D-pad - analog stick swap?

Neildo_64 · Post by **Neildo_64** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:58 am

Would it be relatively easy to swap the analog stick for a d-pad? Or to reverse the Y axis on the analog stick?

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:15 am

put a d-pad where the analog was? yes - it will make it like you are pushing the joystick all the way or not at all.

flipping axis - yes just reverse the wires.

Neildo_64 · Post by **Neildo_64** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:20 am

Thanks. Thats what I figured, but I was too lazy to try it.

To save some time, do you know what wires are what?

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:12 am

You wouldn't want to change the joystick for a D-pad, you need the analogue joystick so the game knows how much to react - a small movement on the stick is a small movement in the game, max is max, etc - playing games like Mario 64 would be extremely hard, and no fun to play without an analogue joystick.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:49 pm

^ exactly. Its possible though.

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:18 pm

if it's about size - use a PSP analog stick (you'll need a 3rdparty controller for that, though)

Neildo_64 · Post by **Neildo_64** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:34 pm

I know with a d-pad it would be all or nothing, as opposed to the sensitivity of the joystick, I was just wondering if you could swap it. I thought about switching it, but almost immediately changed my mind because, like bacteria said, that just wouldn't be that fun.

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:59 am

Kyo wrote:if it's about size - use a PSP analog stick (you'll need a 3rdparty controller for that, though)

...or a joystick from a PSone / PC joypad / GameCube. As posted in my current project, you can connect them as:

Needs a third party N64 controller.

The white lines in the pic are not connected to.

DukeNukenFourEver · Post by **DukeNukenFourEver** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:07 am

This makes me wonder... Has anyone succesfully swapped the insides of the N64 controller to a PS2 controller and had it work like it should? Maybe map the c buttons to the right analouge stuck, etc...

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:30 am

Electric Rain (who first did this joystick mod I believe), used the joystick from a GameCube controller, although it is the same as used in other gamepads.

The C buttons you refer to are digital (push button) so you won't get an analogue joystick to work like that, and anyway, you wouldn't want to. You can however make a plastic circle on top of the four rubber contacts on the N64 controller and put a joystick top on top to make it look like a joystick, and act more like a joystick (see part of my GP2x project), although there doesn't seem much point.

On my current project, I thought it more useful to use a NES D-pad for the C buttons rather than the N64 buttons.

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:38 am

Of course it works with any kind of analog stick, it's just that the PSP one isn't sticking out (and less likely to break because of that)

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:01 pm

I think the previous gen and next gen controllers (GC, PS2, PS3, XBox and XBox 360) all use the same joystick module, though I can't be sure. It's become a sort of standard. The pot can even be found on Digikey, which I just found out a few days ago. (Home > Potentiometers, Variable Resistors > Joystick)

bacteria · Post by **bacteria** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:35 am

...or you can buy old game controllers with these joysticks very cheaply at car boot sales.

I can, and have, bought PS1 and GC controllers for 50p - Â£1 each. That is far cheaper than buying off the internet; and of course, an old controller has two joysticks inside!!

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:59 am

I know. I was just pointing out the fact that this type of module is now so widely used, that it can be found at Digikey... even though it's a video game hardware part.