Place to buy Vectrex controller, Sega Gen modded one, or the PSX adaptor

[Coleridge]

Hi guys,

I recently picked up a Vectrex (finally!) but the controller is shot. I know it's fixable. I tried, but failed. I have no repair skills, apparently.

So, I've been googling for a retailer to get a replacement controller from, or a Genesis modded one, or some other kind of adapter like the PSX one (no longer being made).

I've found nothing. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Controllers pop-up pretty rarely on ebay and I have a feeling it's going to take me a while to find one at a reasonable price.

Thanks for any help.

[Sunnyvale]

Finding one at a reasonable price is almost certain to not happen online. If I had your broke one, I'd want $25 for it.
Either search the wild for a long time, fix the one you got, or pay the $50 they go for.

[Coleridge]

Finding one at a reasonable price is almost certain to not happen online. If I had your broke one, I'd want $25 for it.
Either search the wild for a long time, fix the one you got, or pay the $50 they go for.

Where are you seeing them for $50? Ebay? $50 is a reasonable price. I'm having trouble finding a place to buy one.

[Sunnyvale]

OK, if $50 is reasonable to you, there's a NOS one now on Ebay, but it'll break $50:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-VECTREX-GAME-CONTROL-PANEL-CONTROLLER-MINT-/380400044781?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item58919c0aed

It's going to take some time if you just want a working used one. HTF and sought after, that makes it rough. Add it to your Ebay 'Saved Searches', and hope for the best. Maybe someone here will have an extra.

[synbiosfan]

When I was in the same boat, I found an auction where I won another complete Vectrex for $60 shipped. It was way cheaper at the time than any of the controller BINs.

I did look for a few months I should mention.

[Sunnyvale]

When I was in the same boat, I found an auction where I won another complete Vectrex for $60 shipped. It was way cheaper at the time than any of the controller BINs.

I did look for a few months I should mention.

And even then, at that price, it was kind of a crap shoot on the controller being 100%, am I right? Or did the seller mislabel it?

[Videogamerdaryll]

Maybe Joe has one at the store.


Monday-Thursday: 11am - 8pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am - 9pm
Sun: 12pm - 5pm

Digital Press Videogames
387 Piaget Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07011

the store is conveniently located less than a half-mile from the NJ Parkway and 20 minutes from NYC. If you're really lost, give us a call during store hours at (973) 772-1111

[Coleridge]

Cool, thanks for the tips guys. I appreciate it.

[swlovinist]

Recycledgamer does wonderful mods of SNES and Genesis controllers to work on vectrex systems. I have several controllers of his work and they are amazing.

His youtube channel is found here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/recycledgamer/featured

[synbiosfan]

And even then, at that price, it was kind of a crap shoot on the controller being 100%, am I right? Or did the seller mislabel it?

No mislabel and both my controllers work great. This is the first thread I've read where someone's was shot, I thought they were durable as hell. I got lucky I guess.

When I said in the same boat, I just wanted a second controller for player 2 not that my controller was shot.

[Sunnyvale]

No mislabel and both my controllers work great. This is the first thread I've read where someone's was shot, I thought they were durable as hell. I got lucky I guess.

When I said in the same boat, I just wanted a second controller for player 2 not that my controller was shot.

The controllers do work well usually, I'm just saying that if you got it that cheap, it probably wasn't from a seller who sells video games all the time and has good feedback. And those guys will turn a system on, and call it 'fully functional'. Which makes it hard to be certain the controllers are good.
Personally, I'm like you. Wait till it's cheap, and get a steal. But if one wants a controller now, it's different.

[Cornelius]

No mislabel and both my controllers work great. This is the first thread I've read where someone's was shot, I thought they were durable as hell. I got lucky I guess.

When I said in the same boat, I just wanted a second controller for player 2 not that my controller was shot.

A bad Vectrex controller isn't that uncommon. I had to repair one once. Fortunately my problem was well-documented with a pretty straightforward fix using a spring from a 2600 cart. The hardest part was getting the sticker off the front of the controller to open it, IIRC.

[CRTGAMER]

Another option but might be also hard to find. Maybe there are some Apple II + controllers that have left and right player buttons that could work? I modded two aftermarket Commander Deluxe controllers, a strange hybrid controller with four buttons and potentiometers inside that works as a Digital stick in Atari and Analog stick in the old Apples. This leads me to believe the POT range is similar in the Vectrex, older apples and possibly PC joysticks?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v500/dantiques/26000b/26836.jpg