Making a Nes Max usable

[PCEngineHell]

Add a thumbpad stripped from a DOA Pc-Engine gamepad.



Now it feels like a real pad,and it works too

[Joe Redifer]

I've always wanted to try one of those things, and have always been confused at how the sliding d-pad (at least I assume it slid) works.  I think I might have issues with the turbo buttons being underneath the main buttons, though.  Might be easy to accidentally press. 

Good job on the mod, though.  Looks like it fits perfectly.  And they say the Playstation was the first controller with "handles".

[PCEngineHell]

The slide pad sucks ass,really it doesn't work,and makes these pads worthless. With the above mod however its bout as good as a normal pad with turbo fire.

[guyjin]

it is easier on the thumb, but you lose some accuracy.

[TR0N]

Nice i wouldn't mind having that done to my nes max.

The disc on mine is pretty worn out.

[Seldane]

I'd like to do that to the NES advantage! That controller is impossible to use! At least mine was, the A/B buttons often got stuck and stuff.

[CrackTiger]

Add a thumbpad stripped from a DOA Pc-Engine gamepad.

Now it feels like a real pad,and it works too

How exactly did you mount the PCE d-pad? Is it right on top of the disc?

[PCEngineHell]

The black part of the pad is a 2 piece thing and the slide thumb pad is in it. I took it apart,removed the red slide pad,widened the hole a tad more,dremeled the nub on the bottom of the pc-engine thumb pad so it would be flat,and with a dab of superglue for bonding placed it on the circle part,the part you see in the pic. On the backing to make sure it never came loose causing the thumb pad to get out of alignment,I added a tad more wood glue,a small layer that is enough to make sure it all stays in place. Then while the glue was hot snapped the 2 black pieces together.

[CrackTiger]

The black part of the pad is a 2 piece thing and the slide thumb pad is in it. I took it apart,removed the red slide pad,widened the hole a tad more,dremeled the nub on the bottom of the pc-engine thumb pad so it would be flat,and with a dab of superglue for bonding placed it on the circle part,the part you see in the pic. On the backing to make sure it never came loose causing the thumb pad to get out of alignment,I added a tad more wood glue,a small layer that is enough to make sure it all stays in place. Then while the glue was hot snapped the 2 black pieces together.

Cool, I'm going to find a Max and try this. I was one of the kids that got suckered into buying one back in the day.

The best NES controller I've ever used is the top loader dogbone pad. But this looks like it might be more to my liking and it'd be nice to have the turbo buttons.

[Keranu]

Oh no, not the dogbone controller (I find it funny that you use the same word to describe it as the Nerd HURD here does )! I never really liked that controller, I just stick with the good old original. I like to use the Advantage sometimes too.

[PCEngineHell]

Id like to redo the Nes Advantage one day with better buttons and a better stick. I forgot how big they are,and if they are deep enough to do so.

[CrackTiger]

Oh no, not the dogbone controller (I find it funny that you use the same word to describe it as the Nerd HURD here does )! I never really liked that controller, I just stick with the good old original. I like to use the Advantage sometimes too.

It doesn't look like it'd work so good, but I've never had such precise control over NES games with anything else.

The one I'm using is basically brand new though, so that might have something to do with it.

It might have something to do with my holding pads different than most people(I don't thumb buttons) and the increased size, since I have man-sized hands.

[PCEngineHell]

I was kinda wondering,what size does you hand have to be to be "man-sized"?

[Joe Redifer]

"Man-sized" says it all.  I often take "man-sized" dumps that require multiple flushes.

Also, CrackTiger, please take a picture with how you hold the controller.

[guyjin]

Oh no, not the dogbone controller (I find it funny that you use the same word to describe it as the Nerd HURD here does )!

Jeez man, everyone I know calls it the dogbone controller. you're the first I've seen who doesn't.

[Turbo D]

I think the original nes controller is cooler looking, but the dog bone is the ultimate for comfort and performance.

[CrackTiger]

"Man-sized" says it all.  I often take "man-sized" dumps that require multiple flushes.

Also, Black Tiger, please take a picture with how you hold the controller.

I don't know if these pics are an accurate depiction of how I normally hold a pad, since I just picked them up and pretended to leap through a platformer.

But while comparing the two for a minute, I was able to determine some of the major features that make the standard pad suck and the dogbone the greatest.


The sharp sides of the original pad dig into my fingers and it just feels uncomfortable in general. I can handle the two horizontal buttons on a TurboGrafx pad, because they're not so close to the opposite side of the controller.

But to use an old NES pad I have to either twist my right wrist into a very uncomfortable position or play with the whole pad on an angle, which compromises precise d-pad movement(I have a hard time doing Sonic Boom style moves on SNES pads too). Plus the entire d-pad is smaller than my thumb.

I also hate having to dig into a valley to try to press down the Select and Start buttons. Especially when they're floppy pieces of soft rubber that bend as easily as they depress. The concave A & B buttons are also slower to return and feel almost sticky compared to the dogbone's nice convex buttons. 



The dogbone's round bone-shape is perfect for resting my left index finger along. The back side has nice curves that don't hurt my other fingers and I don't need to support the pad heavily with my left ring finger like I do with the originator. When I need to hold the d-pad more straight and horizontal, it doesn't feel as forced.

I've never been a fan of the SNES pad's angled ABYZ buttons, but for whatever reason it works well for the dogbone. I think that the raised bar behind them has something to do with it and the angle may be different. The Select and Start buttons actually function as well, a big improvement over the old pad's nonsense. As mentioned in the crap pad description, the A & B buttons also respond much faster and can keep up with skill(anything above Gyromite).

The d-pad is much larger, made out of a softer finger-friendly material and also benefits from a raised base on the pad's exterior. The d-pad actually moves around. So much so that I first thought that it'd be sloppy and eratic, like original/3-button Genesis d-pads are for me. But as soon as I started playing a stack of 20 new carts I received at the same time as my top loader NES, I couldn't believe how accurate it was. 'Control' was the word that came to mind ironically.

One last bonus is that the cord actually comes out at the middle and doesn't drag from one side like the that old hunk of garbage. Yet there's still enough of it to lasso your kid brother or household pet with. 







I'd pretend that it may be Keranu's dogbone pad that is faulty, but his admission to liking the Advantage is evidence that its more likely Keranu's bizarro-world tastes that is the real problem. 

[Turbo D]

looks like you're having a fun time man handling that dogbone. I actually wish the buttons were angled in the opposite direction, but its still better feeling than the original.

[Joe Redifer]

Same here, if the buttons were angled in the other direction, platformers would rule with that pad.  I use the bottom of my thumb for the jump and the top of my thumb for the fire/action.  That's how I have it set up when I play games like Super Castlevania Four.  Instantaneous response for jumping and whipping.

But is the NES MAX the best controller ever or what?

[CrackTiger]

Opposite angled buttons might work if a pad was big enough.

As it is, these dinky little pads don't give me enough room between hands.

[Keranu]

Damn it, what happened to the somewhat large post I just made here!?

[Keranu]

Since my post for whatever reason didn't appear, I'll sum it up here.

Reasons I don't like the dogbone controller

*It's too small for it's shape - I don't mind small controllers, but this feels too small for it's weird shape.

*D-pad feels a little edgy and sharp if I recall.

*The buttons are convex and feel too sharp with the letter indents and are way too small. The original NES controller had outstanding smooth concave buttons.

*The plastic feels uncomfortable like it's too hard or something. I think this is the main reasons why the d-pad and buttons feel off to me.

*Looks retarded  .

I never posted that I liked the NES Advantage, I just said I use it from time-to-time. Anyway, I do like it . Sometimes the buttons get stuck like Seldane mentioned, but overall I think it's fun to use, especially when you haven't used it in awhile. It feels heavy and sturdy and has an awesome look to it and feels a lotta fun to use for some games. It even has the arcade feel.

[PCEngineHell]

Since my post for whatever reason didn't appear, I'll sum it up here.

Reasons I don't like the dogbone controller

*It's too small for it's shape - I don't mind small controllers, but this feels too small for it's weird shape.

*D-pad feels a little edgy and sharp if I recall.

*The buttons are convex and feel too sharp with the letter indents and are way too small. The original NES controller had outstanding smooth concave buttons.

*The plastic feels uncomfortable like it's too hard or something. I think this is the main reasons why the d-pad and buttons feel off to me.

*Looks retarded  .

I never posted that I liked the NES Advantage, I just said I use it from time-to-time. Anyway, I do like it . Sometimes the buttons get stuck like Seldane mentioned, but overall I think it's fun to use, especially when you haven't used it in awhile. It feels heavy and sturdy and has an awesome look to it and feels a lotta fun to use for some games. It even has the arcade feel.

Agreed completely. When I modded that Top-Loader awhile back I suffered horribly messing around with those game pads. Not the worst out there,but def rather have the old ones,which I have 3 of and they all work perfect/like new,or the Nes Max I modified.

[Seldane]

Dog bone controller.... I have never seen one of those before. It looks nice! Kinda like a SNES controller. I assume it is compatible with a real NES as well, right? Top loader does not count.

[MrFulci]

The way CrackTiger is holding those NES controllers, is how I've at times held a Sega Genesis controller (3 and 6 buttons).

Reason I do so, is for certain games I need easier access to many buttons (Certain 6 button fighters), and also for games such as road rash where I need to be able to easily have the accelerator down, while punching someone, and tapping on the brake. Those 3 actions sometimes occur in fast sequence, need to have 3 fingers doing their own unique job!

The way I get around all that, is to use joysticks!

I do enjoy game pads, when the controls are simple. Such as many TG-16 games, NES games, SNES games. etc. Especially when I don't need to quickly juggle between 5 different commands with only my thumb.

TG-16 and NES pads, I use my thumb on the 2 circular buttons. Most of the time, I do something I've been doing for a very long time, that now I don't even notice it. I use the tip of my thumb on the button to the left, and the "heel" of my thumb on the button to the right.  Works well in many platformers and such when I have to hold a button to run, and another to jump.

Reminds me of how much it bothered me when I played the Megaman Collection for gamecube. the B and A buttons were swapped. Sucks, as now I can't jump, then tap fire with the heel of my thumb, it's the other way around......... Still, I manage alright. That game really needed an option screen for changing button assignments.

[MrFulci]

Oh, and that NES Max looks nice!

They were silly controllers I had one, and it was flaky.

When it comes to thumb fatigue, there is a line of controllers called, "Turbo Touch 360". Give them a try, insteresting controllers for NES (I think...), SNES, and Genesis.

[Turbo D]

The way CrackTiger is holding those NES controllers, is how I've at times held a Sega Genesis controller (3 and 6 buttons).

Ya, I sometimes play them like that with arcade games. Its easier because I'm so used to playing arcade games that way.

[Keranu]

I often hold controllers that way too, it mostly depends on how much button tapping needs to be done. For Genesis-style controllers, I'm usually always holding them like that.

[guyjin]

I had a turbo touch  for the SNES once upon a time. (I actually got it in the mail for free, as a demo!) 
Wasn't that much easier on the thumbs, and the pad started malfunctioning after a few years.
(only controller I ever had that did that.)
I expect you'd have a hard time finding one in working condition unless it were new.

i think they came out around the same time as SFII for the SNES, since that was the first game I tried with it.