraved Nintendo logo is a fake. They flood ebay, making it next to impossible to find a legit controller. They suck.

[thom_m]

The one with the engraved Nintendo logo is a fake. They flood ebay, making it next to impossible to find a legit controller. They suck.

Not necessarily. Like PacmanPlush said, the SNS-102, which came with the Model 2, had the Nintendo logo engraved on it.

They were the last model sold separately here in Brazil. I bought two boxed, unused ones once and got really suspicious when I saw the engraved logo - although they played flawlessly, much different than the Yobo crap I'd bought before. After some googling, I found this (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111102) thread, the very one that got me into these forums.

Take a look at it, it really enlightening on that matter. You'll also see some pics of the brazilian SNES pad box, which is really cool.

[otoko]

Agreed. My friend Melanie only buys 1st party Nintendo hardware and she has these controllers also.

[tofu]

99% chance they're fake

The company I work for has had a chance to distribute those for years but we never have because they're fake. We know the factory where they're being made and I can tell you that they have absolutely no link to Nintendo whatsoever.

Only reason I'm not 100% sure is it's possible that real Nintendo controllers like those are available elsewhere in the world but not the U.S.

Wholesale price is below $2 and you get what you pay for.

[Leo_A]

As has already been stated, there's an excellent chance they're legitimate. That was the design Nintendo went to when they launched the SuperNes redesign and were sold in retailers as replacement controllers in boxes like were already posted around 1998 or so in the US.

I have a redesigned SuperNes I bought in 1998/1999 or so at Wal-Mart brand new here in its box to act as a spare console if its ever needed, and that's the style of controller it came with.

[thom_m]

Tofu, check the link I posted. I have both of them, the original AND the counterfeits, and the difference is enormous - although both have the Nintendo logo engraved. From what I can see in the OPs picture, it's almost certainly a SNS-102 - the D-pad on most counterfeits is a little different, as is the shade of gray of the pad's plastic.

A good way to know if we're dealing with a fake pad is to check the cable's lenght. I've never seen a counterfeit with a long cable, like my SNS-102 has. But, in fact, you don't even have to see that: if you have the original SNS-005, like the OP does, just compare how they feel, how they play. There's no way a fake one will be as good as the original and, if both models feel the same, chances are good you have a SNS-102 on your hands.

On a final note, I personally think the SNS-102 looks cooler.

[Enigmus]

Well, for types, these are the ones I know:
*Original SFC pads (JP)
*Original SNES Pads (EU)
*Original SNES Pads (US)
*Redesigned Pads (SNES 2)

Trust me. I use internet, I own an original late 1991/early 1992 SNES, and one of my friends has an 1997 SNES 2. I am good with the SNessies.

[tofu]

Tofu, check the link I posted. I have both of them, the original AND the counterfeits, and the difference is enormous - although both have the Nintendo logo engraved. From what I can see in the OPs picture, it's almost certainly a SNS-102 - the D-pad on most counterfeits is a little different, as is the shade of gray of the pad's plastic.

A good way to know if we're dealing with a fake pad is to check the cable's lenght. I've never seen a counterfeit with a long cable, my like SNS-102 has. But, in fact, you don't even have to see that: if you have the original SNS-005, like the OP does, just compare how they feel, how they play. There's no way a fake one will be as good as the original and, if both models feel the same, chances are good you fave a SNS-102 on your hands.

On a final note, I personally think the SNS-102 look cooler.

Hm... you're right... that link is enlightening.

I still think it's fake though. As a courtesy I never mention another company's name or product but someone has been distributing a fake for quite some time now and the only way to tell is to check the build quality, cable length or weight.

[TheRedEye]

Trust me. I use internet

I want this on a T-shirt.

[endingman]

No it's not. :wink 2:

I too have seen many fakes. If you read my post above, I've seen my fair f'in share working at gamestores, repairing systems, and just sifting through garage sales. And I have an annoying attention to detail that pisses off the punk kid clerks that work these days who don't know the difference.

Sure, the knockoffs look awfully close...if you squint and stick your head in the fridge. Official, original SNES controllers use the best Japanese plastic, with a fine, uniform microtexture on the outer shell, a hint of bluish-gray cast to the color, and the engraving is always laser sharp. The knockoffs can't even get the damn sticker surrounding the buttons correctly.

Is this even an issue?

[Anotherfluke]

I can 100% guarantee that the controllers I have aren't fake, since these controllers came from Nintendo's HQ in Redmond. So unless Nintendo was buying and using fake controllers I'm pretty sure these are legit.

Hmm, if Nintendo did buy and use fake controllers, would that make them legit?

[Enigmus]

I want this on a T-shirt.

Now avaiable on coffee mugs and T-shirts at your local Wal Mart! :D

[gamescanner.org]

Hi,

Anyone knows where I could download scans of the original super Nintendo controller retail box?

[Ed Oscuro]

Old thread ahoy!

The Saturn USB pads from "SLS" (Sega Logistical Services) are legit.

I can't imagine the SNES pads mentioned in this thread are fakes, either. I think the pads I've gotten with my own Model 2s have the embossed logo.

[Grooveraider]

Does anyone actually know why it's only the American pads that have concave X and Y buttons?

According to Lance Barr ( Nintendo's Industrial Product Designer ) the concave X & Y buttons were designed on the Super NES to help U.S. consumers to distinguish the two extra buttons given on the SNES D-Pad. The shoulder buttons were a given - obviously placed above the controller. I'm too lazy to go through my Nintendo Power magazines at the moment but I believe this is also mentioned when Nintendo did their very first expose' on the Super Nintendo system in 1991.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk173/Grooveraider/3449343469_a49cd27ae1-1.jpg

For a closer shot of me and Lance in the pic check out my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grooveraider/3449343469/

Lance Barr was responsible for the case design of the American Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, the toploader redesign of the 8-bit Nintendo Control Deck, and three of the most popular NES accessories: NES Advantage, NES Max, and Zapper. Unexpectedly, I ran into Lance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2003). Luckily having the name badges otherwise I wouldn't have recognized him without his mustache - XD

Lance Barr is still employed by Nintendo and was also instrumental to the design of the Nintendo Wii console.

[Grooveraider]

Legend has it that NOA fucked up their button order and didn't have time to fix it for the release....

I have no idea if that's true though!

Totally false. I know because the designer Lance Barr confirmed it to me
back in 2003.

[Grooveraider]

Could that mean my SNES controllers with the embossed logo could not be fakes? I remember seeming a thread that was saying some where bootlegs.

Their boxes look like the one in this pic. The sticker around the buttons seemed to have yellowed a bit.

http://atariace.com/images/atariace.com/nintendo-snes/systems/images/snes-mini-starter.png

It seems after a long production run of a particular console the companies tend to shift manufacturing to other developers /countries. In other words cheaper labor and other factors. For instance, after the Sega Genesis 2 model ran for a few years the Genesis 3 was developed by Majesco - a New Jersey based company that also morphed as a game development company under a different alias.

[NayusDante]

What did the original controller box look like? The revised one and the bootlegs use the Mario RPG art, so I'm sure there was a different design before '95.

I've actually been wanting a new SNES pad for some time now, but my main concern is quality. My original pad has seen a LOT of use, and it's starting to feel a little worn, so I'd ultimately like to replace it with the same thing. Still, it would seem that I have a few options available.

What's the build quality and longevity of the different variations? Do the legit embossed controllers stand up to the originals? I'm also thinking about looking for an SFC pad, are they about the same, just different button colors?


(unrelated, but Grooveraider, I absolutely love your video archive)

[Grooveraider]

What did the original controller box look like? The revised one and the bootlegs use the Mario RPG art, so I'm sure there was a different design before '95.

I've actually been wanting a new SNES pad for some time now, but my main concern is quality. My original pad has seen a LOT of use, and it's starting to feel a little worn, so I'd ultimately like to replace it with the same thing. Still, it would seem that I have a few options available.

What's the build quality and longevity of the different variations? Do the legit embossed controllers stand up to the originals? I'm also thinking about looking for an SFC pad, are they about the same, just different button colors?


(unrelated, but Grooveraider, I absolutely love your video archive)

I'm glad you dig it ^_^ Tell everyone you know who loves gaming history. It's all
about bringing visuals to the legacies written in a book like David Scheff's "Game Over".

[BetaWolf47]

Old thread, I know. But really, take a look at this:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/snes+controller/rikitheshadow/SNESController003.jpg?o=12

The disc around the buttons is yellow, the button text is black, and the buttons look a little... fake.

So there are real and fake SNES controllers with the engraved Nintendo logo. Something to watch out for.

[gamescanner.org]

Old thread, I know. ... So there are real and fake SNES controllers with the engraved Nintendo logo. Something to watch out for.

Yep, it seems so. Packaging itself is crappy too. If I had both I'd be glad to write a comparison review. Needless to say, they do not look too well if you'd stack them up side by side.

Post maybe old, but subject still valid.

[shadows]

Were the original snes controller thicker at the top? Or is this something that was done only with the sns-005 models? I recently got an SNES 2 with two sns-005, but I really dont remember them being thicker at the top when I was a kid.

[cain149]

Yeah that one that BetaWolf47 has the picture of is definitely a fake, same kind that I just got from ebay :(. Look at where the cable comes out of the controller. Also even though it says Nintendo on the front like the SNS-102 does, on the back it says SNS-005, like the chinese counterfeiters couldn't even get that right. The select and start buttons on the fake are also just hard plastic instead of the rubberized buttons on the real controllers. Also on the plug where it should say Nintendo it doesn't say anything.

Watch out for these fakes on ebay, they will ship them in official packaging but when you open it up its a fake inside