technabob » gamepad

nes controller pulls double duty as mouse

alisha k. — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:40:06 +0000

When you’re playing classic games, nothing beats using the original gamepad. In fact, the good ol’ NES controller is useful for all sorts of classic games, whether or not they were made by Nintendo. It’s comfortable and familiar. So when someone adapts an NES controller for plug-and-play use, I pay attention–particularly if that controller will also double as a USB mouse!

You can plug in this controller and throw down immediately on a variety of operating systems, from Windows Vista and XP to Mac OS X, but unfortunately, the sweet mushroom pillow (lamp? table? decorative stand? other mushroom-shaped object?) is not included in the $35 pricetag.

Don’t think you’ll be sliding this thing around on a mousepad, however; instead, you press A, B, Start, and Select simultaneously to enter “mouse mode,” and from there you can use the d-pad to manipulate the onscreen pointer. The A and B buttons serve as left and right mouse buttons. It’s not perfect, but when you’re playing a game and need to switch for just a second, it’s a convenient feature.

[USB NES controller at Etsy via Chip Chick]

pmp plays music, video, games, even reads books aloud

technabob — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:59:40 +0000

Here’s another cheapie media player that manages to cram everything but the kitchen sink into a single device.

Chinavasion’s latest media player not only handles your music and videos with aplomb, it can also emulate a variety of classic gaming consoles. There’s emulation support for the NES, Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Sega Genesis so you can play your favorites from the past. In addition, the device also integrates an E-book capability that actually uses text-to-speech to read books to you in either Chinese or English.

The player has a 3-inch TFT widescreen, and comes with a snap-on gaming pad accessory so you can get your game on. The device has 2GB of on-board memory and can be expanded up to 6GB total, with the addition of a 4GB SD card. Chinavasion hasn’t announced a price yet, but based on their past bargain-basement releases, it’s almost a sure bet that it’ll be inexpensive.

nes controller mouse mod

technabob — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:53:10 +0000

It seems like just about once a week, I come across somebody who’s comes up with a clever new use for a classic Nintendo Entertainment System gamepad.

This time, an industrious hacker has taken the guts of an optical mouse and slapped them inside the NES controller. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something inherently fun in using twenty year old technology to control modern gear.

It’s amazing what you can do with some X-Acto knife skills and some hot glue.

[via Hacked Gadgets via Mike Ballan]

saitek cyborg fps gamepad offers custom left controls

technabob — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:53:41 +0000

Here’s an interesting new gaming controller design from Saitek. The new Cyborg PP26 Rumble Gamepad controller lets you swap the positions of the left analog sitck and digital joypad.

This seems like a great idea, since it seems the position of those controls is a highly individual preference. It’s especially handy if you’re used to playing on a particular console, and want to have the same feel when you’re playing on your PC. There’s also a nifty “reduced sensitivity” mode that lets you temporarily aim more precisely when targeting. The controller will retail for around $35 when it’s released later this year.

I’m hoping Saitek eventually releases a wireless version for use with the Xbox 360 and PS3 too, but I’m not holding my breath.

[via IGN via Everything USB]

classic nintendo controllers for your pc or mac

technabob — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:29:52 +0000

Do you long for the days of the simple, elegantly designed gamepad controllers from Nintendo’s classic gaming systems?

Perfect for playing emulated games the way they were meant to be played, you can buy custom-modded versions of the 8-bit NES and 16-bit SNES joypads, ready to use with your PC or Macintosh.

The fine folks over at Phreque.com have taken care of the hard part by adding a USB conversion module and cabling to the classic controllers so you can use them on any Windows XP/2000 or Mac OS computer.

The NES version sells for $33, while the SNES version will set you back $35. Keep in mind that these are used controllers which have been cleaned up and retrofitted, so they may have some minor cosmetic wear.

pocket gamepad folds and fits in your pocket

technabob — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:55:46 +0000

This little USB controller has a fun little trick up its sleeve. The Pocket Gamepad is hinged in the middle, folds in half and flips shut for maximum portability.

The compact game controller measures just 3.93″ x 1.81″ x 0.47″ when opened and about half that width and twice that depth when folded up. Imported from Japan by GeekStuff4U, it’ll set you back about $31 USD.