Trying to build a n64 fight stick with full analog control for Smash

[Roboplodicus]

I want to construct a N64 arcade stick. Building an N64 arcade stick is actually quite straight forward except the problem of a analog joystick. All the analog joysticks I've found so far are either not compatible with an n64 controller board because they only output USB, are very costly(163$ or only 155$ if I buy 10!) or are only available in bulk(I found ones for 10$ a piece with a minimum order of 100 sticks). I thought about just using a digital 8 way arcade joystick that has a button to change a stick push from full smash to just a tilt(I know there is a guy that plays melee on a fight stick like this) but in smash 64 it seems to me that would render pikachu, ness, fox's and the mario bros recoveries and yoshi's egg throws significantly worse, although I know some people are dedicated keyboard players and I'd love to get any of you keyboarders inputs on the matter(I made a joke did you get it?) of playing without an analog joystick.

Here is the USB outputting analog capable joystick, the only way I can think of making it work at this point is by(I think it can do this) having it output either ps3 or xbox 360 and then use an adapter(edit: I just found out that if you set the ultrastick to output ps3 or 360 it only outputs digital so the adapter idea is no more. If someone has any ideas to get this communicating with the n64 I'm all ears. And the thing is by almost any measures this is an absolutely incredible looking stick given how customizable it is. https://na.suzohapp.com/products/joysticks/50-2876-00 this is the 163$ one. And here is a link to 4 models of the 10$ 100 joystick minimum order joysticks I found on alibaba from the same supplier called Blee http://www.blee.com.cn/product/6011..._Supplier_Arcade_Machine_Analog_Joystick.html

http://www.blee.com.cn/product/6011..._Seat_Plate_Analog_Komatsu_Mini_Joystick.html

http://www.blee.com.cn/product/6011..._Base_Waterproof_Analog_Komatsu_Joystick.html

http://www.blee.com.cn/product/6011..._Base_Waterproof_Analog_Komatsu_Joystick.html

If any of you guys want to get in on splitting an order of 100 analog arcade joysticks just say so, maybe if enough people are interested we can all get in on an order?

The final option for making a Smash 64 fight pad is creating a "frankenpad" using the analog joystick half of a controller and maybe the z button attatched to a fight stick box housing with the rest of the buttons on it

Thoughts?

 

[Zantetsu]

I don't mean to burst your bubble but I really don't think many people, if any, will go in on those analog joysticks. Although I found them interesting, there just doesn't seem to be enough traditional FGC players in the 64 community for there to be an interest. Plus, if you're going to have to go through a PS3 or 360 adapter to have it work with an N64, then that's going to be incredibly expensive as well (for 360, I don't believe people have done a PS3 adapter yet) plus the known adapter isn't very stable yet, and you have to build it yourself. We have players of 360 and PS3 controllers who are stressing about switching to other controllers because of how much of a pain it is to get adapters for those controllers, so I can't imagine having to deal with that on top of getting an analog fightstick working.

To add to this, I have experimented with a fightstick in SSB64 through netplay emulation. I have it configured to where my bottom left button, when held, causes the range of my stick to be specific values in order for me to tilt, ff uair, walk, etc. (I call this my buffer button). It worked pretty well, but it certainly wouldn't be tournament legal considering the buffer button would be considered a macro, so I just use it for fun from time to time. So if you have a friend going to Melee tournaments and is using a fightstick with a buffer button, then that's technically a macro and he can very well be disqualified, as most Melee tournaments do not allow turbo/macro functions either. You may want to give him the heads up on that.

Best of luck if you continue with this project though, I'm interested in how it turns out!

 

[Roboplodicus]

I know getting people in on the joystick order is probably a pipe dream, but I thought I'd throw out the idea anyway. I don't actually know the guy with the melee fightstick, I just saw a vid of him talking about it online here. Apparently there are atleast a few people that have built fightsticks to play melee that I just found looking for the original guy again just now. Here are a few, the first one is the guy I was talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIvm2Z0ZoPM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3AUEcGN2Zs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH5DYYVtpMs

I knew that I would have to make my own adapter, I didn't know they are all pretty finnicky at this point, on top of that I have yet to find an xbox or ps fightstick with analog control so that isn't going to be a problem. At this point in time I'm leaning heavily towards biting the bullet and buying the 165 dollar joystick, cuz it's made by Happ, which has been the #1 joystick supplier in the USA for decades, so I'm sure it can take some abuse(which is more than I'll do it) given that it's meant to be used every day in public arcades and if somehow anti-miraculously some part of it breaks each part is available individually to buy from Happ also. I've searched the internet pretty hard in english for DIY marketed analog arcade joysticks and there are the only ones I've found, but my intuition tells me there has to be some company somewhere selling individual sticks for less than 165$ though whether they would ship a single stick to the USA is another question should I somehow find a foreign supplier. I do actually has a friend that haas a buddy in japan he sometimes relay ships stuff through so I might ask him to do a quick search through the japanese language portion of the internet for me....hmm thinking thinking....

 

[Deleted member]

Why bother? Just use the original, and when it wears out get another controller.

 

[Roboplodicus]

As I stated in my second post I prefer playing on a fightstick over a controller, but thank you for your input.

 

[B Link]

I don't think many people would be willing to split the pay for that bulk order, but I for one would love to try out ssb on an arcade stick.

 

[Zantetsu]

I don't think many people would be willing to split the pay for that bulk order, but I for one would love to try out ssb on an arcade stick.

If you already own one, I can tell you how I have mine configured for you to give it a try via emulation.

 

[Deleted member]

*As I stated in my second post I prefer cheating on a fightstick over a controller, but thank you for your input.

You sure did, and I said that it's wrong.

 

[Roboplodicus]

If you already own one, I can tell you how I have mine configured for you to give it a try via emulation.

This guy is super curious how you configured it.

 

[C4lmpl3x]

I've actually been working on a smash stick, but I gave up. The problem was that I wanted an arcade stick feel (in terms of joystick) but with tilts and stuff that isn't really possible. I bought a cheap mayflash stick to use on project64, and with modifiers you can at least limit your Y axis movement, but it has problems sometimes. I was looking at the UltraStik 360 (i think) but until I find one i can test out, I'm not willing to dump that much money into this project.


I built my prototype using an extra YOBO controller ( I like replacing my Hori joystick caps with the YOBO ones) using 24mm buttons, and a joystick mount I printed out.

It's not pretty, but I wanted to keep the prototype cheap.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums...tforthugs/IMG_20160503_104035_zpsbscofmw1.jpg
http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums...tforthugs/IMG_20160503_104041_zpsna43pysd.jpg
http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums...tforthugs/IMG_20160503_104054_zpszyaiexgg.jpg


I did a lot of googling and ended up finding this page, might be the same guy you were talking about.
http://forums.shoryuken.com/discuss...mash-bros-arcade-stick-finished-pics-and-vids

 

[Roboplodicus]

I was looking at the UltraStik 360 (i think) but until I find one i can test out, I'm not willing to dump that much money into this project.

...


I built my prototype using an extra YOBO controller ( I like replacing my Hori joystick caps with the YOBO ones) using 24mm buttons, and a joystick mount I printed out.

...

I did a lot of googling and ended up finding this page, might be the same guy you were talking about.
http://forums.shoryuken.com/discuss...mash-bros-arcade-stick-finished-pics-and-vids

I looked at the ultrastick 360 too, but it will only output analog to a pc, if you buy the PCB thing that lets it output the ps3/xbox 360 signal it will only work in analog mode(I emailed the folks that make it asking about this, so you could use it for emulator play, but it would take some serious electrical engineering work to get it working on a n64.

How did you replace the hori stick with the yobo one(I assume your talking about the ps style grippy one) do the joysticks have the same shaped interface? Cause I also happen to have a torn apart yobo laying around.

And that's the guy I was talking about yup.

 

[C4lmpl3x]

How did you replace the hori stick with the yobo one(I assume your talking about the ps style grippy one) do the joysticks have the same shaped interface? Cause I also happen to have a torn apart yobo laying around.

It's just the joystick cap, typically pots come as a flat metal or rounded shaft. the rounded shafts are like what come in xbox and PS controllers. Hori pads use the metal shaft type, and so do the yobos.

 

[Roboplodicus]

Ah I actually just sold my hori pad, a few days ago, but that's cool I didn't know that you could just easy swap the plastic stick top like that, I think I have one of those hori stick caps laying around if you need another one I could mail it out to you rather than you buying a whole another controller for just the cap.

I just took a look at your prototype is that an analog stick you used for it? I actually ending up biting the bullet and buying the expensive Happ analog stick, I just need to get around to building a sturdy case(the joystick weighs about 5 pounds) for it and wiring it up to an old n64 pad. Don't know what i'm going to do for the case at this point, like try finding some sturdy plastic box usually used for something else, or getting an old up for grabs/free cabinet or shelves off craigslist and cutting them up and bolting them into a box or just go to home depot and pick up some of the plastic coated particle board and build a box out of that, also sort of unsure how big I should make the thing and if I should bother buying an digital joystick too, since you can get a good one for just about 20 dollars and after all the other expenses this projected has accrued(mostly just the stick and the buttons at this point honestly, but that stick alone...). The thing is very few games on the n64 actually use the d-pad so either way...