Best cheap basic game controller for Computer?

Sueve

Anyone know of a good basic controller that is basic yet sturdy. Mostly for playing my old games that I have lying around in emulator form.

Bartholamue

If it's still avaliable, the Gravis Gamepad Pro. It's shaped like a first gen PSX controller and is nice and cheap.

Brolo

You can try the Logitech Dual Action Pro:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/pc_gaming/gamepads/devices/288&cl=us,en

It's not exactly basic, but it is pretty cheap.

However, the best controller I've used on a PC isn't one that was designed for the PC at all:

http://techgage.com/article/xbox_360_controller_for_windows/

This guy is pretty much the best one you can get for old arcade games (which I'm sure you purchased in "Best Of" collections) and it's really great for new stuff too, like Crysis, which also takes advantage of its force feedback capabilities.

Silvoculous

Go to Radioshack and buy an adapter to use one of your old PSX controllers. A PSX to USB adapter is like $12 usually.

yourclothes

i have the logitech dual action pro and it works pretty well

Daddygerplex

I know its not cheap but the 360 USB wired controller pretty much pwns.

jivedanson

Silvoculous wrote: »

Go to Radioshack and buy an adapter to use one of your old PSX controllers.

Yep.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Silvoculous

Has anybody seen those multi-adapters that have ports for PS2, Xbox and Gamecube controllers all in one? I know there are some Dualshock haters so I wanted to throw out that one of these is usually cheaper than the adapter I previously mentioned. I saw one at Wal-Mart for $10, but I never picked one up because I have so many Dualshocks lying around.

LoneIgadzra

I do not recommend Gravis products. I went through two game pads, they both had serious functionality issues - one which being that they broke in a month. If you have console controllers laying around, just buy an adapter.

Silvoculous wrote: »

Has anybody seen those multi-adapters that have ports for PS2, Xbox and Gamecube controllers all in one? I know there are some Dualshock haters so I wanted to throw out that one of these is usually cheaper than the adapter I previously mentioned. I saw one at Wal-Mart for $10, but I never picked one up because I have so many Dualshocks lying around.

Those white boxes at wal-mart are laughable garbage with terrible drivers. I bought something called a "3 in 1 magic joy box" which is also filled with terrible Chinese, but at least the Windows drivers work perfectly (at least once you google up the latest version). These things show up on ebay under all kinds of names, but it's the only blue one.

Silvoculous

LoneIgadzra wrote: »

Those white boxes at wal-mart are laughable garbage with terrible drivers.

Good to know.

maximumzero

I like the Firestorm Digital

http://www.thrustmaster.com/product.aspx?ProductID=26&PlatformID=5

Like $10.

Rhan9

I got one of these:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/pc_gaming/gamepads/devices/301&cl=us,en

Logitech Precision Gamepad
10 buttons and directional.

Seems to cost 10$ according to logitech's website.


Edit: Bugger, forgot about the leeching. Sowwy.

halkun

Wow, that's a host that doesn't like pic leeching *at all*

Brodo Faggins

Oh my GOD hahaha.

On-topic: PS2 -> USB adaptor works perfectly, they're pretty cheap too.

Halbyrd

On the subject of the 360 controller:

For games that were designed for its use, it does indeed rock. Less satisfactory is the situation where a game was quite clearly designed for use with a D-pad, but the x/y axes are mapped to the left thumbstick. Bionic Commando Rearmed is a recent example that exhibits this quite well, as is just about any 2d fighter (Guilty Gear X2, anyone?). These old-school games often require quick shifts in direction that a thumbstick makes cumbersome at best, impossible at worst. "Well," you say, "why not just use the D-pad on the 360 controller?" Well, two reasons for that:

1. The D-pad's position on the controller is awkward for long-term use, and not really conducive to the motions one is expected to make
2. It's basically the crappiest D-pad I've ever seen on a controller, cruddy 3rd-party knockoffs included

I'll be giving the Logitech pads a go soon enough, but for my retro-gaming needs, the 360 controller just doesn't cut it.

P.S.: Please don't reply trying to convince me that playing these games with the stick "isn't that bad, really!" I have my own preferred style of play, formed by many hours in front of the cancer tube with a NES, and later SNES controller in my sweaty, pre-pubescent palms. I'll happily play newer games with a thumbstick, because they were designed with that input in mind. But for retrogaming, a decent D-pad is a must.

P.P.S.: Has anyone come across a USB PC gamepad that manages to replicate the feel of the SNES controller? For my tastes, it was pretty much the sine qua non of gamepads, and I'd like to get that feel in my new, PC-ified games.

maximumzero

y halo thar 10 month old thread.

Dehumanized

The producer of BC:R actually stated that the game was designed for use with an analog stick.

http://www.bioniccommando.com/en/blog_entries/view/353

And the best part is that there are only 2 real major complaints:

1) The lack of no jump button (Of which I would again remind people that it's Bionic Commando and you should not be required to add a jump button to everything).

2) A difficult to use D-pad (The controls are analog so you will have the easiest time with the analog stick. We added the D-pad in there as an "optional" control scheme for old school gamers that wanted to experience the game like it was back in 1988).

Halbyrd

Sorry for the thread necromancy, I'm just trying to avoid topic duplication.

Anyway, I was using Bionic Commando as an example of J. Random Game, I haven't actually played it with an analog stick yet--felt a bit wrong on a game that was so clearly retro.

My real interest in posting was to see about getting a decent joypad. Any suggestions other than those listed already in this thread?

EDIT:
Having now tried BCR with the 360 controller and its analog stick, my earlier comment stands. Playing these kinds of games with a thumbstick sucks.

Daedalus

Halbyrd wrote: »

P.P.S.: Has anyone come across a USB PC gamepad that manages to replicate the feel of the SNES controller? For my tastes, it was pretty much the sine qua non of gamepads, and I'd like to get that feel in my new, PC-ified games.

Wii Classic Controller + Bluetooth adapter.

It works, seriously.

maximumzero

Daedalus wrote: »

Halbyrd wrote: »

P.P.S.: Has anyone come across a USB PC gamepad that manages to replicate the feel of the SNES controller? For my tastes, it was pretty much the sine qua non of gamepads, and I'd like to get that feel in my new, PC-ified games.

Wii Classic Controller + Bluetooth adapter.

It works, seriously.

I can still never get this to work in OS X or XP.

Also

Zell

I would REALLY recommend against the 360 controller because of the d-pad. Now the PS3 controller might be worth considering, if you don't mind the lack of rumble support and/or wants 6 buttons like a Sega controller.

PeregrineFalcon

maximumzero wrote: »

Daedalus wrote: »

Halbyrd wrote: »

P.P.S.: Has anyone come across a USB PC gamepad that manages to replicate the feel of the SNES controller? For my tastes, it was pretty much the sine qua non of gamepads, and I'd like to get that feel in my new, PC-ified games.

Wii Classic Controller + Bluetooth adapter.

It works, seriously.

I can still never get this to work in OS X or XP.

Also

I wants, but christ, $22 just for the adapter?

I bought a pair of Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2's for $20 each. D-pad is a bit clicky but they work like champs. They do tend to throw up the OMG LOW BATTERY warning way too early though, which means they disable vibration.

GrimReaper

I have a usb controller adapter that has a N64 and a Playstation dualshock controller connected up to it. It has a little switch that allows me to switch between the two. I use them occasionally for playing old and new games. And legal emulation. (I bought Amiga Forever, I still have a metric ton of Amiga games.. although I technically didn't need to buy Amiga Forever since I still own an A1200.. but it was helping a good cause and all that)