How possible is this? [mod game controller for pc]

[boatofcar]

Would it be possible to take a NES, Genesis, etc. controller and make it into a USB controller for a PC/Mac?

[zektor]

I know you can create an adaptor to be plugged into the parallel port (printer) to make many controllers work on a PC. You would then use the Direct Pad Pro driver to initialize the joypad in question. As for USB, well, you can use N64 controllers on your PC using the Adaptoid device. I have two of them and two joypads hooked up to my PC. It's great! It even has a special folder on the HD that is really the memory card! Pop the memory card in the controller and browse your saves on the HD! Also uses the N64 rumble pack as a force feedback in any DirectX game. Check it out:

http://www.wishtech.com

[Tetsu]

Here's the long and difficult, yet incredibly rewarding way to make the controller of your choice work on your PC:

1>Buy a USB PC Pad (cheapest one will do)
2>Get a console pad (NES pad for example)
3>Take both controllers apart, and find out which wires go to which buttons on the encoder chips
4>solder wires from each of the buttons and directions on your NES pad to the corresponding button PCBs on the PC pad, and one ground wire for each.
5>plug the USB connector of your PC pad to your PC, and play your favorite game using the buttons on your hacked NES pad. There might be some bugs, so beta test and fix the troubleshoot before you put everything back together.

NOTE: Not responsible damage to your PC, PC Pad, or NES pad. Also, consider putting all these wires and the PC pad in a box, because otherwise it will look butt-ugly.
I prefer this method of making pads because with a little know-how, you do all kinds of fancy shit like put gameport connectors on your PC pad, and make it a "master interface". that way you can connect more than one type of pad up to it just by plugging a new one in. Also, you can wire up LED's to show you which pad is connected, or put timing circuits and potentiometers in there for your own custom autofire and slo-mo.

[boatofcar]

I guess my next question is, is there anyone willing to do this, and how much will you charge to do it?

[CrazyImpmon]

Wouldn't it be easier to use the existing game pad to Parallel port adapter or mod, and then get those parallel port to USB adapter? Make sure it's the real parallel port adapter as the printer adapter only works with printer and won't work with any other parallel port devices. Of course, these won't work on DOS based program as DOS don't support USB.

[Tetsu]

Crazy Impmon has a very good point: doing the parallel port mod and using a USB converter would be easier. However, I have encountered some timing problems with this method (buttons registered a few milliseconds after i press the button) might have been my particular converter, however. Maybe USB 2.0 could do something about that. At any rate, experimenting is the only way to find out what works well.

[boatofcar]

Crazy Impmon has a very good point: doing the parallel port mod and using a USB converter would be easier. However, I have encountered some timing problems with this method (buttons registered a few milliseconds after i press the button) might have been my particular converter, however. Maybe USB 2.0 could do something about that. At any rate, experimenting is the only way to find out what works well.

Being extremely deficient in anything electronic, I'll gladly donate a controller and whatever else is needed, plus some money for labor if somebody can make me an NES USB controller.

[Tetsu]

Ahh, you should have caught me last year: I would have gladly hacked a pad for you. However, I hung up my digital multimeter after I finished my ultimate joystick this August. All I can offer you now is a link to a site that sells USB converters for PS and N64 pads:

http://cyberpad.psxemu.com/shop1.shtml